The Vegas Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken tonight with quite a bit of uncertainty with their lineup.
Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo are confirmed to be out, as Eichel deals with an upper-body injury and Pietrangelo battles an illness. Brett Howden will remain on the top line, centering Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev in Eichel's usual place. Kaedan Korczak will remain in the lineup, skating alongside Nicolas Hague, who will return to the lineup after missing the previous game with an illness.
Tomas Hertl has missed the previous eight games with an upper-body injury and is in line to return. He'll be back with his usual linemates, Pavel Dorofeyev and Brandon Saad.
“It feels nice to be back,” Hertl said. “It sucks to miss games, especially close to the playoffs. When you’re injured, you feel alone because you’re staying here and you don’t travel. It was nice just being with the guys again and being part of the team.”
Victor Olofsson was absent from practice, dealing with the same illness Pietrangelo and Hague have been plagued by, but he'll be a game-time decision. HC Bruce Cassidy said he is likely to play, but if he can't go, Alexander Holtz will draw into the lineup.
The Golden Knights can clinch the Pacific Division tonight if they defeat the Kraken and the Los Angeles Kings lose in regulation to the Anaheim Ducks.
Avoiding Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs is vital, and could be the key to a long playoff run.
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