Golden Knights’ fast start crucial for condensed NHL season

The Golden Knights knew getting off to a strong start would be more important than ever because of the NHL’s shortened 56-game season.

Their play shows they’ve taken that to heart. The Knights are 4-0 for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Arizona Coyotes 5-2 Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. The only other undefeated teams are 2-0 Tampa Bay and Florida.

“The guys put in an awful lot of work, and I think this is the direct result of how hard they prepared for the season,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “They wanted to get off to a good start. We did.”

The Knights have shown they can charge out of the gate. They won their first six postseason games and eight of their first nine last season.

Then, it was because the team’s depth and possession game were firing on all cylinders. Now, the Knights are still getting into a rhythm but finding ways to win.

The team has not dominated the puck like it can at its best. The lineup has changed every game. Turnovers and defensive zone breakdowns are still happening. The group is just finding enough plays and third-period magic to win games.

“Obviously, we want to win,” goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. “I think the biggest thing about those (first four) games, though, is we got better.”

The Knights’ fast start should make their path easier the rest of the way. There’s less runway than ever this season for West Division teams to play catch-up.

“Good to start off with four big wins,” captain Mark Stone said. “Now it’s about getting better every day. We still have more to give.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Stone leads the way

The NHL’s points leader after eight days isn’t the reigning Art Ross winner, Leon Draisaitl of Edmonton. It’s not his superstar teammate, Connor McDavid. It’s not Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Mitch Marner or John Tavares.

They’re all tied for second behind a former sixth-round pick.

Stone has seven points, one more than any other player in the league. He recorded a point on each of his team’s four-game winning goals, becoming the first player in NHL history to do so during a 4-0 start.

“There’s a reason he’s an elite player and a reason why he’s our captain,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “It seems like when you contribute on the defensive end, you’re going to get rewarded on the offensive end. So it’s no secret why he’s having success right now. He’s earning it.”

2. Youngsters hit milestones

Two of the Knights’ youngest players were key contributors Wednesday.

Rookie Keegan Kolesar picked up his first NHL point in his fifth game by recording the secondary assist on Pietrangelo’s first-period goal. Kolesar was moved to third-line right wing for the game and finished plus-one at five-on-five.

“That’s his best game, for sure,” DeBoer said. “Physical, skating. Went to the front of the net. Turned some pucks over. We needed to see that.”

Defenseman Nic Hague also got a secondary assist by creating a turnover in the neutral zone that led to Stone’s second-period goal. It was Hague’s first NHL point since he scored his first goal Jan. 21, 2020, against Boston.

3. Power play starting slow

The Knights still need to work on their power play.

They had seven opportunities Wednesday — the same number they had in their first three games — but converted just once. Alex Tuch scored the team’s first power-play goal on a rush from the neutral zone 6:04 into the third period.

“The power play is close but not quite there yet,” Stone said. “Getting that one will hopefully give us a little bit of confidence.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.