Golden Knights’ blue-line ‘horse’ impacts game on both ends

Golden Knights players use the same phrase to describe standout defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

It’s meant as a compliment. Even if it’s not the smoothest cross-sport comparison.

“He’s a horse for us back there,” center Chandler Stephenson said.

The Knights don’t mean to imply Pietrangelo is setting speed records like thoroughbred Secretariat. He’s more of an Arabian, the long-distance racehorses known for their stamina and endurance.

Pietrangelo, 33, doesn’t have the dazzling hands of defenseman Shea Theodore or the top-end straight-line speed of Colorado’s Cale Makar. What he can do, better than most NHL defensemen, is defend well in his own end, skate almost 200 feet down the ice to make a play on offense, get a quick breather on the bench and do it all over again without missing a beat.

This season, Pietrangelo led the Knights in time on ice (23:59 per game), set a franchise record for points by a defenseman (54) and defended the other team’s top forwards every night. His all-around value is almost impossible to measure.

“He’s one of those guys every team wishes they had,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “We’re really lucky to have him.”

The Knights knew the kind of impact Pietrangelo could have on their team.

It’s why they signed him to a seven-year, $61.6 million contract with a no-movement clause as a free agent in October 2020. Pietrangelo had proven his worth since getting drafted fourth overall in 2008 by St. Louis, captaining the Blues to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2019.

His third season with the Knights might have been his best yet. Other than a nine-game absence to care for his sick daughter Evelyn, Pietrangelo was a constant presence for the team.

He was on the power play. He killed penalties. He defended third-period leads. He attacked third-period deficits. He even took a faceoff in a game in Colorado.

“He does everything,” defenseman Alec Martinez said.

To coach Bruce Cassidy, what sets Pietrangelo apart is his “all-around willingness to want to make a difference in the game.”

That can take on many different forms.

In his own zone, Pietrangelo wins battles, starts breakouts and boxes out in front of the net. He also blocks shots when he needs to. His 177 blocks this season were the seventh-most in the NHL.

On offense, Pietrangelo’s skill and instincts take over. He often stretches defenses by coming off the blue line looking for a pass or a shot. Cassidy said Pietrangelo is in attack mode every time he gets the puck, while other defensemen might look to dump it back below the goal line if there isn’t an obvious play.

That aggressiveness created a lot of extra offense for the Knights. His 54 points matched his career high.

“Sometimes things just go your way offensively,” he said. “Sometimes you get bounces one way or another and all of a sudden your point totals can change. I feel like I’m doing a lot of the same things.”

Those same things are why his teammates have such respect for him. Pietrangelo goes up and down the ice more times per game than anyone else on the Knights, working hard to make a difference wherever he can.

That makes him their horse. One they’re happy to ride alongside.

“He plays big minutes; he plays all situations,” said Martinez, Pietrangelo’s partner. “He’s a big part of this team, backbone of the D.”

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