The Vegas Golden Knights, who played six seasons in the NHL, quickly became the Stanley Cup winner. The championship was based on three themes in particular.
There were no Finns playing in the team. ‘s hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen highlighted three themes behind the championship.
1. Club management
Vegas’ story in the NHL is unmatched. The club has only been in the league for six years, but has already played in the finals twice and been to the conference finals twice. Now came the championship.
The team is tough in terms of material, but there is also a lot of character and leadership in the team on an individual level. The club’s first GM deserves a lot of thanks for this George McPhee and currently handling the mail Kelly McCrimmon.
– There have been disappointments along the way, but this has been built from the beginning with patience. The club has constantly found the right blocks in the right places, Lehkonen praises.
Vegas has really underpowered other clubs both in player trades and on the free market. There are good examples of this Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo.
– This is not a junior team, but an experienced hair-tailed team whose goal was only the championship.
2. Coaching
Vegas has been a well-coached team throughout their short NHL career, and that was certainly the case now as well. Gerard Gallant and Pete DeBoer head coach followed by a former Boston pilot Bruce Cassidy really set the Vegas game right.
On the ice, we saw the most intact and balanced Vegas Golden Knights in its club history.
– Cassidy was a big factor in this championship. He brought that discipline without removing the rough identity of the big boys. There was still a license for the nastiness the situation allowed, but they knew how to regulate it well. The four chains and six defenders were brilliantly cast.
– That whole thing was insurmountable for many.
In terms of gameplay, Vegas built a lot on the so-called bottom triangle. Two defenders and a center forward created a triangle and security in Vegas’s game, which others couldn’t find a cure for during the spring. The Golden Knights defended excellently and were able to attack with quality as a result.
– Fixing the lower triangle made a lot of things possible. There was already a lot of goal-scoring power there. Cassidy has talked a lot about the lower triangle and how the center can help it. The right players were still found for all this, Lehkonen states.
3. Model for others
Lehkonen sees elements in Vegas’ team and way of playing that other clubs will model in the future. Contrary to the spirit of the times, the clubs in the future may not be looking for small and wily players, but like Vegas, big and well-moved players.
Vegas’ defense was also one of the biggest in the league.
– Is this where it’s heading, that the clubs will soon only be able to fit 190-centimeter and 100-kilogram well-moved, skilled and game-wise players? Alexander Barkov is a good example of this.
Vegas respected him a lot and created a way of playing against him. He had to be stopped and it took big players. In many situations, Barkov was even doubled.
Lehkonen predicts that the trend is towards large-sized players.
– I have talked with some of the player monitors. They say that nowadays you can’t even suggest small defenders or centers if they aren’t there Sidney Crosby. Now we are looking for big players. They are required to have skating skills, speed and puck skills.