Tomas Hertl’s Struggles and Breakthrough: Golden Knights Face Off Against Kings

Tomas Hertl, the newly acquired center for the Vegas Golden Knights, has been experiencing a mixed start to the season. Despite his historical trend of strong offensive performances early in the season, Hertl has struggled in his first few games with the Golden Knights. Over his first 12 seasons, Hertl has averaged 3.8 points in the first six games, but this season he has yet to record a point at 5-on-5.

In the recent road trip, Hertl’s performance was particularly underwhelming, especially against the Florida Panthers where he managed the worst Corsi share on the team at 27.66 percent. However, he has been a significant contributor to the Golden Knights’ power play, which has been a bright spot in his game so far.

In the latest game against the Los Angeles Kings on October 22, Hertl broke through with a power-play goal, helping the Golden Knights in their effort to end a three-game skid. This goal marked a crucial moment in the game and highlighted Hertl’s potential to turn his season around.

The Golden Knights, who are currently trailing the Kings in the Pacific Division standings, are looking to rectify their defensive issues. Coach Bruce Cassidy acknowledged that the team’s defense has not been good enough, leading to changes in the defensive pairs. Noah Hanifin, who will be playing with Alex Pietrangelo, emphasized the need for better individual and team performance to manage leads and improve overall defense.

The game against the Kings saw Ilya Samsonov back in the net for the Golden Knights, facing off against David Rittich of the Kings. Samsonov has had a strong start to the season, while Rittich has historically struggled against the Golden Knights.