3 Golden Knights Who Need to Up Their Game for a Cup Run

For the seventh time in eight years, the Vegas Golden Knights qualified for the playoffs. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a spectacle unlike any other. It’s two months of high-stakes hockey that exhausts players both physically and emotionally. Sixteen teams earn a chance to chase glory; fifteen fail to complete their ultimate quest. Two months of blood, sweat, and tears will culminate in ultimate disappointment for all but one team.

The Golden Knights are no stranger to that disappointment. In 2017-18, they fell just short, and the Washington Capitals won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. 

However, they’ve also tasted victory. In 2022-23, they methodically marched to their first Stanley Cup, cutting down all four opponents that stood between them and immortalizing themselves in history.

This season, they have another opportunity to drink from Lord Stanley’s Cup again. But first, they’ll need 16 postseason wins.

To hoist the Stanley Cup once more, the Golden Knights need every player at the top of their game. They do things by committee, and they always have. However, if they are to win the Stanley Cup, three key players must take their game to the next level.

Alex Pietrangelo

When the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2022-23, their defense set them apart from the pack. Alex Pietrangelo, primarily paired with Alec Martinez, was a huge reason for their success.

Now, Pietrangelo is 35 years old. His offensive production isn’t what it once was. His foot speed has steadily declined, but it’s fairly noticeable this season. 

That doesn’t matter as much as you’d think.

Like all aging greats, Pietrangelo has had to evolve and adapt his game over the years. As his speed declined, his strength increased. He sees the ice exceptionally well, which allows him to get into position defensively despite not being very fast. Pietrangelo isn’t the smooth skater he once was, but his elite vision allows him to maintain his ability to move the puck well. 

This season hasn’t been without setbacks. Halfway through the year, the defensive pairing of Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin struggled, contributing to the Golden Knights’ poor stretch of play in January. 

That can’t happen in the postseason. The Golden Knights aren’t the Oilers; they’re certainly capable offensively, but they aren’t built to outscore their problems. They can in a pinch, but it’s not their MO. The Golden Knights can keep up in an offensive shootout, but it’s not a recipe for success. They prefer to clog up the neutral zone and win games 3-1. 

If the Golden Knights are to go on a deep run and contend for the Stanley Cup, they need Pietrangelo at the top of his game. They need him boxing players out in front of the net and winning board battles. History suggests that they can’t get it done without him.

Brett Howden

Let me clarify something— Brett Howden is in no way playing poorly. He’s fresh off a season in which he set new career highs in goals, points, and game-winning goals. He’s playing with a level of confidence that bodes well for the Golden Knights going into the playoffs.

Howden doesn’t need to elevate his play. However, the Golden Knights need him to sustain it.

Howden is an x-factor. He’s chippy and plays with the kind of edge you need to win in the playoffs. He’s fast, defensively responsible, and has a nose for the net.

Most importantly, he’s a Swiss Army knife forward. Howden can play in all situations– he can set the tone with a physical shift off the opening faceoff, he can kill penalties, and the Golden Knights can deploy him late when they’re protecting a lead. 

Howden can play up and down the lineup and slot in wherever he’s needed. He can center the fourth line. He can play in the middle six. When the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2022-23, Howden primarily played on the second line with Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson.

The Golden Knights need this Brett Howden in the postseason. They need the player who was second on the team this season in penalties drawn. They need the player who was third on the team in hits, behind only Keegan Kolesar and Brayden McNabb. And if he can continue his scoring touch, that’s just an added bonus.

I can’t say for sure where he’ll slot in; it’s been a while since the Golden Knights iced a fully healthy lineup. If he plays in the top six, it spreads the wealth by allowing another good player to slide down the lineup. If he plays in the bottom six, he’ll get favorable matchups. 

Jack Eichel

Much like Brett Howden, Jack Eichel isn’t a player who needs to improve on poor play. Far from it. But if the Golden Knights are to contend for the Stanley Cup, their superstar center must be at the top of his game.

When Eichel is at his best, he takes over the game at both ends of the ice. He shuts down the opposing top lines while still finding a way to contribute offensively. When the Golden Knights won the Cup in 2022-23, he did just that. He shut down Connor McDavid at 5-on-5 for an entire six-game series and registered nine points.

If Eichel neglected his 200-foot game and just focused on scoring, he would be capable of recording a 100+ point season. But that’s not who he is. He’s a gifted offensive player with smooth hands and a wicked shot, but he takes pride in his defensive game. 

Even when he’s not dominating the scoresheet, Eichel’s defensive work allows the Golden Knights’ depth to shine. The Golden Knights have four lines capable of producing offensively. That’s their biggest strength. They don’t need one player to average two points a game to win; they do things by committee. 

One of Eichel’s best qualities is his ability to elevate the play of everyone around him. It doesn’t matter who his linemates are. This season, he’s played with Mark Stone, Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, Ivan Barbashev, and Keegan Kolesar, among others. He makes his linemates better; in that sense, he’s a bit like Sidney Crosby.

He’s proven himself before, and if his regular season play is anything to go off of, he’s capable of even more. But one thing’s for certain– if the Golden Knights are to fulfill their dreams of lifting the Stanley Cup this summer, they need playoff Jack Eichel again.

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