How Vegas Became so Good In One Year
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- čas přidán 8. 05. 2018
- I do believe that this was to prevent the usual records put up by expansion team. I am completely fine with that.
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People in September: Lmao vegas sucks. They had no one good to pick besides Fleury and Neal and they wont reach 60 points
People Now: _well its no surprise_ vegas is this good they were handed a great team by the league
Yep, if they lose, they suck. If they win, it's rigged. If one person had screamed about this being rigged after the expansion draft, I might respect that opinion. Everyone picked them to finish at or near the bottom of the league.
Not true for a lot of people though. MYself and like 60-70% of my hockey fan friends all predicted Vegas would do well. I had them loosing the conference final to Nashville in September, one friend had them winning it all. A lot of people (on facebook too) predicted theyd do well and knew they were handed a great team
On God 😩
Lol remember when Drew Doughty said that Vegas wouldn't go anywhere and it was stupid to have hockey in the desert?? Remember during the first round of the playoffs when the Vegas Golden Knights swept the Los Angeles King's and made Daughty eat his words?? Well, pepperidge farms remembered and so do I.
Did ANYONE notice that Ryan Carpenter got an assist in the goal that really put away San Jose and ended the series and Carpenter was given up on waivers BY THE SHARKS to Vegas. And you could see it in his celly.
Max Lee, Subban on waivers too.
Max Lee Yep, I’m a Sharks fan and that sure stood out and kinda ticked me off. But that’s just the way things are
Those kind of things have happened all seasons.
Such a selfless play too very cool
Yea carpenter had a chance for the perfect revenge and passed it up without hesitation to make the smart play despite having the 2 goal lead, Shannon even has a video of when Gallant did the same type of thing when facing Florida. Stuff like that is why Vegas is winning, people forget Vegas has a lot of players having career years the expansion draft didn't make that happen
Wow. You just made me a Vegas fan for the rest of these playoffs
good one, maybe next time you'll really get me good by spelling your swear right
there is always room for more Jake!
Jump on board the Vegas wagon!! All are welcome!!!!
My team isn't in it and I am pulling for Vegas as well. The hard thing is that if the Peg wins then it will be two teams I am pulling for against each other. In the East it's going to be a good semifinal.
Gabriel Matte I’m exactly the same. I’m pulling for Winnipeg over all. I was actively rooting against VGK until this video by Shannon who changed my mind. But yeah, if it gets to Jets vs Knights I will pull for the Jets
Appreciate this here in Vegas, trying to explain this to people that are still on the high horse of its rigged yatta yatta shows how the GMs slowly played themselves and how great McPhee did. It’s been an incredible ride so far and what the team has done for me personally after the shooting it’s really brought a huge sense of community to a tourist trap. Great video if you ever make it out here to Vegas I’ll be sure to buy you a beer
and then the next round would be on me :)
GhastMarketing Scroggz you got to realise though like EVERY thing was against them the gm traded filip Forsberg for Michael Erat and micheal latta there a team of players teams gave up on but they pulled off some great trades and now are a cup contender
GhastMarketing Scroggz…..Thank you for touching on the one element that is rarely talked about when discussing the success of our VGK. We who live here know about the connection between the events of One October and the our team. These players, who didn't ask to come here, suddenly found themselves in the role of goodwill representatives for a community shaken to it's foundation by a senseless, tragic act just days before the season began. In between practices, they were visiting survivors in hospitals, donating blood, and were showing this rattled community that the VGK organization is first class off the ice, before anyone knew how they would fair on the ice.
The original opening night pregame ceremony, which was already written, rehearsed, and full of all the glitz you'd expect of a Vegas show, was scrapped in favor of an emotional but very fitting tribute to the 58 victims who lost their lives and to honor the emergency services/first responders. Just prior to the drop of the first puck, the house lights dimmed and an announcement asking for 58 seconds of silence was made, which was counted up from 1 to 58 in big gold numbers on the scoreboard. To see 20,000 people standing motionless and silent was very surreal, and when the house lights came up, I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. (Scroggz were you there?)
Ask any VGK player how they were able to rise to the level it takes to compete in an NHL game following such an emotional scene, and they'll all tell you that that ceremony gave them inspiration like nothing they'd ever experienced before....they knew they HAD to win that game. They came out on fire, scoring 4 goals before the halfway point of period 1, creating an instant relationship with the ecstatic fans.
They wound up winning the inaugural home game 5-2, and they never looked back...That game set the tone for the entire season they bonded together in a way that allowed chemistry to develop, and they've ridden that inspirational, emotional wave all season long and into the post season...and while it remains to be played out, probably all the way to the Stanley Cup. It's a fantastic story, and I am very grateful to this team for giving us residents something to cheer about in the wake of the dark cloud that shrouded our city 8 months ago.
GhastMarketing Scroggz, at the beginning of the season I thought, "Oh, they're an expansion team. They're going to get their butts kicked around." That didn't happen. I don't think it was rigged. Marc-Andre Fleury is still a good goaltender. I've seen Vegas' pregame on TV. I find it very entertaining. They lasted in the playoffs longer than my Bruins. I tip my hat off to the Golden Knights.
Richard M - Beautifully said. I was there at opening night and I can confirm there wasn't a dry eye in that arena. I was also working that night during the shooting and have never experienced such as what happened, other than being in the sand pit overseas. That's why the Knights winning is such a beautiful distraction for our city and everyone is riding their coattails and willing them to victory.
Vegas is vegasing for Vegas reasons!
Steve Dangle?
Coming this fall to a theater near you. Brad Pitt in Moneypuck.
...starring:
Miles Teller as Marc Andre Fleury
Michael Fassbender as Jonathan Marchessault
Liam Hemsworth as William Karlson
Chris Owen as Cody Eakin
Nicholas D'Agosto as Deryk Engelland
Jamie Hector as Malcolm Subban
The people who say that the expansion draft is rigged are the same people who said George McPhee is an idiot, hockey doesn’t belong in Vegas and expected them dead last in the pacific
The Draft was set so that a expansion team could get a competitive team the first year out. it achieved that I do not think the draft is rigged at all, but when the team you cheer for is diluted and the player you did not want to loose is successful for another team it leaves a bitter taste. Vegas fans should just admit the draft was set up to give them a better chance for success and the fans who dislike the knight need to realize to bring a crap team into the league would have been a bad decision for the NHL monetarily
I think many Vegas fans realize we got a nice head start from the draft rule changes but that’s a far cry from the people saying we bought or were gifted a team. After the draft no one was talking about how amazing our draft was and how we’d make the playoffs, we were picked by most to finish dead last in the league. Fleury was a monumental score, without him we aren’t where we are today, but what this group of talented 2nd, 3rd, and 4th liners have been able to pull off is unbelievable and has created a sense of community that I’m not sure anyone in Vegas thought was possible. I’m not sure it could be replicated, everything just fell into place and worked.
@@Hypoxicstate you didn’t even listen to the video . THG explained most of the awesome players Vegas got weren’t because of the expansion draft it was because of dumb mistakes and players other GMs gave up! That was Vegas GM being smart, not the league making sure we got a good team.
Yes we need a 96 panthers video !
Hey THG, Thank you for helping me learn so much about Hockey. I've followed hockey since the San Jose expansion, cause I lived there. I cheered for the Blues, because I was born there. I moved to WA in 93, so I've cheered for the Canucks, to at least bring the playoffs here. I've ceered for Vegas since the draft, because it will be easier and cheeper for me to go to a Vegas game than a Canucks, or even soon a Seattle game. Until this year, I've always had a hard time keeping up with trades, drafts, and waivers or understanding expansions. You've made following the teams I like, as well as the rest of the league, more enjoyable. Thank you.
For Vegas reasons this video had 47 likes with 0 views
Batflip 09 fair enough
I got to say mate, I've been following you're channel From England for about a month now and I cant tell you the amount of knowledge I've gained just from going through your back catalogue. Don't ever stop this channel, I think its sorely needed, especially for hockey fans outside of Canada who came to the game late, it's much appreciated.
Vegas vegasing is making other teams mad. Mabye they should start vegasing like vegas does for vegas reasons.
Daniel Steigerwald The Knights passes of all of Canada cause they have a chance to do something in one year that no Canadian team has done in 25. Win the Stanley Cup
Shannon, don't forget that Vegas picked up in round 2 of the 2017 Entry Draft the 2017-18 OHL Defenseman of the Year Nicolas Hague.
This is my I love Vegas so much, those players work so well together, I love them, the golden misfits
This is kinda what kills me. When they drafted these players, they did NOT have a good team. Before the start of the season, that $500 million did NOT buy them what anyone thought was a good team. Yes, they are good now, thats because multiple players are having career years. But no one expected anything like this, so to look back and say “Vegas paid $500 million so they got rules that gave them a good team” isnt exactly the full story. They are only good now, before the season began, everyone expected them to be last. Not a single person said “wow! Vegas got a great team for $500 million!”
But they did have the best chance of drafting a good team because they had access to better players in the expansion draft. I expected them to be decent, but still at the bottom of the league with around 65 points.
Wow! Thank you for the replay Shannon! Didn't expect to see that!
To be fair, yes, the 2017 Expansion Draft was the most favorable in modern sports history, I absolutely cede that point. But we are still talking about getting the 10th or 12th best player from every team, and the Golden Knights didn’t even do that, plus, many of the best players that were available and were selected, McPhee traded. It left the Golden Knights with:
-Four players who had ever scored 20 goals or more
-Third and fourth lines without a single player who had ever recorded more than 25 points in a season
-Not a single defenseman (aside from Garrison who is in the AHL) who had played in a top-four role in his career.
Yes, They were able to get a top goalie, but he only played 12 of the Golden Knights first 41 games (which the Knights still won the majority of).
My apologies for such a long post, but when it's broken down, there are quite a few reasons the Golden Knights were predicted to finish so poorly. The $500 million didn't get McPhee a good team (pre-season predictions show that), he just hit a home run with just about every one of his selections.
You hit the nail on the head. After the dust settled from the draft, they were still expected (by "the experts") to have a terrible year, and stay that way for a few years minimum. It's easy to look back now and see how good those players ended up doing this year, but nearly impossible to call it back then. That's why their odds were 200:1 before the season started.
Well, I could have told you if you let a team chose the best 3rd line forwards and bottom 3 defenseman from a 30 team league, you're going to have a pretty good team, Clearly, the fix was on for Vegas.
Before the season, I was one of the person who said they got a good team, not everyone before the season said they sucked and right now even being the top 4 teams and to go to the playoffs I’m not even surprised . Only reason I’m not surprised is because they hav all the power to select players and some players are good even on the open list of being picked .
I really enjoy your videos. I am a Vegas fan but still learning the game. This was so interesting to watch. I head right to your videos after every game. Thanks for all you do to make these.
Thank you for explaining this better than any other sports analyst has.
You need to catch a game here in Vegas! Its done Vegas style and done super right!... Honestly, McPhee and Galant are just as big of a reason than the players. Remember, this team was winning without Fleury for the first couple months; Legace played amazing! I was born and raised in LA and I'll always be a Kings fan #1, but Vegas is my home now. The players after Oct 1 was out in the Vegas community and giving blood just before the regular season and we in Vegas love and appreciate them for that! This team helped the city heal and you can't tell me they're not playing inspired either. They eliminated my #1 team, but the Knights have become my #1a; honestly, I've gone to more Knights than Kings games. So, I'm not only on the bandwagon, I'm playing the f'n trombone!
I just have to say that I appreciate that you upload vids what seems like every 6 hours, LOL. I need my hockey fix every single day now, it seems, while I wait for the next games to go on. I can only imagine how my life would feel so empty during the summer months but thank God that you're here, LMAO.
The entire Vegas management team, with McPhee getting the bulk of the recognition, deserves a LOT of credit. There is so much talent out there that evaluating that talent requires a team of very knowledgeable hockey people and look at the moves they made--key pieces that were the difference. Proof of their management acumen, imo: they fire their winning coach-To pick up a better coach. Bold move that I expect will pay off. This is the most successful expansion team in the history of professional sports, but the story isn't written yet; Vegas fans may go twenty years and not win a Cup, reminiscing for years about their first season. I don't want them to be spoiled with early success, because barely making the playoffs will be disappointing and fans want to fire everybody when they miss the playoffs. This is the most difficult championship to win. Until they win one, they will be another hockey team.
This team set the bar very high for Seattle, people may become disappointed if they don't make the playoffs in their FIRST YEAR.
Yes, the rules matter, no comparing the FL and CBJ expansion that had two teams drawing from a smaller pool. I give their management an A+, this is a formidable team that you don't want to meet in the playoffs, defensively minded (i.e. built for playoff hockey). Certainly MAF was a defining piece of the puzzle that they built around--instant confidence your goalie is not a sieve, like fielding baseball with Tom Seaver on the mound, you're in the game, play the fundamentals of your position, then you just need to get a couple runs/score a couple goals and you have a good chance to win. He is part of that intensely competitive, prideful character guy like Marchiseault, knowing they could play at the highest level, chippy scrappers not giving an inch. I knew in Dec that this was no ordinary expansion team, consistency is a characteristic of solid teams and they had it and still do.
Thanks for doing this video, I was wondering how they put this team together. I freely admit I didn't expect much out of them for the first five years, maybe make the playoffs, out in first round, because...well, its always been like that. Ongoing story. I can hardly wait for the Russian expansion team, the Siberians, or Kamchatka Kats,,,
Loved the "Moneyball" reference with Brad Pitt lol
George McPhee deserves a standing ovation for orchestrating such an incredible trade scheme...picking quality amongst the fodder to trade...Vegas will be a force for the next 5 years atleast. I'm excited to see how Seattle can follow this also. Hard fought season by pissed off and motivated players
Truly fantastic video - just found your channel - they are now in the final. As a hockey goalie dad to a 17 year old that almost got drafted, and former coach to a bunch of kids teams, the only thing I will add that possibly not enough emphasis was given, is that without Fleury's save percentage, none of this is possible - not even remotely. Fleury, a #1 overall NHL draft pick, is playing at or even above that level, which is truly historic. In these last few series, especially against Winnipeg, you could just tell he was by far the better goalie - and now everyone knows it and it is just killing the other team's goalie who cracks. It is within Fleury's ability to play at a 94% save percentage - most other guys that aren't named Price, 92% in the Playoffs is about it. At 30 shots per game, that 2% differential is about 2/3rd of a goal per game - and over a 7 game series, that is virtually impossible to overcome. If Fleury delivers that 94%, it honestly doesn't matter what else happens - they will win. If he becomes human again, and falls back to only 92%, then Ovechkin will be taking the Cup to Red Square for the biggest party the cup has ever seen. If Fleury delivers, he is headed to the HHOF as a 1st Ballot entry next to OV.
Thank you, THG! I've always felt that the idea of our team's success is a result of rigging, was crazy at best! GO KNIGHTS GO!!!!
After misplaying the opening hype for Vegas, I expect the NHL to really go all in for Seattle. Not long after the Knights logo and jerseys were revealed, my wife was in Vegas. She visited the store, and all she could get with the logo was a t-shirt with a play on the Vegas slogan: "What happens on the ice, stays on the ice," with a very small Knights logo. The league won't underestimate fan enthusiasm like that again.
The Karlsson, Smith, Marchessault line is my favorite story in hockey. Given away from their teams so others weren't taken, and turning right around to be, IMO, the most dominant line in the league
Given away? Do you even understand how the expansion draft went down? They were not just tossed away, all three of those players have always been decent players that teams wanted. The teams that got rid of them did it because they were kind of forced to, they were only given so many saves and they had to make the most business like decisions possible.
Awesome video, pumped for Vegas. Super stoked for Seattle. Got on the waitlist for tickets and am hoping for the totems or kracken
I hate their name. I never address them by name, and if I have to I just call them golden showers.
BUT MAN THE MORE I WATCH THEM THE MORE I LOVE EM! I really respect what the management and the scouting team have accomplished by turning every team's reject into a cup contender. If they win the cup I'll be alittle mad outta jealousy but they totally deserve it. And if they don't, theyre gonna have a great future anyway.
Amazing video! Wow. You deserve everything you’re getting with the success of this channel. I watch all the hockey newscasters and everything all the pros, and honestly yours is the best. Those guys you can tell follow a script and so much of what they say is bs. Your view is so unbiased and it’s a joy to watch. And the way you’ve done your research all on your own you don’t have all these people to get it done for you, I think it’s incredible. Thanks for this video in particular, it really showed everything you need to know about how Vegas became successful and a lot of people are probably really happy you did this. I’m not from Vegas or anything but I love watching this team, and all the underdog stories it’s amazing, great video!
Vegas winking for Vegas reasons. Also the stupid GMs. I won’t say it’s rigged unless there is a lot bad calls going there way.
Las Vegas newspaper have given this team lots and lots of support and the town loves them.
Coming back to this after 3 years is just hilarious.
It's the best story in sports history
Not even top 5 mate. If you are talking USA sports history...MAYBE top 5 (even that is a stretch). But there are MUCH more impressive sports stories from other sports all over the world.
@@alfredpardoe3795 name them
@@unknowable2432 3 years later and he couldn’t name 5
VGK nation heavy in this THG group! Just wanna day thank you. I’m a sports freak but admittedly didn’t know a lot about hockey but it always interested me. Finding your channel to helped me be (usually) the smartest hockey guy in the room. Your videos are basically in my daily rotation! And hockey is almost taken over as my favorite sport to watch (besides NBA)
Congrats you made it on the Vegas intro during Game 3
I think David Perron was a steal from my Blues. The thing is so many of these guys are having their best career seasons. Simply remarkable
"We're still in the playoffs, and you're not." - Pretty much everyone on Vegas to their former team.
0:08 Thanks for giving Vegas a quote for Game 3's hype opening THG!
My favorite was the wild bill pick
Would love Vegas v Washington final with the mcphee connection
Would you consider making a dedicated video on just William Karlsson? From 6 goals to 43 just how does that happen???
Gary Bettman goes to Vegas... 1) World wide marketing reach 2) showmanship appeals to younger demographic 3) people are talking about hockey in the US during the NBA playoffs, and 4) half a billion freaking bucks in liquidity. Dude is a genius.
Great video, Shannon. But - the missing link here is talent choice...scouting? Whatever you want to call it. One team’s management evaluates better than another’s. How. Voodoo? More experience? The bad teams have one thing in common: they picked the wrong guys. Bad on them. Sounds like a good video for you to explain just how scouting gets done.
I am waiting to jump on the Seattle bandwagon. Can't wait to see how their expansion goes. Think you've nailed it though. Loved Vegas this year as well. Great team.
Hope their fans don’t take the success for granted. There’s nowhere to go but down for Vegas.
win or lose the Fanbase is going to grow!
I'm a sens fan, and i cheer for winnipeg in the playoffs cuz they're a small canadien town like ottawa, but man is it hard not to cheer Vegas. If preds win tommorow i hope vegas wins it all
I'm just glad the Canucks were not fleeced with Vegas' expansion
Daniel Dosso i cheered when they took Sbisa from us.
You’d have to have good players to be fleeced
Canucks have a couple good players
How I felt as Well being a Habs fan
Jimmy James don’t worry, you have a gm who will fleece himself
Man, I wanna see that movie now.
NathQ Art Hopefully it's called: "Vegas Strong, A Golden Knight's Tale".
Thank you Hockey Guy....I always learn a lot from you.
Great story, great video. And I too have been saying for months now that there is going to be a movie about this team and their first season miracle.
Wow after watching them beat San Jose I was on the “nhl rigged it” bandwagon. Thanks for enlightening me!
The best thing about this whole situation is that it's a perfect combination of the two best things in the world. Hockey and Vegas.
Thank you for the amazing explanation! You did a great job :)
Omg brad Pitt as George Mcfee lol
KiNgS In FoUr
dashmow Lmao nobody said 4
Your right about the 4..Just wasn't the Kings.
Lol!
Vegas in Four.
Love the vids love the info! GO KNIGHTS GO!!!
Nice. I did some sort of analysis on this (minus the transaction details). One of the missed factors also though is the presence of NMC's that HAD to be protected. NMC's did not exist in 2000. That gives a greater advantage to VGK. Also, Gallant as the available HC was a biggie.
Perron had the best summary: He answered the press about their success. "There are no cliques in the locker room."
One thing also to remember- MIN and CBJ expansion fees v VGK fee had the VGK go up 9.5%/yr. Not a bad growth rate, but let's remember different dollars, split fewer ways in 1997 (not 2000).
Regarding MAF, you also have to remember that he waived his NMC to save the Pens bacon on Murray. He didn't have to do that.
This kind of reminds me of the 1995 NFL expansion when the Panthers and Jaguars came into the league and in their 2nd year were in their respective conferences championship games. By the time the Browns came back the league adjusted their expansion draft and the Browns have been crappy ever since.
Coming back here just before the Seattle draft and just after the Minnesota buyouts is funny
It wasn't rigged. And the only proof I need is no one, and I mean NO ONE, thought they'd even make the playoffs. We knew they'd be better than previous expansion teams, but that's not really saying much since they were always in the league basement. Every player they took has played better than projected. And that even includes the veterans that were supposedly declining and would only be useful as that veteran presence and not as producers.
George McPhee is playing 3D chess on the rest of the GMs in the league and loving every second of it. I don't know who's on his scouting staff but whatever they're being paid, it's not enough
You're the Vegas Golden Knights of hockey analysts. You're ahead of the game with your videos, your analysis, and your topics. All the mainstream hockey talk from the big sports networks are like vanilla or sticks in the mud. They need to get a clue like how these old NHL GMs will soon with Vegas. Great vid, enjoy all your videos.
This makes my little heart so happy. To see that this is very sustainable is so much fun!
Vegas also had to be good now so that they can have the fans won over before the Raiders move to Vegas in a few years.
and boy did it work!
MrSpeed427 And if my Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup this year, they'll become America's hockey team.
Very few people in Vegas wants the Raiders.
Alex Diaz It's not so much about the locals as it is for the tourists since the Raider Nation is bigger than Oakland, hence the money. Building a loyal local fanbase takes time, attracting tourists, not so much.
Alex Diaz If the Raiders start winning as quickly as the Golden Knights did, I’m very confident that the locals will start accepting them
All the experts said......
0:10 VGK used a snippet of it during their intro for the Western Conference Final. Taken out of context but they wanted to rile up their fans.
Amazing.
Vegas comes down to McPhee being smart and players that work really hard and play better than anyone expected. I dont see a point in expansion teams being a punching bag. I only see teams saying it unfair because their team sucks now. Well whos fault is that probably the gms and the players not playing good enough.
William Karlsson is a franchise center
TheRobloxMoose 1845 nylander? Karlsson practically carried the team with 43 goals. He's one of the best snipers in the league, around ovechkin level. Wayyy better then nylander, I honestly don't know how you came up with that.
TheRobloxMoose 1845 McDavid and Crosby are generational players not franchise. And there’s definitely more than 10 franchise players in the nhl
If you watched Vegas and Karlsson you would know that this is not a fluke year he just is that good and columbus missed that jewel they had. Just look at the between the leg goal vs sharks that shows he is comfortable in the league now and will only get better.
There is no questioning here...#wildbill is a savage. His Hockey sense is just stuuupid which is his greatest strength but this year he has showed he has all the tools. Speed, vision , grit, a ridiculous shot (wrister especially) and plays solid defence. Absolutely showed he can be a 1 first line player , btw reilly smith is a nice support for his breakout year but very underrated imo. Not even a fan but #goknightsgo at this point man...what a story.
Kryzgonite MC Dont get me wrong, I love Wild Bill, but if you expect him to keep this scoring uo you are insane. He has one of the highest shooting percentages in the entire league.
Thank you for explaining this. I’m tired of doing it and now I can just link this video. Also...
GO KNIGHTS GO!
Great Vid! Would love some vids on LAK!
I am liking the Tartar trade more and more as a Wings fan. 4 picks in the top 36 picks in this year's draft. Not too shabby to start rebuilding with. Shades of 1989 perhaps?
Keep in mind, its easy to look back now and say "This team was set up with great players from the start." but remember that most people still expected them to suck even after the draft. There were a lot of reports about how bad the draft was for them and how they only got 2 noteworthy players (Neal and Flower) and lots of questioning McPhee and the decision making. The players are playing with chips on their shoulders, having career years, and coming together to play some good solid hockey. The stadium is always packed and loud, too, which probably helps a ton.
I was watching the expansion draft and I knew they were in the playoffs but I didn't expect them to go this deep until closer to the end of the season when they really showed they deserved a chance at the cup
This video here made me really appreciate Vegas as a franchise. I couldn't STAND them being so good but honestly this really opened my eyes as to who the team actually is. I have an uncle in Vegas and he LOVES the knights and I think I will too... Really excited to see about their future. GO KNIGHTS!!!!
This team has been brilliant from day one, and there are guys who went there and are likely to win their first cup there when they really didn’t have a shot at it where they came from. I’m looking at William Karlsson as a prime example. Call me crazy, but I think they’ve got enough steam going that we are looking at the 2018 cup champs here.
I really think that Fleury is cementing his foothold in the Hall of Fame. I think some team would have given Pittsburgh a 2nd for Fleury and I thought that he was going to be Vegas pick.
Now having young players means that the potential is there and sometimes its the ice time that isn't for a lot of these players.
I agree, i don't blame the NHL for doing what they did to make sure Vegas had a quality team.
$500mil deserves a at least a good chance at a good team.
Plus like you said, filling expansion teams with bottom of the barrel players doesn't work well. Teams struggle, fans stop going to games and several teams have moved.
I don't think the NHL had any idea Vegas would be THIS good though but that credit belongs to Mcphee and everyone of those players that are playing their asses off!
I'm a Pens fan and it would be awesome to see Vegas win. Great story, and seeing Fleury playing like he is and showing that he's a HOF'er is awesome to see.
You’re right, don’t be mad at the knights...be mad at Minnesota and Florida
Great video. Flyers fan here that’s been rooting for them since philly got knocked out. I really hope they finish this run.
very well put together video. imagine if you talked about picks too omg
Do the rat trick video!
Love the analysis. You were right. At season start, everyone was saying that Vegas would be last. Even the sports books had long shot odds on them.
And now, look at them. Deadly as ever and the envy of the hockey world.
I tell you, the governor’s mansion is going to be vacant soon. And I can guaran-damn-tee you that if McPhee ran for governor and Gallant ran for lt. governor, they would win in a landslide!!!!!! “For Vegas reasons.” 🤣🤣🤣
This team is no joke and no fluke. They will be great for a VERY, VERY LONG TIME!
No they won't
You made a video almost halfway through the season calling it. You mentioned that Vegas was a first line center away from being extremely dangerous. Karlsson has filled that role, and the Knights are doing what you said they would. Kudos!
Vegas is Vegas for Vegas reasons.
Matthew Barnaby I'm new to this meme can you explain?
yes make a video about the rat trick
I'm a ducks fan at heart but, it's hard not to like the vagas golden knights they have such a good team I wouldn't be surprised if they won the whole thing this year. They play with the fire they need to its great. GO KNIGHTS GO!!!
You could argue getting a Jack Adams winner in Gallant for their first head coach was as much a key factor for their success this season.
Honestly have looked at Vegas as an amazing story since the beginning. Not on the bandwagon necessarily but very happy to see those players succeed so much.
"Look at the celebrations when they score goals"
I said the same thing early on, and again after the celebration from the 2OT against the Kings. It wasn't that they won, it was their celebration afterwards. You can see how much they have invested in every single goal they score. Watch the video of Haula scoring the 2OT winner... The team celebrates like they won the cup, for a game two victory. And they seemingly still have energy after a nearly 5 hour long game.
That moment when Vegas uses your voice in the pregame show
I dont feel like anyone's talking about the inherent value of being able to pick players that fit into a specific system, that are humble enough in their careers to be moldable and a coach that can successfully implement a game plan. This team is learning and growing together and everyones playing their role, and I seriously believe that more then anyone's individual talent is leading them to having a career year.
John Dombroski I’m new to hockey (Las Vegan here, started watching at the start of the season), but Vegas seems like a team. A lot of other hockey teams seem like NBA teams, one or two stars with forgettable fill-out-the-playing-field passers. Hockey is fast and complex, so success seems to demand solid players in all positions. Star players are nice, but it takes a lot more work to have a solid team. That’s admirable to me.
StarWine exactly. All the best teams are there because they have depth pieces that help drive the stars forward, without that the whole thing falls apart. Too many teams mold their play style around their star player and as a result the other players are forced into roles that dont fit their specific skillset, instead of actually carving out an identity for this team and creating a system that utilizes everyones strengths, something Vegas had the luxury of doing as it started from scratch.
I gotta give credit where credit's due. I expected Vegas to be a last place team and they proved me wrong. At this point I'm expecting them to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals and possibly win it all. The only thing I don't like about that team is Fleury and that's because I'm a Rangers fan. But still you can't underrate this team anymore they have proven everybody wrong. Now the expansion draft could have been rigged, but that would not have mattered if they finished in last this year. They finished in first because they've played well this entire season. It's not about the players it's about how well you play.
How can you not like Fleury?
Because I'm a Rangers fan and he used to be a Penguin.
Zombie Slayer I figured as much, cause there's no way to not like the guy if you look past the jersey he wears/wore
Not just with how well they have played, George McPhee made a 👌 hire for head coach. Gerard Gallant devised a playing style that was completely in line with the direction the NHL was going. It is becoming a speed game, and Gerard was ahead of the curve. The result: One of the fastest teams in the league and a potential Stanley Cup finalist, and maybe a Stanley Cup Championship team. Gerard Gallant deserves the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year, & George McPhee deserves to win what should be known as the Bill Torrey Award, in honor of the late architect of the Islanders' 1980s dynasty, for GM of the year.
Zombie Slayer. I'm a Pens fan and I like Lundquist.. Henrik is the man. Damn shame if he never gets a cup. Great guy too, like Fleury
The Vegas 2017 draft class is incredibly good.Top 4 picks look like they could all be impact NHL guys, and I wouldn't be surprised if Rondbjerg Elvenes and Dugan make it to the NHL some day.
Hey Hockeyguy! New fan and subscriber! Quick question: do you think the Blackhawks are on the decline or was this season just a bad season for them?
Xavier Henke my personal opinion is that they'll have maybe 2 more bad seasons but then rebound and regain dominance
"Brad Pitt MUST play George McPhee"
The more expansion happens, the bigger the salary cap. Cheer for expansion teams to do well!
If there is a movie about this like a mainstream hollywood movie im definitely going to view it
Connor Campbell They better have the first viewing here in Vegas. I’m dying for this movie already.
Do a video on the rat trick please.
It just shows that for fairness to the rest of the league, they should add two teams at a time and go back to the higher number of protected players. Or if adding only one team they need to allow the other teams to protect even more players.
Great analysis ... Vegas got good players for 1/2 a Billion dollars. I see Seattle doing almost as well ... not a finals visit but playoffs in first year.