Daily Nuggets: Golden Knights Dug Their Graves; ‘Wasted Season’

Good morning, folks. On Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5. Kasperi Kapanen scored in overtime and eliminated the Golden Knights from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, ending their season. For the players, this loss is still raw. I suspect the same could be said for most of you, as well.

The Game 5 overtime loss means that it’s time for the offseason. The Golden Knights won’t take the ice again until October, and when they do, it could be a very different team. We’ll get to that in due time. 

In the spirit of the offseason, at some point, I might even take a little bit of time off. I’d love to get to Florida for a few days and do some deep-sea fishing. Or, maybe I’ll still feel as tired as I feel now and spend two days cocooned in bed, hibernating like a bear. Who knows! Really, it’s a coin flip.

Okay, enough about me.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the Flyers caught the biggest fish left in the sea and lured Rick Tocchet to the head coaching gig in Philadelphia. In turn, the Canucks hired a new bench boss of their own. The Los Angeles Kings officially hired Ken Holland as their general manager, and the Toronto Maple Leafs melted under the bright lights of the biggest game of their season.

Golden Knights News

It’s over. The Golden Knights, who were once believed to be among the few teams capable of contending for a Stanley Cup, exited the postseason, not with a roar, but with a whimper. I have a full column scheduled for later. But for now, here are my thoughts on a hard-fought Game 5 in which the Golden Knights came up just short.

Of course, it takes four losses to be eliminated, and Wednesday’s was just one of them. The Golden Knights shot themselves in the foot too many times this series, and it cost them. 

Now for the human side of things. The Golden Knights were understandably emotional following their elimination in Game 5. Alex Pietrangelo used the word ‘disappointing’ about five times, and William Karlsson called this year a “wasted season.”

There will be much to come in the following days. We’ll learn just how many Golden Knights were playing through serious injuries. I’m betting it was quite a few. 

NHL News, Rumors, and National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: The Los Angeles Kings made it official and announced the hiring of Ken Holland as their new general manager.

Philly Hockey Now: Tick tock, tick tock. The coaching carousel continues to spin, and the Flyers catch the biggest remaining fish in the sea. On Wednesday, the Flyers announced the hiring of former Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.

Colorado Hockey Now: This is kind of like when you and your ex both get into new relationships at the same time. Rick Tocchet is in Philadelphia, and the Canucks brought former Avs-great Adam Foote in to be the new bench boss.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Offer sheets on RFAs can be some of the best drama in the sport. We saw it last year when St. Louis swiped Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from Edmonton, and we saw it in 2020 and 2021 with the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes. And buckle up, because we’ll probably see it again in July.

New York Islanders Hockey Now: Between winning the Draft Lottery, GM drama, and going through the five stages of grief with Lou Lamoriello, it’s been a chaotic few weeks for Islanders fans. And the chaos is only getting started– changes are coming.

Florida Hockey Now: There were scrums, there were boos, and there were jerseys thrown onto the ice. On Wednesday, the Panthers took it to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Scotiabank Arena and beat them 6-1. But they haven’t finished the job, and if anyone knows how dangerous a desperate team is, it’s the Panthers.

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