Keys to a Golden Knights victory against the Blues, sponsored by Credit One

By Justin Emerson

Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020 | 2 a.m.

The Golden Knights take on the St. Louis Blues at 3:30 p.m. on AT&T Sports Net, the second game in their round-robin for seeding in Western Conference.

The defending Stanley Cup champions remain the only team the Golden Knights have never beaten in regulation, though they took them down twice in overtime this season.

Here are three Golden Knights keys to victory, sponsored by Credit One Bank.

Avoid major lulls

In almost every hockey game, there’s a stretch where it feels like a team can’t get the puck out of the zone. It happened in the second period of Vegas’ 5-3 win over Dallas on Monday, and it’s probably going to happen again today. The Golden Knights just need to make sure it doesn’t last. They gave up three goals in five minutes to the Stars and were lucky to dig out of the deficit. The Blues are unlikely to be as forgiving if they get a similar lead. The Golden Knights will need to limit sustained offense against a St. Louis team with a potent attack.

Figure out line chemistry

After nearly five months off, it’s understandable that lines don’t click right away. The Golden Knights are also missing Max Pacioretty, adding to their tendency to throw players into unfamiliar lines. Vegas successfully reconfigured its lines in time to come back against Dallas, but relying on midgame adjustments is typically not a recipe for success. It might not be a long-term issue as the same lines that struggled in the first two periods against the Stars were strong in an exhibition game against the Coyotes last week, but keep an eye on how the forwards mesh with each other against the Blues.

Focus on quality, not quantity when it comes to shots

During the regular season, the Golden Knights allowed the second-fewest shots per game at 5-on-5 in the NHL. Who was No. 1? The Blues. St. Louis does a terrific job of keeping action away from Jordan Binnington and not allowing opponents to wear him down. The Golden Knights are No 2 in the NHL in number of shots, so a major battle will be how often Vegas’ offense can shoot on St. Louis’ defense. The Golden Knights may not be able to shoot as often as they’re accustomed so a key will be making the most of high-danger opportunities.