The Vegas Golden Knights are hoping to get their second road win of the season when they start a two-game trip in Anaheim on Wednesday.
Their struggles on the road so far this season have them tied with Nashville and Columbus for the fewest road wins in the NHL. However, if history is any guide, the Golden Knights’ fortunes could improve this week.
That’s because this road trip, which ends on Friday night in Salt Lake City against the Utah Hockey Club, has been labeled as this year’s “Dad’s Trip” for the team. Vegas has never lost a game during this special trip, with a perfect 9-0-1 record in such games.
“The simplest answer to me is that everyone wants to make their parents proud,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy explained. “I think our guys want to win for their dads. I think it is as simple as that.”
During the trip, the players’ fathers will sit together wearing their sons’ jerseys. They also get to join team meetings, watch practices, and have meals with the team.
“It’s very exciting,” forward Brett Howden said. “It’s fun for all the dads to be around and obviously have a little buzz going with all the excitement. It’s just fun to see all the dads.”
The Golden Knights, who are one point behind the first-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division, could use a boost. Their eight-game home winning streak, which matched a franchise record, ended on Monday with a 5-2 loss to Carolina.
Vegas fell behind early in that game, getting outshot 16-4 in the first period. They trailed 4-0 by the 26-minute mark and didn’t score until the 6:11 point of the third period, when Jack Eichel scored. Starting goaltender Adin Hill was pulled after giving up four goals on 21 shots, making him the first Golden Knights goalie to be pulled this season.
“When it’s 4-0, it’s tough to come back,” center William Karlsson said. “It always sucks when a goalie has to come out of the nets.”
“I wouldn’t put it on Hilly,” Cassidy said. “I’m not putting any of the game on Hilly. It was just about changing the momentum.”
Anaheim, meanwhile, ended a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over Columbus on Sunday. John Gibson made 38 saves in his season debut after recovering from emergency appendectomy surgery on Sept. 25.
“I played catch-up a lot (during) training camp and the last few weeks,” Gibson said. “Credit to the guys for coming on early, staying on after, shooting on me and help me get the work to prepare and get back into game speed. … It was a good team effort.”
Ducks coach Greg Cronin got goals from all four of his newly formed lines. Brett Leason and defenseman Jackson LaCombe each scored their first goals of the season, while Leo Carlsson and Isac Lundestrom also found the back of the net.
It was just the second time this season that Anaheim, who has scored the fewest goals in the NHL with just 31, managed to score four goals in a game.
“We’ve been trying to bingo-ball lines together,” Cronin said. “Try and create some identity within the lines, which would obviously strengthen our team identity. We keep putting pucks (on net), and I think that’ll unlock some of this frustration with the scoring.”
