It looked like a first practice after nine days off.
The Golden Knights that were available — 15 skaters, one NHL-caliber goalie and a backup from the Silver Knights — returned to work Tuesday at City National Arena after a lengthy vacation.
Players weren’t still thinking of Hawaiian beaches or the balmy breeze in the Bahamas, but they used the workout to get back in a groove following the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
The Golden Knights haven’t played since their 4-3 road win over the Boston Bruins on Feb. 8. The team returns to action against the Vancouver Canucks at 7 p.m. Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
“Just getting the feeling back,” center Brett Howden said. “Getting a little sweat in, too.”
Not every member of the Knights was present at Tuesday’s practice, of course. Key members of the organization are preparing for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between the United States and Canada in Boston on Thursday.
Center Jack Eichel and defenseman Noah Hanifin will try to help Team USA sweep its rival to the north after winning 3-1 in a round-robin game Saturday. Team Canada, which includes coach Bruce Cassidy, captain Mark Stone and goaltender Adin Hill, should be eager for revenge.
All five will join the Knights before puck drop against the Canucks. The rest of the team will try to get locked in before then.
“It sucks getting out there. It’s hard because you haven’t skated in a while,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “Getting back with the guys and seeing how they respond, it was good to see everybody.”
Pietrangelo was supposed to be part of Team Canada, but he pulled out of the 4 Nations Face-Off with an undisclosed ailment Jan. 26.
The 35-year-old used the break to spend time with his family. He hasn’t watched much of the tournament and barely kept an eye on the showdown between the U.S. and Canada on Saturday.
That doesn’t mean the rivalry isn’t being felt in the Knights’ locker room, however.
Several members of the Canadian-leaning group were rooting for their home country, while others found themselves cheering for their teammates on both sides.
Some couldn’t believe Saturday’s game opened with three fights in the first nine seconds. American brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Brandon Hagel and Sam Bennett, respectively. Team USA teammate J.T. Miller then got in on the fun by fighting Colton Parayko.
“It was an entertaining game,” Howden said. “I’m sure the next one will be high-energy, too.”
The Knights entered the break on a high note thanks to their win against the Bruins, but they’re still 5-8-3 their last 16 games.
They’ll also have to move forward without one of their best players in defenseman Shea Theodore. He is week to week after sustaining an upper-body injury in Canada’s first round-robin game against Sweden on Feb. 12.
Theodore has 48 points in 55 games this season, fourth-most among NHL defensemen. The Knights will need in-house options like Kaedan Korczak and Ben Hutton to step up in his absence.
Korczak has three assists in 18 games this season, while Hutton has no points in five appearances.
“We’ve carried eight (defensemen) all year,” assistant coach John Stevens said. “I think they’ve both been tremendous. We have the full confidence in those guys that they can step up and help us.”
Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
