Ottawa Senators coach DJ Smith said Thursday that he believes Golden Knights defensemen Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud are the best third pair in the NHL. In the two games since, they’ve certainly played like it.
Against Ottawa and Montreal, Hague and Whitecloud shared the ice for a combined 24 minutes and 14 seconds. In that span, the Golden Knights outscored their opposition 7-0.
Vegas’ two youngest defenders have played soundly in their own zone all season and are now beginning to show flashes of offense with the puck on their stick. Whitecloud scored his first goal of the season on Thursday in Ottawa, and Hague broke through with a goal on Saturday.
For Vegas’ stellar third-pair defensemen, everything starts in the defensive zone, as coach Bruce Cassidy has advocated since training camp. Whitecloud and Hague have been one of the stingiest pairs in the league this season in terms of chances and goals allowed.
In 156 minutes of even-strength ice time, they’ve allowed only 1.8 expected goals against per 60 minutes (second fewest of any pair in the NHL with at least 150 minutes played). They’ve given up only three goals, tied for the fewest in the league. They haven’t just been one of the best third pairs. In their role, they’ve been one of the best pairs in the league, period.
The chemistry between Hague and Whitecloud is obvious, and it’s no surprise considering they’ve played alongside each other dating back to their days in the American Hockey League. They’ve developed together within Vegas’ system since 2018, and the Golden Knights are reaping the benefits. An example of their on-ice synergy came on Vegas’ second goal Saturday night in Montreal.
On this play early in the second period, William Karlsson wins the faceoff directly to his right, where Hague corrals the puck against the boards. Canadiens forward Christian Dvorak quickly pressures, but Hague uses his size and length to shield him off with his left arm while controlling the puck with the other.
Whitecloud immediately recognizes the play and swoops in to take the handoff from Hague. He wasted no time moving the puck up to Jonathan Marchessault in the neutral zone, and from that point Karlsson and Reilly Smith made a special offensive play to give Vegas a 2-1 lead. Neither Hague nor Whitecloud is credited with an assist on the play, but their cooperation and quick decision-making in their zone made that transition goal possible.
They’ve also started finishing plays on their own, as Whitecloud did for Vegas’ third goal in Thursday’s 5-4 win over Ottawa.
On this play, Jack Eichel creates a turnover on the forecheck, and Whitecloud activates into the offensive zone for a chance. When he takes the pass from Eichel, Whitecloud baits Senators forward Mark Kastelic (No. 47) out to the top of the slot before feathering a perfect pass over to Mark Stone. Whitecloud continues his drive to the net, opening up a passing lane on the backside of Kastelic, and opens his hips for a one-timer that he lasers past the goalie.
“It’s nice when guys are around the front of the net and they finish some plays,” Cassidy said of the goal. “I know they’re defensemen but it was a hell of a play.”
Prior to that play, Shea Theodore was Vegas’ only defenseman with a goal on the season. Whitecloud made it two, and Hague broke through as the third blueliner to score two nights later in Montreal.
Hague’s slap shot has been a weapon dating back to his junior hockey days when he scored 67 goals in three seasons for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads. He hasn’t shown it as often at the NHL level, but when he does get room to let one rip, good things happen.
He crushed this shot into the top corner of the net with the assistance of Eichel screening Canadiens goalie Jake Allen in front. Later in the game, Hague found room to unleash another shot from the point, and that time Keegan Kolesar deflected it past Allen for Vegas’ fourth goal of the game.
Hague earned his third primary assist of the season on that play, tied for the most of any defenseman on the team. He’s had that production playing just over 16 minutes per night, the fewest of any of Vegas’ defensemen. When accounting for that, Hague leads all Vegas defenders with 0.99 primary assists per 60 minutes, and is third overall on the team behind only Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson.
The strong play Vegas has received from its depth players — both at forward and on defense — is one of the biggest reasons for the current seven-game winning streak.
If Hague and Whitecloud can maintain this success it will have a ripple effect across all three pairs for the Golden Knights. Vegas has one of the best defensive groups in the NHL, but the top two pairs aren’t young by any stretch. By playing this well, Hague and Whitecloud allowed Cassidy to play veterans Alex Pietrangelo, Alec Martinez, Brayden McNabb and Theodore fewer minutes, taxing their bodies less and allowing them to stay fresh as the season wears on.
It also means that on nights where the top two pairs struggle — and they will on occasion when regularly facing the opposition’s best scorers — the team can still find ways to earn two points.
“It takes everybody to win,” Cassidy said. “If one pair falters you need the other two pairs to pick them up. If a line has a tough night, someone has to come through. That’s what good teams do, and I can put us in that category. We’re a good team. You find ways to win when not everyone has their A-game.”
Consistently having an edge over the opponent’s third pair has been a luxury for the Golden Knights during their league-best 11-2-0 start, and with two young players coming into their own that advantage could get even stronger.
(Photo of Nicolas Hague: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
.