Golden Knights’ early schedule shows Tomas Hertl is still adjusting

No team earns a passing or failing grade six games into a new NHL season. There are far more incompletes.

That’s what the Golden Knights have at the moment.

They started strong by going 3-0-0 on their opening homestand and scoring 15 goals. Then things unraveled away from T-Mobile Arena. The Knights went 0-2-1 on their first road drip despite having a third-period lead in two of those games.

They can wash away the bad taste of that stretch when they begin a four-game homestand Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings. Three of those games come against Pacific Division opponents.

The Knights will know a lot more about their team this season once that homestand is complete. Until then, here are three takeaways from the team’s start:

1. Hertl needs a winger

The Knights are still searching for a winger that suits center Tomas Hertl.

The team has cycled through candidates next to Hertl and left/right wing Pavel Dorofeyev. Right wings Alexander Holtz and Victor Olofsson each got a look there, but Olofsson suffered a lower-body injury Tuesday in Washington.

Coach Bruce Cassidy then tried out left wings Tanner Pearson and Brett Howden with the group.

Pearson didn’t move the needle, so Cassidy moved him back to the fourth line Saturday against the Florida Panthers. Pearson responded with a goal and an assist in the Knights’ 4-3 overtime loss.

Howden also scored after replacing Pearson on Hertl’s line, but overall the group struggled to keep its collective head above water after the switch. The Panthers had a 25-7 edge in shot attempts when Howden, Hertl and Dorofeyev shared the ice at five-on-five.

Hertl, who the Knights acquired prior to the trade deadline in March, has struggled to make an impact at even strength. The 30-year-old has three shots and no points at five-on-five in 76:58. Hertl does have a goal and two assists on the power play.

Dorofeyev, who was expected to take a step forward in his second full NHL season, has one goal at five-on-five. The Knights need both of them to contribute more, regardless of who the third member of their line is.

2. Hemmed in

The Knights, with the exception of their 3-1 win against Anaheim on Oct. 13, haven’t made life easy on goaltenders Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov.

The Knights are giving up 28.8 shots per game, which ranks 15th in the NHL. They’re allowing 63.8 shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five, the 10th-most in the league.

The defensive pair of Noah Hanifin and Nic Hague has struggled in particular. The Knights have been outscored 5-4 with the duo on the ice at five-on-five. Hanifin, who was plus-14 last season, has just one assist at even strength. Hague, who shifted to the right side this year, has zero five-on-five points.

“There’s definitely areas I can improve on,” Hanifin said. “I’m kind of chasing the game a little too much right now, but that’s fixable.”

The Knights’ other pairs have their own issues.

The team is outscoring opponents 5-2 with defensemen Brayden McNabb and Zach Whitecloud on the ice, but McNabb has taken an uncharacteristic four minor penalties so far.

The top pair of defensemen Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo has been outscored 6-5 at five-on-five in 90:56.

3. Howden and Kolesar start strong

One bright spot for the Knights has been the play of two forwards down their lineup.

Howden and Kolesar has been impactful doing what they do best — being aggressive on the forecheck.

Their work was rewarded Saturday. Howden’s goal was a highlight-reel effort as he forced a turnover and then finished with his backhand in close. Kolesar got to the front of the net and deflected a Pearson shot in for his first goal, continuing an impressive start to the season.

The 27-year-old also has two assists.

“Individual success comes from team success,” Kolesar said. “When we’re playing well and we’re playing to our identity, I think any player can be successful.”

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