Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 | 2 a.m.
For 27 games this season, the Vegas Golden Knights have not been at full strength.
Prior to opening night, William Karlsson was already out due to an undisclosed injury.
By the time he returned nine games later, Victor Olofsson was a week into what became a nearly two-month sprained ankle recovery.
Factor in Mark Stone’s monthlong lower-body injury, and the Golden Knights’ offense hasn’t been at full strength.
However, for the first time this year, lines one through four were fully healthy in Friday’s game against the Dallas Stars.
For the first time, the Golden Knights had a full arsenal. Their strengths came through the power play, where they scored twice on six opportunities, resulting in a 3-2 win.
“Felt like (it) was a little easier just to roll through it (lines) and not manage people as much as we have in the past,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Whatever line was up, if they happened to get a matchup that we didn’t exactly want, we were okay with it. That’s how we were at our best.”
The Golden Knights are getting contributions from deeper in the lineup. Tomáš Hertl converted on the power play for the seventh time this year and Nicolas Roy netted his sixth of the year.
This is 48 hours after Alexander Holtz scored his first goal in 20 games, and Olofsson recorded two points for the first time since October.
“Hopefully, knock on wood, we stay healthy for a stretch here and can start building that kind of four-line mentality,” Cassidy said.
Stone, who played his first game in a month, had a lasting impact beyond his line. His contributions in his return game, recording a primary assist on Hertl’s power play, were felt up and down the bench.
“I’ve missed some time over the past couple of years, and it’s never easy jumping right back in,” Shea Theodore said on Stone returning from a long injury. “But he’s (Stone) a guy that makes it look more seamless. It’s good to have him out there.”
Heading into a six-day break before traveling to Winnipeg on Thursday with a full offense, the Golden Knights have time to consider the details of having four healthy lines.
“Can we squeeze a little more out of them from the top to the bottom? I think tonight’s probably not a good example with all the power plays, but in 5-on-5, we’d like to get it that way,” Cassidy said.
“I like how we’ve tried to do things here, and that’ll be a goal going forward.”