Breakout tweak helping Golden Knights defensemen join the attack

The Golden Knights spent much of the early part of the season searching for more offense from their defensemen.

Thanks to a tweak by new coach Peter DeBoer, they’re getting it.

Changes to the Knights’ breakouts — a huge early point of emphasis for DeBoer — have allowed the defensemen to leave the defensive zone with more speed. That’s made it far easier for them to join the rush and get involved in the offense.

“I think the way he wants us to break out allows us to have more speed through that high slot area,” defenseman Shea Theodore said.

The result has been a more predictable and repeatable breakout “so we can build that speed and … know where the puck’s going,” Theodore said.

Under DeBoer, the Knights now have a template for how they want to break out. The defensemen are supposed to come up from behind the goal line with speed, giving them the option of skating the puck out themselves if there’s an opening. If there isn’t one, a center should be skating around the bottom of the circle to provide a moving target to pass to.

The goal is to get the defensemen and the forwards all moving forward at the same time so the Knights can exit the zone together and with possession of the puck. That allows them to make plays in transition, and because the defensemen have speed entering the neutral zone, they can be involved.

They’re taking advantage of that opportunity. Knights defensemen have 24 points in eight games under DeBoer (3 per game). They had 80 in 49 games under predecessor Gerard Gallant (1.63 per game).

“Every team that’s trying to win hockey games, you know you’ve got to have that fourth man in the attack,” defenseman Jon Merrill said. “If you can break out of your end a little bit more clean, it’s going to give you more opportunities to get up in that rush.”

Glass to get up to speed in AHL

DeBoer said rookie Cody Glass was sent to the American Hockey League on Saturday so the injured forward could shake off some rust before rejoining the Knights.

Glass, 20, hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury Jan. 4 against the St. Louis Blues. He has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) and has been a useful addition to the power play.

The Knights are 5-for-32 (15.6 percent) on the man advantage since his injury, below their full-season mark of 20.9 percent.

“I think everyone knows he’s an NHL player,” DeBoer said. “Because it’s a leg injury, he hasn’t been able to skate a lot. Needs to get his legs back under him, (plus) his timing. I think it’s a perfect opportunity to go down there, do that, get some confidence, get back up here as soon as possible.”

Roy sent down

The Knights sent center Nicolas Roy to the American Hockey League on Sunday.

The rookie had played in the Knights’ last eight games at fourth-line center. He had one goal in that span.

Stephenson misses practice

Center Chandler Stephenson was given a maintenance day Sunday and didn’t practice after blocking a shot in the Knights’ 6-5 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. He is expected to practice Monday.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.