ANAHEIM — The Vegas Golden Knights face a problem with out Brayden McNabb in opposition to the Anaheim Geese in Sport 6 of the Western Convention Second Spherical at Honda Middle on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN360, TVAS).
“I don’t assume you’ll be able to substitute for a man of that magnitude for us,” Vegas coach John Tortorella stated.
The defenseman will serve a one-game suspension for interference on Anaheim middle Ryan Poehling, whereas the Golden Knights, forward 3-2 within the best-of-7 collection, attempt to remove the Geese and advance to the Western Convention Last in opposition to the Colorado Avalanche. Poehling is out with an undisclosed damage due to the hit.
McNabb has performed 757 video games for the Golden Knights within the common season and Stanley Cup Playoffs mixed, most of their historical past.
He’s averaging 22:24 of ice time — together with 3:29 on the penalty kill, most on the Golden Knights — within the playoffs this 12 months getting into Sport 5, when he left on the 9-minute mark of the primary interval after receiving a significant penalty for interference and recreation misconduct.
The Golden Knights are already with out defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, who will miss his sixth straight recreation with an upper-body damage. Defenseman Kaedan Korczak is predicted to play for the primary time in 4 video games.
Shea Theodore, who normally performs with McNabb on the precise aspect of the highest pair, possible will swap to the left and associate with Dylan Coghlan.
“We’re going to have lean on him much more now with ‘Nabber’ out,” Tortorella stated. “However the factor that at all times impresses me about him is simply his imaginative and prescient and the way he will get us up the ice.”
Theodore leads Vegas skaters in common ice time (25:45) and defensemen with seven factors (three objectives, 4 assists) in 11 video games within the playoffs. He led Vegas skaters in ice time (30:00) and blocked pictures (4) in Sport 5, a 3-2 additional time win.