The big news at this morning's skatearound is that Luca Sbisa is out tonight. He's day to day with a lower body injury.
Midway through the third period against Carolina, Elias Lindholm fell on Sbisa's right ankle:
While Sbisa finished the game, he was clearly in discomfort at times.
Jon Merrill will step in for Sbisa. There will be no other changes to the line-up.
Of course, Marc-Andre Fleury will start against his old team tonight.
This morning, I talked about the challenge of taking on Pittsburgh's power play with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. We also met the newest member of the Golden Knights, Ryan Carpenter.
***
Yesterday, Vegas claimed Carpenter off waivers from San Jose. Pierre LeBrun reported that George McPhee had interest in Carpenter going back to the Expansion Draft. The Sharks protected Carpenter then, only to waive him just two months into this season.
I spoke with a scout, who thinks Carpenter will be a "perfect fourth-line center" in the NHL. He added that if the versatile Carpenter finds his stride, he could be a great bottom-six addition in general.
Shea Theodore, who played a lot against Carpenter in the AHL, noted, "He was always a good two-way forward."
***
Carpenter skated with the Golden Knights for the first time this morning, sporting No. 40.
We spoke with him after skatearound, here are some highlights.
On how often he checked his phone after being waived:
I checked it a lot. But my agent made me realize that I'm not really going to find out until the next day. I realized I wasn't going to get a call from anyone until 9 AM.
On if he expected to be claimed:
I had my bags packed to go to Tucson. It was a happy surprise.
On whether or not he knew that Vegas was interested in him during the expansion draft:
I had no idea. I ended up being protected, which was unexpected.
On who he knows in the Vegas locker room:
I know the equipment trainer from San Jose, in Worcester. I know Subban a little bit. I went to a development camp in Boston.
On what he brings to the team:
I'm a high-energy guy. I try to play physical. Try to be good on the PK. Win faceoffs. I think I can make plays a little bit, create offense. I try to be a good two-way player.
On his history of being involved with the community.
I'm a Christian. I feel like we have platforms as pro athletes, we can help the community, be a blessing to the area we're in.
***
I caught up with Bellemare, who talked about playing with Tomas Nosek instead of Reilly Smith on the penalty kill and what's special about Pittsburgh's power play besides their obvious skill.
On playing with Tomas Nosek on PK:
Tomas is really fast and he has a crazy-long stick. He's reaching a lot of plays that aren't usually reachable.
It's easy to read. I know he's not going to cheat. Same with Reilly. I never had to worry about their games.
On why it might be better to PK with somebody who's on your line:
I think it's better for the team. So there's not always one guy exhausted when the PK starts.
Often, when Reilly started, he might have been tired. Or when Karlsson started.
On how to stop Crosby and Pittsburgh's second-ranked power play:
You don't give them a power play.
This is a team with the same guys. They know exactly where they are on the ice. There are no doubts and questions.
It makes it a little more dangerous. Sometimes, they might throw a pass which for a lot of people, might be luck. But actually, they know [their teammate] is there. This is the confidence of a power play that's been together for a long time.
This is the toughest part for the kill, to play guys who know exactly where [their teammates] are everywhere.
On significance of tonight's game:
These big games, against teams like this, the reigning champions, they're playoff games. You win the game on the kill or on the power play. It's one or the other. Usually, that's what the playoffs are about.
On preparing for a player of Crosby's caliber:
I don't think I prepare myself any differently than when I'm playing a great player or a little bit lower level. I just prepare myself the same way.
It's Crosby. You know what he's made of. He's a player who competes night in, night out. He's going to be hard in the corners. You just have to respect him and play as hard as you can. That's the only thing I can do.
A few years back, I was in Europe, looking at those guys playing here. And now I get a chance to play against them.
***
It's a late post, but coming shortly in this space, I'm going to demonstrate how Carolina's forecheck stifled Vegas on Tuesday, and how the Knights adjusted.
***
++++I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR ADVERTISERS! If you, or anyone you know would be interested in placing an ad here at HockeyBuzz, then send me a PM!++++