Erik Brannstrom’s hockey season for his team in Sweden has ended. But the 18-year-old defenseman, a first-round pick of the Golden Knights, wants to stay on the ice.
Steve Carp
Former Golden Knights reporter
A five-time Nevada Sportswriter of the Year, Steve Carp wrote for the Review-Journal from October 1999 to 2018. He was the beat writer for the Vegas Golden Knights and National Hockey League. He also covered UNLV basketball, USA basketball, the NBA Summer League, boxing, golf and tennis. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y. and a 1980 graduate of San Jose State with a degree in Journalism, he is member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame.
The return of James Neal to the Golden Knights’ lineup Friday was seen by coach Gerard Gallant as an obvious big boost. Jonathan Marchessault hoped the presence of Neal helped get him going offensively.
Forward James Neal and goaltender Malcolm Subban practiced with the team Thursday and could be available when the Knights host Minnesota Friday.
After a somewhat rocky start, Ryan Reaves appears to have settled in on the Golden Knights’ fourth line.
Marc-Andre Fleury’s stellar performance Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center put the 33-year-old goaltender in select company as he became just the 13th goalie to reach 400 wins in his NHL career after he stopped 38 shots and led the Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Veteran forward Tomas Tatar has just one goal in six games with the Golden Knights since being acquired from Detroit at the NHL trade deadline Feb. 26.
Veteran Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland has 22 points, the most in his pro hockey career, and has two goals in the last four games.
Marc-Andre Fleury goes for his 400th career NHL win Monday as the Golden Knights face the Philadelphia Flyers, who Fleury has a 27-18-2 record against.
Erik Haula’s goal in the fifth round of the shootout lifted the Golden Knights to a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday that set an NHL record for an expansion team for road wins.
The Golden Knights signed Zach Whitecloud, a 21-year-old defenseman from Bemidji State University, to a three-year entry level contract Thursday. He is the first college free agent signed by the franchise.
Coach Gerard Gallant said he wasn’t sure if defenseman Nate Schmidt would be in the lineup Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres when the Knights try to break the NHL record for most road wins by an expansion team.
More than 400 family and friends are expected to support Tuch, who is from upstate New York, and the Golden Knights when they face the Buffalo Sabres Saturday afternoon.
Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch each scored two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside all 28 shots he faced as the Golden Knights shut out the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena.
Forward Reilly Smith’s upper-body injury Tuesday was not enough to keep him away from the team as he’s listed as day-to-day while defenseman Nate Schmidt will rejoin the team Friday in Buffalo.
A number of key players remain out and Reilly Smith, the team’s second-leading scorer, is not expected to play Thursday against Detroit after being injured Tuesday in Columbus.