John Tortorella didn’t change anything up for Game 2.
The Vegas Golden Knights kept the lineup against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday with Tortorella saying he believes in the team’s self-evaluation to be better.
“I just didn’t think I needed to make changes,” Tortorella said on Wednesday morning. “And that’s not a criticism to the players that are out. I just think our players are going to answer the proper way.”
That means Tomas Hertl started on the wing with William Karlsson now centering the third line, and Keegan Kolesar staying on the right side.
Reilly Smith and Brandon Saad remain the healthy scratches.
Tortorella said the Knights “were not good” in their 3-1 victory in Game 1, but chalked it up to it being a “find-a-way” league. The Knights, behind 33 saves from goaltender Carter Hart, found a way to hold off Anaheim after a strong push in the series opener.
When asked what areas of focus he’s zeroing on to improve at the start of the game, Tortorella bluntly said, “Multiple,” without elaborating on what those points of emphasis are.
“I think we can play a little faster and more forward,” Hertl said. “Just put it behind them, play in the o-zone.”
Hertl continues to search for his first goal since March 4. He’s capable of playing the wing, but time will tell if that’s the right move going forward.
Hutton jumping in
The same lineup also means defenseman Jeremy Lauzon will miss a second straight game with an upper-body injury.
Veteran Ben Hutton made his playoff debut on Monday but only played 8:47, while blue line partner Kaedan Korczak logged a shade over 13 minutes.
Tortorella said Hutton gave the Knights “some good minutes” but the ice time wouldn’t dictate that.
Hutton was on the ice for two high-danger chances against on Monday, according to Natural Stat Trick. He had one shot and three attempts overall.
Until Lauzon gets back, it might be a heavy workload for the top four defensemen with Korczak rotating.
Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb each played over 25 minutes, while Noah Hanifin (22:46) and Rasmus Andersson (21:39) weren’t far behind.
The Knights need Lauzon for his physicality and willingness to mix it up with the opposition. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, as no update was provided from Tortorella or general manager Kelly McCrimmon before Game 1.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
