Three storylines
1. Keep it rolling. The Knights have won nine of their last 10 since acquiring forward Mark Stone at the trade deadline. They’ve done it a variety of ways, finding a way to emerge victorious in wild, high-scoring affairs some nights while completely shutting down the opposition on others. Vegas is starting to look like a very dangerous team with the playoffs just around the corner.
2. First things first. There was some social media debate about whether the second line had surpassed the first as the Knights’ most dangerous unit. Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith have accepted the challenge. Each has multi-point games in two straight contests.
3. Playoff implications. Winnipeg is fighting Nashville for the Central Division title, while the Knights seem to have a firm grip on third place in the Pacific with little chance of moving up or down. But a victory by the Knights could get them to within a point of the Jets in a race for homeice advantage should they meet in a postseason series. allowing three goals in each game.
Defenseman Nick Holden indicated it was a matter of things finally balancing out for Subban.
“We’re just excited we’re getting him wins because he’s played games for us this year where he’s played really well and we’ve kind of laid an egg and not done anything in front of him,” Holden said. “The fact he’s able to get some wins is exciting for him, but also for the team.”
Should Fleury’s absence extend much longer as the playoffs draw near, there may be some nerves in the locker room and panic in the Knights’ fan base.
For now, the starter is getting rest and his understudy is gaining confidence.
“The more he plays, the better he’s going to be,” Gallant said. “He hasn’t had a whole lot of chances to play, so I think he gets better with each opportunity.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@ reviewjournal.com or 702-2778028. Follow @Adamhilllvrj on Twitter.