Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
In just their eighth year of operation, the Vegas Golden Knights seem to have all the pieces for their second Stanley Cup.
With Jack Eichel being a dark horse in the Hart Trophy conversation and Mark Stone recording eight points in his last eight games, Vegas is buzzing with the fifth-most goals per game in the NHL.
It’s only fitting that we give the blueline some attention as well, particularly perennial shot-blocker Brayden McNabb.
The 34-year-old may not be lighting up the stats sheet, but he has been key to Vegas having the ninth-fewest goals against per game.
With 122 blocks, which are the eighth-most in the NHL, McNabb has helped ensure his goaltenders face the fourth-fewest shots on goal. That’s saying something, considering the Golden Knights have had the ninth-most shot attempts against in the NHL. It makes work a little easier for Vegas goalies Adin Hill (.900 save percentage, 2.64 goals-against average) and Ilya Samsonov (.897 SP, 2.71 GAA), whose stats aren’t up there with the elite netminders.
McNabb’s shot blocking isn’t new, either. Since the franchise began play in 2017-18, three of the team’s five highest shot-blocking campaigns are by McNabb, and each were in the last three seasons. It’s no wonder the team signed him to a three-year contract extension worth $3.65-million annually in November.
The next Golden Knights player with the most blocks this season is Alex Pietrangelo, with 100, which are tied for the 29th-most in the NHL.
Unlike McNabb, Pietrangelo is not a stay-at-home defenseman and has been a vital contributor to the Golden Knights’ scoring with 22 assists and 25 points, compared to McNabb’s three goals, nine assists and 12 points.
Pietrangelo and McNabb have played in a pairing this season, albeit sparsely.
They’ve been paired up for only about 21 minutes all season over a span of 34 games, according to moneypuck.com. The stats from their brief pairing show that while the duo was on the ice, the team produced 5.73 goals per 60 minutes (second-highest among the team’s 19 different defense combinations) and allowed 20.05 unblocked shot attempts per 60 minutes (second-lowest).
Perhaps that pairing deserves more minutes. But as the team battles for first place in the Pacific Division to get a better matchup in the playoffs, the shot blocking continues to be an important part of its success.
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