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Golden Knights OK with goalie options for back-to-back games

The Golden Knights enter their first back-to-back games this season possibly down a goaltender, but coach Pete DeBoer said he’s fine with his options.

Robin Lehner didn’t practice Friday and is day to day with an upper-body injury. DeBoer said he didn’t know whether Lehner would travel with the team for its 1 p.m. game Saturday at San Jose.

The Knights play Colorado at 4 p.m. Sunday at T-Mobile Arena. It’s the first of nine times the team is scheduled to play on consecutive days this season.

If Lehner is not available for either game, DeBoer said he would be OK playing Marc-Andre Fleury in both or using practice squad goaltender Oscar Dansk.

“He’s well rested,” DeBoer said of Fleury. “We haven’t overused him. I don’t think that’s an issue in my mind.”

Fleury, 36, has been impressive in his six starts. He’s 5-1 with a .929 save percentage and 1.68 goals-against average and has found success playing deeper in his crease.

Fleury has played on consecutive days five times with the Knights, who are 4-0-1 in the second games of those back to backs.

Dansk, 26, has been the team’s practice squad goalie all season. He’s 3-1 in the NHL with a .915 save percentage and 2.89 goals-against average. He hasn’t appeared in a game since March 7 in the American Hockey League.

“He looked great in practice today,” DeBoer said. “I think anyone that’s on our taxi squad, we’re comfortable throwing in and getting the job done.”

Chrome domes

The Knights sported shiny, metallic gold helmets during their 1-0 home loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. Center Cody Glass, stating the obvious, said he had never worn one like it before.

Left wing Jonathan Marchessault said the team found out about them a few weeks ago, but their performance in their new look left a lot to be desired.

“Obviously, I think you couldn’t do it anywhere else than in Vegas,” Marchessault said. “But the outcome of the game is not necessarily ideal, so we’ll see. We should get them back, but last night was more of a (disappointing) effort a little bit offensively for our group. We’ll see if the gold helmets will come back or not.”

Odds and ends

— No new Knights or Anaheim players appeared Friday on the NHL’s list of those unable to practice or play because of the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Center Tomas Nosek remained on the list after testing positive and being removed from Tuesday’s game during the second intermission.

— Knights defenseman Shea Theodore didn’t practice Friday and still is considered day to day with an upper-body injury. DeBoer said he didn’t know whether Theodore would travel to San Jose.

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

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