Cal Burke is back with the Golden Knights and is slated to play right wing on the fourth line when they host the Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Burke, who played six games in November and scored a goal, was recalled from Henderson to join the lineup. Raphael Lavoie, who made his Knights debut in Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to Dallas, will move to the left side and play on the third line.
Jonas Rondbjerg will head to the bench after what appeared to be one of his better performances of the season Tuesday as he approaches his waiver-exempt games limit.
Coach Bruce Cassidy said the decisions to call up Burke and where to play him were made in consultation with the Silver Knights’ staff.
“We always take their opinion,” Cassidy said Thursday morning. “Lavoie can play right and left. We haven’t seen him much, so we can shift him over. If Burke is a guy we feel and they feel can help us the most, we’ve seen him on right wing only. So we’ll move someone to left, and it turns out it’s Lavoie. They’ve played better down there (in Henderson) of late, so that’s the good news. We just saw (Brendan Brisson). (Tanner Laczynski) is injured, so Burke was the guy.”
Burke jumps back into the lineup at a time when the Knights (31-15-5) are trying to find their game again. Cassidy believes they are getting close. While he saw long stretches of poor play during a season-worst 2-6-1 skid, Cassidy likes much of what he’s seen as the Knights have picked up three points in the past two games.
He said there was about a 10-minute lull against Dallas after only about five lackluster minutes in a 4-1 win over Florida on Sunday.
“I like where our game is at right now, and I think our players would agree,” Cassidy said. “We’re playing our game longer. The games that got away from us, I felt like we were not at our level for 20 or 25 minutes. Now it’s five or 10. It doesn’t take us as long to get out of parts of the game where the momentum is all on their side. We’re doing a better job of not getting buried.”
Ilya Samsonov is expected to start in net for the Knights, who will look to pick up points for a third straight game in their last home contest until Feb. 22.
The key against the Blue Jackets (24-19-7) will be to limit their transition game and try to take advantage of that aggression.
“Columbus is a dangerous offensive team,” Cassidy said. “They’ve been flying under the radar playing really of late with some good young talent.
“(We have to) make them defend the front of their net. They have given up some goals with guys who want to get going on offense. Sometimes if they’re not taking care of business before they get the puck, you can take advantage of that. So let’s get to the interior ice. That’s the message against everyone, but it’s more important tonight than a lot of nights.”
Center Tomas Hertl will put a 10-game point streak on the line.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
