William Karlsson, Reilly Smith create PK magic for Golden Knights

The Golden Knights entered Sunday tied for the third-most minor penalties in the NHL with 10. But it’s hardly mattered thanks to their penalty-killing prowess, especially when center William Karlsson and right wing Reilly Smith are on the ice.

The duo has maintained its chemistry from 5-on-5 and created two shorthanded goals through two games.

“He’s got the mentality that he wants to score, too,” Karlsson said. “So yeah, we’re just going after it.”

Karlsson and Smith, who also play together on the Knights’ first line, can be aggressive on the penalty kill because they have the speed to make up for any missteps. That keeps opposing power plays on their toes. It also allows the two to capitalize on any mistakes because they can transition quickly.

Since the start of last season, Smith has been on the ice for the fourth-most shorthanded scoring chances in the NHL among forwards (33). Karlsson ranks 10th with 30.

“They do it as good as anyone in the league that I see,” coach Gerard Gallant said.

Karlsson attributes the duo’s success to chemistry and their ability to read off each other. Smith credits Karlsson’s vision and his willingness to pull the trigger as soon as he sees a scoring opportunity.

Smith pointed to Friday’s 5-1 victory against the Sharks as an example. Karlsson kept his head up after gaining the puck along the boards, saw defenseman Brayden McNabb streaking toward the net and completed a hard pass across the offensive zone to set up a goal.

“He’s not afraid about making mistakes,” Smith said. “He’s confident with the puck.”

That confidence has helped the pair create three shorthanded scoring chances this season. They’ve allowed only four and helped the Knights’ penalty kill start a perfect 10-for-10.

“It’s nice to be able to play with him,” Smith said. “We try to create a lot of scoring opportunities on the penalty kill and make it tough on them.”

Early challenge

The Knights started with two games against the San Jose Sharks, who lost in the Western Conference Finals last season. Next up is the Boston Bruins, who lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

“It’s good to challenge your team early in the season,” Smith said. “It’ll be a tough game, but if we stick to how we play and if we try to keep our pace high and get our transition game going, I think we should be fine.”

Eakin update

Gallant said center Cody Eakin, who has been day to day with a lower-body injury since the Knights’ penultimate preseason game Sept. 27, skated on his own Sunday. Gallant said Eakin would “probably” not play Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.

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