The Vegas Golden Knights will play their most important game of the season Tuesday in Dallas against the Stars without goaltender Robin Lehner.
The masked man will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, the Nevada squad confirmed on Monday.
Lehner suffered the injury on February 9 and attempted a return to action on March 1. “We hoped that rest and rehabilitation would allow him to complete the season,” the Golden Knights said in a statement. At times, rest and rehabilitation were effective, but ultimately Robin and the medical team found [que l’opération] was the best option.
The goalie will end his 2021-2022 campaign with a 23-17-2 record, a 2.83 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
That means the Golden Knights should trust Logan Thompson for this all-important game, as the Stars hold the last ticket to the playoffs in the Western Conference, with 93 points in 79 games, three points ahead of their rivals.
Thompson hasn’t done badly in the absence of his Swedish teammate, posting a 9-5-1 record, 2.64 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. The Golden Knights also recalled Jiri Petera from the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL to make up for the loss of Lehner. Petera will play second fiddle to Thompson.
A wasted opportunity
If the Golden Knights miss the playoffs – which would be their first failure at this level since joining the National League in 2017-18 – they will have only themselves to blame.
Sunday at T-Mobile Arena, they led 4-2 with just over two minutes remaining on the clock. less than a second left to play, to force extra time. The visitors then triumphed in a penalty shootout, depriving the crowd favorites of a very valuable point in the standings.
“It’s a heartbreaking way to lose a point after all the hard work, but we don’t have time to sit and worry about it,” Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer said. , after the defeat. We’re going to hope it doesn’t cost us a playoff spot. If so, it will be difficult to sleep well all summer. I will try to see the glass half full, we got a point, hoping that it is the one that allows us to make the difference.
DeBoer’s men really have no room for error, they who would be officially eliminated if they lose in regulation time against the Stars. Even in the event of a win, they wouldn’t have their own fate in their hands, as they would need some favorable results from the teams ahead of them.
“We’re going to have to be great,” DeBoer added. I believe we’ll be able to take our game to the next level in Dallas.”