Golden Knights’ Cody Eakin to play against Pittsburgh Penguins

Nate Schmidt is no longer sure what to do with himself.

The Golden Knights defenseman, and most of the rest of the team, isn’t used to being at home this long during the season. The Knights played their fifth game of a season-long seven-game homestand Tuesday.

The team, which has become used to the hectic nature of an NHL schedule, is suddenly stationary. It’s not bad. It’s just different.

“It’s been nice,” Schmidt said. “It’s weird though. You’re used to going and playing and moving around and all that jazz. But we’re going to have a lot of road games here in the next month or so. You enjoy your time at home when you can.”

The Knights have been in Las Vegas since their flight following their game in Anaheim on Dec. 27. Their current homestand, which concludes Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, is tied for the longest in franchise history.

“It’s weird, but I’m loving it,” right wing Alex Tuch said. “Going back to my own bed every single night is wonderful.”

The extra time at home has given friends and family a rare chance to visit during the season. It’s also helped players rest during a time of year when illnesses start to spread around the locker room.

One player especially grateful for the scheduling quirk is forward Tomas Nosek. It allowed him to see the birth of his son Patrik and be around for his first few days in the world. Nosek missed Thursday’s 5-4 win against the Philadelphia Flyers because of Patrik’s birth.

“I’m so excited to have him at home,” Nosek said. “It’s a great feeling.”

The good feelings won’t last forever. After Saturday they don’t have a home game until Feb. 8. So they’re trying to enjoy this time while they can.

“We’re going to pack (our bags) for a long time coming up, so it’s been good,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “You got to keep battling and make sure you’re taking care of the home business first. Then we’ll worry about the road when we get there.”

Eakin returns

Knights center Cody Eakin played Tuesday, his first game since Nov. 29 against the Arizona Coyotes.

The 28-year-old received a hit to the head from Arizona’s Brad Richardson during the third period of that game.

“I was low, so it wasn’t really a high hit,” Eakin said. “It was just a bit of a vulnerable position. Whether that’s my fault or his, that’s for someone else to decide.”

Eakin, an unrestricted free agent after the season, had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 24 games entering Tuesday. He centered the Knights’ third line against the Penguins.

Ticket prices

Tickets for Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins were the second-most expensive for an NHL game this week on the resale ticketing site TickPick.

Tuesday’s game had a slightly lower average purchase price ($182.07) than Monday’s game between the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs ($182.24), according to TickPick data.

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