NHL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Calgary Flames left wing Ryan Lomberg and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar battle for the puck (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)

9 Numbers That Define the Golden Knights at Midseason

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Paolo Go | Last updated Jan 14, 2026 10:05 AM ET

At the midway point of the season, the Vegas Golden Knights are in a familiar spot: competitive, structurally sound, and quietly strong despite a seemingly mediocre record by their standards (21-11-12 as of games played on Jan. 11). Injuries have played a major role as the team, again, ranks among the most impacted teams in the league per NHL Injury Viz. The underlying numbers still paint the picture of a team built to win when healthy.

Let’s break down what nine key stats tell us about how the Golden Knights have played so far in their ninth NHL season.

What the Numbers Say About the Golden Knights’ Season Thus Far

Rather than focusing only on raw totals or surface-level numbers, we picked these stats because they help explain how the Golden Knights are actually playing. Together, they touch on discipline, shot quality, defensive structure, special teams, game flow, and goaltending.

At the midway point, these numbers give us a clearer sense of what’s sustainable, what’s fixable, and what might shape Vegas’ second half.

19.6% Neutral Zone Time (First)

The Golden Knights control games between the blue lines. They clog entries, force dump-ins, and prevent teams from setting up clean offense. It’s not flashy, but it’s classic Golden Knights hockey. It wears opponents down and tilts the ice in their favor over time, even if it doesn’t always show up immediately on the scoreboard.

106 Power Play Opportunities Against (Fewest in NHL)

The Golden Knights stay out of the penalty box better than anyone, which keeps games at even strength, where they thrive. When special teams do come into play, they’ve been on point (as usual), owning one of the best goal differentials in the league (plus-16, tied with the Edmonton Oilers). That’s a quiet but massive edge over time.

26.1% Power Play Percentage (Fourth)

Speaking of the power play, it isn’t just good. It’s punishing. At over 26%, the Golden Knights make opponents pay regularly, which turns every minor penalty into a momentum swing. This kind of efficiency doesn’t just matter in tight, playoff-style games, but is the least you expect from a team that just made a splash by acquiring Mitch Marner. His playmaking has been a boon and contributes to this next stat.

MITCH. MARNER.

That's it. That's the post. pic.twitter.com/uaLteV57CD
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 11, 2026

10.9% 5-on-5 High-Danger Chances Converted to Goals (Second)

This stat is about finishing skill. When the Golden Knights get chances around the net at even strength, they’re burying them at one of the best rates in the league. That suggests strong net-front play and good puck movement in tight. When you factor in the next stat, it becomes even more important and is a reason why they still rank in the top 10 in scoring metrics.

75.9% 5-on-5 High-Danger Save Percentage (Last)

This is one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. The Golden Knights’ concerning goaltending situation has become one of their ongoing stories. When breakdowns happen, their goaltender has not consistently bailed them out. The defense limits danger overall, but when chances do get through, they’re going in more often than they should.

86.6% First Period Save Percentage

The Golden Knights tend to start games well enough and have usually outshot opponents early (average shot differential of plus-1.22). But this hasn’t always been rewarded on the scoreboard. The Golden Knights have a minus-3 goal differential. This points to goaltending issues. Fortunately, the next stat helps mitigate this issue.

22.8 5-on-5 Shots Against Per 60 Minutes (Fewest)

This is a defensive flex. Vegas allows fewer shots at even strength than any other team, which suggests strong structure, good gap control, and a team that spends less time scrambling in its own zone. We expected this, and the Golden Knights are typically living up to it. Fewer shots against usually means fewer problems — at least on paper.

54.5% Expected Goals Percentage (All Situations) (Fourth)

This stat says the Golden Knights deserve their wins (and maybe more). They’re generating better chances than opponents most nights, even while dealing with injuries. Teams this high in expected goals usually end up near the top of the standings, as seen with the three teams ahead of Vegas: the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

12-10-9 Record When Trailing or Tied After One Period

We can look at this in two ways. A 53.2% point percentage (38.7% win percentage) is far from ideal. And the team can ill-afford slow starts, especially down the stretch. But on a bullish note, this shows resilience. Even without early leads, the Golden Knights find ways to stay in games and collect points. They don’t need perfect starts to stay competitive, which is critical over a long season.

The Big Picture

Taken together, these stats suggest the Golden Knights are better than their inconsistencies imply. They control play, generate quality chances, and dominate special teams, all while navigating one of the league’s heaviest injury burdens.

If health improves and goaltending stabilizes even slightly, the Golden Knights look well-positioned to surge in the second half. The foundation is there. The numbers say this team isn’t fading and that the best is yet to come.