There\u2019s nothing that tests the resolve more than a preseason game that needs extra time.<\/p>\n
It has nothing to do with the nerves. It\u2019s just another reminder that the regular season is around the corner.<\/p>\n
The Vegas Golden Knights<\/a> won\u2019t complain. They\u2019re 2-0 in the preseason following Tuesday\u2019s 2-1 shootout win over the San Jose Sharks<\/a> at SAP Center.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just two wins for the Knights. It\u2019s two wins for a roster that was heavy on American Hockey League players against rosters that featured a share of NHL veterans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw some good efforts from everybody,\u201d coach Ryan Craig said.<\/p>\n Here are four takeaways from the win:<\/p>\n Top pick gets playing time<\/p>\n The Knights did not have center Kai Uchacz (week to week) and forward Raphael Lavoie (day to day) because of undisclosed <\/a>injuries<\/a>. Craig called it an opportunity for a number of players, especially those making their preseason debuts.<\/p>\n One of those was 2026 first-round pick Juho Piiparinen. The 18-year-old defenseman arrived in Las Vegas on Sept. 15 after being recalled from Tappara from Liiga in Finland.<\/p>\n Piiparinen played 20 minutes, nine seconds and was a plus-1 in his first taste of NHL-style hockey. He skated with AHL veteran Adam Ginning on the third pair.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought he trusted his reads. He was aggressive,\u201d Craig said. \u201cHe put himself in position to make a difference, and he did tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Playing on shorter ice is the biggest adjustment for players coming over from Europe. That\u2019s been no different for Piiparinen. He\u2019s made up for it with a quick release and a quick first pass to break the puck out of the defensive zone.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no space when you\u2019re breaking out and when you\u2019re defending, there\u2019s also not that much space,\u201d Piiparinen said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big difference for me.\u201d<\/p>\n R\u00f8ndbjerg ready for more<\/p>\n Jonas R\u00f8ndbjerg has been on the cusp of making the NHL roster for years. The numbers game has never gone in favor of the Knights\u2019 last remaining inaugural entry draft pick.<\/p>\n He took a good first step in making that happen. R\u00f8ndbjerg played 18 minutes, 39 seconds while skating on the top line with Tanner Laczynski and Alexander Holtz.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought we played great. Good details,\u201d R\u00f8ndbjerg said. \u201cWe had a pretty good push ourselves, too.\u201d<\/p>\n His read-and-react skills have always been a strength. That\u2019s been no different in camp. It\u2019s a strength that will serve him well as he tries to crack the NHL roster.<\/p>\n The Knights will make another round of cuts prior to Thursday\u2019s game against the Utah Mammoth. They want to get as close to their NHL roster as possible.<\/p>\n Those cuts will answer who is in line to be the Knights\u2019 13th forward. Uchacz was a possibility, but his injury opens the door.<\/p>\n R\u00f8ndbjerg has made a strong case to be in that conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was pretty good for Game 1. I felt fine out there,\u201d he said. \u201cA bit heavy at times, but it\u2019s Game 1, so it\u2019s going to happen, but overall, I felt pretty great.\u201d<\/p>\n Holtz has his moment<\/p>\n Another one competing for that spot is Holtz. The No. 7 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has not lived up to that billing, even after a fresh start following the trade from New Jersey in June 2024.<\/p>\n Holtz has gone through a slow burn to earn his NHL minutes. He\u2019s improved in other areas, but his offense hasn\u2019t come.<\/p>\n His tying goal in the third period was the kind of moment he needed. He earned it with his play, as well as his line\u2019s, throughout the game.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt like I had a lot of opportunities, so it was nice to get one behind (San Jose goalie Yaroslav Askarov),\u201d Holtz said. \u201cI think I should\u2019ve had more, but we\u2019ll save them for the regular season.\u201d<\/p>\n Much like R\u00f8ndbjerg, the numbers game hurts Holtz. He\u2019s not a fourth-line forward. His offensive capabilities make him a middle-six option by default. It would take an injury from someone up top to open the door for him.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubting the work he\u2019s put in.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to show I can play a good 200-foot game and also create a lot of opportunities in the o-zone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Hart starts strong<\/p>\n If there was any last-second thought that Carter Hart wouldn\u2019t be the starting goaltender come opening night, he had a good start to silencing that Tuesday.<\/p>\n Hart finished with 28 saves in his preseason debut, including seven in overtime. The saves got bigger as the game wore on. The only goal he allowed was on the power play off a tough bounce.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought Carter was there when we had a few breakdowns tonight,\u201d Craig said. \u201cI thought he tracked the puck well. He was there.\u201d<\/p>\n That was what he hung his hat on in the playoffs, until he ran out of steam in the Stanley Cup Final. That body of work gives Hart the runway to be the No. 1 option over Adin Hill for the time being.<\/p>\n That leash may be shorter, but more outings like this will go a long way in extending it.<\/p>\n Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com.<\/a> Follow @DannyWebster21<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n Up next<\/p>\n Who: Mammoth at Golden Knights<\/p>\n When: 7 p.m. Thursday<\/p>\n Where: T-Mobile Arena<\/p>\n TV: KMCC-34<\/p>\n Streaming: KnightTime+<\/p>\n Radio: KVGS 107.9 FM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s nothing that tests the resolve more than a preseason game that needs extra time. 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