Golden Knights’ schedule ramps up starting with San Jose
Of all the gifts the Golden Knights received this holiday season, the best one came from the schedule maker.
The Knights feasted on a steady diet of middle-of-the-pack teams for the past month and a half to climb the Pacific Division standings.
But starting with Thursday’s encounter against the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena, they’ll face a difficult six-game stretch leading into the All-Star break.
“I think it’ll feel like a playoff game, for sure,” Knights right wing Alex Tuch said. “Honestly, it’s going to be hard-nosed, gritty. We don’t like them; they don’t like us. I think each team has a lot of respect for one another. But we’re going to come in and we’re going to play really hard.
“We know who we’re playing against. We’ve played against them several times, last year and this year. They’re a good team, playing well right now. Divisional opponent, so it’s big. It’ll be a big game.”
Since shellacking the Sharks 6-0 two days after Thanksgiving, the Knights have compiled a 15-3-3 record. That run coincided with a soft spot in the schedule.
The Knights played 15 of their past 21 games against teams that were ranked in the bottom half of the NHL standings by points percentage. Washington was the lone team in the top 10.
During their current seven-game win streak, the Knights haven’t faced anyone in the top half of the league standings. Colorado, which was 16th out of 31 teams entering Tuesday’s games, was the highest-ranked team.
“It’s a statement game, I think, for both teams, see where we’re at right now,” Knights left wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “Obviously there’s a lot of hockey left in the season, but I think it’s going to be a good challenge for both sides.
“Not to take away the game of the Devils or Rangers, but I don’t think they’re in the same position as the San Jose Sharks right now. They’re a great team, and it’s going to be a good test for us.”
After facing San Jose, the Knights’ next five games include a showdown at Central Division leader Winnipeg on Tuesday and home games against Pittsburgh (Jan. 19) and Nashville (Jan. 23).
The All-Star break runs Jan. 24 through Jan. 26 and is immediately followed by the Knights’ five-day bye week.
“I’m happy with my team,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “If we come out and play a great game (Thursday), that’s what I expect. But if we have a tough game, nothing’s going to change. In one game, nothing changes.
“I learned a lot about our team lately. Nothing that I didn’t know, but when when we’re playing good, sound hockey and we’re playing good, solid defensive hockey and keeping the goals-against down, that’s what our team is.”
The second-place Knights (58 points) lead San Jose by one point in the Pacific Division, which has turned into a three-team race with front-running Calgary.
The Sharks have won four straight, including an impressive 5-2 victory over league-leading Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Evander Kane and Joonas Donskoi each scored twice on Tuesday as San Jose thumped Edmonton, 7-2.
“I think we’re obviously playing well right now, and they’ve been crushing teams lately,” Knights defenseman Nick Holden said. “They’re just four-lines dangerous. They’re scoring a ton of goals right now, and their (defensemen) are very active, dynamic. That obviously presents the challenge that you can’t ever let down because anybody on their team can beat you and score.”
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Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.
Game day
■ Who: Golden Knights vs. Sharks
■ When: 7 p.m. Thursday
■ Where: T-Mobile Arena
■ TV: AT&T SportsNet (Cox 313/1313, DirecTV 684, CenturyLink 760/1760, U-verse 757/1757, Dish 414/5414)
■ Radio: KRLV (98.9 FM, 1340 AM); ESPN Deportes (1460 AM)
■ Line: Golden Knights -130; total 6
Three storylines
1. Record seekers. The Knights close out their three-game homestand against San Jose and are looking to extend their home point streak to 13 games, which would set a franchise record. The Knights are 15-3-3 at T-Mobile Arena, the second-best home record in the NHL by points percentage behind Tampa Bay (18-4-0).
2. Killer Karlsson. Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson recorded three assists in Tuesday’s win over Edmonton to become the fifth defenseman in NHL history with at least one assist in 14 straight appearances. The All-Star has 25 points (one goal, 24 assists) in his past 14 games.
3. Lockdown late. The Knights allowed two goals in the third period to the New York Rangers on Tuesday, breaking a streak of six straight games without giving up a third-period goal. The Knights have a plus-14 goal differential in the final period, which is tied for fourth in the league.
