Opportunity comes in different forms. Noah Hanifin is taking advantage of his.
The Golden Knights defenseman has had an up-and-down season, but defenseman Shea Theodore’s upper-body injury has given Hanifin extra puck touches and playing time. Especially on the power play.
Hanifin has made the most of it with seven points his last six games, including a goal and an assist in the Knights’ 2-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
It’s been an impressive stretch for the 28-year-old coming off his stint with Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“It felt like four Game 7s I played in,” Hanifin said. “My body feels pretty strong, but I think just carrying over that experience coming back for the rest of the year and heading into the playoffs, it’s going to set up pretty well for me, hopefully, and all the guys that were a part of it.”
Theodore has quarterbacked the Knights’ top power-play unit most of the year. But his absence has allowed Hanifin to get more reps and gain confidence.
He has three power-play points his last six games and the Knights are 6-for-21 on the man advantage in that stretch.
“The first two games (out of the break), I think we were 0-for-5 (on the power play), but we had some really good chances,” captain Mark Stone said. “You just knew it was going to come. (Hanifin has) done a good job at just taking what’s given to him. If the shot’s there, he’s taking it.”
Defensive struggles
Scoring hasn’t been a big issue for Hanifin, who has 28 points in 60 games this season.
It’s been the other end of the ice that’s a concern.
Hanifin knows his defensive play hasn’t been up to his standards. The Knights have been outscored 58-55 with him on the ice at five-on-five this season, according to the website Natural Stat Trick.
That’s not what the team was expecting after acquiring him from the Calgary Flames last March and handing him an eight-year, $58.8 million extension. It was Hanifin’s two-way play that made him such an appealing target.
He isn’t the only one on the Knights that’s been inconsistent in their own end this season. But eyes gravitated toward him because of the expectations his contract carries.
Lately, however, he’s found his groove with new defense partner Zach Whitecloud. The Knights have outscored their opponents 3-1 their last four games with the two on the ice at five-on-five.
Shooting more
Getting more power-play time could be helping Hanifin’s overall game. Both of the Knights’ goals Sunday came from him shooting the puck from the point.
“I think anytime you’re on a power play with that much skill, you feel like you get the puck more and gets you more involved into the game, I think,” Hanifin said. “No matter what your role is, you have to find ways to help the team.”
Hanifin is more of a shooter on the power play than Theodore, who is an excellent passer. Hanifin will distribute the puck as well, but led the Knights with six shots on goal Sunday.
“If you’re not on (the power play), you don’t get your touches, you’re going to be searching for it in other parts of the game. Maybe you’ll be chasing the game a little bit on the offensive side of things, and that gets you out of your defensive structure or you could get a bit reckless,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That’s just part of the growth for him when he doesn’t get those opportunities, and now he is. You’ll probably see a guy that looks more like himself because of it.”
The Knights can be happy Hanifin is rounding into form regardless of the reason. He’ll be relied upon as the team heads into the home stretch of the regular season.
“This is the time of year where we need to get to our identity,” Hanifin said. “I thought (Sunday) was a perfect example of that.”
Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
