Knights recall goaltender before beginning important road trip
The Golden Knights called up goaltender Jiri Patera before the start of their four-game road trip, the team announced Sunday.
Patera gives the Knights depth after goaltender Adin Hill suffered an undisclosed injury in the third period of the team’s 4-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Goaltender Logan Thompson made eight saves in relief of Hill.
“(Hill) came to the bench and said he wasn’t feeling 100 percent, so we made the switch,” coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday.
Cassidy said Thompson was set to start Monday against the St. Louis Blues before Hill’s injury. The Knights are four points ahead of the Blues for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
That means Patera could start Tuesday against the Nashville Predators, who have a franchise-record 17-game point streak (15-0-2).
This is the second injury Hill has suffered this season. He made one start between Nov. 30 and Jan. 26 because of a lower-body injury.
Hill was 10-2-2 with a .937 save percentage before getting hurt. He was strong at first upon his return, but has struggled since the middle of February. He is 4-8-0 his last 13 starts with an .881 save percentage.
Patera, 25, is 1-3-0 in five NHL appearances this season with a .901 save percentage and 3.75 goals allowed. He made 32 saves in a 3-0 loss to Colorado on Jan. 10 in his last start.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.