The Golden Knights are expected to have one of their top forwards back for Monday’s game at the Minnesota Wild.

Left wing Reilly Smith was a full participant in the morning skate and should be ready to go after missing the past four games with a lower-body injury. Coach Bruce Cassidy said Smith will return to his normal spot on center William Karlsson’s line and take on his normal responsibilities at five-on-five and on both special teams units.

“Just to be able to get back with the group is the most important thing for me,” said Smith, the Knights’ fourth-leading scorer with 51 points. “It’s an important time of the year, and you want to be all on board and working together and clicking at the right time.”

Smith’s return should be a boost for the Knights in an important game between the two division leaders in the Western Conference.

It’s the second straight meeting between the teams. The Knights won 4-1 Saturday at T-Mobile Arena behind 29 saves from goaltender Laurent Brossoit. They will try to repeat the result in Minnesota’s Xcel Energy Center. Brossoit is expected to start again, meaning goaltender Jonathan Quick probably will start Tuesday’s game at Nashville.

The Wild should be motivated at home because a win will clinch their playoff spot. But the Knights have plenty on the line, too.

They have a one-point lead on second-place Los Angeles and a two-point lead on third-place Edmonton in the Pacific Division with a game in hand. A slip could put the Knights’ position atop the conference standings in peril.

“We know what we’re getting from this team,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “We match up well. Tonight especially, we’ve got to expect a bigger push. Obviously, I don’t think they’re too happy with the way they played last game, so coming into their rink, I expect them to play a lot better.”

Knights at Wild (5 p.m.)

TV: AT&T SportsNet

Radio: KKGK (98.9 FM, 1340 AM)

Line: Wild -130; total 6

Knights record: 47-22-7

Wild record: 44-23-9

Head-to-head: Knights 2-0-0

Contact Ben Gotz at [email protected]. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.