The Vegas Golden Knights are looking to wrap up their East Coast swing with something they haven’t had much of lately: a complete, convincing win. After a rough showing in Ottawa that left more questions than answers, they’ll try to reset the tone Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.
Puck drop is set for 4:00 p.m. PST, with coverage on ESPN+ and SCRIPPS, and radio broadcast available on 1340 AM and 94.7 FM.
A Trip That’s Been Anything But Consistent
This four-game road trip has been a rollercoaster for the Golden Knights. They’ve shown flashes of the defending champs we know-tight checking, crisp puck movement, opportunistic scoring-but those moments have been few and far between. Instead, inconsistency has crept in, and it’s starting to show in the standings.
Vegas has dropped three of its last four, and it’s not just the losses-it’s how they’ve looked doing it. The most recent outing in Ottawa wasn’t just a bad night; it was a collapse.
The Senators poured it on, and Vegas had no answer. It was the kind of performance that sticks with a team, and the Knights will need to shake it off fast if they want to head into the upcoming Olympic break with any kind of momentum.
The Start Matters-A Lot
If there’s one theme that’s haunted Vegas during this trip, it’s slow starts. They’ve been chasing games from the opening puck drop, and it’s cost them.
Against Boston, they fell behind early and never fully recovered. In Ottawa, it was even worse-seven unanswered goals from the Senators before Vegas could even catch its breath.
That kind of hole is hard to dig out of, no matter how talented your roster is. For the Knights, getting out of the gates quickly isn’t just a preference-it’s a necessity. Against Montreal, they’ll need to flip the script, set the tone early, and force the Canadiens to play from behind for a change.
Special Teams Could Be the Difference
The Canadiens have been their own worst enemy at times this season, especially when it comes to discipline. They’ve racked up the fourth-most penalty minutes in the league and own one of the NHL’s least effective penalty kills, sitting 26th at just 76.5% efficiency.
That opens the door for the Golden Knights’ power play to make some noise. Even though the man advantage has been hit-or-miss lately, this is the kind of matchup that could help it get back on track.
Players like Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev-who both have the ability to strike on the power play-should be licking their chops at the opportunity. The key?
Keep it simple. Get pucks to the net, crash for rebounds, and let the skill take over from there.
A Chance to Reset
This isn’t just about salvaging a road trip-it’s about reestablishing identity. The Golden Knights have built their success on structure, depth, and timely execution. Those elements have been missing lately, but a strong showing in Montreal could be the first step toward getting back to that championship-caliber standard.
With the Olympic break looming, this is the kind of game that can either linger in the locker room or serve as a turning point. The Knights have the talent. Now it’s about execution-and it starts with a statement performance in Montreal.