3 takeaways from Golden Knights’ win: Hill added to growing injury list

On a day when the Golden Knights ruled their captain out for the foreseeable future, they now have to worry about the health of their starting goaltender.

Adin Hill left early in the first period, but his teammates held down the fort for a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at T-Mobile Arena on Monday night.

Hill left with 10:06 remaining in the opening period while trying to play the puck but suffered a noncontact injury to his left leg. He was helped off the ice and needed assistance going to the locker room.

Coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t have an update postgame. The Knights are off Tuesday.

“He didn’t come back, as you know, so that’s not good right away,” Cassidy said. “I’ll be able to give you a clearer picture Thursday.”

Akira Schmid came in for relief for the second time in four games. Hill suffered a lower-body injury last Tuesday against the Calgary Flames. Schmid stopped all 19 shots to rally from a two-goal deficit to win 4-2.

Schmid made 22 saves Monday to improve to 4-0 this season.

“It’s hard and easy at the same time,” Schmid said about coming on in relief. “You just jump in. You don’t overthink it. You might when you’re starting. You just play and see how it goes.”

Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev scored in the first period, and Ivan Barbashev added an insurance goal in the third to push the Knights (5-0-2) to their fourth straight win and extend their point streak to seven games.

Carolina (5-1-0) lost its first game of the season.

The Knights went into Monday knowing they’d be without captain Mark Stone going forward, as he’s week to week with a wrist injury he suffered Saturday night against Calgary.

The Knights placed Stone on injured reserve Monday. He was already ruled out of traveling on the team’s upcoming three-game road trip that starts Saturday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

“Unfortunate loss,” Cassidy said. “But someone else will get an opportunity for the short term.”

The first one to get that opportunity was Brandon Saad. The veteran moved up to the top line, switching Barbashev to the right side with Eichel.

Saad made the most of his promotion with his best game of the young season, recording an assist and four shots in 16:07.

“He’s really simple to play with,” Barbashev said. “He’s not trying to force some hope plays. That’s why he was such a good fit with us.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Losing the captain

The Knights are equipped to pick up the pace offensively without Stone. They’ve done it before.

The adjusted top line went to work early. Eichel, the NHL’s leading scorer, opened the scoring with his 16th point at 8:42 of the first. Dorofeyev added his seventh at 10:28 when he went forehand to backhand after getting behind the defense.

Other areas will be a work in progress. The power play comes to mind. The Knights’ second-ranked unit went 0-for-4.

Marner replaced Stone at the goal line spot on the power play. Defenseman Shea Theodore moved back to the top unit to give the Knights a more conventional power play of four forwards and one defenseman.

It’s another frustrating halt to what has been an exceptional start to the season for Stone. He has 13 points and was coming off a two-goal, two-assist game Saturday.

Stone got off to a hot start last season with 21 points through 13 games before a pulled muscle forced him to miss a month. He missed the final two months of the regular season two years ago with a lacerated spleen, and missed the final 39 games of the 2022-23 season with his second back surgery in less than a year.

“I feel for him,” Cassidy said. “This year, I think he’s in as good of shape as he’s been since I’ve been here. I thought he was moving as well as he ever has. It sucks. It really does.”

2. Winning slot battles

Cassidy emphasized the Knights would need to be the better team in the dangerous areas.

Carolina was held to four high-danger chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Knights blocked 20 shots.

“I thought we did a really good job with that tonight,” Cassidy said.

The Knights tightened up when Schmid entered the game. He saw only three high-danger looks at even strength and stopped all of them.

“We’re down some players. So are they. That’s some adversity you go through at some point during the year,” Cassidy said. “We got good players. We got good depth. It’s being tested early.”

3. Schmid stellar

The last time Schmid saw the crease he allowed five goals Thursday night in a 6-5 win over the Boston Bruins. The start came the same day the Knights signed goaltender Carter Hart to a professional tryout deal.

Cassidy felt the mental side of the team adding a third goaltender could’ve played a role. It didn’t look like it Monday.

“I thought we did a really good job defensively,” Barbashev said. “Huge for Akira stepping in after Hillsy left the game.”

Schmid became the third goaltender this year to win four games, joining Colorado’s Scott Wedgewood and reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.

It’s not how he would’ve imagined it, but Schmid might get some more looks in the coming days. By injury or not, he’s earned it.

“I feel confident. The group feels confident as a whole,” Schmid said. “I don’t really think it matters who’s in net with the team we have.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.