Alex Pietrangelo looks for complete 2nd season with Golden Knights

Team Canada wide manager Doug Armstrong wanted 3 players to commencement his roster for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Two-time MVP and three-time NHL scoring person Connor McDavid was one. Two-time MVP and three-time Stanley Cup victor Sidney Crosby was another. Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was the third.

The determination shows however highly valued Pietrangelo remains astir hockey entering his 2nd play with the Knights. And aft getting a afloat twelvemonth to set to his surroundings and familiarize himself with a caller system, helium has a accidental to showcase that earlier going to Beijing.

“(It’s) not surprising,” said Knights skipper Mark Stone, a apt Team Canada teammate. “He’s been 1 of the astir accordant defensemen successful this league since helium entered. He plays 200 feet, which is uncommon for a defenseman. Kills penalties. Plays connected our powerfulness play. Shuts guys down. Can beryllium retired determination five-on-six and six-on-five.”

Pietrangelo ended past play connected a tear.

Coach Pete DeBoer and Kelly McCrimmon said helium was the Knights’ champion subordinate successful their six-game triumph implicit the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche successful the 2nd round. Pietrangelo scored 5 points against the Avalanche and added different 4 successful the adjacent circular against Montreal.

He was the existent two-way unit the Knights signed to a seven-year, $61.6 cardinal woody successful October 2020. But things didn’t ever spell that smoothly.

Pietrangelo faced galore obstacles switching teams for the archetypal clip successful his career. The erstwhile skipper and Stanley Cup champion successful St. Louis didn’t get overmuch of a accidental to acquisition his caller metropolis oregon get to cognize his caller teammates disconnected the crystal due to the fact that of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols. A shortened grooming campy with nary preseason games didn’t springiness him overmuch clip to set to the Knights’ benignant of play.

His advancement was besides slowed by a stint connected the NHL’s COVID-related absences database and an upper-body wounded that caused him to miss 12 games. His points-per-game mean (0.56) was its lowest since 2015-16.

Pietrangelo admitted it was frustrating astatine times.

“You spot the process, and extremity scoring tin beryllium streaky, whether you people 10 a twelvemonth oregon 50 a year,” helium said. “… Sometimes things conscionable crook and you commencement scoring goals and the assurance goes up. I tried not to get excessively discouraged.”

Pietrangelo had much changeable attempts and scoring chances per 60 minutes with the Knights than during his past play successful St. Louis, erstwhile helium finished 4th successful the Norris Trophy voting.

He knew his numbers would look a batch antithetic if those attempts started uncovering the net. And successful the past 2 rounds of the playoffs, they did.

The Knights anticipation a twelvemonth of acquisition and comfortableness volition mean that’s the Pietrangelo they get the full season. His speedy Olympic telephone already shows what Team Canada expects from him.

“You’re naming the archetypal 3 guys, I deliberation everyone’s got those 3 guys,” said DeBoer, a Team Canada assistant. “McDavid, Crosby and him. … I deliberation that’s an casual one.”

Contact Ben Gotz astatine bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz connected Twitter.