Brayden McNabb returns for Golden Knights for Game 5

The Golden Knights received a boost on defense for Monday’s Game 5 of the West Division first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild at T-Mobile Arena.

Brayden McNabb returned to the lineup after a one-game absence after coach Pete DeBoer termed him a game-time decision following the morning skate.

“(McNabb has) been a key guy, especially against this team,” DeBoer said. “They’ve got some big, heavy forwards, and he’s a guy that makes people pay a price to go to those areas. The nice part is our depth on defense has allowed us to survive him being out for a night.”

McNabb was scratched for Game 4 in Minnesota with an undisclosed injury. With McNabb back in his usual spot alongside Shea Theodore, Nick Holden remained in the lineup. Nic Hague was a healthy scratch for the second time in the past three games.

Leading goal scorer Max Pacioretty and forward Tomas Nosek did not play after being game-time decisions again. Pacioretty hasn’t appeared in the series because of an upper-body injury sustained May 1 at Arizona, and Nosek left early in Game 2.

Defenseman Alec Martinez, who hasn’t participated in morning skates recently, was in the lineup after also being listed as a game-time decision by DeBoer.

“With these injuries, if there’s a knee and the guy’s out for months and we know he’s not going to be back or it’s a broken bone and we know it’s going to be three or four weeks, that’s obviously information that we would give you,” DeBoer said. “There’s a lot of injuries that aren’t those. Literally, a guy gets up and could be feeling great and could be an option to play with 24, 48 hours. That’s what we’re dealing with with all those guys.”

Coke and a smile

After Alex Pietrangelo swept the puck off the goal line late in Game 3 to help preserve the Knights’ win, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said he owed the defenseman a drink.

“We shared a nice Diet Coke after the game, I’ll tell you that,” Pietrangelo said.

The Knights led 4-2 when Joel Eriksson Ek jammed a loose puck past Fleury, only for it to kiss off the post and rest on the line. Pietrangelo, who didn’t have his stick, dropped to his knees and dived back, knocking the puck away with his right hand before Wild forward Jordan Greenway could get to it.

“It’s desperation, you know? At that time of the game, this time of the year, you have to do everything you can to keep the puck out of the back of the net,” Pietrangelo said. “(Fleury’s) definitely covered my butt a few times, so I think I should be the one buying him a Diet Coke.”

Captain Celly

Mark Stone’s enthusiastic celebration after his short-handed goal in Game 4, punctuated by a “Let’s go, baby!” was all the rage on social media.

What many didn’t see, according to DeBoer, was his reaction when Mattias Janmark blocked a shot in the final seconds to help preserve the shutout.

“Stone’s on the bench and jumps up with his hands in the air like we scored an overtime winner,” DeBoer said. “That’s happening all the time. That’s why he’s our captain. That emotion he brings to our group is critical.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.