Golden Knights searching for answers, urgency during slump

The Golden Knights don’t have a magic formula or a secret elixir to snap their current slump.

If they did, knowing the way the organization operates, they would have already consumed it, bottled it and sold it at the team store.

“If I had the easy answer, we wouldn’t be losing eight out of 10 or whatever it is right now,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “There’s not one thing on our list that says, ‘This is how we’re going to fix the Golden Knights.’ ”

The Knights (22-12-5) have only dropped seven of nine, but the point stands. It’s a team that has not looked like the defending Stanley Cup champions for some time.

Cassidy doesn’t have a magic wand to fix that. But he does have some ideas as the Knights prepare to host the Islanders (18-10-10) at 7 p.m. Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

“I do believe a sense of urgency will get half of it done,” Cassidy said. “Understand the reality that teams are coming after us. We have to fight our way through it if we want to get where we want to go.”

The desire is there to turn things around fast.

The Knights are second in the Pacific Division, two points behind Vancouver. The Los Angeles Kings are just three points behind them with four games in hand.

That means the Knights could start feeling the heat in the standings before long.

Plus, it’s not as fun when the results aren’t there.

“You don’t play hockey to lose games,” defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. “Even one loss feels a certain way. We all know what a successful season is and we know how we can play, so it’s frustrating. It builds up inside you knowing what you’re capable of as a team and that you’re just not doing it. We don’t have doubt here. We never have. We have confidence in our ability to all pull on the rope the same direction and get the job done. But either way, losing sucks and none of us play this game to lose.”

Cassidy said it’d be easier to flip the script if there was one thing to fix. Instead, several issues have taken turns being problems for the Knights.

Their penalty kill was a mess in Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Florida. They’ve suffered defensive breakdowns on several occasions. Some nights they can’t score. They’re also short-handed in net with goaltender Adin Hill hurt. Goaltender Logan Thompson has looked worn down at times carrying the load.

“I don’t think it’s as simple as pinpointing one area of our game,” Cassidy said. “But keeping the puck out of our net is probably the main thing we have to address. Usually that’s the easiest way to get back on track. You can win some games that way. It’s tough to win when you need to score five or six every night.”

Cassidy said sometimes something as simple as having a full team conversation can loosen things up.

Defenseman Alec Martinez said those talks have happened. The three-time Stanley Cup winner is eager for action, but he said there’s a danger in trying to do too much to bust the slump.

“There’s not a single guy in here happy with the way things are going of late,” Martinez said. “That’s a good thing because it shows people care.

“Every team goes through it at some point, and it’s human nature to try to do more. You lose guys from the lineup and try to add things to your game. I think everyone just has to focus on their own game and just be better at what you do. I think everyone wants to do more, when in fact in some ways you have to do less. You have to get back to basics and just do that well.”

Cassidy pointed to one example from last year. He said one of the keys to the Knights’ Cup run was their fourth line and third defense pair because of how much those groups embraced their roles.

Now, with the team dealing with injuries to contributors like Hill and defenseman Shea Theodore, players can’t try to be something they’re not.

“We need them to be predictable in what they’re bringing and the best version of themselves to make up for some of the absences,” Cassidy said. “They’re probably trying to do a little more than they are because guys are out.”

Hill did practice with the team Friday and could return to action at some point next week. The Knights want to start playing better before that.

“The 23 guys in here and the staff don’t want to be going through this,” Whitecloud said. “It takes every guy in the lineup to be of the same mindset, playing together, playing the right way.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.