Golden Knights mascot works about as well as team’s power play

I’m not sure where the species of a venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexican state of Sonora fits into the whole medieval and warrior and castle theme, but I suppose it has something to do with the desert.

Say this for the new mascot of the Golden Knights: It’s not as bad as the UNLV logo fiasco.

But it’s in the neighborhood.

At this point, I would suggest the Knights just dress up some guy as James Neal and run with it.

The first expansion team in NHL history to win its first three games couldn’t make it four Friday night, when the Detroit Red Wings beat the Knights 6-3 before 17,645 at T-Mobile Arena.

Neal scored again. That’s not a surprise.

The mascot was.

I’m hoping Chance the gila monster is really Chance the baby dragon, because we’ve had too many mascots and logos around here lately that need explaining.

What about Chance the Raptor?

At least with the dragon theme, the Knights might convince Daenerys Targaryen to make an appearance at a game and ride into T-Mobile Arena on it.

Maybe she would bring a few ideas about the power play.

Isn’t this the most ironic part? That in one of the most important of hockey strategies, when a clock ticks away the short-lived amount of time you have to create success, patience is the chief trait for which to aim.

Control is often difficult to muster and restraint is absolutely not easy to exhibit, but those NHL teams that are most successful at finishing power plays usually have a lot of both.

In time, the Golden Knights hope to.

It’s not that time yet.

Four games into their inaugural season, the Knights are 1 of 17 on the power play, and yet to a man believe how they are attacking it will eventually lead to more goals.

They’re still 3-1, though.

That’s the most important number, that as a new team takes time to develop chemistry with a man advantage, it still has been able to discover some early-season success where it counts most.

That as it begins to understand what triggers its power play, what is working best out of it, how it specifically wants that umbrella formation to produce, the Knights have been able to grind and defend and find other ways to earn points.

That wasn’t the case Friday, when the defense in front of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury watched turnovers result in Detroit scores.

The third period offered as much of a this-is-definitely-an-expansion-team look as the Knight have shown.

They weren’t good at all the final 20 minutes.

Sloppy all over the place.

“If you’re getting shots and getting good looks and things are moving out of (the power play), things are good,” said Neal, who has scored in all four games and has six goals. “If you’re being creative and wearing their top players down, then you’re doing a good job. Sometimes, the goals just don’t come.

“Sometimes, you just need to be a little more shot-focused and keep it more simple than you usually would, not worried about trying to make difficult passes or backdoor plays. Just continue shooting the puck.”

What you don’t want to do is take the life out of your team by not executing and looking bad doing so, which is only going to frustrate your top players and then your bench and then probably Chance the Gila monster.

But if you can create enough two-on-ones and cause enough traffic in front of the opposing goalie and be in position for rebounds and still not finish, at least you know things are trending in a positive direction.

“You look at the best power plays in the league, and most times guys have played together for a couple years, at least,” said Knights center Jonathan Marchessault, who scored his first goal of the season. “There’s a lot of things you need to figure out to be good at it. I think we’re on the right track.

“Our breakouts are really good, and we’re getting into the zone. Just stick with it and the goals will come. If you’re losing while missing power-play opportunities, it’s troubling. But we have found ways to win some games. At the end of the night, that’s the only thing that matters.”

They couldn’t find a way Friday, to the delight of thousands of red sweaters strewn throughout the arena.

Detroit and its fans showed up.

So, for the first time, did Chance the Gila monster.

It’s not too late.

Think this: Chance the Raptor.

Tell everyone he’s a dragon. Learn from UNLV’s forgettable blunder.

And see if Daenerys is available for a guest appearance.

Folks would pay double to see her on the power play.

Contact columnist Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.