The neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip usually serve as a distraction for visiting teams, a phenomenon affectionately known as the “Vegas Flu.” But as the calendar turns to 2026, it is the Golden Knights who look distinctly under the weather.
There is no way to sugarcoat the current state of the franchise: the team is running on fumes. Entering January, the Golden Knights are navigating a stretch of play that can only be described as grim. With only a single victory in their last six contests, the fortress is showing cracks we haven’t seen in years.
It isn’t just that they are losing; it is how they are losing. They have surrendered 25 goals in that six-game span, a defensive hemorrhage that suggests structural issues rather than bad luck.
Perhaps most concerning for the knowledgeable observer is the team’s inability to punch up. Against Western Conference teams holding playoff positions by points percentage, Vegas is winless this season (0-3-6). They can beat the bottom feeders, but when the heavyweights come to town, the Knights are finding themselves on the canvas.
A Step Behind and A Goal Down
The most glaring issue over the last fortnight has been a complete breakdown in defensive structure. If you watched the recent 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, you saw a defensive unit that looked disjointed and reactive. The Wild didn’t just win; they dictated the terms of engagement. They entered the zone with ease and found passing lanes that shouldn’t have been there.
This was compounded by a habit that is quickly becoming pathological: the slow start. You simply cannot win consistently in the NHL when you are chasing the game before the fans have even settled into their seats. Allowing a goal 26 seconds into the game against Minnesota—and then repeating the feat 26 seconds into the second period—speaks to a lack of preparation and mental readiness.
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It’s a sentiment echoed by Head Coach Bruce Cassidy. Following the disheartening 6-5 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche—a game where Vegas blew two separate two-goal leads—Cassidy noted that his squad was simply “a step behind” during critical stretches. In the NHL, being a step behind doesn’t just mean you lose a race to the puck; it means you end up fishing it out of your own net.
The Crease Crisis
When a defense collapses, you need your goaltender to be the eraser. Unfortunately, Vegas isn’t getting the saves they need to stop the bleeding. With starter Adin Hill sidelined, the burden has fallen on Carter Hart, and the results have been mixed at best.
Hart was pulled against the Wild after allowing five goals on just 12 shots. While it is unfair to pin defensive breakdowns entirely on the netminder, the modern NHL requires a goalie to steal a game now and then, especially when the team in front of him is struggling. Right now, the goaltending tandem isn’t stealing games; they are barely keeping the team in them. Until Hill returns, there is a palpable anxiety every time the opposition crosses the blue line.
Running Empty Down the Middle
However, pointing the finger solely at the defense ignores the massive crater in the offensive lineup. The Golden Knights are currently decimated at the center position, missing their top two pivots in Jack Eichel and William Karlsson.
In a league where center depth is often the primary predictor of success, this is a catastrophic blow. The coaching staff has been forced to get creative, sliding Mitch Marner into the middle. While Marner is an elite talent on the wing, asking him to anchor a line at center—a position he hasn’t played with any regularity in nearly a decade—is a desperate move.
The results have been predictable. The timing is off, the defensive responsibilities are different, and the struggles in the faceoff circle are evident. When you can’t start playing with possession, you spend more time chasing the puck, tiring out an already depleted roster.
To make matters worse, the absences aren’t limited to the forward group. The blue line is missing the smooth-skating Shea Theodore, and discipline issues, like Tomas Hertl’s recent ejection for boarding just minutes into a game, have forced the team to play shorthanded in more ways than one.
The Ghost of the Misfits
Beyond the X’s and O’s, there is a growing sense that the locker room is missing its old soul. The last two offseasons saw a changing of the guard, with long-time stalwarts like Jonathan Marchessault, Alec Martinez, and Alex Pietrangelo departing.
These weren’t just skilled players; they were the cultural architects of the franchise. They set the standard for accountability. Some observers are starting to wonder if the current lack of cohesion—the slow starts, the blown leads—is a symptom of a leadership void. It takes time for a new core to gel, but in the unforgiving Pacific Division, time is a luxury Vegas doesn’t have.
The January “Pigeon” and the Silver Lining
History suggests things might get worse before they get better. January has traditionally been the cruelest month for the Golden Knights. It has been colorfully described as the “pigeon that poops on the Golden Knights’ Maserati,” a nod to the franchise’s lifetime record of 43-34-13 during the month. It is a time of year when the legs get heavy, and the focus tends to drift.
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However, if you are looking for a reason to keep the faith, look at the schedule. The slate for January 2026 is significantly lighter than in previous years. Vegas will only face five teams currently sitting in playoff spots. This “soft” schedule provides a runway.
If the team can tread water and survive this slump against weaker competition, help is on the way. There is optimism that both Hill and Karlsson could return toward the end of the month. If Vegas can just hold the line until then, they might be able to reintegrate their stars and ramp up for the stretch run.
For now, though, the glitz is gone. It’s time for the Golden Knights to put on their hard hats and see if they can dig themselves out of the hole they’ve created.
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