Bruce Cassidy Reveals What Golden Knights Need to Change

No one has voiced that frustration louder than head coach Bruce Cassidy. During a recent postgame interview, when asked what has to change for the Golden Knights to finally flip their overtime results, he didn’t hesitate.

“We need to manage the puck better, that’s what needs to changed. It’s that simple,” Cassidy said with a shrug and a small chuckle. “There’s no complicated answer in this one. It’s been 4 games probably we’ve lost in overtime where we’ve had the puck and it’s been in our net 3–5 seconds later, so that’s on us to manage it better.”

Forward Tomas Hertl shared his coach's viewpoint and told media how he thinks the Golden Knights can improve in overtime. He’s pointed out that too often Vegas forces plays instead of controlling the pace of 3-on-3 hockey while waiting for openings.

Cassidy Praises Jack Eichel

Despite their overtime issues, Vegas continues to lean on superstar Jack Eichel, who leads the team with 30 points. Mitch Marner is second on the team with 21, but Cassidy says Eichel’s impact stretches well beyond the stat sheet. After being asked about his top scorer’s impact, he offered a telling breakdown of what makes Eichel special on both sides of the puck.

“Well, it is. And he's got an elite shot. But for me, something will happen and all of a sudden they're coming the other way and he comes out of nowhere to break up a play. A couple of great backchecks. Bowman had one, too. So I appreciate that part of his game — the 200-foot game, the commitment to keeping the puck out of his net, too. When you can do that and you're a high-end offensive player, those are the elite guys in the league. He’s been doing that for us from day one and he puts value in it. Hopefully it rubs off on the younger guys that come up and see the effort away from the puck. It's how you win in this league. So good on Jack.”

Cassidy’s message is clear. The Knights have the talent, the roster, and the leadership to rise back to the top of the division. The one thing standing in their way is the same issue costing them points week after week. Solve overtime, manage the puck better, and tighten up late-game decisions — and Vegas has every reason to believe they can climb right back into the fight with the West’s best.