Golden Knights centers answer challenge from coaching staff

For the first time in nine games, the Golden Knights on Sunday had to deal with a defensive zone faceoff in the final minute while they led by a goal.

Center Chandler Stephenson was forced to handle the assignment after an icing and lost the draw against two-time Selke Trophy winner Anze Kopitar of Los Angeles.

Aside from that, the Knights haven’t missed center Paul Stastny much.

Stephenson and second-year pivot Cody Glass have risen to the challenge issued by the coaching staff, answering one of the Knights’ biggest questions entering training camp.

“We knew when we moved Stastny out in the summer that we were going to have to get guys to step into those roles. That (Stephenson) was going to have to take a step in his game and Glass was going to have to come in and play,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think so far we’ve gotten real good contributions in those spots from those guys.”

Stastny was traded to Winnipeg in October, helping to clear salary cap space for the Knights to sign free-agent defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. Along with his playmaking ability, Stastny took his 53.6 career faceoff winning percentage north of the border.

But Stephenson’s play after he was acquired from Washington for a fifth-round pick helped make Stastny expendable.

Stephenson signed a four-year, $11 million contract in the offseason after posting a career-high 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 41 games.

He was given first crack at filling the spot between wingers Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, and Stephenson’s speed through the middle has provided the perfect complement to his linemates.

According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Pacioretty-Stephenson-Stone trio has outscored its opposition 11-3 at five-on-five and generated 68.12 percent of the expected goals.

Stephenson tallied twice in Sunday’s 4-3 victory, including the eventual winner early in the third period. In nine games, he has five points and a plus-six rating.

Glass has at least one point in his past three appearances and is driving more offense than he did during his rookie season. The sixth overall pick in 2017 threaded a pass through the slot to create Zach Whitecloud’s goal in the first period Sunday and won a battle in front to post a power-play goal in Friday’s victory.

Through 11 games, Stastny has two goals and six points for Winnipeg.

The Knights are surviving in the circle without him, too. William Karlsson leads the team in faceoffs taken and is winning 54 percent.

Tomas Nosek (51.1 percent) and Stephenson (50.4 percent) are holding their own, while Nicolas Roy (56.4 percent) is covering for Glass’ 45.2 winning percentage.

“We don’t have that Ryan Getzlaf-type player that’s going to take the draw no matter the situation against whoever,” DeBoer said of the veteran Anaheim center. “But I think by committee, depending on the situation and the night, we felt comfortable. I can tell you, it was an obvious concern when we dealt (Stastny). The challenge was laid down to the group early in camp that we’ve got to rise to the occasion here, and I think they have so far.”

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