3 years ago
314
The countdown to the regular play is on, and the Golden Knights are acceptable to play their archetypal crippled a period from now.
The opener against Seattle connected Oct. 12 astatine T-Mobile Arena pits the league’s 2 astir caller enlargement clubs and volition beryllium the authoritative debut for the Kraken, making it 1 of the astir anticipated games connected the schedule.
From instrumentality favorites returning to vacation games and rivalries renewed, the Knights’ 5th play should person thing for everyone, including a February interruption for the Olympics.
With apologies to the postseason rematch astatine Montreal connected Nov. 6, two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay’s sojourn to Las Vegas successful December and the mid-April crippled astatine Edmonton that could assistance determine the Pacific Division, present are 5 games worthy circling for the season:
Dec. 19, astatine New York Islanders — Goalie Robin Lehner developed a peculiar narration with Islanders fans during his 1 play connected Long Island and hasn’t played determination since leaving arsenic a escaped cause successful 2019. Chicago was scheduled to sojourn successful April 2020, but Lehner was traded to the Knights earlier that. Last season, the Knights and Islanders didn’t play during the condensed schedule. The Islanders besides are expected to beryllium successful their caller arena adjacent Belmont Park.
Dec. 31, vs. Anaheim — The New Year’s Eve time crippled returns aft a one-year hiatus and hasn’t disappointed yet. Coincidentally, the Ducks were the hostile the past clip the Knights hosted connected the last day of the calendar year. Jonathan Marchessault scored doubly successful that game, including a third-period punishment shot. And who tin hide William Karlsson’s chapeau instrumentality when the Knights hosted Toronto successful 2017?
Jan. 6, vs. New York Rangers — Ryan Reaves is slated to marque his archetypal sojourn to T-Mobile Arena since helium was traded this summertime for a third-round pick. As agelong arsenic he’s successful the lineup for the Rangers, the fashionable winger should person a lukewarm invited from fans — until helium plants a erstwhile teammate into the boards. Don’t forget, it’s besides the instrumentality travel for caller Rangers manager Gerard Gallant. It mightiness get a small dusty successful determination during the video tributes.
Jan. 8, vs. Chicago — If there’s immoderate Kleenex remaining aft the Reaves/Gallant return, they volition get utilized up 2 nights aboriginal erstwhile Marc-Andre Fleury makes his archetypal quality astatine T-Mobile Arena successful a Blackhawks uniform. The goaltender astir apt won’t admit it publicly, but helium volition beryllium highly motivated to look his erstwhile nine after an acrimonious split. And the Knights volition beryllium looking guardant to facing the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.
March 1, vs. San Jose — The rivals don’t quadrate disconnected until 2022 and lone conscionable 3 times arsenic portion of the caller docket configuration. The Knights person owned the bid lately and swept the 8 matchups past play by a combined people of 33-14. Many of the cardinal figures from the aboriginal days of the rivalry person moved on, and it won’t beryllium the aforesaid without Reaves and Evander Kane successful each other’s faces. But there’s inactive plentifulness of animosity betwixt the clubs.
Contact David Schoen astatine dschoen@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ connected Twitter.
English (US) ·