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Vegas Golden Knights: Storylines Ahead Of Game Two VS Kings

By Richard Cardinale |
LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 11: William Carrier #28 of the Vegas Golden Knights lies on the ice after being hit by Drew Doughty (not pictured) #8 of the Los Angeles Kings in the third period of Game One of the Western Conference First Round at T-Mobile Arena on April 11, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won 1-0. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 11: William Carrier #28 of the Vegas Golden Knights lies on the ice after being hit by Drew Doughty (not pictured) #8 of the Los Angeles Kings in the third period of Game One of the Western Conference First Round at T-Mobile Arena on April 11, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won 1-0. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

There’s a ton of developing stories for the Vegas Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings.

The Vegas Golden Knights were victorious over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night by the score of 1-0. Shea Theodore got the lone marker of the game as both teams played very defensive minded hockey. It wasn’t the prettiest game if you’re interested in speed and skill, but the home team got the job done.

However, the win came at a price. William Carrier took a pretty big hit from Drew Doughty while entering the offensive zone in the third period. But after a closer look with trainers, the team decided it was best to have Carrier sit out the rest of the final frame.

On Thursday, Golden Knights Head Coach Gerard Gallant announced that Carrier is day to day due to the check to the head by the Kings number one defenseman. Gallant and his team made it clear that they weren’t pleased with the hit after the game. Well, after a hearing with the department of player safety, Gallant and his team got their way.

The NHL department of player safety has decided to suspend Drew Doughty for the illegal check to the head to William Carrier. Doughty will miss game two against the Golden Knights on Friday night. If you’re a Golden Knights fan, this is great news for the teams game two battle.

As a result, the Kings are now missing three of their top six defensemen. Jake Muzzin and Derek Forbort are both nursing injuries and will likely be unavailable for tomorrow nights game. The Golden Knights must take advantage of a golden opportunity with the Kings defense dwindling by the minute.

On the Golden Knights end, the team must find a replacement for the injured Carrier. The LaSalle, Quebec native was a physical presence in game one, and he was one of the best forwards on the ice for either team. The 23-year old registered hits in just 8:49 of ice time.

Vegas has a ton of options to choose from to replace Carrier. They could make the obvious choice and have David Perron join the lineup if he’s healthy. Perhaps Gallant may play it safe with a versatile defensive forward like Oscar Lindberg. However, the player I think the Golden Knights will go with is Ryan Reaves.

Reaves brings a similar game to Carrier, except he’s slower on his skates. Additionally, the 31-year old NHL veteran definitely brings the boom and loves to dish out hits and intimidates the opponent. If game two is anything like game one, then Reaves may be the right choice at the end of the day.

Next: Vegas Golden Knights Win First Playoff Game In Franchise History

All in all, it’ll be interesting to see what route Gallant decides to go. You can make a strong case for either Lindberg or Reaves to enter the fray. But one thing is for sure; the Vegas Golden Knights need to win game two with a player of the caliber of Drew Doughty out of the lineup.

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