Knights head into father’s trip in search of ‘confidence’

The ending to 2025 for the Golden Knights would be better off left in the rearview mirror.

The rain on New Year’s Eve wasn’t the only downpour. The Knights dropped their third straight game Wednesday in a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators for their third loss in a four-game homestand.

They’ll hit the ground running in 2026 on Friday against the St. Louis Blues to start a three-game road trip.

It’s not just any road trip. It’s the Knights’ annual father’s trip. Other than giving the dads a chance to bond, it’s come with near-guaranteed wins.

The Knights are 11-0-1 all-time with their dads in attendance.

Maybe that’s the shot in the arm the Knights need. They’ve come out of the Christmas break with three straight losses and 14 goals given up.

“I think we have to just start playing with more confidence,” center Tomas Hertl said.

Health plays factor

Hertl pointed to the Knights’ bill of health as part of that.

The team has gone seven games without leading scorer Jack Eichel (lower body, illness). They’re pushing two months without center William Karlsson (lower body). Goaltender Adin Hill is coming up on three months out (lower body).

Defenseman Brayden McNabb (upper body) is the latest uncertainty. The Knights’ iron man did not return after colliding with Nashville forward Michael Bunting in the second period.

McNabb has played in 298 consecutive games, the 10th-longest active streak in the NHL.

“Obviously, it’s not easy when you’re missing key players,” Hertl said. “The whole season, it feels like we’re missing some key players. They play a lot of minutes for us.”

Eichel has skated the last two days and will travel with the team for the road trip. He could make his return Friday, but coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn’t commit to that.

This is nothing new for the Knights. They’ve battled injuries for long stretches before. Captain Mark Stone has missed a majority of those, including 16 this season with a wrist injury.

But in the middle of a seven-game stretch where they’ve allowed nearly four goals per game, Hertl said things need to start turning around.

“It’s time for other guys (to pick it up),” Hertl said. “We dig deep enough to play (through) it, but we have to just play more confident, play more with the puck.”

Quick start doesn’t last

The Knights did just that in the first 10 minutes, jumping to a 2-0 lead.

But a point shot by Nashville defenseman Nick Perbix to get Nashville on the board turned the tide. The Predators scored four unanswered goals and handed the Knights their sixth loss in seven games.

“We kind of have to just stop the bleeding and get back to our game,” left wing Brandon Saad. “It seems like when we get scored on, we’re getting in those ruts. In the third we got back to our game, but it was too late.”

The Knights have given up 27 goals in the seven games with Eichel out of the lineup. His return can help, but only so much.

They gave up only 19 shots against Nashville but still let in four goals, three in the first period. The three were a point shot, a power-play snipe from Steven Stamkos and a deflection off a Nashville player in front.

“It’s not like we’re breaking down all over the ice,” Cassidy said.

But Cassidy said the onus is on him to right the ship.

“That’s my job to get the guys ready,” he said. “I do feel they have to own their performance. … When your game goes in the direction you don’t want it to go, it’s up to the head coach to fix it. So, we’ll keep working on our defensive play.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.