Golden Knights vs. Stars Game 4 Preview: Mantha Scratched

Everyone believes that defense wins championships, but occasionally coaches must preach on the value of offense in a tight series. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy is in that position going into Game 4 of the Golden Knights’ playoff series against the Dallas Stars.

“We are going to have to bring more offense if we expect to win (Game 4),” Cassidy said.

Cassidy did qualify his statement by saying that’s true only if the series is going to be played like Game 3 when the Golden Knights weren’t effective defensively against the Stars as they were in the opening two games in Dallas. The Stars made adjustments in Game 3, and carried play for the first half of the game.

What Cassidy is looking for are five-on-five goals.  The Golden Knights own a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, even though they have produced just two even-strength goals per game.

We might see them funneling more pucks to the net, much like the Stars did in Game 3. The Vegas team may also be looking to create more traffic in front of Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger

Game Time

Monday: Dallas at Vegas, Game 4 Western Conference Quarterfinal

Where: T-Mobile Arena.

TV/RADIO: TBS (National) and Scripps Sports (Local)/98.9 FM/1340 AM and 1460 AM

Time: 6:30 p.m., PT

Vegas Preview

Based on the morning skate, Anthony Mantha may be scratched tonight. He has no points in the first three games… William Karlsson, dealing with an injury, didn’t skate this morning, but he’s playing. He has played the first three games of the series…Nicolas Hague didn’t practice Sunday, meaning he’s not expected to play tonight… Jack Eichel is playing like he did in last year’s Stanley Cup run. He has at least one point in all three games. He has two goals and three assists for five points. He’s also plus-3… Defenseman Brayden McNabb is plus-4 in the first three games. Coach Bruce Cassidy said this about McNabb: “He’s one of the most underrated all-around defensemen in the league.”… You can’t ask for much more from goalie Logan Thompson: he shows a 2.14 GAA and .927 save percentage in his first three games as the Vegas starting playoff goalie.

Golden Knights lineup

Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Jonathan Marchessault

Chandler Stephenson — Tomas Hertl — Mark Stone

Brett Howden  –William Karlsson– Michael Amadio

William Carrier-Nicolas Roy — Keegan Kolesar

Defense

Noah Hanifin — Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore

Zach Whitecloud-Alec Martinez

Dallas Preview

Joe Pavelski has no points, five shots in the first three games of this series. He is minus-3… Injured defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is not on the trip. It doesn’t appear that he is close to returning to the lineup… Wyatt Johnston doesn’t turn 21 until next month, but he already has six career postseason goals and three assists.