Garrison expected to replace McNabb in Golden Knights’ lineup
Jason Garrison spent last week with the Golden Knights but he never saw the ice.
Things will be different this time as the veteran defenseman was recalled from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Wednesday and is expected to be in the lineup Thursday when the Knights host the New York Islanders at T-Mobile Arena. Garrison was a healthy scratch at Tampa Bay and Florida after being recalled from the Wolves Jan. 16.
With Brayden McNabb listed as day-to-day after suffering an undisclosed injury late in the second period of Tuesday’s 6-3 win over Columbus, the Knights needed a sixth defenseman. They finished Tuesday playing the third period with five defensemen as assistant coach Ryan McGill mixed and matched Nate Schmidt, Deryk Engelland, Shea Theodore, Colin Miller and Brad Hunt.
“They guys did a good job of adjusting,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “When you go with five guys, everyone is involved. But you wouldn’t want to start with five.”
Shea’s best assist
Theodore has 25 assists in his NHL career. But the 22-year-old defenseman’s best one may have come Tuesday with his sensational setup of William Karlson’s second goal against the Blue Jackets.
Theodore threaded the needle up the middle to spring Karlsson on a breakaway, which resulted in a backhander past Sergei Bobrovsoky at 9:21 of the third period for Karlsson’s 27th goal of the season.
“It’s probably up there with the best of them for sure,” Theodore said Wednesday after he had watched replays of his pass. “It went out far more perfectly than I had planned in my mind. It was just a good play all around.”
Theodore, who already has a career-best 13 assists this season and is closing in on matching his 20-point total from last season with Anaheim (he currently has 17 points), said he’s just playing instinctively and not over-thinking things on the ice.
“I just think it’s confidence,” he said. “I’ve always known I can make those kinds of plays, those stretch passes. As a team we have much more confidence and as a player you feel comfortable doing those kind of things.”
DISH update
The dispute over DISH Network and AT&T continues as both sides have been unable to reach an agreement on fees which would allow AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, which carries Golden Knights games, to be shown to DISH subscribers in Southern Nevada.
“We’re continuing to work with our rights partner at AT&T SportsNet and we’re well aware of the fact,” Knights president Kerry Bubolz said. “But DISH has to want to do a deal as well and at this point in time there hasn’t been the right business scenario.
“Ultimately, it’s a negotiation between them and DISH, not us. Obviously, I feel bad for our fans who are DISH subscribers. But we’re holding watch parties throughout the marketplace which are free to attend and I would invite those fans who are DISH subscribers to join us at those parties.”
Dansk to minors
Goaltender Oscar Dansk was reassigned to the Chicago Wolves on Wednesday after being activated off injured-reserve Tuesday. Dansk suffered a lower-body injury Oct. 30 against the New York Islanders and has not played in a game since.
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Contact Steve carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.