Golden Knights’ new line meshes during 4-game win streak

Bruce Cassidy insisted he hadn’t been keeping this one in his back pocket in September.

He wasn’t sure left wing William Carrier, center Chandler Stephenson and right wing Phil Kessel would work as a line. He just figured it was worth a try.

The Golden Knights wanted a net-front presence on each line with captain Mark Stone out. That gave Carrier the opportunity to move up from the fourth line. Stephenson seemed like a good center to pair him with because they played well together in previous stints.

Cassidy decided to roll the dice with the new group. So far, it looks like a winning bet.

Carrier, Stephenson and Kessel have been the Knights’ best line since coming together Jan. 27 against the New York Rangers. They have played a huge role in the team’s four-game winning streak since the All-Star break, with Stephenson setting up Carrier’s last-minute, go-ahead goal against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.

“We’re just playing our own games, and it’s working,” Stephenson said. “We’re having fun.”

It’s no surprise Cassidy didn’t have a Carrier, Stephenson and Kessel trio in the back of his mind at training camp.

Stephenson’s incredible chemistry with Stone made him a near-lock for the top line. Carrier has spent almost his entire Knights’ tenure grinding on the fourth. Kessel, a two-time Stanley Cup winner and one of the top 100 goal scorers in NHL history, needed to find his role after arriving as a free agent.

But Stone’s back injury forced Cassidy to experiment.

He wanted to balance out the lines when Carrier returned from an upper-body injury against the Rangers. He also thought Carrier’s career-best offensive season should result in more playing time, so he put him with Stephenson, one of the Knights’ All-Stars.

The results have been remarkable.

Carrier has been the Knights’ leading scorer since returning to the lineup with seven points in six games. Kessel ranks second in the same span with six. Stephenson is tied for third with center Jack Eichel with five.

The Knights have outscored opponents 5-2 at five-on-five in the 56:49 they have played together, according to the website Natural Stat Trick.

“They seem to mesh,” Cassidy said.

Carrier has a simple explanation for why the group is clicking: speed.

All three can skate and open up space for one another. Carrier does the dirty work by forechecking and driving to the net. Stephenson holds pucks to buy time for his teammates to get open. Kessel reads off both, using the hockey IQ that has allowed him to play 1,259 NHL games.

It’s a balance that’s working. It hasn’t taken long for the group to jell, even though Carrier admitted he’s still getting used to playing with more skilled linemates.

“I’m learning to get ready on every (play),” he said. “(Stephenson) could have a breakaway and, you never know, the drop pass might be coming. They’ve got some great vision.”

That was put on display with time winding down against the Sharks.

Stephenson grabbed a rebound from a Shea Theodore shot in the left circle in a 1-1 game. Without looking, he slid the puck across hard to Carrier at the edge of the crease. The fake fooled defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to give Carrier a wide-open cage to shoot at.

Carrier slammed the puck home to give the Knights a 2-1 lead with 17.2 seconds remaining.

It didn’t matter that Cassidy hadn’t envisioned them together in September. They were making game-winning plays in February.

“Playing with Stevie, nothing against who I’ve played with in the past, but he’s an All-Star,” Carrier said. “Just get open and he’ll find the play.”

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