golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy face Unfamiliar Territory: First 15 Games Below .500
LAS VEGAS – For the first time in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights find themselves with more losses than wins after 15 games, posting a 7-4-4 record. This sluggish start is equally unfamiliar for head coach Bruce Cassidy, whose teams have consistently achieved early-season success throughout his NHL career.
The Golden Knights’ current .600 points percentage still positions them within playoff contention – historically, no NHL team with that percentage has missed the postseason – but represents a notable departure from recent seasons and raises concerns about a potential repeat of the “midseason malaise” that has plagued the team in years past. This situation is particularly noteworthy given the high expectations surrounding the defending Stanley Cup champions.
A review of Cassidy’s previous 15-game records reveals a consistent pattern of strong starts. Prior to this season,his teams had achieved the following records after 15 games: 25-26 (7-4-4),24-25 (9-4-2),23-24 (12-2-1),22-23 (13-2-0),21-22 (10-3-2),19-20 (11-2-2),18-19 (8-5-2),17-18 (6-5-4),03-04 (3-11-1),and 02-03 (8-6-1). Only once in his career did a team fail to win more games than they lost in the first 15 contests.
Notably, Cassidy was fired midseason in 19-20 and at the end of the 21-22 season, and after 28 games in 03-04.
The Golden Knights have experienced midseason slumps in recent years,including an 11-11-5 stretch last season from January to mid-March,a 12-17-2 run the prior year,and a 16-16-4 record following a dominant 13-2-0 start in their Stanley Cup-winning season. The team faces the possibility of being outside the playoff picture when play resumes, intensifying the pressure to improve results.
