Knights learning injuries hurt

DETROIT — Erik Haula was right when he said things are only going to get tougher now that it’s March.

All those points the Golden Knights accumulated in October, November and December have created a nine-point cushion over Anaheim in the Pacific Division as the NHL’S regular season enters its final weeks. With 16 games remaining, beginning Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena, the Knights own 89 points and are playoff-bound.

Still, what playoff seed the Knights secure remains to be seen, clouded even more by the rash of injuries they’ve dealt with the past few weeks. It’s become an attrition battle as the Knights continue to lose players and lose ground in the Western Conference. Nashville is the top team in the West with 95 points. The Knights, who have dropped four of their last five games, are tied with Winnipeg for second in the conference.

Forward Reilly Smith, the team’s second-leading

KNIGHTS

scorer, was the latest casualty, taking a hit to the left side of his body late in the second period Tuesday in the Knights’ 4-1 loss at Columbus.

Smith, who appeared to be holding his left wrist as he skated to the bench, did not return and is not expected to be in the lineup on Thursday. Coach Gerard Gallant was not made available to provide any update on Smith’s status Wednesday as the team had the day off.

Smith joins a long list of walking wounded, headed by forward James Neal and defenseman Nate Schmidt. Neither has played in over a week, though both have been skating on their own in Las Vegas while the team continues its five-game Eastern Conference road trip.

Haula struck an urgent chord following the loss to the Blue Jackets. “We’ve got to be better overall,” he said. “We’re not hard enough right now. This is the hardest time of the year, going into March. It’s the last stretch.”

Also unavailable are forwards Oscar Lindberg and Will Carrier, defenseman Luca Sbisa and goaltender Malcolm Subban. Lindberg has missed the last four games and Carrier has been out since Feb. 4. Sbisa, who has already spent three different stints on injured reserve, has missed the last three games while Subban was injured Feb. 8.

It appeared Neal injured his hand against the Kings on Feb. 26 and Lindberg sustained a concussion in that game. As for the timetable