Three storylines

At the top. The Golden Knights (80 points) can take over the top spot in the league based on points with a victory over the Canadiens and a loss Saturday by the Tampa

Bay Lightning (81 points). The Knights also can tie the 197980 Hartford Whalers for most home victories by a team in its inaugural season (22).

Still surging. The

Knights have a powerplay goal in 11 of the past 12 games (14-for-34 in that span). Look for Nate Schmidt to quarterback the top unit if defenseman Shea Theodore can’t play because of illness. Schmidt took line rushes with that group before practice Friday.

Hobbling Habs. Montreal has lost five straight on the road and has an Nhl-low 17 points (8-18-1) away from home. The Canadiens are expected to have plenty of fans for their first visit to T-mobile Arena.

David Schoen

eled a combined total of approximately 15 feet.

“Right from the first day he came, he’s been working hard,” Bellemare said. “He was not complaining and was taking whatever he can get. And suddenly, he gets his chance to break through with the team, and a lot of the goals we are scoring on our line, there shouldn’t be anything going on, really, and he’s the one who goes to the net and creates that bounce.”

Carpenter skated with Bellemare and Tomas Nosek thepasttwogames,andthat line is expected to be together against the Canadiens.

Gallant showed his trust in the group, using them against Edmonton’s Connor Mcdavid on multiple shifts Thursday.

“We are not the line that’s going to do toe drag after toe drag and cross-seam pass and top nets. No,” Bellemare said. “But we’ve been working well because we trust each other with the puck, and we just try to play with each other and have fun.

“A lot of nights, we are playing against good lines and we can frustrate them, which is a big goal for our line. And he knows all of that.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal. com or 702-387-5203. Follow @Davidschoenlvrj on Twitter.