The Golden Knights are making a change on the blue line before Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Defenseman Daniil Miromanov is joining the lineup and will play his first game of the season. Defenseman Ben Hutton is coming out.
Miromanov, 25, has six goals and seven assists in 17 games with the Silver Knights. He played 11 NHL games last season and recorded one assist.
“I really want to play solid,” Miromanov said. “Show the coaching staff they can have trust in me. That’s the most important (thing).”
Miromanov can replace some of the offense the Knights have been missing on the blue line with defenseman Alex Pietrangelo out the last two games for personal reasons. Defenseman Shea Theodore has handled almost all of the team’s power-play minutes as a result. Coach Bruce Cassidy said he expects Miromanov to get power-play time.
Miromanov also will balance out the Knights’ blue line. He, like Pietrangelo, is a right shot. Hutton is a left shot. Putting him in the lineup for Pietrangelo forced defenseman Alec Martinez, another left shot, to play on the right.
“It’s as much getting guys on their proper sides, replacing what (Pietrangelo) brings,” Cassidy said of the switch. “If a guy’s going to go out of the lineup, that’s probably the guy (Miromanov) should go in for.”
Cassidy is trusting Miromanov to do well despite never seeing him play. Miromanov missed all of NHL training camp because of an undisclosed offseason surgery, but would have competed for a depth role.
“I’m really excited to play today,” Miromanov said. “I’ve been waiting.”
The Knights hope Miromanov can help them power out of their recent 1-3 skid. They’ve allowed 15 goals in their last four games, which has caused them to fall to second in the Pacific Division in points percentage behind Seattle.
The Knights should at least get a favorable matchup in goal. Ville Husson is expected to start for the Red Wings. He’s 0-4 with 18 goals allowed and a .845 save percentage in four meetings with the Knights.
Knights at Red Wings
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KKGK (98.9 FM, 1340 AM)
Line: Knights -150, total 6½
Knights record: 17-7-1
Red Wings record: 11-6-5
Head-to-head: 0-0-0 (Knights 1-1-0 last season)
Contact Ben Gotz at [email protected]. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
