Marchessault hopes return of Neal revitalizes offense

NHL honor recognizes Knights’ off-the-ice efforts

The return of James Neal to the Golden Knights’ lineup Friday was seen by coach Gerard Gallant as an obvious big boost.

Jonathan Marchessault hoped the presence of Neal helped get him going offensively.

Marchessault has been mired in a ninegame goal-less slump and last scored Feb. 23. He has four assists since, but with Reilly Smith still out with an upper-body injury suffered March 6, the move to put Neal on the top line with Marchessault and William Karlsson could be what Marchessault needs to find the net.

“Injuries are part of the game, and we obviously miss Smitty out there,” Marchessault said. “But (Neal’s) a great player, and I think he’ll fit in fine. He knows how to get to the open areas, and he’s a great passer.”

Despite the scoring slump, Marchessault remains the team’s leader in points with 65 (22 goals, 43 assists). He continues to contribute in other areas.

“It’s a long season,” Marchessault said. “I had a slump in December. It’s part of the game. When you’re on a high, you want to keep it going as long as you can, and when you’re struggling, you want it to be as short as possible.”

NHL honors Knights

The NHL recognized the organization’s efforts off the ice with the Commissioner’s Award during the league’s marketing and sales meetings Monday and Tuesday at Bellagio.

Commissioner Gary Bettman presented the award for the performance of the Golden Knights’ business and

marketing departments and the team’s overall excellence.

“It touches everyone in the organization,” team president Kerry Bubolz said. “This award is ultimately a reflection of (owner) Bill Foley’s vision and was done in concert with everyone, from (general manager) George Mcphee and the hockey side to the business and marketing side.”

Bubolz said every member of the staff will get a day with the award on his or her desk. Kim Frank, the team’s vice president of marketing, was the first to have her day with the award, which is made out of Plexiglas from the 2018 Winter Classic and is a mini-version of the Stanley Cup.

Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @ stevecarprj on Twitter.