Golden Knights coach Ryan Craig is reverting to a familiar look for Sunday's game against the Vancouver Canucks, moving Ivan Barbashev back onto the top line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. The change ends a three-game trial with rookie Trevor Connelly in that spot, a stretch during which the line failed to score at five-on-five.
Craig said the Barbashev-Eichel-Stone combination has been effective for a long time and noted Barbashev has his game in good order. The winger has been arguably the team's best player over the past three games, recording two goals and five points while skating on the third line with Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson. That trio outshot opponents 19-15 and outscored them 4-2, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Connelly will return to the third line alongside Hertl and Olofsson, the group he started the season with and found the most success. Craig said the move was not an indictment of the 20-year-old, who earned his opportunity with a shot-first mentality. However, the line looked disjointed at times because Connelly, Eichel and Stone all prefer to have the puck, forcing Connelly to defer without yet learning where to position himself off it.
Stone acknowledged the learning curve for a rookie facing the opponent's top defensive players every shift. He said Connelly is starting to feel comfortable and showed improvement in Friday's loss to Nashville, where the line outshoot the Predators 6-3. Barbashev said he does not care where he plays and will maintain the same approach regardless of linemates.
The Knights hope the shuffle sparks a turnaround against a struggling Vancouver team that enters the game with the NHL's fewest points at 3-17-1 and a league-worst minus-38 goal differential. Vegas defeated the Canucks 3-2 in their only previous meeting on Oct. 4.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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