Golden Knights hit 4-day break as final playoff push looms
CALGARY, Alberta — The Golden Knights are among the hottest teams in the NHL during the past two weeks and under most circumstances would prefer to maintain their rhythm.
Instead, they’ll get a four-day break.
The Knights are off Monday following back-to-back games against Vancouver and Calgary and do not play again until Friday at Dallas.
“I think rest is a good thing,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “I feel like we’ve played a lot of hockey over the last week.”
The Knights, who won six straight after the trade deadline entering Sunday’s game against the Flames, played their sixth game in the past 11 days.
Following the game at Dallas, the Knights play 11 games over the final three weeks of the regular season, including a pair of road-home back-to-backs.
Six of their remaining games are at T-Mobile Arena, which is being used this week to host the Pac-12 Conference men’s basketball tournament.
“That time of the year, you need the rest,” left wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “You need to focus on the playoffs coming up, and I think it’s going to be good. We’re going to reset, get back in shape a little bit off the ice, and get ready for the last small push before the playoffs.”
Lagace arrives
The Knights recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace from the American Hockey League on an emergency basis for Sunday’s game, but it turned out he wasn’t needed.
Marc-Andre Fleury served as the backup to Malcolm Subban after it initially appeared Fleury might have to return to Las Vegas to be with his wife, Veronique, who is expecting their third child this month.
“Obviously Marc’s wife is pregnant and we thought something was going to happen there, so we made sure we got Lagace up here,” coach Gerard Gallant said prior to the game. “But Fleury is going to back up tonight. Everything’s fine there. Just a close call.”
Lagace was shipped back to Chicago immediately following the Knights’ 6-3 loss to the Flames.
Shouldering the load
Following his victory over Vancouver on Saturday, Fleury has accounted for 89.5 percent of the Knights’ wins this season (34 of 38), the highest such percentage in the NHL.
Milestone
Wing Tomas Nosek had a goal and an assist against Vancouver on Saturday to match last season’s career highs of seven goals and 15 points.
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Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.
