3 takeaways from Golden Knights’ Game 3 win over Canucks

The Golden Knights will try to put a stranglehold on their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in Edmonton, Alberta.

The question is: Who will be in net to help them do so?

The early betting favorite would have been Marc-Andre Fleury after Robin Lehner started Saturday in the first of two games on back-to-back days. But after Lehner shut out the Canucks for the second time in this series in Game 3, coach Pete DeBoer might be tempted to ride the goaltender for another start.

DeBoer did not name a starter for Game 4 in his postgame news conference.

“I thought he was our best player the first 10 minutes,” DeBoer said of Lehner. “He didn’t leave any pucks laying around. There was no rebounds. He was swallowing up everything.”

Lehner made 31 saves and, with the lack of travel, it’s not impossible that he could play again Sunday. He also didn’t have a stressful final 40 minutes. Only 15 of his saves were in the final two periods.

Plenty of teams have decided to ride one goaltender even with the condensed schedule, including Vancouver. Jacob Markstrom has started all 13 of the Canucks’ playoff games. He’s played on back-to-back days twice.

But DeBoer has handled the situation differently. He played Lehner and Fleury during a back to back in round one. Getting Lehner extra rest could come in handy because the teams will play five times in seven days if the series extends to seven games.

“The tighter the schedule, the more back to backs, the more your depth comes into play, and that’s at all positions,” DeBoer said Saturday morning.

Staying with Lehner in Game 4 would further put Fleury’s role in doubt. The face of the franchise hasn’t played since Aug. 15. Losing a rare start he appeared to be in line for would be yet another setback for the future Hall of Famer.

Lehner’s play in Game 3 at least raises the possibility that he could stay in the crease. It wouldn’t be a complete shock to see the Knights stay with the hot hand as they go for a 3-1 series lead.

Here are three other things that stood out from the win:

1. Whitecloud shines

DeBoer said rookie defenseman Zach Whitecloud might have had his best playoff game.

Whitecloud scored his second goal, put a career-high four shots on goal, blocked a career-high six shots and tied for the team lead in short-handed ice time (6:15). He also played a crucial role in the Knights escaping a first-period five-on-three penalty kill with no damage.

“Really proud to see him get put into those opportunities and those situations, and he thrives,” defenseman Alec Martinez said. “That’s a testament to how much he puts in both on and off the ice. He’s a true pro.”

2. Third line builds chemistry

Whitecloud wasn’t the only rookie with an impressive night.

Center Nicolas Roy recorded an assist for the second straight game after setting up right wing Alex Tuch for the first goal. The two have quickly found a groove together after being teamed by DeBoer in training camp.

Since the first round began, the Knights have outscored opponents 4-2 with Tuch and Roy on the ice together. The team also has a 47-19 edge in scoring chances and 19-6 advantage in high-danger scoring chances when the two are together at five-on-five.

“I think we play really good offensively,” Roy said. “We’re hard on the forecheck, and it’s been working pretty well for us.”

3. Special teams tell same story

The Canucks’ path to pulling an upset in the series almost certainly involves strong special teams play. But they’re not getting it.

Vancouver’s skilled power play, which was given a five-on-three for 1:18, was 0-for-5 Saturday. Its penalty kill also allowed a goal. The Canucks fell to minus-2 on special teams in the series.

The poor play has created a hole Vancouver can’t overcome at five-on-five, during which it is minus-three.

“I think your special teams are a lot of times a direct reflection of what your five-on-five game looks like,” DeBoer said. “I thought our five-on-five game was in a good place tonight.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.