Road trip comes at right time for slumping Silver Knights

What initially looked like a curse from the schedule maker might turn out to be a gift for the Silver Knights.

Mired in their first true slump, the Knights started a five-game road trip Saturday at San Diego with the race in the Pacific Division beginning to tighten.

“Every team goes through adversity at some point of the season, and right now for us, this is our time,” coach Manny Viveiros said. “It’s an opportunity for our team to bond and stick together. It’s a good time for us to get together and regroup and just go out and play hockey.”

The loss on Friday was the Knights’ third straight, their longest skid of the season, and their lead in the standings was down to one point over Bakersfield entering Saturday.

The Knights were in first place over Bakersfield by points percentage (.690 to .650) with a game in hand. San Diego, which has played five more games than the Knights, is third at .618 despite having more points.

The final road trip for the Knights begins with a two-game series at San Diego, followed by a game at Bakersfield. It wraps up with two games in San Jose before the Knights close out the regular season playing five straight at Orleans Arena.

The Knights will see Bakersfield four times in the final 10 games, including three straight at home to close the schedule. After winning the first two games against Bakersfield, the Knights have dropped four straight to the Edmonton Oilers’ farm club.

Defensively, the Knights are tied for third in the American Hockey League allowing 2.41 goals per game. However, they’ve surrendered three goals or more in six of their past seven games while going 2-5.

The offense has also sputtered, producing four goals in the three losses. The Knights mustered just eight shots on goal in the final two periods of Tuesday’s loss and were held to 19 shots on goal by Bakersfield on Thursday.

“With the young club that we have right now, we’re trying to teach these guys, especially when you get down toward the end of the season and eventually the playoffs, the majority of the goals are scored right around the paint,” Viveiros said. “We’ve got to do a better job of getting more pucks and people towards the net.”

Russian connection

Forward Maxim Marushev made his AHL debut Tuesday, and it was only natural he would skate on a line with fellow Russian Pavel Dorofeyev.

“First and foremost is the language,” Viveiros said.

Marushev, a seventh-round pick in the most recent draft, signed an AHL contract Monday with the Silver Knights before his entry-level deal kicks in for the 2021-22 season. Jake Leschyshyn centered the Russian wingers in each of the past two games.

“He had to go home and do a crash course in between his pregame meal and the game just on a few things to say,” Viveiros joked.

Krebs coming back

The announcement by the Western Hockey League that its season will conclude without playoffs means forward Peyton Krebs is eligible to return to the Silver Knights this week.

Krebs’ junior team is set to finish its schedule Tuesday. The 2019 first-round pick leads the WHL with 41 points in 22 games. Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Krebs could help the NHL club in the postseason.

Defenseman Kaedan Korczak remains with his junior club, which wraps up its schedule May 12.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.