Top-6 shake-up proves beneficial for Golden Knights

Peter DeBoer resisted tinkering too much with his forward lines in his first three games as Golden Knights coach.

Then he made a key switch in his fourth game, and it paid off in a major way.

DeBoer swapped his first- and second-line centers Friday against the Hurricanes, and the top six were outstanding in a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Center Paul Stastny played well with left wing Jonathan Marchessault and right wing Reilly Smith. Left wing Max Pacioretty and right wing Mark Stone’s reunion with center Chandler Stephenson was almost equally impressive.

“That was a big game for (the first line of Stastny, Marchessault and Smith),” DeBoer said. “We changed those two centermen, and I actually thought Stephenson did a great job, too, with (Stone). Mixing those two guys up, I thought both lines had a lot of energy tonight.”

Stephenson had played well previously with Pacioretty and Stone, but putting Stastny between Marchessault and Smith was a new look for the Knights.

The three displayed chemistry almost immediately, as they scored 3:52 into the game. Marchessault chipped a backhand pass to Smith in the right circle, and Smith drew the defense’s attention to him in the slot. He then calmly slipped a pass to a wide-open Stastny at the near post for an easy goal.

“He’s a world-class player,” Marchessault said of Stastny. “He’s one of the smartest guys out there. To be able to play with a guy like that, it’s a real treat. He holds onto the puck. He’s poised. He (has) a pass-first mentality, and it’s fun for him that he got rewarded there.”

Marchessault’s assist on the play was his 100th with the Knights. He then got rewarded himself with his 17th goal.

The play was set up by Smith, who grabbed the puck in the neutral zone and pushed it to Marchessault while the Hurricanes were in the middle of a line change. That left Marchessault 1-on-1 with defenseman Joel Edmundson, and he took advantage of the space he was given to fire a wrist shot glove-side past Carolina goaltender Petr Mrazek.

The goal put the Knights ahead 2-0 9:59 into the game. It was an impressive opening salvo for the three, especially since they were getting accustomed to playing together.

”(Stastny is) fun to play with,” Smith said. “He’s a smart player. He gets to loose pucks. He’s good in the defensive zone, and he’s able to find a lot of openings. I enjoy playing with a guy like that.”

Not to be outdone, the Knights’ second line contributed a goal of its own. Stephenson, Stone and Pacioretty had previously displayed chemistry together. Stephenson’s speed, Stone’s playmaking and Pacioretty’s shot just seemed to mesh.

That was on display again Friday. The group, plus defenseman Nate Schmidt, executed a perfect rush up the ice to put the Knights ahead 3-1 with 7:51 remaining.

The play started when Stephenson tapped the puck to Schmidt in the defensive zone to start a breakout. Schmidt carried the puck to the neutral zone and gave it to Stone, who fired a pass that led Stephenson into the offensive zone with speed.

Stephenson then sent a backhand pass to Schmidt, who beat the Hurricanes’ defense to the crease. From there, Schmidt lifted the puck past Mrazek for his fifth goal.

It was a remarkable display of chemistry from a group that hadn’t played together in a while. And it showed DeBoer’s decision to mix up his centers was probably the correct one.

Stastny, Marchessault and Smith seem to fit together. And Stephenson, Pacioretty and Stone now have a 67.43 scoring-chance percentage on the ice together.

“They brought us a lot of offense,” DeBoer said. “Both guys (Stastny and Stephenson) played well.”

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