GAME DAY: Golden Knights’ Max Pacioretty set to return vs. Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Max Pacioretty will return to the Golden Knights lineup Friday when they face the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.

Opening faceoff is 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.

Pacioretty missed the past seven games after being injured midway through the Knights 1-0 loss at Columbus on Dec. 17. He took line rushes during Thursday’s practice with center Cody Eakin and winger Ryan Carpenter and also worked with the No. 2 power-play unit.

“Max played with Eakin there a little bit, and they played unbelievable hockey and scored a lot of goals,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “I don’t know what the situation’s going to be and we’ll see where it’s at (Friday) or the next day or next week. Again, I don’t think it’s any issue. We switch guys around all the time, so not a big deal.”

The Knights (24-15-4, 52 points) activated Pacioretty from injured reserve Friday and reassigned left wing Brandon Pirri to the American Hockey League to make room on the 23-man roster.

Max Pacioretty has officially been activated from IR, according to the NHL media website. #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/Pftg7jHZEu

— David Schoen 📰🗞🏒 (@DavidSchoenLVRJ) January 4, 2019

Pirri, who had six goals and nine points in seven games with the Knights, did not have to clear waivers. The club chose to send him down rather than risk losing another forward such as Ryan Carpenter, Oscar Lindberg or Tomas Nosek on waivers.

Valentin Zykov practiced Thursday and Friday after his immigration issues were sorted out, but the winger will be scratched against Anaheim.

Defenseman Colin Miller (upper body) will miss his eighth straight game and remains on IR.

“It makes it tough for the coach when you’ve got to sit out guys, but it’s all part of the game, and I think everyone understands that,” Gallant said. “It’s a good thing to have right now because right now we’re a good hockey team and that’s what you want. You want guys hungry to play.”

Anaheim (19-15-7, 45 points) is clinging to the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference and is winless in its past six games (0-4-2).

The Ducks, who are in the middle of a six-game homestand, haven’t played since Monday’s 2-1 overtime loss to Tampa Bay. They are 10-4-7 at home.

Anaheim goaltender John Gibson is expected to oppose the Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury, in a battle of the Pacific Division’s All-Star Game netminders.

”We’ve been playing pretty well lately all parts of the game, defensively, offensively,” Knights center William Karlsson said. “But we always know it’s a tough team to beat, so we’ve got to be humble and recognize we’ve been successful lately because we work hard, and being relentless.”

Golden Knights projected lineup

Forwards

Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith

Max Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Alex Tuch

Tomas Nosek-Cody Eakin-Ryan Carpenter

William Carrier-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Brayden McNabb-Nate Schmidt

Shea Theodore-Deryk Engelland

Jon Merrill-Nick Holden

Goaltender

Marc-Andre Fleury