The Golden Knights are set to adjust their lineup for Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators at T-Mobile Arena, hoping to end a three-game losing streak. Defenseman Ville Heinola is expected to make his Knights debut, while forward Jonas Røndbjerg was recalled from Henderson on Monday.
Heinola, a 2019 first-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets who signed a one-year deal with Vegas on July 1, will replace Dylan Coghlan on the blue line. He skated with Rasmus Andersson during practice, moving Jeremy Lauzon back to a pairing with Noah Hanifin. Coach Ryan Craig said the move provides a left-handed shot opposite Andersson and rewards Heinola's strong preseason and training camp.
"I’m super excited," Heinola said. "I’ve been waiting a couple games now to hopefully get a chance to get in. Hopefully it happens tomorrow. I’m excited." Craig noted Heinola has been working hard on and off the ice since being recalled on Oct. 11.
Røndbjerg is expected to take Raphael Lavoie's spot on the fourth line alongside center Nic Dowd and Marc Gatcomb. Craig said Røndbjerg offers a more traditional defensive presence and predictability in that role. Lavoie, who had two assists in nine games filling in for the injured Victor Olofsson, was moved down the lineup.
The Knights (8-4-1) have scored only five goals during the skid. Captain Mark Stone emphasized a return to a tight-checking mentality to generate offense. "Good team defense leads to a lot of offense for us," Stone said. "We haven’t forced as many turnovers as we had the first couple of weeks. If we get back to that tight-checking mentality, we’ll start to turn some pucks and go the other way in transition."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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