VGK’s Comeback Crew: Dorofeyev, Marner, And More Feast When Trailing

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

It won’t come as a secret to any Golden Knights fan that this year’s team has spent a lot of time behind on the scoreboard. To be exact, Vegas has been behind for 1,349 minutes and 12 seconds in 57 games. That’s the 5th most in the league, and they are one of just two teams in the Top 10 currently in playoff position (Anaheim).

VGK have come back to win 13 times, including eight times in the 3rd period, tied for the league lead.

It feels like the team as a whole turns it up when they are behind, but the individual numbers tell a bit of a different story.

Pavel Dorofeyev leads the NHL with a whopping 18 goals when his team is trailing. That’s five goals ahead of the next closest players, who are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Filip Forsberg, and Morgan Geekie. Dorofeyev is tied for 21st in the league with 26 goals, yet leads the league by FIVE goals when trailing.

75% of Dorofeyev’s goals have come with the Golden Knights down on the scoreboard. That’s a massive number compared to McDavid’s 38%, Geekie’s 41%, and Draisaitl’s 45%.

Even more unbelievable is that 11 of Dorofeyev’s 18 goals when trailing have been on the power play, and another two came with VGK’s goalie pulled. That means an insane 50%, exactly half, of Dorofeyev’s goals this season have come with the Golden Knights down and with a man advantage. That situation accounts for just 12.3% of Dorofeyev’s total minute load as he’s scored 13 goals in 123 minutes when trailing and up at least one man, while playing a total of 999 minutes.

He’s not the only one, though.

Mitch Marner has scored 7 goals and amassed a whopping 30 points in 467 minutes with VGK behind. That’s 44% of his goals and 52% of his points in 40% of game time.

Tomas Hertl has four goals and six points in 28:40 with the VGK net empty. That’s a rate 8.37 goals and 12.56 points per 60 minutes. Or, if you factor it by Hertl’s average time on ice per game this year (17:26), he would have 2.43 goals and 3.65 points per game if he kept up his 6-on-5 pace.

Mark Stone and Hertl are each in the Top 10 in points while trailing and Jack Eichel is 6th in assists. Meanwhile, when the Golden Knights are ahead, they have just two players in the Top 50 in goals and two in the Top 30 in points.

VGK’s best players have been driving the bus when they are chasing deficits. Dorofeyev has lapped the field in scoring goals, while Marner, Stone, Eichel, and Hertl have been lighting it up as the Golden Knights try to come back.