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5 key Golden Knights players entering the postseason

There seems to be two schools of thought on how to best approach the round-robin portion of this one-of-a-kind NHL postseason.

In one corner are those focused on the process and using the three games as a dress rehearsal to prepare as many players as possible for the playoffs.

Then there’s the results-oriented view that believes in icing the strongest lineup available and trying to earn the No. 1 seed.

With the Golden Knights set to open the round robin Monday against Dallas at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, coach Pete DeBoer falls squarely in the second group.

“We want to win every game we play,” DeBoer said. “I think the teams that can get to their game the quickest and sustain it for the longest have the chance of advancing here. That was the message before the exhibition game. I thought we did that.

“We want to build on that against Dallas, and obviously it counts now because these round-robin games, obviously you want the easiest path you can get. And the easiest path would be getting the first seed.”

The Knights knocked off more than four months of cobwebs in Thursday’s 4-1 exhibition victory over Arizona thanks to two goals from Reilly Smith, 22 saves from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and a combined seven points from the third line.

Goalie Robin Lehner is expected to be the only change to the lineup against the Stars, DeBoer said. After that, the Knights take on St. Louis (Thursday) and Colorado (Saturday) to finish the round robin.

The team with the most points after the three games earns the top seed for the Western Conference quarterfinals.

If the Knights are going to make a deep run, here are five players (in alphabetical order) who will need to play a significant role:

1. William Karlsson

As the Knights’ first-line center and former Selke Trophy finalist as the top defensive forward, Karlsson frequently will be matched up against opposing team’s No. 1 centers. And in the Western Conference, that means trying to neutralize an array of stars, such as Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon or Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Karlsson was on pace to crack the 50-point mark for the third straight season before the pause and is a key component to a penalty kill that must improve from its regular-season showing.

2. Lehner

DeBoer has not announced who will start Game 1 of the opening best-of-seven series, but it’s safe to assume the Knights didn’t give up a second-round pick, prospect and backup goalie for Lehner to sit around and design sweet goalie pads.

He’ll either win the battle for the starting job or step in if Fleury struggles. Regardless, the Knights need the 29-year-old to play well when he is called upon. Lehner has fewer career postseason starts (10) than Fleury has shutouts (15).

3. Max Pacioretty

The left wing remains sidelined with a minor injury, and his arrival in Edmonton is “on the horizon,” according to DeBoer. Once Pacioretty returns, the Knights need him to quickly regain his goal-scoring touch.

The Knights finished 13th in the league in goals per game during the regular season, and Pacioretty provides the top power-play unit with its most dangerous threat from the right circle. Without him producing, too much of the offensive burden falls on the second line.

4. Alex Tuch

The right wing was unable to build on his excellent sophomore season and finished with 17 points in 42 games during an injury-riddled 2019-20 campaign. But his combination of size and speed remains a mismatch for most opposing third lines.

Tuch lost 10 pounds during the pause and is healthy after missing the final 12 games before the pause with a lower-body injury. He helped set up Smith’s goal on the power play Thursday and scored from a steep angle to put the Knights ahead 3-1 in the third period.

5. Zach Whitecloud

The 23-year-old defenseman played 18:36 during the exhibition game and nearly scored in the second period when he snapped a shot off the goalpost. He also earned enough trust from DeBoer to skate on the top penalty-killing unit alongside Brayden McNabb.

If Whitecloud continues to play well and log regular shifts at even strength, that eases the burden on defensemen Shea Theodore, Nate Schmidt and Alec Martinez.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.

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