Colin Miller brings booming shot back to Golden Knights lineup

The loud bang off the T-Mobile Arena glass in warmups meant one thing: Colin Miller and his cannon of a shot were back.

The Golden Knights defenseman played in his first game since Dec. 17 on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins after missing 13 games with an upper-body injury. And his return to the Knights’ third defensive pair and first power-play unit was a welcome sight for the team after some special teams struggles.

“It was exciting being back in the building, having that energy,” said Miller, who had two assists. “As (the game) gets on, you get used to coming back, but it’s crazy. Four weeks feels like a year off. It’s definitely a different adjustment coming back.”

Miller’s injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets in December caused him to miss almost a month after he appeared in the Knights’ first 118 regular-season games. The offensive-minded defenseman, who has 17 points in 36 games, started practicing with the team again Jan. 12 and was taken off injured reserve before Saturday’s game.

The Knights were happy to see him and his heavy shot back, too, because they entered Saturday 1-for-30 on the power play in their past 10 games.

“He’s big. He’s got that big shot, he’s good in the D-zone, and we’ve definitely missed him on the ice,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “It’s been good to have him around the room a little bit more over the past week.”

To create a roster spot for Miller, the Knights placed backup goaltender Malcolm Subban on injured reserve. Subban was active Jan. 8 against the New York Rangers but hasn’t practiced since for undisclosed reasons.

Staying focused

The Knights’ three-game homestand is helping the team stay focused with its bye week beginning Thursday. Vegas also will host the Minnesota Wild (Monday) and Nashville Predators (Wednesday) before the break, three games that forward Ryan Reaves called “statement games.”

“You know you have to take care of these right now, so you don’t look ahead to the next game and you definitely don’t look ahead to the break,” Reaves said.

Star-struck

Theodore said he was a little in awe the first time he played against Penguins star Sidney Crosby. But Saturday, in his fifth meeting against the three-time Stanley Cup winner, he was more composed.

“The first one or two times you’re definitely more star-struck,” Theodore said. “The more times you play those guys, the more aware you are of their skill set. I think you do a lot less watching.”

New intro

The Knights changed their pregame ceremony for the first time this season, bringing back the sword and the sword theme they used last season.

The show included some new elements, such as an intro video with owner Bill Foley.