Vegas Golden Knights players listen to head coach Peter DeBoer during training camp at City National Arena Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.
Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 | 3 p.m.
Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer started his daily media availability today with a joke.
“Ten days in quarantine with my wife; that’ll test any marriage,” he said with a laugh.
It’s no surprise he’s in a joking mood. He’s been away from the team since Jan. 26, the result of the league’s COVID-19 protocols forcing him into isolation. He was back on the ice for morning skate today and will be back behind the bench at 7 p.m. for today’s duel with the Las Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena. It is the Golden Knights’ first game in 10 days, and the team will go with a roster that looks quite different.
“You get an appreciation for the ability to show up here every day and work with this group and what we do for a living when you basically can’t do it for 10 days,” DeBoer said. “I tried to use the time the best I could, but it’s nice to be back.”
DeBoer has not been with the team since the morning of their last game, the day a member of the coaching staff tested positive for the virus and put the whole staff in quarantine. The Golden Knights missed about a week as a team, and when they returned to practice Wednesday, only assistant Steve Spott was present among the usual group.
Assistant Ryan Craig returned for practice on Thursday, followed by DeBoer this morning. Assistant Ryan McGill is the only coach still out and is presumed to be in the league virus protocol.
DeBoer’s team, in particular the blue line, is different than when he left it. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is still on the league’s COVID protocol-related absences list, where he has been for the last week and is out for tonight’s game. Defenseman Brayden McNabb is also on injured reserve, leaving Vegas without its usual top pair.
“We knew this was going to test our depth, what we’ve gone through here. We knew it was just a matter of time, and sure enough it’s arrived,” DeBoer said. “I’m excited about the guys going in.”
Enter Nick Holden and Dylan Coghlan, the latter of whom will be making his NHL debut.
Coghlan, 22, went undrafted and signed with the Golden Knights in 2017. He played one more year of junior, then two in the AHL and has been on the Vegas taxi squad since training camp. He profiles as a puck-moving blue-liner with a booming shot and will be paired with Holden tonight.
He’s also roommates with forward Cody Glass and defenseman Nicolas Hague, both of whom joined the organization in 2017. They will be playing in the NHL together for the first time.
TV: AT&T SportsNet (DirecTV 684, Cox 1313, CenturyLink 1760)
Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM
Betting line: Golden Knights minus-240, Kings plus-210; over/under: 5.5 (minus-115, minus-105)
Golden Knights (5-1-1, 11 points; 4th place, West Division)
Coach: Peter DeBoer (second season)
Points leader: Mark Stone (11)
Goals leader: Max Pacioretty (6)
Assists leader: Mark Stone (9)
Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (1.00 GAA, .951 save percentage)
Kings (3-4-2, 8 points; 7th place, West Division)
Coach: Todd McLellan (second season)
Points leaders: Anze Kopitar (12)
Goals leader: Four players (3)
Assists leader: Anze Kopitar (11)
Expected goalie: Jonathan Quick (3.54 GAA, .885 save percentage)
Golden Knights projected lineup
Forwards
Max Pacioretty—Chandler Stephenson—Mark Stone
Jonathan Marchessault—William Karlsson—Reilly Smith
Nicolas Roy—Cody Glass—Alex Tuch
William Carrier—Tomas Nosek—Ryan Reaves
Defensemen
Alec Martinez—Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague—Zach Whitecloud
Nick Holden—Dylan Coghlan
Goalies
Robin Lehner, Marc-André Fleury
