Golden Knights have locked down the Stars

The problems for the Stars are two-fold — they aren’t getting great scoring chances and for long stretches aren’t even putting the puck on net.

That’s primarily why the Golden Knights are back in Las Vegas with a 2-0 lead in the first-round NHL playoffs series. Game 3 is Saturday night.

In Game 1, a 4-3 Stars loss, they didn’t get a shot on goal in the second period until 8:52 into it. The Golden Knights closed out the 3-1 victory in Game 2 by holding the Stars without a shot on goal over the final 5:38.

“It’s tight through the neutral zone,” Stars forward Jason Robertson said. “We’ve got to pick our spots, whether to skate (the puck) or put it in a spot where we can get it back.”

That kind of defense was a major reason why the Knights won the Stanley Cup last year, but there were lapses this season as they battled injuries and illness on the blue line. The Knights began to find themselves defensively about a month ago.

“That certainly has to be a calling card for our hockey club if you want to be successful, a clear understanding of how we have to play,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “So we talk about it. I think our guys bought into it. They saw it work last year.”

Golf: Jinichiro Kozuma birdied his first three holes in a bogey-free round of 9-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the LIV Series golf tournament in Australia.

NFL: The NFL says it will allow players to wear protective soft-shell helmet covers known as Guardian caps during games next season if they choose.

Tennis: Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has won his opening match at the Madrid Open in his first match in nearly a month. The third-ranked Alcaraz brushed aside Alexander Shevchenko 6-2, 6-1 on the outdoor clay inside the Caja Magica on Friday.