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3 for 3 in the Stone Age


The Knights are 3 for 3 in the Stone Age                                                                                     3/1/19

 The Knights have had four separate 3-game losing streaks over the course of this season.  The last losing streak landed right smack dab at the trade deadline. Something needed to change, and change it did. It's still super early, but the Stone Age is starting out swimmingly. 

The  Knights losses came against Colorado, Boston and Winnipeg. Each team  having a combined record right now of 104-64-25. During this last losing steak, the Knights tallied their 26th loss of the season which is 2 more losses then they had all of last season. VGK had Marc Andre Fleury in net for two of those losses and Subban in for one. In these games VGK was out scored in 12-5, including a goal in the shootout loss to Boston. The AVS shutout the Knights with Subban in net on the 18th, and Boston beat the Knights via shootout in a hard played game on the 20th. The losing streak culminated with the Jets capitalizing and scoring 4 goals in under 2 minutes.

Before the trade deadline,  the last time the Knights put together 3 wins or more was a seven-game winning steak that ended with a victory on the 8th of January that came against the Rangers. On January 10th against the Sharks, the Knights slid to a horrible record  of 5-12.  They would suffer two 3-game losing steaks during this time and one 4-game slide only putting together 2 games in a row in the beginning of February. The Knights struggles have been real and no secret to opposing teams. 

The Golden Knights added one of the best sticks in the NHL by adding Mark Stone to their roster. Stone leads the league in takeaways. In his first 3 games with the Knights, the Knights have won out.  Granted, the Knights played a struggling Dallas squad, the Panthers,  and a Ducks team that seems to be circling the drain. Those 3 teams have a combined record right now of 84-84-24. The Knights SHOULD be winning those games. But the presence of Stone can't be denied. He has definitely added some serious spark to the Knights. 

The Knights played a tough one against the Dallas Stars and Big Ben Bishop. VGK  would unload an amazing 46 shots on goal against Bish where he would on let in only two and Fleury let one slide by. Marc Andre Fleury finished the game with a .958 save %.  In an interview, coach Jim Montgomery stated " When pressure is coming in this building, it's so loud that D-men can be 15 feet from Bish and he can't hear them. It's the second time I've coached here and I'm hoarse just from yelling line changes so that players six feet from me can hear who's up" So, ya know.... Stay loud in The Fortress. It matters.

 Next up the Golden Knights would have Subban in net against the Florida Panthers on a rockin' Thursday night. The legendary Luongo was between the pipes for the Panthers, and both goalies struggled in regulation. Suuuuuub continues to be brilliant in the shootout, and he has not lost one yet.  Subban would go on to get his 4th career shootout victory and a perfect 16 for 16 having never allowed a goal in a shootout. 

The Knights faced off against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday and Vegas showed up and out at the Pond. The Knights remain  undefeated in Anaheim and have swept the series against the Ducks this season. Fleury was once again doing Fleury things in his gorgeous shutout. He recorded his 7th shutout of the season and 55th of his career. With this shutout MAF solidifies his spot as #1 in the league over Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy, #3 over Pekka Renne, and among active players, he's #21 on the all time list for shutouts. Of course we cant forget Mark Stone getting his first point as a Vegas Golden Knight.

 Comparing the last 3 losses to the last 3 wins there are a lot of improvements. Subban in net for 1 loss and 1 win. VGK lost 1 in a shootout and won 1 in the same manner.  In the 3 losses there was a lack of pressure on the puck, and  this gave opposing teams quality possessions, allowing passing and shots with little resistance. The opposing teams that beat the Knights combined for only 17 giveaways over the 3 games and in the 3 games the Knights won that number has jumped up to 29. Another major change has come in the takeaway department, VGK has moved  from 38 takeaways over the losses to 54 during this triple-game win streak. This is due to pressure and getting these extra possessions.The Knights have managed to put  125 shots on goal over the last 3 games, averaging almost 42 shots on goal per game! A lot of this is happening because of a player like Mark Stone being added to the roster. Stone being the league leader in takeaways means extra possession. This is something the Knights are going to need over the next 4 games. They will play against a struggling Canucks team they will play twice and the red hot Flames.

Some Key Factors to note:
The Knights remain a perfect 4 and 0 never losing a game in Anaheim.

Anaheim 
Stone registered his first point as a Vegas Golden Knight in Anaheim and the Knights fans are still waiting to erupt in T-Mobile Area for his first home point

MAF continues to be a brilliant netminder and shows why he's an absolute All Star and a three-time champion. He leads the league in shutouts with his 7th of year, and his 55th career shutout. Fleury 3rd on the list among active goalies with the most shutouts and just in case if you were wondering, he is 21 on the all-time list.

Takeaways: The Knights have increased the numbers of takeaways over the last 3 wins from 38 to 54

Giveaways: The number of giveaways from on the opposing teams have increased from 17 to 29 

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