Knights get unique playoff prep with home-and-home series

The NHL schedule makers built an interesting wrinkle for the Golden Knights this season.

They didn’t just give them a difficult closing stretch against Western Conference opponents. They added three home-and-home series to give the Knights a bit of a playoff preview before the real thing begins in three weeks.

The team split its first one with the Edmonton Oilers. The Knights will close the regular season with another against the Seattle Kraken. They will wrap up their second Monday by traveling to Minnesota for their second straight game with the Wild.

The Knights won the first meeting 4-1 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, defeating former goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for the second time this season. Coach Bruce Cassidy called it one of his team’s “more complete games,” but there wasn’t much chest thumping in the locker room.

Playoff series can often turn the second one side lets up. The Knights are learning that lesson early this season.

“We got to go play them again in their rink,” center Jack Eichel said. “I’m sure they’ll be bringing it. It’s another big test for us. They play well at home. They create a lot offensively. We’re going to need to be ready to go and match their intensity.”

Saturday was an emotional, intense and physical game between the Western Conference’s two division leaders.

The Wild struck first with a goal from red-hot right wing Matt Boldy. The Knights rallied with goals from defensemen Ben Hutton and Zach Whitecloud.

The back-and-forth game was similar to the team’s first meeting with the Oilers, a 4-3 overtime win in Edmonton. Then came the return trip to T-Mobile Arena. The Knights lost 7-4, matching their season high for goals allowed.

Monday is a chance for the team to correct that. To show it’s capable of maintaining momentum against an imposing opponent, something that will be necessary to achieve its ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup.

That’s not to say it will be easy. The Wild have been one of the NHL’s best teams since the All-Star break. They’ve lost twice to the Knights and are 17-4-5 against everyone else.

“We’re going to have another hard test here back to back with them,” Hutton said. “They’re a heavy, strong team. They go to the net hard. It’s going to be a good challenge again.”

The game should be good practice for the Knights.

Both teams’ travel will be the same. Both will be more clued in on the other’s tendencies. Whoever can make the right adjustments will likely come out on top.

Luckily for the Knights, they’re plenty familiar with the Wild after defeating them in a first-round series in seven games in 2021. They also know two of Minnesota’s players well in Golden Misfits Fleury and forward Ryan Reaves.

It remains to be seen if Fleury, 24-14-4 with a .910 save percentage this season, will get another start against the Knights. He might have competition for the No. 1 job in the playoffs because his goalie partner, Filip Gustavsson, has been sensational. He’s 20-9-5 with a .933 save percentage, including a .945 mark since the All-Star break.

The Knights have to be prepared for whoever they see. Minnesota will be at home with a chance to even the series and clinch a playoff spot. It should lead to an energetic atmosphere at Xcel Energy Center with a motivated opponent, the kind of dress rehearsal the Knights can benefit from.

“I think it’s good, these mini kind of series, so to speak,” Cassidy said. “I expect they’ll punch back harder on Monday. We need to be ready for that.”

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