Knights newcomer Holtz working to round out game, earn coach’s trust
Alexander Holtz wasn’t nervous Thursday. At least at first.
There’s always going to be some level of concern when a puck catches the one part of your knee not protected by padding.
The Golden Knights right wing laid on the ice in what appeared to be in serious pain Thursday after blocking a shot midway through the third period of the team’s 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Holtz, who scored his third goal of the season less than six minutes earlier, had to be helped off the ice after the puck caught him on the outside of his right knee.
He could barely put any weight on his right leg, but overall he felt fine. The 22-year-old returned with 4:05 remaining and finished out the win.
“When you need to block a shot, you need to go down and take it,” Holtz said. “It’s a little sore and a little stiff, but I’m fine.”
‘Trying to do the best I can’
The blocked shot showed something about Holtz. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the lineup.
The seventh overall pick in 2020 has bounced between forward groups his first season with the Knights. He’s been benched in the middle of a game at times and been dropped down a line at others.
Holtz is on the fourth line at the moment with center Cole Schwindt and left wing Jonas Rondbjerg. His ice time has taken a dip as a result, as his 9:46 average ranks 17th among Knights skaters since Dec. 15.
“I’m just happy to be playing every game,” Holtz said. “Every shift I get, I’m trying to do the best I can out there. Hopefully that can get me more minutes and show that I can be a steady player out there.”
One way to get more ice time is to keep doing what he did Thursday.
Help the team win
Holtz’s offensive gifts aren’t in question. He can shoot the puck as well as anyone.
He proved that Thursday when he received a pass from defenseman Noah Hanifin, worked his way into the slot and ripped the puck off goaltender Aleksei Kolosov’s glove and into the net.
It was Holtz’s first goal, and first point, in 11 games.
He had plenty of good looks earlier in the season, but kept hitting posts and crossbars. Coach Bruce Cassidy has said when the puck isn’t going in, especially for goal scorers, they need to find other ways to make an impact.
That was the challenge Holtz faced when trying to earn a role on the Knights. He needed to show Cassidy he could do whatever it took to help the team win games. His blocked shot was one way to do that.
“He’s looking around going, ‘This is what I can do. If I can turn my 10 minutes into 11 minutes by doing that and the coach trusting me, then that’s how I’m going to get on the ice more,’” Cassidy said. “That’s a sign of, to me, someone that cares and they want to play more.
“I was happy to see that puck go in for him, because not a whole lot have for him.”
Cassidy said Holtz hasn’t tried to cheat the game despite not scoring as much as he’d like to. That’s an encouraging sign that could pay off down the road.
Holtz, who has 10 points in 38 games, hasn’t had many performances this season he could hang his hat on. Thursday was one of them.
He’ll try to build off it when the Knights wrap up a four-game homestand Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.
“I feel like my overall game has taken really good steps this year,” Holtz said. “I’m really comfortable with that.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
