The Golden Knights return to action Thursday night rested, recharged and ready to go after three consecutive days without a game.
They will need to be. The rival San Jose Sharks are the ones visiting at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.
The Knights have largely dominated the matchup, with a 19-2-4 all-time record against the Sharks. But San Jose has taken two of the past three meetings.
The Knights have won three straight games since the All-Star break. They’re first in the Pacific Division and want to send a message to general manager Kelly McCrimmon before the March 3 trade deadline.
“Playing a team like San Jose is big for us,” left wing William Carrier said. “Trying to get those two points and separate a little bit in the standings here until the trade deadline so we can prove that we’re a winning team here.”
The Sharks, despite owning the third-fewest points in the Western Conference, are dangerous.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson is having a sensational season that should put him in the mix for a third Norris Trophy. The 32-year-old has 73 points in 55 games, which ranks sixth in the NHL among all skaters. The next-closest defenseman has 58.
Karlsson could become the sixth blue liner ever to score 100 points in a season and the first since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.
“We haven’t seen seasons like this,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s having a special year.”
The Knights will rely on their depth to overpower Karlsson and the rest of the Sharks.
They have 12 goal scorers during their three-game winning streak. Every skater except for defenseman Brayden McNabb has a point. That kind of collective effort is why they’ve outscored opponents 17-4 since the break.
“Everyone’s chipping in,” Carrier said. “All the lines are balanced and playing well. It creates a little bit of (competition) between the lines. I think it’s healthy.”
Knights vs. Sharks (7 p.m.)
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KKGK (98.9 FM, 1340 AM)
Line: Knights -196; total 6½
Knights record: 32-18-4
Sharks record: 17-27-11
Head-to-head: Knights 1-1-0
Knights’ projected lineup:
Paul Cotter — Jack Eichel — Jonathan Marchessault
Reilly Smith — William Karlsson — Michael Amadio
William Carrier — Chandler Stephenson — Phil Kessel
Brett Howden — Nicolas Roy — Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez — Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Nic Hague — Zach Whitecloud
Adin Hill
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.