Obviously, I would like to have some stability for my family. Find myself a home.
Vegas is Marchessault's seventh professional stop in seven seasons (Connecticut, Springfield, Columbus, Syracuse, Tampa Bay, and Florida). From that vantage point, taking what may end up being a below-market deal seems to make sense for Marchessault, who has two young children with wife Alexandra.
It wouldn't surprise me if Marchessault also received some kind of NMC in this pact. We'll see.
Anyway, more thoughts about this agreement later. It's obviously a very meaningful signing for an expansion team which was still projected to sell as recently as November.
***
Ready for a Nashville Predators-Vegas Golden Knights conference final?
If it's anything like last night's slugfest, we're in for a dizzying time, whether for the back and forth on the ice -- or consecutive weeks of Music City or Sin City, otherwise known as a game of "Drink? or Drink More?"
Vegas held Nashville without a shot in the last 7:34 of the 1st period. The Predators countered by racking up 10-1 shots to kick off the 2nd. The Golden Knights responded with their own 10-1 shot volley, taking a 2-0 lead along the way.
Whether I'm punch-drunk or just drunk -- you have to be careful when drawing conclusions about a team on a hot streak -- #CupInOne has become a very real conversation.
Winning Play
After a scoreless opening frame, Nashville pressed for first blood to start the second period, pelting Marc-Andre Fleury with four straight Grade-A opportunities. But his defining moment wasn't a save -- not an official one, that is.
Fleury recalled, "I saw the other guy was coming to the middle.
"[Sissons] was coming to my left. He looked at me, he looked too hard.
"He had some room, he had some time to make a pass. Most guys like that play [to the middle]. Just tried to get my stick on it.
"I felt like it was better odds for me to try to get the pass then maybe the one-timer from the guy backdoor."
Credit also to the sprawling Colin Miller for forcing Colton Sissons to make his move. Minutes later, Vegas would strike first and never look back.
Pluses
When taking on the Preds, their transition prowess, especially from the backend, is an all-important topic. Before the game, I asked Nate Schmidt, James Neal, and Gerard Gallant how to slow Smashville's pace.
In all, the Knights did a decent job of it. By my count, they matched the visitors in outnumbered attacks (two apiece). It was a track meet at times, but ultimately, both sides were stride for stride.
Anyway, I'm going to spotlight how Vegas said they would deal with Nashville -- and how the best-laid plans manifested themselves on the ice.
"Be aware of it, for sure." (Neal)
Neal proved to be no hypocrite. When it comes to solid defensive hockey, this is the most fundamental of plays. When Shea Theodore pinches, somebody must cover for him.
Generally, you want two of your own defenders (doesn't have to be a defenseman) closer to your own goalie than anybody else. This discourages outnumbered attacks. In this case, Neal and Deryk Engelland form this necessary line of defense between the Preds and Fleury.
"Taking away time and space as usual, but our gaps are the biggest part of making sure that they don't come at us with a ton of speed." (Schmidt)
Both William Karlsson and Schmidt deliver here. Karlsson leaves his man briefly to force Roman Josi from picking up straight line speed. Jonathan Marchessault lends a hand too, preventing Josi from skating up the left lane.
Schmidt then closes the gap on Calle Jarnkrok. Neither Predators defenseman nor forward has any speed.
"Hopefully, we'll make their defenseman go back and pick up pucks, forechecking them, and they're not going to be involved in transition a lot." (Gallant)
The fourth line kicks off this clip, then Marchessault-Karlsson-Reilly Smith get rolling. Here, P.K. Subban, Alexei Emelin, and a cast of Nashville forwards are victimized again and again.
"Maybe we'll catch their dmen cheating a little bit and we'll get some odd-man rushes the other way." (Gallant)
You can't blame Josi here, as his team is down 2-0. Sissons (off screen) is covering.
It's Perron who really makes the 2-on-1. He draws Subban's attention by going one way, then Josi's by going the other way. Distracted, both defensemen are left behind by Erik Haula and Neal.
So if you could keep teams to the outside, it makes everything much more predictable for the D. Much more predictable for everyone on the ice defensively.
We have to continue doing that. Because that's what [Nashville] likes to do. They love to come up the middle and kick pucks out [to the wings] with speed. (Schmidt)
Both Karlsson and Cody Eakin show up well here.
Minuses
Know if we're turning pucks over, they're going to be coming right back at us. So manage the puck.(Neal)
Josi eats up Marchessault, and just like that, the Swiss defender is leading a 2-on-1.
Don't be sloppy or careless in the neutral zone, in our own end.
For us, get it behind their D. (Neal)
Going back to the Fleury poke, that opposing 3-on-1 is ignited by Schmidt both missing a neutral zone pass and not getting it in deep. This gets four Knights (including Schmidt) caught too deep.
If you can beat their [first] forechecker, completely throws their defensive plan into a bit of a haywire. (Schmidt)
After Subban smokes first forechecker Alex Tuch, Vegas coverage literally falls apart (Eakin trips over Scott Hartnell).
But anyway, the encouraging news for Vegas is that they were right there once again with the presumed favorite to come out of the West, taking Nashville's best shot with a grin. Indeed, last night resembled a heavyweight fight -- with the Golden Knights matching the defending Western Conference champs blow for blow.
Will it last? I'm not sure yet. But during this 12-0-1 stretch, the Knights have certainly looked the part of a legitimate contender.
***
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