Analysis: Golden Knights put some recent issues to rest with beatdown of Sharks

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) celebrates with, from left, defenseman Brayden McNabb (3), defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6), and right wing Braeden Bowman (42) after his goal against the San Jose Sharks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. Photo by: ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Golden Knights’ season-long struggles with slow starts had taken their toll on typically indefatigable coach Bruce Cassidy, who bemoaned earlier this week that it feels he’s watching the same movie over and over.  

His frustration can now fade for at least a few days. Vegas got off to its best start of the year in a 7-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, scoring five first-period goals to humiliate their Pacific Division rival.

“We’ve been talking about our starts the last little bit here,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said in a radio interview at the first intermission. “We wanted to pump up the gas.”

Vegas pressed all the way down on the pedal while San Jose looked like it was restricted by a speed governor.

The Golden Knights could have conceivably scored even more in the first period considering they had a parade of odd-man rushes to torment both Sharks’ goalies, rookie Yaroslav Askarov and veteran Alex Nedeljkovic.

San Jose pulled Askarov after Vegas’ fourth goal on 16 shots, a wrister from an all-alone Tomas Hertl in the slot after Pavel Dorofeyev forced a turnover.

“We came out with a strong North-South mentality and pushed their D-back with our forecheck,” Stone said.

The lack of early scoring wasn’t the only concern the Golden Knights addressed successfully to break a three-game losing streak that begun concurrent with two of the team’s best players, center Jack Eichel and defenseman Shea Theodore, missing time with undisclosed injuries.

Vegas hadn’t been generating much offense without those two usual drivers, leading Cassidy to shake up the forward lines ahead of a 4-3 loss at Edmonton at Sunday.

Most notably, he loaded up the top unit with both Stone and Mitch Marner.

It took until late in the game, after falling into a four-goal deficit, for the star duo to develop a rhythm against the Oilers. But they carried it over against the Sharks.

The pair scored a combined three goals with Stone directly assisting Marner on a third-period goal. Marner, who had come under some criticism with only six goals since arriving via blockbuster sign-and-trade this summer, also found Vegas’ second goal of the night on its first power play.

“A long postseason, going all the way — that’s what I’m asking from Santa,” Marner said with a smirk during his postgame in-arena interview on the bench. “That’s what I see (is possible), and that’s the goal.”

Stone backhanded a puck past a fresh-off-the-bench Nedeljkovic on a breakaway late in the first period and followed with his usual uppercut and grimace celebration along the boards.

Brett Howden and Colton Sissons also scored during the onslaught, meaning all four of Vegas’ lines — not to mention the power play — hit the scores heet. Depth offense has been yet another weakness for Vegas that turned into a strength against San Jose.

Third-liner Reilly Smith got into the action with the Golden Knights’ line second-period goal off assists from Howden and Braeden Bowman.

“Especially with everyone coming in and out of our lineup the way they have the last couple weeks, it’s good to see everyone get that chemistry,” Stone said.

It was the third time in franchise history that Vegas has scored five goals in a first period, and first it’s done it since a 7-5 victory over Chicago last season on Feb. 27. A franchise-record 13 players recorded a point in tonight's frame against the Sharks.

The Golden Knights have now beaten the Sharks nine straight with their last loss coming on March 30, 2023. They haven’t lost at T-Mobile to the Sharks since Oct. 25, 2022.

A much more challenging two-game stretch is on the horizon with the league-leading Colorado Avalanche visiting Saturday followed by the streaking Minnesota Wild on Monday. The Golden Knights can’t afford to fall into an early hole like they’ve done so often this year against those opponents.

The win against the Sharks showed they’re not always replaying the same movie. The new script was exactly what Cassidy was looking for.

“We weren’t happy with the start to our game the last two,” Marner said. “We came out and did a great job. We executed when we got our chances.”