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Golden Knights top-line forward regains scoring touch

Yes, Max Pacioretty has scored from the wall before.

The Golden Knights left wing recalled the goal with startling accuracy a day after beating San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer from beyond the edge of the left circle Sunday. He didn’t even hesitate.

“Miami of Ohio in the second game of our back to back my freshman year,” Pacioretty said. “It was the same shot just on the other side.”

Sure enough, Pacioretty scored a power-play goal from the edge of the right circle Feb. 9, 2008, in his only season at Michigan during a 5-5 draw with the No. 1 RedHawks. It’s proof the goal scorer has never lacked for confidence.

The Knights had to be happy to see that swagger return after Pacioretty went 11 games without scoring, a period before and after he had surgery on an unspecified wrist Dec. 30. The 33-year-old has three goals in his past two games and said Monday was the first day his wrist felt “really, really good” when he was shooting.

“Whether that’s mental, and it comes with confidence after scoring a few or just giving it time to get to 100 percent, it all kind of falls hand in hand,” Pacioretty said.

Pacioretty said he was trying to “grind through” his wrist injury before the procedure and figure out when to have surgery. After going five games without scoring from Dec. 16 to 28, he decided to have it.

He returned Jan. 27, but had only two assists in his first six games. It was clear his confidence wasn’t the same. He had 62 shots on goal and 94 shot attempts in his first 11 games of the season. He had 23 shots on goal and 50 attempts in his 11-game streak without a goal.

His shot totals haven’t spiked since he started scoring the past two games, but he said he feels different.

“A couple things that might last for a while, but I don’t think about it at all on the ice anymore,” Pacioretty said. “Whether that’s the science behind it or just me being a headcase, who knows.”

The Knights will take Pacioretty’s old self however he gets there. He went on a tear earlier in the season with a seven-game goal streak from Dec. 1 to 14. He has played in only 24 of 51 games, but has the second-most goals on the team with 15.

“He’s up there with (Washington Capitals right wing Alex Ovechkin) for his shot and how lethal it is,” said right wing Chandler Stephenson, who played with Ovechkin for parts of four seasons. “There’s times in practice where it’s kind of in and out so fast you don’t know if it went in or not or the goalie saved it.”

If Pacioretty’s wrist has healed enough to bring his deadly snap shot back, his next goal will be to build chemistry with new linemate Jack Eichel. The two have skated together for the past three games and combined for seven points. Pacioretty has three goals and an assist, and Eichel has a goal and two assists.

Their fast start is due partly to some of their work before Eichel’s debut Feb. 16 against Colorado. They skated together when they were injured and tried to pick up things about each other’s game, such as where they prefer to receive the puck and how they shoot it.

That’s already translating to games in which their line, which includes Stephenson, is producing in Eichel’s first NHL action in more than 11 months.

“We’re still finding (our chemistry), but it’s getting better,” Eichel said after Sunday’s win. “The more we play with each other, the better it will be.”

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

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