The next one counts: Golden Knights preseason recap

A 4-0 loss is not how the Vegas Golden Knights wanted to end their preseason, but the slate is now wiped clean. As the NHL heads into the regular season, the fight for wins reaches another level. Just two days out from hosting the Seattle Kraken for the first time, we have a moment to look back at the seven outings we’ve seen over the past two weeks.

With a 3-4 record that includes two losses to the San Jose Sharks and two wins against the Colorado Avalanche, the Golden Knights are hoping to kick off the games that matter with a bang in the battle of the two newest NHL expansion teams. After the Golden Knights’ legendary 2017-18 run, the Kraken already have some decently high expectations placed on them, and Vegas will be looking to show Seattle that the Golden Misfits were a one-time team.

A pair of wins against Colorado

The Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights are the most projected two teams to win the Western Conference. The Golden Knights need to hold on to the memory of beating the Colorado Avalanche. This seems contradictory to everything else discussed here, but if these two victories over the Avalanche were just tastes of what both players and fans can look forward to during the season, we’re in for a fun ride. Outscoring Colorado 11-7, there is no doubt that this matchup is powerhouse goal-scoring at its finest.

Splitting games with LA

A fun shutout win preceded by a 3-1 loss, the Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings split their preseason home-and-home series. A decent enough series, there are no strong surprises in this outcome. The Kings have depth in their organization with a veteran presence to help guide their youth through a seemingly short rebuild. If the Golden Knights continue to play their game, they should make it through the season with not much to worry about out of LA. While this may be one of the last seasons to say that comfortably, but Vegas will take it for now.

A loss to Arizona

The Golden Knights will be looking to shake off this loss and leave it in the preseason. There is not too much else to this one. Keegan Kolesar showed off his physicality once again. While Vegas got a nice powerplay goal, fans want to see more in these situations. There is no doubt that the team would also like to have walked away with a win in this one.

Two dropped against San Jose

Opening and closing the preseason against the San Jose Sharks was bound to serve as a confidence boost to whichever team came out on top, and the Sharks took both. These games are the main reason why Vegas will want to have a short memory heading into the season. Being outscored 8-2 by the rivals in teal is upsetting, but at least there were no points up for grabs. As always, this series will be a big one to watch throughout the season.

While the games we’ve already seen have painted a picture of how the team ranks, there is no real way to be prepared for what is to come. Hockey is back in Vegas on Tuesday night as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken.