Is this a game the Vegas Golden Knights don’t win 10 days ago?

The one where they dominate in nearly every analytical statistic, but find a way to score just two goals against the league’s last place team?

Maybe it can be chalked up to the Knights handling business the way they should’ve against the Vancouver Canucks in their 2-1 win at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

Or perhaps the “mindset” that coach John Tortorella has drilled into everyone’s heads since he took the job over a week ago is trickling into every facet of the game.

“On a night where it was just a grind, we just stayed with it,” Tortorella said. “It certainly wasn’t pretty. Find a way to lead, we found a way to win.”

Because the Knights should’ve ran away with this one based off a quick glance of the game’s box score on Natural Stat Trick.

Shot attempts: 63-42.

Scoring chances: 29-14.

High-danger chances: 14-4.

Expected goals: 3.74 – 1.42.

And yet, the final score was 2-1.

“We didn’t give them much,” Tortorella said. “It’s just one of those games where it can get away from you. That’s what I like about our team. They stuck with it.”

Finding the formula?

Sometimes, that’s all teams need this time of year. The Knights were in desperate need of them nine days ago.

Four straight victories later, they’ve gone from being four points away from the playoff cutline to now tied for first place in the Pacific Division with four games to go.

They’ve done it with 17 goals through four games while only giving up seven.

Four straight losses from the Anaheim Ducks later, and the Knights are back in the driver’s seat of having home-ice advantage in the first round.

None of that seemed probable on March 29. Call it the “new coach bump.” Call it the “wake-up call” that Jack Eichel thought it would be.

The Knights have taken care of business in four games they, arguably, should’ve won. Yes, even against the Edmonton Oilers, given they were without Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.

Does this team do that if Bruce Cassidy is still the coach? You can make the argument that the Knights absolutely should have.

Keep going forward

But Tortorella has continued to preach a north-only mentality that has showed in games like these — one where the Knights can dominate the shot chart 28-10 and make it seem like they had the puck in the offensive zone every time you looked up.

Look at their two goals as the prime example of how they want to do that.

Brayden McNabb’s goal is a shot through traffic, but it starts with Colton Sissons winning the race to the puck on the forecheck. It cycles around to McNabb, who lets it go with Tomas Hertl providing the screen.

“The guys did a great job down low,” McNabb said. “I just tried to get it on net. Tommy kind of did all the work in front to make him not see it, so he should get most of the credit.”

Cole Smith’s game-winning goal started with him forcing the turnover at the blue line and the fourth line using its forechecking ability on the counter attack.

Two goals, and none from the Knights’ top players. A defensive-minded defenseman and a fourth-line winger who has been with the team for about a month made the winning plays.

“I think that’s a really good sign for our team,” Tortorella said.

They handled business in a game they should’ve won, even if the scoreboard was closer than it should’ve been.

Because maybe they’re not winning these games two weeks ago. Maybe that mindset is trickling in at the right time.

Teams have to start somewhere in order to get a message across. Maybe it’s kicked in with four games left.

“Good teams win those games. Teams that don’t get there in the end lose those games,” Tortorella said. “To me, it’s a good sign for the hockey club.”

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