LAS VEGAS -- Golden Knights center William Karlsson skated down the right side of the ice and without hesitation, with defenders around, fired a ridiculous backhanded pass to hard-charging Reilly Smith as he approached the net.
It was the type of play that reminiscent of what Golden Knights fans were used to seeing during the team's first six years of existence. If only Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman wasn't there to stonewall Smith, a raucous crowd of 18,225 would have lost it to see two of their favorite original misfits connect for a goal after skating together for the first time since Smith's return.
After the Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023, Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last offseason he was traded to the New York Rangers.
Smith was reacquired by the Golden Knights earlier this month, just before the deadline, and Karlsson returned to the lineup for Thursday night's 5-1 win over the Bruins.
"Yeah, one thing I did well there on that shift, especially that pass to Reilly," said Karlsson, who had an assist and played 20 shifts for a total of 15:57 on the ice. "I had a lot of speed on my boots. Too bad it wasn't meant to be."
Karlsson said he'd like to work on his sharpness, but was otherwise pleased with his speed and ability to see the ice and play in all facets of the game.
"Pretty good, pretty good," Karlsson said. "Good to be back out there with the fellas and the body felt pretty good, so can't complain. I think I adjusted pretty quick. I didn't feel like it was super fast out there, and it felt like it usually is."
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy agreed.
"I figured his pace would be there," Cassidy said. "That's why he missed time, to correct some of that. And I think he's feeling really good, his body and his legs and that part of it. It's the rust of playing with people around you. It's hard to get that, especially this time of year, we're not practicing that much. So I liked his game a lot, thought he did some good things ... grabbing pucks down low in our end, playing good defense and being in the right spot. I think he made a couple plays to Smitty, good on the kill, power play."
One area Cassidy said Karlsson will benefit over the others is the excitement of wanting to be back on the ice, while others may be feeling normal end-of-the-season fatigue.
"(He) does have a little bit of catching up to do, but you know, sometimes that's not a bad thing," Cassidy added. "He's excited to play, where other guys have played a lot and ... it's the mental grind. He doesn't at least have to go through that. It's the excitement of being back in the lineup. So you know, there's always a positive to it."
AROUND THE BEAT
From The Hockey News' Julian Gaudio: Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev Records A Hat Trick As He Hits The 30-Goal Mark
From Sin Bin Vegas' Ken Boehlke: Karlsson’s Return Offers First Look At Post-Deadline Healthy Forward Lines
From The Athletic's Jesse Granger: Alex Ovechkin 7 goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record after scoring vs. Flyers
From Las Vegas Review-Journal's Danny Webster: Golden Knights’ consistent star continues chase for 100-point season
From Las Vegas Sun's Jack Williams: Golden Knights always believed in Dorofeyev's offensive potential
FORMER KNIGHTS
Logan Thompson appears to have regained his winning touch for the Capitals, after a brief lull. Thompson is 5-0-0 since March 3, with a 2.36 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. The undefeated streak follows a 2-2-2 showing from Feb. 1 through March 1.
Jonathan Marchessault goes into the final several weeks of the season looking for a spark, as he's got just one goal and three assists over his last 13 games for the Predators. The Golden Knights visit Nashville on March 29.
Erik Haula had a goal for the Devils in Thursday's 5-3 home loss to the Flames. It was just his seventh goal of the season. Haula had 16 goals last season, and 14 the year before, his first in New Jersey.
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Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images - BREAKING: Resolution Has Been Reached Between The Golden Knights and Robin Lehner Situation