Knights make quick trip home to face former goalie, Capitals
Hopefully the Golden Knights don’t unpack their suitcases.
For the second time in two weeks, the Knights have played a two-game road trip, then come home for one game before heading back on the road for another trip.
After successfully sweeping their fathers trip in Anaheim and Utah, the Knights return to T-Mobile Arena for a quick visit Sunday to take on the surging Washington Capitals.
The Knights (11-4-2) are hoping the results are different this time around.
They earned three of four points in their trip to Edmonton and Seattle, but home wasn’t sweet when they returned. The Carolina Hurricanes were waiting for them and dominated the Knights 5-2 on Monday for their first home loss of the season.
It’s almost deja vu. The Knights will welcome another team from the Metropolitan Division that’s playing well.
Washington (11-4-1) has cooled off since its 8-2-0 start. The Capitals have alternated wins and losses over the past six games, but are coming off an impressive 5-2 win in Colorado on Friday.
Their top line has played a huge role in that.
Center Dylan Strome has a team-best 24 points in 16 games. He’s had a point in all but two games.
Most of his 19 assists have been to captain Alex Ovechkin, who is 31 goals from tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894. Ovechkin, though, has been quiet against the Knights in the regular season, with five goals in 12 games.
Thompson returns
The Capitals are expected to start goalie Logan Thompson in his return to Las Vegas for the first time since the Knights traded him to Washington on June 29.
Thompson already got some revenge on his former team in his first start with Washington, when he made 24 saves in a 4-2 win Oct. 15 at Capital One Arena.
The Capitals weren’t expected to get off to this hot start and be atop the Metropolitan Division via percentage points over the New Jersey Devils and Hurricanes.
Thompson has played a huge role in that. He became the first goaltender in Capitals history to win his first seven games with the franchise.
He suffered his first loss on Wednesday, a 4-3 overtime defeat at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Knights surging
The Knights have, for the moment, flipped a switch since that loss at Washington a little over a month ago.
They’ve reeled off eight wins in their past 11 games and are coming off a come-from-behind 4-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Friday to sweep their annual fathers trip, improving to 11-0-1 all-time when their dads tag along.
Much like Washington, the Knights have gotten solid play from their goaltender in recent days. Adin Hill responded after being pulled Monday with back-to-back solid efforts on the road, giving up four goals on 58 shots on the trip.
Hill’s best effort came Friday with Utah peppering him early — he faced 16 shots in the first period. But he stayed the course with a 32-save performance, and the Knights scored four unanswered goals in the win.
“We don’t like to give up in here,” said center William Karlsson, who scored the game-winner late in the third period against Utah. “And we have a good goalie, too. That helps a lot.”
The Knights have found a formula on the road, for the time being, with points in four straight games away. They would like to not have a repeat performance at home like the one from a week ago.
Especially at the expense of an old friend coming to town.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.