The final score said one thing. The game itself said something else.
On Friday night, the Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 5-2 decision to the New Jersey Devils, but Adin Hill was not the reason they came up empty. If anything, Hill was the one keeping Vegas afloat while the rest of the team searched for answers. The loss pushed the Golden Knights to 9-5-1, their third defeat in the last four games.
Hill’s night could look ordinary on paper. It wasn’t.
He gave Vegas a chance to settle in, find its footing and make a push. That push never came, because the problems were elsewhere.
New Jersey generated as many as 12 high-danger scoring chances in the second period, depending on which data service you prefer. Two of those chances ended up in the net, but both came after turnovers and breakdowns in front of Hill. That’s the kind of detail that changes how a goalie’s performance gets judged.
There’s a saying in the goaltending world: “Goalies are judged for the goals they don’t stop, not the ones they do stop.”
By that standard, Hill deserves a much better review than the box score suggests. He was also sharp in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators, and Friday’s outing looked a lot like that one in terms of his individual play.
Over seven starts this season, Hill is 5-2 with a 2.84 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage. Two games with four goals against or more have dragged those numbers down, but in four of his starts he’s held opponents to two goals or fewer.
That’s the encouraging part for Vegas during this rough patch: the fix is already in the room.
The Golden Knights know they aren’t playing their best hockey right now. They also know they have a tendency to get stubborn with the puck, trying to force plays instead of taking what the opposition gives them. The players understand it, and they know they’re the ones who have to clean it up.
At the same time, there’s a balance to strike. Good teams don’t just turn into dump-and-chase machines every time they cross the red line.
That’s not the answer either. The challenge is keeping the skill and creativity that make a team dangerous while also respecting puck management.
Vegas has the talent to do both. It has the experience, too. This stretch won’t last forever, and the Golden Knights know it.
In Other News...
Jack Eichel Returns For A Golden Knights Test That Means More
Mondays trip to Boston gives the Golden Knights a familiar backdrop and a little extra edge, with Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin both returning to the region where their hockey roots were formed. Vegas is set to face the Bruins in a matchup that carries more than the usual regular-season weight, simply because of who is on the ice and where the game is being played.
Eichels return has long been the bigger storyline whenever the Knights visit New England, but Hanifin adds another layer to the night as Vegas continues a road stretch that puts two of its players back in front of old friends, family and a crowd that knows their histories well. It is the kind of game that can feel bigger than the standings for a few hours, even if the real answer to how much it matters will only come once the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Hutton Is Back In The NHL Spotlight Again
Ben Hutton is getting another crack at the NHL spotlight, this time with the New York Islanders after signing a professional tryout contract. For a veteran defenseman who has logged 575 games across multiple teams, it is another chance to show he can still help a club on the blue line and bring some of the stability that has kept him around the league for so long.
Huttons path includes a familiar connection for Golden Knights fans, since he was part of Vegas 2023 Stanley Cup run and has spent the last five seasons in that organization. He also comes in off a career year offensively, with six goals last season, but the tryout only opens the door and leaves him with work to do before anything more permanent is on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Let A Valuable Road Point Slip In Boston
The Golden Knights walked out of TD Garden with a point, but it felt like a missed opportunity after a tight road game against the Bruins. Boston got goals from James Hagens and Morgan Geekie in regulation, while Mark Stone and Trevor Connelly answered for Vegas to keep it level through the third period and into extra time.
Vegas had done the hard part by climbing back into a game that looked like it could get away from them, only to see it decided in the skills competition. The Bruins finished it there, leaving the Golden Knights to settle for a result that was useful on the standings sheet but still left some frustration attached to the trip. [Read more 🡒]