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By Gaby Hawkins
Published January 9, 2026
The Vegas Golden Knights cannot get the job done. Fans, players and coaches are surely feeling disappointed with the losses stacking up midway through the 2025-2026 NHL season.
If numbers tell a better story, the VGK have lost 12 out of 17 games that required extra time. Luckily, the rest of the Pacific Division isn’t seeing great success either. In fact, the Golden Knights sit No. 1 in the Pacific Division with 50 points. Yet, fans, players and even head coach Bruce Cassidy are still sweating over the overtime and shootout losses.
Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie - Imagn Images
“I don’t think we’ve played very smart in overtime in terms of puck management, knowing when to attack, and when not to,” stated Cassidy.
The head coach didn’t address all the obvious issues, though. The goaltending has been a disaster. The Golden Knights have already activated four different netminders at some point in the season: Adin Hill, Akira Schmid, Carl Lindbom, and Carter Hart. Unfortunately, things could go from bad to worse depending on the severity of an injury Hart sustained against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 8, 2026.
“I think Adin Hill was always carried by a very good defensive core. Since losing two of their biggest defensemen, Carter Hart doesn’t have as much help, and it shows because they’re allowing more shots on goal per game than they used to,” found VGK fans Camryn Leos and Carter Adams.
As the two noted, the rest of the roster is suffering. The Golden Knights are playing without key defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. Additionally, star player William Karlsson is also out with a lower-body injury and is sitting on the long-term injured reserve. This has resulted in play-from-behind periods and has cost the team points.
“Overtime is almost a completely different game – three versus three opens up so much free space, and I think other teams take advantage of that free space better than the Knights,” Adams continued. “When that happens, though, the best thing to do is to simplify the game and stop being so extra.”
Overall, the VGK are struggling in a big way. These issues must be addressed before the overtime losses continue.
“Maybe [change the] overtime lineup – a different and more composed player lineup to finish a game in regulation, and possibly a trade or two if these overtime and goaltending troubles keep up,” Tanner Zobrist, captain of the Highlighters of the Vegas Golden Knights High School Hockey League explained. “However, we’re still first in our division, so as long as we keep an upward [trajectory] until the playoffs, I think things should work out.”
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