What stood out from Golden Knights rookie camp

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Results usually aren’t important astatine the Rookie Faceoff, wherever subordinate improvement is prioritized. But for an enactment that prides itself connected a winning culture, leaving the tourney winless wasn’t acceptable for the Golden Knights.

With their experienced players starring the way, the Knights held disconnected Los Angeles 3-2 connected Monday astatine Ice Den successful the tourney finale.

“That’s thing we talked astir earlier the crippled is we’ve played 2 bully games, but we’re successful a triumph business,” said Silver Knights manager Manny Viveiros, who was down the seat for the event. “The enactment wanted to spot however these kids respond. I thought they played truly well. The extremity was for america to get amended each crippled we played here. I thought it was a our champion effort.”

Free cause Kaleb Pearson scored the winning extremity astatine 5:34 of the 3rd play aft Jonas Rondbjerg and Jack Dugan scored 40 seconds isolated successful the 2nd play to enactment the Knights up 2-0.

Here are 5 takeaways from rookie camp:

1. Krebs makes statement

It took apical imaginable Peyton Krebs astir 20 seconds to amusement helium was acceptable to situation for an NHL roster spot. On the opening displacement Friday, the 2019 first-round prime enactment the puck betwixt the legs of an Arizona subordinate and saucered a walk crossed the crystal to acceptable up a scoring chance.

Krebs didn’t person a extremity during the 2 games helium appeared, but helium helped acceptable up Dugan’s extremity Monday against the Kings and was buzzing each implicit the ice.

“The archetypal crippled was conscionable benignant of getting your legs backmost nether you, getting your timing,” Krebs said. “I’ve been moving hard and I felt beardown connected my skates … It was a bully starting constituent for the season.”

2. Dugan delivers

There was a constituent during the 2nd play Sunday against San Jose erstwhile Dugan seemed to accidental “no much messing around” and that carried implicit into Monday.

The 23-year-old drove overmuch of the discourtesy for the Knights successful the last 2 games and had 2 goals to amusement for it, including a booming one-timer connected the powerfulness play successful the nonaccomplishment to the Sharks.

Viveiros said Dugan needs to support improving his gait of play, but helium got amended arsenic the tourney went along.

3. Goalies gain praise

The Knights gave each of their 3 goaltenders a afloat crippled astatine the tournament, and the scores didn’t bespeak their wide performance.

Jiri Patera and Jesper Vikman each made notable saves successful their outings but were hung retired to adust by the team’s struggles connected the punishment termination and having to play from behind.

Carl Lindbom, a seventh-round prime successful the astir caller draft, earned the commencement Monday and roseate to the juncture against the Kings aft helium noticeably struggled aboriginal successful campy portion adjusting to the North American rink.

“He made immoderate truly large saves for america astatine the close time,” Viveiros said.

4. Primeau’s banal improves

Mason Primeau dropped the gloves Monday with Cade McNelly of the Kings aboriginal successful the archetypal play and held his ain successful the combat earlier absorbing a close manus aft the doorbell from the defenseman. McNelly was fixed an other 2 minutes for the precocious punch, portion Primeau needed stitches.

“Little inexpensive changeable there,” Krebs said.

Primeau’s 6-foot-5-inch framework was noticeable passim the tournament, and the guardant made a bully crockery to 2021 first-round prime Zach Dean for the archetypal extremity successful Friday’s nonaccomplishment to Arizona.

“I’m truly starting to recognize that there’s not galore guys successful the crippled nowadays who are large and play heavy,” Primeau said. “If I tin play that mode each night, I deliberation it gives maine a bully accidental to find a niche for myself.”

5. Free agents contribute

Early successful camp, guardant Daniel D’Amato caught Viveiros’ eye, portion Pearson was fixed a look connected the 2nd enactment Monday against the Kings. Those 2 unsigned hopefuls were rewarded for their hard enactment successful campy erstwhile D’Amato worked down the nett and fed Pearson successful the slot aft helium entered the play precocious for the winning goal.

In addition, Lynden McCallum tied for the squad pb astatine the tourney with 2 goals.

“I don’t deliberation anybody did thing to wounded their chances to get invited to the main camp,” Viveiros said. “I deliberation they each did a singular job.”

Contact David Schoen astatine dschoen@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ connected Twitter.