Fire Is Still Burning Inside Golden Knights Players And Management

usatsi_23200569

Multiple players who spoke at the end of the season press conference reiterated the fire burning inside them to be Stanley Cup Champions again.

The Golden Knights season didn’t end the way they had hoped and envisioned. A first-round exit after their top prospect, a future first-round pick and additional draft picks were given up to put the team in a position to make another deep playoff run is viewed as a disappointment.

The Golden Knights players, coaching staff and management went into the playoffs knowing that multiple players on the current roster wouldn’t be with them next season and it’s understandable to feel like they failed.

Ivan Barbashev felt that even though the team came up short, he still enjoyed every second of the season.

“We had some tough stretches this season, but it was always fun coming into the locker room. There’s always a good mood. These are some of the best teammates I’ve ever had in my career.”

The Golden Knights were tormented with injuries this season. Nine players received surgery at some point during the year and until Game 1 of the playoffs, they never had their full roster playing together. One key player was always injured.

Mark Stone, one of the players who faced a major injury spoke about the round 1 loss to the Dallas Stars.

“We felt like we had a team that could win a championship this year. We still feel that way about this team in the future. Hopefully we can unwind the next couple of weeks, get back on the saddle, get our bodies ready and have that chip again going into next season.”

Looking at the Golden Knights roster on paper, many believe this team was the best one they’ve put together. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon believes that too.

“I believe this was the best team we’ve ever had in Vegas. When I talked to our players today, there was a real feeling of a missed opportunity. We had a good team but we didn’t have enough time to gel.”

After acquiring Tomas Hertl, he was only able to play in six regular season games before the playoffs. Stone’s last game before the playoffs was on Feb. 20 and William Karlsson was dealing with a lower-body injury throughout the series. HC Bruce Cassidy spent most of the series desperately trying to find combinations that could spark chemistry but it never came. The Golden Knights only scored 16 goals in seven games against the Stars.

Cassidy alluded to the end result not being what they wanted but the effort on the ice and behind the scenes were there.

“I’m proud of the way we competed. I don’t like the end result, no one does. But it wasn’t for a lack of effort.”

Jack Eichel, the highest-paid player on the team and their offensive engine had strong words to describe how he felt about losing.

“There’s only one team that’s satisfied at the end of the year. It happened to be us last year. We want to get back to that point. It should fuel everyone. I know I’m going to use it as motivation. We’ll come back and be as prepared as possible to have a good season.”

Eichel was excellent all season long for the Golden Knights even though he missed 19 games. He finished second on the team in points, second in goals and had the highest points-per-game mark on the team.

With a long-term contract given to Noah Hanifin and the acquisition of Hertl and his contract, Eichel will be depended on to produce more offence. Because of the salary cap, the team will likely lose multiple forwards.

Alex Pietrangelo understood how talented the team was and felt that it was a wasted opportunity for the group.

“You only have so many opportunities with good teams. It’s frustrating to not be able to capitalize. We’ll all be pretty eager to get back. Any time you have a team that’s competitive, that’s a good team and you think has a chance and you don’t do it, it’s disappointing. I think everybody feels the same way.”

For the fans, the disappointment that is so apparent on the players should be looked at positively. The burning passion to win the Stanley Cup is what you want the players to have and the Golden Knights clearly have it.

Make sure you bookmark THN’s Vegas Golden Knights site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.