The Golden Knights begin defense of their Western Conference championship Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. when they meet the San Jose Sharks in a best-of-seven quarterfinal series. The Golden Knights work through drills during morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) waits to take the ice before morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto Golden Knights goaltender Malcolm Subban (30) makes a save against center Ryan Carpenter (40) with the help of defenseman Colin Miller (6) during morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto Golden Knights practice pucks lay on the ice before the start of morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto Golden Knights center Ryan Carpenter (40) shoots on goal during morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) attempts to make a save during morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto The SAP Center is prepped for game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals between the San Jose Sharks and the Golden Knights later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto Golden Knights goaltender Malcolm Subban (30) jokes around with teammate Ryan Carpenter (40) during morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) shoots on goal during morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault (81) gets ready to take the ice before morning skate ahead of game one of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals later tonight on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif. (Benjamin Hager Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Golden Knights begin defense of their Western Conference championship Wednesday when they meet the San Jose Sharks in a best-of-seven quarterfinal series. Opening faceoff for Game 1 at SAP Center is 7:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain. “It’s an exciting time,” Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “We had a few days there to get our energy and get patched up, and now it’s finally time to go.” The Knights defeated San Jose in six games in the conference semifinals last season en route to the Stanley Cup Final. They split the regular-season series, with the Knights going 2-1-1. Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series are 467-214 (68.5 percent) all time, according to the NHL. Marc-Andre Fleury will start in net and leads all active goaltenders in postseason games played (135), victories (75) and shutouts (14). He is two victories from tying Mike Vernon for seventh overall. In his career against the Sharks during the regular season, Fleury is 8-4-3 with a 2.12 goals-against average and .937 save percentage. Tomas Nosek is expected to play left wing on the third line with center Cody Eakin and right wing Alex Tuch, though coach Gerard Gallant remained tight-lipped about his lineup. The Knights are the seventh team to reach the postseason in each of its first two seasons, joining the Edmonton Oilers as the only team from the post-expansion era (since 1968-69) to accomplish the feat. “Everyone this time of year is waiting for this to happen,” Knights center Paul Stastny said. “I think once the puck drops, it’s just back to playoff hockey again, and I think we’re all excited for that.” San Jose, which struggled in March before winning its final two games, set a franchise record for most goals in a season with 289 (3.51 goals per game). The previous mark was 265 goals set in the 2005-06 season. The Sharks feature four 30-goal scorers — Joe Pavelski (38), Tomas Hertl (35), Timo Meier (30) and Evander Kane (30) — and are the first team to reach that plateau since Detroit and Philadelphia did it in 2008-09. Defenseman Erik Karlsson battled a groin injury throughout the second half of the season but declared himself 100 percent to open the series. Hertl did not participate in the Sharks’ morning skate for maintenance, but coach Peter DeBoer said he will play. Goaltender Martin Jones, who has been pulled four times in 13 career appearances against the Knights, will start. “I know our desperation level,” DeBoer said. “You’re at that time of year. These guys are pros. They’ve been here. They know you could be home in a week. I don’t think there’s any speeches you need to make about being desperate or being hungry or being ready to compete.” Golden Knights projected lineup Forwards Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith Max Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Mark Stone Tomas Nosek-Cody Eakin-Alex Tuch William Carrier-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Ryan Reaves Defensemen Nate Schmidt-Deryk Engelland Brayden McNabb-Shea Theodore Jon Merrill-Nick Holden Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury More Golden Knights: Follow at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter. Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.<doc-sep>The time has come. The Vegas Golden Knights’ quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup starts tonight, and the first obstacle in Vegas’ way is the San Jose Sharks. However, the Sharks have every intention of coming out on top this time after falling short in last year’s second-round series against the Knights, losing 4-2. San Jose (46-27-9) earned home-ice advantage with an eight-point lead over Vegas (43-32-7) in the final standings, so the first two games will take place at the shark tank before the series shifts to T-Mobile Arena this weekend. This series should have a little of everything, including some snarl after the recent exchange between Joe Thornton and Ryan Reaves. But most importantly, this series will feature a ton of skill on both sides. Brent Burns led all San Jose skaters in assists (67) and points (83), while Joe Pavelski had a team-high 38 goals. He was one of four players on the team to hit the 30-goal plateau, and eight players earned at least 50 points. For the Knights, Mark Stone led the way with 33 goals and 73 points, scoring five goals and 11 points in 18 games with Vegas. He was one of five Golden Knights to finish the season with 50-plus points and one of six players to hit 20 goals. A major key to tonight’s game and this series will be discipline, as San Jose boasted the sixth-best power play in the NHL during the regular season, operating at 23.6 percent. Vegas’ 17th-ranked road penalty kill (79.8 percent) will have its hands full. Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Jones will man the crease for their respective teams in tonight’s matchup. Jones finished the year with 36 wins as well as a 2.94 goals-against average, an .896 save percentage and three shutouts; Fleury managed 35 wins, a 2.51 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage and eight shutouts. It is expected that Tomas Nosek will skate on the third line with Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch tonight, meaning Brandon Pirri and Ryan Carpenter (as well as Valentin Zykov) will be healthy scratches. Also, Colin Miller could serve as a healthy scratch as well, which would mean Jon Merrill and Nick Holden would make up Vegas’ third pairing on the back end. For the Sharks, notable scratches include Joonas Donskoi, Lukas Radil and Tim Heed. Here are the projected lineups for both clubs: Golden Knights Marchessault — Karlsson — Smith Pacioretty — Stastny — Stone Nosek — Eakin — Tuch Carrier — Bellemare — Reaves Schmidt — Engelland McNabb — Theodore Holden — Merrill Fleury Subban Sharks Meier (#28) — Couture (#39) — Pavelski (#8) Kane (#9) — Hertl (#48) — Nyquist (#14) Sorensen (#20) — Thornton (#19) — Labanc (#62) Haley (#18) — Goodrow (#23) — M. Karlsson (#68) Vlasic (#44) — Burns (#88) Dillon (#4) — E. Karlsson (#65) Ryan (#47) — Braun (#61) Jones (#31) Dell (#30) ICYMI, here is a preview of the Sharks-Knights series, a preview of tonight’s game and a look at 10 things you should know about the Sharks before Game 1. Also, here’s an interesting pro/con-style preview from Fear the Fin, the SB Nation site for the San Jose Sharks. You can find the schedule details for the rest of the series here. Let’s discuss!<doc-sep>The San Jose Sharks might have a Mark Stone-sized problem on their hands when the Las Vegas Golden Knights come to town for the first-round playoffs series between the budding rivals. Though the Knights experienced their fare share of ups and downs during the March home stretch, one thing remained mostly constant: their offense. Since Christmas, the Golden Knights’ 5-on-5 offense has taken the third-highest rate of shots in the league, the third-highest rate of unblocked shots and led the league in the rate of expected goals generated. During that time, the I-still-can’t-believe-the-league-let-an-expansion-team-do-this Knights’ expected shooting percentage on unblocked shots also paced the 31-team National Hockey League (NHL) (Corsica). They’ve been taking shots, getting said shots through traffic and creating dangerous chances and, if you’re keeping score at home, have even managed to underperform relative to those metrics. Everything amounts to the Knights owning what has been arguably the league’s most consistently dangerous offense during the second half of the season. You can see their final stretch of games, below. The deeper the red and the higher the plateaus, the more unblocked shots the team is generating. The Knights are getting pucks in front of the net and up and down the left side of the zone. For the Sharks, it appears that the Knights’ recent pattern of shot generation could pose quite a threat. San Jose’s team defensive structure has allowed opponent shots in a pattern that is almost a mirror image of the Knights’ offense. If these trends continue into the postseason, the sweet Golden Knights may yet again prove a difficult challenge for the Sharks’ defense. Leading the way for the Knights during the season’s second half and subsequent dog days has been expected goal monster, 33-year-old Paul Stastny. Playing mostly with Max Pacioretty and Alex Tuch, mixed in with Brandon Pirri and, most recently, deadline acquisition Mark Stone. According to Evolving Hockey’s adjusted metrics, Stastny has had the seventh-biggest impact on even-strength expected goals this season among forwards with at least 50 minutes of ice time. His new linemate, Stone has been the league’s second-best forward this season in that capacity, but these metrics adjust for teammates, so Stastny’s been doing this no matter his wingers. Indeed, the Stastny, Pacioretty, Stone line ranks second in its rate of 5-on-5 expected goals generated among all 225 forward lines to play at least 100 minutes together this season (Corsica). Those three have combined to create more than four expected goals per hour of ice time together. Three expected goals per hour is exceptional. Four is something you’d see paired with “unsustainable” often. This time, however, the Stastny and Stone combination appears to be a match made for long-term success. The team’s nominal second line generates an extra 1.27 expected goals per hour and produces unblocked shots are are nearly two percent more likely to go in relative to the rest of the team. While none of the team’s other three lines is any sort of slouch offensively, it’s clear that for San Jose to win its first-round series, it must find a way to silence the Stastny-Stone pair. To do so, Shark Coach Pete DeBoer will employ what looks to be the following defense pairs: Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns Brenden Dillon and Erik Karlsson and Joakim Ryan and Justin Braun There may not be a pair better suited to neutralize the Knights’ top threat than the Dillonand Karlsson duo. Between Dillon’s ability to separate man from puck and Karlsson’s penchant for breaking up zone entries before they develop, the unlikely shutdown unit may be able to hamstring Stastny and Stone long enough to keep them off the scoreboard. Together, the pair has swallowed opposing offenses’ advances almost altogether. Despite that mound of unblocked shots just in front of the Sharks’ goal, this pair has forced teams into unblocked shots that are 17 percent less likely to go in than those of a league-average offense. This season, Erik Karlsson has played the most against opponents’ middle-six forwards. While Stastny has led the Knights’ forward corps in ice time for the last 20 games or so, Stone and Pacioretty are firmly in the 5-to-7 range, making a Karlsson and Stone matchup likely. In the aftermath of Radim Simek’s injury, the Sharks’ coaching staff has searched mostly unsuccessfully for Simek’s replacement. The Czech defender proved exceptionally adept at limiting opponents expected goals and shots this season, making him an ideal partner for the high-risk, high-reward Burns. It has become painfully apparent that the coaching staff does not think Joakim Ryan — the man whom Simek replaced earlier this season — is capable of limiting the pair’s chances against. As a result, they’ve turned to a struggling Marc-Edouard Vlasic to fill the void. In just fewer than 180 even-strength minutes together this season, the Vlasic and Burns pair has allowed expected goals at the rate of the Ryan and Burns pair. A closer look reveals that most of those minutes have been in increments of three minutes or fewer most nights, making it difficult to lend much credence to the aggregate numbers. Against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 28, the two played nearly eight 5-on-5 minutes together and allowed a rate of just 1.44 expected goals per hour, an even more impressive number than the season-long Burns and Simek pair. Against the Oilers on April 4, the pair played six minutes together and allowed a paltry rate of 1.57 expected goals against per hour, an exciting development. However, against the Avalanche during the team’s regular-season finale, the Wookie and the dog walker let the Colorado team produce 2.66 expected goals per hour in 12.5 minutes, an unflattering, if not horrendous result (Natural Stat Trick). No matter his partner over the course of the season, Vlasic has played mostly against opponents’ top-three forwards in terms of ice time. In this series, he’ll be tasked with taking down a combination of the vaunted-but-underperforming William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith line and the Stastny firehose. Finally, a relatively new creation of Joakim Ryan and Justin Braun creates a seemingly bizarre third pair. While there isn’t enough information to form an educated opinion about the two together so far, we can see roughly what each player’s strengths and weaknesses have been this season and try to put two and two together. These two will be tasked primarily with keeping the bottom of the Knights’ forward lineup at bay. If Ryan’s offensive prowess can combine nicely with Braun’s defensive fortitude, the pair could be a trouble-making asset for San Jose. Finally, 20 percent (and perhaps a bit less in the playoffs) of the game is spent on special teams. Though Martin Jones is enjoying his second-straight season of phenomenal penalty kill numbers, the skaters in front of him are doing their ‘tender no favors. Though the Sharks limit shots against, they allow plenty of dangerous chances while killing penalties. In what should be a point in their favor, the Knights neither take nor draw many penalties, keeping the amount of man-(dis)advantage hockey to a minimum. That’s a benefit for the Sharks because Vegas’ power play poses a decent threat. Though the Knights’ pattern of unblocked shots on the man advantage isn’t as intimidating as that of their even-strength offense, a plus-four figure here is among the league’s better power plays. San Jose will have to be wary of the Knights’ side-to-side movement if it is to avoid allowing goals from above the dots. There are no surprises among the Knights’ forward group. Paul Stastny and Mark Stone have combined to form a monster, allowing the previously feared William Karlsson line to take advantage of lesser matchups. For the Sharks, uncertainty reigns, as two of their current defense pairs are works in progress with very little history together. It would not surprise any onlooker to see different variations of the defense pairs we see today before us during this series, depending on how the first game or two go. One thing is for sure: Much will depend on how the Sharks’ depth pairs pan out and perform against a dangerous Vegas offense.<doc-sep>
The Vegas Golden Knights stumbled out of the gate in their postseason opener, losing 5-2 to the San Jose Sharks Wednesday night at SAP Center. San Jose now leads the best-of-seven series 1-0. A three-goal second period for San Jose, which included a goal in the final 18 seconds of the frame, put this game out of reach for the Knights, who managed just 10 shots through two periods of play (26 on the night). Vegas was outplayed for most of the night, and it started early. The one thing Vegas could not afford to do was take penalties against this team, and San Jose hammered home the concept by converting on their first opportunity on the man advantage nearly 15 minutes into the opening frame. A failed clear by Paul Stastny led to a point shot by Brent Burns, which hit Joe Pavelski in the jaw on its way behind Marc-Andre Fleury and into the net. GOAL. Brent Burns' point shot deflects off of Joe Pavelski in front of the net. Sharks make it 1-0 on the power play. pic.twitter.com/AS6fdnW8Ny — x-Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) April 11, 2019 Pavelski is known for his deflections, but that’s probably not what he had in mind. Either way, the power-play marker gave San Jose a 1-0 lead at 14:42 of the first. It could have been more costly than helpful for San Jose, but Pavelski returned to the bench for the second period sporting a full face shield. The Knights were fortunate to escape an ugly opening frame trailing by just one. But while the first period may have been uneventful, the second was jam-packed with action. A bizarre sequence involving several penalties led to a rare 3-on-3 opportunity in the second, and Burns took full advantage, doubling the Sharks’ lead with a snapshot that beat Fleury glove-side. GOAL. Brent Burns hits iron again, but this time it goes in. Sharks lead 2-0. pic.twitter.com/DwGU2FTN7b — x-Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) April 11, 2019 Just 45 seconds later, Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored to make it 3-0 Sharks at 7:44 of the middle frame. GOAL. Vlasic makes it 3-0 now. This is fine! pic.twitter.com/hSkIgBddBA — x-Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) April 11, 2019 There was nothing Fleury could do on the play as he was completely screened by Jon Merrill. But the Knights weren’t phased. In fact, just 48 seconds after that, Mark Stone gave Vegas life with a huge goal, making it a 3-1 game. GOAL. Mark Stone finally gets Vegas on the board. The Knights badly needed that one. It's 3-1 now. pic.twitter.com/VrE4SDvCek — x-Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) April 11, 2019 Stone was acquired at the deadline for exactly this reason, and he couldn’t have been more excited about it. Mark Stone is PUMPED. pic.twitter.com/wVH8ez2bZL — x-Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) April 11, 2019 But the Sharks had the last laugh of the period as Evander Kane gave San Jose a commanding 4-1 lead with 17.1 seconds left in the frame, capping off a three-goal period for the Sharks. GOAL. Another turnover in the defensive zone and Evander Kane makes it 4-1. Just awful. pic.twitter.com/fkob1N63t5 — x-Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) April 11, 2019 The Knights generated several prime scoring opportunities early in the third but were unable to get anything going until Stone scored his second of the game, making it a 4-2 contest with 4:34 left in the game. GOAL. Mark Stone scores his second of the night to get Vegas within two. pic.twitter.com/sblmSGgmkr — x-Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) April 11, 2019 Stone’s goal gave Vegas life once again, and the Knights responded with some of their best chances of the night, coming incredibly close to making it a one-goal game in the final three minutes of the third. But Martin Jones, who hadn’t been tested much at all, came up with a huge save at a critical time. Tomas Hertl then scored an empty-net goal to seal the 5-2 win for San Jose at 18:11. At the end of the day, the Sharks were by far the better team and deserved to win this game. San Jose managed Corsi For percentages of 56.67 and 65.38 in the first and second periods, respectively, which is when the Sharks did the bulk of their scoring. However, that doesn’t paint a fully accurate picture of the game. After all, those numbers only reflect 5-on-5 play, and that’s not how San Jose won this game.