Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Golden Knights embrace more intense training camp as postseason nears

VGK Practice

Wade Vandervort

Vegas Golden Knight Ryan Reaves (75), Jonathan Marchessault (81), William Carrier (28) and Max Pacioretty (67) laugh during practice at City National Arena, Monday, July 13, 2020.

Training camp in the NHL is traditionally the start of the slow burn. It’s a way to ease into the 82-game marathon, intended to get a team into shape and hopefully in position to win from the onset.

Even if a team doesn’t maximize their time and struggles early, it’s far from fatal given the length and setup of the season. There’s virtually no hole too large to climb out of.

The current training camp the Golden Knights and 23 other teams around the league are engaged in, however, is not that. Instead of finishing two weeks of camp and going into Game 1 of 82, teams will receive one exhibition game and jump immediately into the high-stakes postseason.

 “It’s life or death right away,” forward William Karlsson said. “There’s no 82 games to play before playoffs because we’re going straight into the heat. So, we’ve got to be on our toes and be as much prepared as we can.”

There’s a mega-sized list of reasons why this training camp is different, but a major one the Golden Knights are mentioning is that it comes after of month of previous practice. Most Vegas players have been working out at City National Arena since the NHL began allowing small-group workouts in June.

Defenseman Deryk Engelland and forward Jonathan Marchessault agreed that it’s allowed the team to focus on the hockey part of practice without worrying about getting their legs back underneath them.  

“When you start back, you’re a little sore in the hips, the groin, stuff like that. But we’ve been through that already,” Marchessault said. “We’re already ready and scrimmaging. It’s all about getting that game speed back. Day 1 of training camp, we’re right back into the scrimmages.”

Normal years don’t entail the start-and-stop nature this season has forced upon teams. Teams are typically either gunning for a playoff spot down the stretch of the regular season and expending maximum effort, or cruising to the end and strategically resting players having already clinched an invitation.

But no one has played a significant game since March this year. They can simulate game action all they want, but players say everything changes when something is on the line.  

“Games are going to pick up in a blink of an eye and we have to be ready,” forward Mark Stone said. “I think we’re in a good spot playing the three round-robin games. I think those games are important for us to be ready for. But I think it’s encouraging for us we can keep amping it up as we go.”

 Vegas has the luxury of participating in “soft” playoff games against Dallas, St. Louis and Colorado after its exhibition with the Coyotes on July 28. The Golden Knights play three round-robin games to determine seeding, and while the players have stressed the importance of winning those matchups, even if they lose, they’ll be at worst the No. 4 seed.

It may alleviate some pressure knowing they don’t need to be playing at their peak the second they arrive to Edmonton.

 “It’ll be a nice icebreaker for us, but us as a group, I don’t think we need it,” Smith said of the exhibition game.” If you stick together as a group, we have as good a chance as any team heading into this bubble to win the Stanley Cup.”

The postseason starts two weeks from today, and the Golden Knights’ practices have reflected that intensity. It may just be training camp right now, but the Golden Knights are practicing like they have a lot to lose.

“I don’t know how much different it’s been,” goalie Robin Lehner said. “I think this team knows how this is a good opportunity for this team, and it has really strong chance of going far. Everyone’s been committed.”

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