SALT LAKE CITY — Facing a 2-1 series deficit, Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella is shaking up both his forward lines and power play units for Monday’s Game 4 against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center.
The most notable change comes on the man advantage, where defenseman Shea Theodore replaces Mitch Marner on the top unit and Ivan Barbashev takes over Tomas Hertl’s net-front role. Tortorella called the power play “too deliberate” after it went 0-for-4 in a 4-2 loss in Game 3.
“I think we’ve lost the special teams battle the last three games here,” Tortorella said. “It’s been a big part of where we’re at. We wanted to change something. We wanted to balance it a little bit. We’ll see where it goes.”
The top unit had featured five forwards for most of the season, relying on Marner’s defensive ability and playmaking. Theodore gives the Knights a true defenseman quarterbacking the power play. Marner, now on the second unit, said he sees no issue with the adjustment.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it,” Marner said. “I think both units have skill. It’s about going out there and doing the right job and make sure you’re not over passing. Getting pucks around the net, stacking opportunities and working around it.”
Up front, leading goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev will start on the top line with Jack Eichel and Barbashev after being dropped to the fourth line in the third period of Game 3. Dorofeyev has two points in 12 career playoff games. Tortorella said putting him with Nic Dowd and Cole Smith was a way to get him going because that line has been the Knights’ most consistent.
“I think that’s where a lot of our success has come is from down there,” Tortorella said. “I liked some of the things we saw with a couple of guys on each line and made our decision to see how they start the game.”
Captain Mark Stone moves to the second line with Marner, while Reilly Smith joins that line and Brett Howden skates with Hertl and Keegan Kolesar.
The Knights also called up forwards Trevor Connelly and Braeden Bowman from Henderson to practice with the NHL roster. Neither is expected to play; they are preparing for the Silver Knights’ Calder Cup Playoff series against Colorado on Friday.
“I thought we played pretty well,” defenseman Rasmus Andersson said of Game 3. “Confidence is key. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?”
