Locked On Golden Knights - Daily Podcast On the Vegas Golden Knights

Brett Howden scored his second shorthanded goal in as many games, this time in the second overtime period, as VGK walks off a 5-4 home win to take a 3-2 series lead over the Utah Mammoth.  Mitch Mar55ner had the helper on the game-winner as he won a battle in the corner, the puck squirted free and Howden produced the winning goal.  Howden's walk-off might have overshadowed a Pavel Dorofeyev hat trick. His last goal was with 52.7 seconds remaining in regulation and it sent the game into over.  Dorofeyev started last night's game on the third line after bei...

VGK returns to home ice after pulling out a 5-4 victory in Utah Sunday on Shea Theodore's overtime goal.  The series is tied at two games apiece heading into the pivotal Game 5 showdown.  The Golden Knights will try to seize momentum from the Mammoth. John Tortorella said Tuesday that he is sticking to his gameplan and simplifying his approach.  We will see if Torts does anything with his lineup tonight as Keegan Kolesar and Tomas Hertl continue to struggle.  VGK also needs to produce on its power play - now 0-for-its-last 11.  We have adjustments for Game 5 and our Locks, Props...

VGK survived an epic overtime duel in SLC Monday night.  Shea Theodore scored the game-winner in the final minute of O-T to lift VGK 5-4 and tie the series at two games apiece.  Game 5 will be Wednesday in Las Vegas. VGK led 3-0 before the Mammoth waged a furious comeback.  Utah scored twice in a span of :29 to get back in the game in the second period. Clayton Keller gave the Mammoth the lead in the third period 4-3.  But Brett Howden deflected a Noah Hanifin shot for the equalizer to send the game into overtime.  Howden had two goals...

The Golden Knights believe they can tie up the series against Utah on the road tonight.  It is a must-win if VGK wants to take the series back home at 2-2.  If not, they could face elimination on Wednesday. John Tortorella jumbled the power play units putting Eichel, Dorofeyev, Barbashev, Stone and Theodore on the top unit. He also made line changes with Dorofeyev moving to the top line for Mark Stone, who will now play on the second line with Reilly Smith and Mitch Marner. Meanwhile Andre Tourigny believes his team has to stay even keel tonight. The Ma...

Our reaction to the Golden Knights Game 3 loss and whether they can recover being down 2 games to 1 in the series.  

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The Utah Mammoth host their first-ever NHL playoff game tonight in Salt Lake City.  The series is tied at 1-1, but VGK has to realize it can't chase the game, especially early.  They need to try and take the crowd out of the game as much as possible at the Delta Center.  VGK has been going through its annual playoff drought and needs to get scoring from its Top Six especially.  We will see how VGK handles the speed of Utah coupled with the altitude.   We discuss Game 3 adjustments and we have our weekly WTF feature with fan comments. 

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With the series tied at 1-1 VGK has to be concerned about its lack of production from its Top Six.  It is still early in the series, but the Golden Knights haven't completely dominated with its Top Six forward group.  A couple of weaknesses: Tomas Hertl has yet to score a goal and Pavel Dorofeyev, the club's leading scorer in the regular season, has yet to notch a point.  We also talk about ways VGK will try to slow down the Logan Cooley line.  And, was the Mammoth's game 2 win a result of VGK poor play or did Utah turn...

VGK lost on its home ice to the Mammoth Tuesday night 3-2 as Utah ties the series at one game apiece and heads north on the I-15 for games 3 & 4.  The winning goal was scored by Logan Cooley who put the puck past Carter Hart on a rebound late in the third period. It came off a shot by Dylan Guenther.  VGK was outshot in the game 29-21 and outhit 39-33.  Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev scored VGK's goals.  The Mammoth frustrated VGK and utilized its speed to keep the puck moving in the contest.  Game 3 will be played Friday in SL...

VGK is looking to get out to a 2-0 series lead against the Mammoth tonight and maintain home ice advantage.  Will we see the same hard-hitting that we saw in the opening game?  VGK, in uncharacteristic fashion, played a very physical game.  They outhit the Mammoth 52-to-30.  We are sure the tactics remain the same.  We discuss what we will see in the way of adjustments from each team.  And, we have our locks, props and chance for Game 2.

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VGK outhit Utah 52-30 in last night's opening round game and those hits wore down the Mammoth in the Golden Knights 4-2 victory.  VGK had to rally from a goal down twice in the game. The Golden Knights scored three times in the final period for the win.  Mark Stone had the equalizer to knot the game up at 2-2.  Nic Dowd scored the game-winner on a deflection of a Noah Hanifin shot.  The Mammoth couldn't clear the zone three times on that VGK possession.  And, Ivan Barbashev scored an empty net insurance goal.  We highlight the Golden Knights fourth...

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Key Players to Watch

Burning Questions, X-Factors, etc

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John Tortorella has stressed speed in his eight games behind the VGK bench.  He wants his team to continue to play with pace on both ends of the ice. The Utah Mammoth are the same way. The race up and down the ice too and have faster skaters overall than VGK.  That is one of the top areas of concern.  We discuss X factors including the bottom six.  Penalties and special teams become magnified this time of the season and the Golden Knights hold the edge in that department.  Each team has legitimate scorers. We make series predictions and have...

VGK's late-season 7-0-1 surge led them to the Pacific Division title.  They sealed the deal Wednesday night at home with a 4-1 win over the Utah Mammoth.  The series should start at the Fortress Sunday  VGK needed one point.  They got two in the 4-1 win over Seattle. The Golden Knights are done for the regular season.  The Mammoth have a game tonight.  Utah has a 2-1 series advantage this season.  We discuss Reilly Smith's contributions down the stretch.  And we have an early look at the Mammoth series.  

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In an up and down season, VGK has a chance tonight vs Seattle to clinch the Pacific Division and secure home ice for the first two rounds.  VGK has home ice for the first round thanks to the Anaheim loss to depleted Minnesota. VGK's home ice hasn't been as strong as in the past - 19-12-9, but it has been different since John Tortorella replace Bruce Cassidy.  We discuss whether VGK would make the playoffs if Cassidy were still the head coach.  And we have our Locks, Props and Chance.

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Jack Eichel had a sensational night including his first power play goal of the season in the VGK's 81st game.  A goal and three assists in the game.  He also had a nifty behind the back assist in the 6-2 win.  We discuss when Torts should be extended.  And we look at the Pacific Division, where the teams are set for the playoffs.  Only positions need to shake out. 

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The Golden Knights will play for position in the final two games after clinching a playoff berth by winning in Colorado Saturday.  Jack Eichel scored the winning goal in OT.  The other VGK goals were by Mark Stone, on an incredible play where he knocked down the puck and back-handed it into the net from in deep.  Carter Hart posted another win with 30 saves.  He made several key saves in the game.  The Winnipeg Jets will need a miracle to make it into the playoffs.  They would have to win three straight and teams like the Kings would have to los...

Even though VGK has a new coach in Tortorella, they still cannot win in extra time.  Last night they fell in a shootout and lost 4-3.  They gave up an important point in the tight division race in doing so.  Mark Stone scored twice and Brett Howden had the other VGK goal in the loss.  VGK dropped its 17th game in extra time.  Seattle's Berkely Cattin had the winning goal and he also was the beneficiary of an awkward bounce in regulation.  Adin Hill was in net for VGK. The Kraken broke a six game losing streak with the win.  ...

VGK faces Seattle Kraken team in disarray tonight.  The Kraken are in the midst of a freefall, they have lost six straight and the collapse continues as President of Hockey Ops Ron Francis exits.  The Golden Knights look to extend their win streak to five games under John Tortorella.  VGK looks to play better than in Vancouver in the 2-1 victory there a couple of night's ago.   We talk about how teams might play against VGK to slow them down.  And, we have our Locks, Props and Chance. 

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VGK's blue line and goaltending were dialed in last night in a tight game that VGK pulled out on a third period Cole Smith goal, his second against the Canucks.  Carter Hart, playing his third straight game, had to turn away only eleven shots in the contest.  Brayden McNabb scored his fifth goal of the season, tying his career-high.  Brandon Saad made his first appearance for VGK since March 8th and Ben Hutton also drew into the lineup as John Tortorella wanted to evaluate those two players.  We update the Pacific Division standings, as VGK moves into a first-place tie...

VGK needs to stay focused tonight against the cellar-dwelling Vancouver Canucks. They are an unpredictable team that is looking forward to a rebuild in the off-season.  They defeated Colorado over a week ago. The Golden Knights are on a three-game win streak.  They had a team bonding outing on Sunday night. New coach John Tortorella has to make sure the Golden Knights stay focused. This could be a trap game with VGK looking down the road to games at Seattle and Colorado ahead.  We also have our locks, props and chance for tonight's game. 

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The theme in the Golden Knights dressing room Saturday night following the 5-1 win over Edmonton, was the return of the team's swagger.  Mark Stone even talked about it on the SportsNet postgame show.  The team is gaining confidence under John Tortorella, who has made tweaks that have paid dividends.  Torts has utilized more of Mitch Marner's talents, the team is playing at a faster pace, and he's put Carter Hart between the pipes.  Hart stopped 31 of 32 shots Saturday night. He is standing tall in net and has appeared to take over as Goalie One.  We talk about the goali...

Special edition - VGK stops Edmonton's five game win streak in decisive fashion.  The Golden Knights with a 5-1 victory to creep to within a point of the division leaders. Jack Eichel led the way with three assists in the game.  Carter Hart stopped 31 of 32 shots on net and had a .969 save percentage in the contest for his second win in a row.  We talk about a viral video Tony posted which could show dissention among the players and we look at the Pacific Division standings with five games to go. 

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Now that he has seen him up close, we can tell John Tortorello really likes Mitch Marner's game.  He pretty much unlocked Marner over the two games he has coached.  Marner started as the top line center in the 6-3 win over Calgary Thursday night.  And the former Toronto Maple Leaf responded by having a hat trick and five points on the night.  The Golden Knights still had to chase the game.  They trailed three times on the night and rallied in the third period following a 26-minute delay to fix the ice after the Zamboni caused a rough spot...

Pace, pace and more pace.  John Tortorella worked on his team's speed in Wednesday's practice.  He want the team to play fast in all three zones.  We will see if his message gets across to VGK tonight as the Flames come into T-Mobile in a spoiler's role.  VGK will need to play Tort's pressure game for more than one period. We will see if the change behind the bench ignites VGK.  The Golden Knights will see the return of Zach Whitecloud to the Fortress for the first time since getting traded to Calgary in the Rasmus Andersson deal.  We can ex...

We debate defensive strategies, shot blocking trends and whether VGK can reclaim Stanley Cup contender status under John Tortorella.  We have only a one-game sample size to go on, but VGK should be able to improve after Torts saw the team behind the bench.  The nerves and Staleness should dissipate when VGK hits the ice for its first practice under Tortorella Wednesday morning.  He will work on VGK being direct and playing faster.  We could see a different gear from VGK against Calgary and Edmonton in its next two games.  We also discuss the games of Mitch Marner and Rasmu...

John Tortorella said he made some changes to start the second period against Vancouver last night, because VGK wasn't playing direct and was playing tentative and nervous in the first.  To start the middle period Torts flipped Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner to center the first and second lines. The Golden Knights scored three times in the middle period enroute to a 4-2 victory over the hapless Vancouver Canucks. It was a long day for Tortorella, who attended practice, met with the media and players, and coached his first game behind the Golden Knights bench.  He said he was a...

Tonight will mark the first game behind the bench for new coach John Tortorella.  We should see some immediate changes.  He believes in tight checking, especially 5v5.  Accountability is a big thing with Torts.  If you don't comply, he will bench even star players.  We are curious to see what lineup he will put on the ice this evening.  He also has to clean up a lot of areas with the team in short order.  VGK cannot keep chasing games, they have trailed 3-0 in eight of their last 16 games.  VGK needs to play a more physical game under Torts an...

Bruce Cassidy got fired by the Golden Knights today.  He ends his Golden Knights tenure with a record of 178-99-43 and the team's first Stanley Cup. Tortorella won the 2004 Cup with Tampa.  He was fired by the Flyers at the end of the 2024-25 season. He was an assistant for Team USA.

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VGK stumbled again last night this time in overtime in a 4-3 loss to the Oilers. The Golden Knights have dropped nine of its last ten games against rival Edmonton. Questions arised around Adin Hill's goaltending again - giving up four blocker side goals.  Mark Stone had a two-goal game - putting the puck in the net for the first time since before the Olympics. Ivan Barbashev scored the only other goal for VGK.  We question why Brett Howden was taking a crucial O-T faceoff, which he lost and led to Evan Boucher's game-winning goal.  We preview the VGK-Caps mat...

VGK entertains the Edmonton Oilers in a critical four point game at the Fortress Thursday night.  The Golden Knights trail the Oil by just a point in the Pacific.  Both teams are chasing first place Anaheim.  With ten games remaining for each team, it is an important positional game.  These two teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs and this could be a game that could catapult one of the teams to getting home ice if that happens.  Edmonton has owned VGK of late winning four straight and 8 of 9.  We talk about how Bruce Cassidy could jumpst...

The Golden Knights offense stalled again in last night's 4-1 loss in Winnipeg.  VGK's offense sputtered again despite putting 9 shots on net before the Jets had their first SOG after the midway point of the first period.  VGK gave up goals in a variety of ways - a blown coverage, Shea Theodore pinched in too deep and gave up the puck, and a puck that went off Brayden McNabb's skate on a breakout that keyed a 3-on-1 advantage for Winnipeg.  Bruce Cassidy said his top guys have struggled to get their confidence back.  Jack Eichel and Mark Stone haven't been...

VGK is looking to string back-to-back wins together as they face a desperate Winnipeg Jets team that is five points out of a playoff spot.  The Golden Knights are hoping momentum from Sunday's win in Dallas carries over into tonight's game.  We will see what Bruce Cassidy's lineup looks like.  Will he keep veteran Reilly Smith, who scored the game-winner in Dallas, in the lineup tonight.  VGK will probably start Adin Hill in net.  He was better vs Dallas because the defense responded well and kept the crease clean for the most part.  We run down schedules for Pacific Divisi...

VGK dictated play in Dallas Sunday enroute to a 3-2 win over the Stars, one of the top teams in the NHL.  Reilly Smith was the hero with the game-winner late in the third period.  Smith hadn't played in nearly two weeks as a healthy scratch.  He followed up on a rebound off Mitch Marner's stick to notch the winning goal. VGK breaks a three-game losing streak in the process and moves ahead Edmonton by a point in the Pacific.  Is the the signature win VGK was looking for?  Can they turn the corner or was this Fools Gold?  And we...

We fired up a special Sunday edition to preview VGK vs Stars, what is going on behind closed doors, lack of chemistry, roster composition and more

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VGK spiraled last night as  Adin Hill was yanked after giving up three goals on four shots.  VGK fell to the Mammoth 4-0 to close out the homestand 2-2.  VGK's coaching decisions are being questioned after Adin Hill got the early hook.  It was the 6th consecutive start for Hill. Why did VGK bet everything on Hill? We preview this weekend's back-to-back at Nashville and Dallas.  And, we have out What the Friday segment. 

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VGK battles the Mammoth tonight for a playoff spot.  These teams are tied for sixth place in the West currently, but a win for the Golden Knights would give them 6 of 8 points on the homestand, and send the team off for this weekend's back-to-back with momentum.  Utah has lost 4 of its last five games but had a four goal outburst to end Dallas' 15 game points streak the last time out.  VGK needs to score goals - they missed the net 22 times vs the Sabres earlier this week.  The playoff race is getting tense and VGK needs to step it up...

Adin Hill's mistake behind the net in the first period was a costly one.  He went behind the net to handle the puck and wound up turning it over to the Sabres Josh Doan who banked it in net off the VGK netminder for the game winning goal in the first period. Josh Norris added an empty netter and the Golden Knights were shutout for a third time this season.  Other than the misstep, Hill, who started his fifth game in a row, played well. The Golden Knights had 27 shots on goal - but another 22 missed the net.  VGK los...

The Golden Knights will try to extend their win streak to three games against a road-tested and first place Buffalo Sabres team that has gone 17-2-1 in their last 20 games. This is expected to be a physical game.  Do we see Adin Hill in net for a fifth straight game for VGK?  Can Pavel Dorofeyev continue to have the hot hand?  He has registered six points, four goals, in the past two games.  It will be a step up for VGK over the first two games, depleted Pittsburgh and last-place Chicago, on the homestand. We have our predictions for...

The Golden Knights blanked the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 Saturday night.  Pavel Dorofeyev had a second straight three point night to fuel VGK.  He is up to 34 goals on the season, one shy of last year's mark, with 15 games remaining.  He has six points in two games.   Adin Hill started his fourth straight game for VGK.  He survived a couple of shots that hit the post, a save by Tomas Hertl when he was out of position behind the net, and a goal taken down due to a hand pass.  We also discuss the identity of the Bottom Six starting to sha...

Bruce Cassidy reset the lines with the return of Mark Stone last night and VGK responded in a 6-2 victory at the Fortress over the slumping Pittsburgh Penguins.  Although Stone didn't score, his presence was felt for the Golden Knights as the line combinations were reset, including Mitch Marner going back to his natural wing position on a line with Pavel Dorofeyev and Tomas Hertl.  Marner scored a goal on an acrobatic shot in the game.  Dorofeyev also had a three point night.  The surprise line was Sissons, Bauman and Howden, which played together for the first time.  Adin Hill...