Golden Knights getting critical reinforcements to kick off series against Ducks

The second round is officially underway in the NHL playoffs, and the Vegas Golden Knights are looking forward to getting a key player back in the lineup for the first time since November.

On Monday, the Golden Knights look to begin their journey to their sixth Western Conference Final in nine seasons on the right foot against the Anaheim Ducks.

Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV

Date: Monday, May 4

Time: 6:30 pm PST

How To Watch: SCRIPPS, ESPN

Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM

Prior to the optional skate held before the game, head coach John Tortorella confirmed that forward William Karlsson will be making his return to the lineup. It is uncertain where Karlsson will slide back into the lineup or how many minutes he will play, but his presence gives Vegas a bit more stability at the center position.

“I always had hope, and that’s what motivated me through it all,” said Karlsson on his return to the lineup. “I’m just trying to get in the groove and hopefully play a good game.”

On top of Karlsson’s return to the lineup, here are some other keys to the beginning of another playoff series.

Resetting the board

With one series quickly transitioning into another, the Golden Knights are now tasked with adapting to a new strategy for a new opponent.

While the series with the Utah Mammoth provided the Golden Knights with some good ideas on how to counter speed and skill, the Ducks pose a few unique problems of their own. Their size could make for a more physical challenge, and Anaheim’s depth was apparent in their first-round series victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

“I think one of the biggest keys in playoffs is resetting yourself after a round. I think that's really important to get back into,” said Tortorella.

“We played a tough series against Utah, found our way. I thought we got better and better as the series went on. They should feel really good how they ended it, but now you get a whole new team, bigger team. We just got to worry about us and how we're going to go about our business.”

Changing things up

With Karlsson heading back into the lineup, a player must slide back out.

Shuffling around lineups has been nothing new to Tortorella, who has done it throughout his brief tenure in Vegas. Reilly Smith and Brandon Saad rotated in and out of the forward group throughout that time, as have Kaedan Korczak and Ben Hutton on the defensive corps. Now, with Karlsson back from injury and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon missing tonight, Tortorella is tasked once again with finding an ideal combination that can get the job done.

“The biggest benefit for me was [general manager] Kelly [McCrimmon], [president of hockey operations] George [McPhee] and my coaching staff here,”said Tortorella.

“They know the people, they know the nuances. Talked about what type of coaching this guy may need, this that the other thing that helped, I feel very comfortable now, and I've got to understand the players and feel really good at the flow of the bench, how we've gone through the last series, so I understand better the flow of who can do what and who I feel comfortable with.”

Start out strong

Regardless of who is in and out of the lineup, one thing Tortorella is asking from his team is to get out to an early advantage.

As the series with Utah pressed on, the Golden Knights got better with their starts, scoring goals in the first period in all three of the final games. Players like Brett Howden, Pavel Dorofeyev and Mitch Marner made significant contributions in those games as well, so momentum is still firmly on their side. If the Golden Knights can jump out to an early lead and press the advantage, they can at least get an early gauge on how a young Ducks team responds under pressure.

“I want us to start. We've talked about it in our morning meeting, in our tape; in a general term, we just need to be on our toes. We need to try to set a tempo and get back to who we are in the playoffs, sometimes a little bit different than regular season. Not going to give you specifics, but I think they have a pretty good to me, it's just getting into the game right away. I think that's really important,” said Tortorella.