Jack Eichel doesn’t want to label this road trip as “defining.” But the Golden Knights know it will have a large say in how the rest of their season plays out.

The Knights begins a four-game trip Monday against the St. Louis Blues, a stretch that could determine their playoff future.

The team has a four-point lead on the Blues with a game in hand for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. A Knights win would put St. Louis in a difficult hole to climb out of with 10 regular-season games remaining. A loss would keep them sweating down the stretch.

“We need the points,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “So do they. That’s about all that needs to be said.”

It could be an uphill climb for the Knights.

Goaltender Adin Hill did not travel with the team after suffering an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s 4-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Cassidy said he’s unsure how long Hill will be out.

Goaltender Logan Thompson will start Monday and attempt to stretch his winning streak to three games. Goaltender Jiri Patera was called up from Henderson on Sunday to serve as Thompson’s backup.

The Knights still feel confident after winning three of four games during their last homestand. They were stout defensively, allowing just eight goals when Thompson or Hill was in the net. The team needs Thompson to continue his good run Monday.

“When we needed the timely save, we got it,” Cassidy said. “We’ve played very well in front of him. Hopefully that’s the case tonight.”

The Knights will also play Monday without defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who captained the Blues to a Stanley Cup championship in 2019.

Pietrangelo will miss his fourth straight game with an illness.

Knights projected lineup

Chandler Stephenson — Jack Eichel — Michael Amadio

Ivan Barbashev — Nicolas Roy — Jonathan Marchessault

Pavel Dorofeyev — William Karlsson — Anthony Mantha

William Carrier — Brett Howden — Keegan Kolesar

Noah Hanifin — Nic Hague

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore

Ben Hutton — Zach Whitecloud

Logan Thompson

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.