Not that John Tortorella has the answers fresh after a game, but he might have stumbled upon a line combination that he may use going forward for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Tortorella shuffled his lines with the Knights scrounging for offense in their 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 on Wednesday.
One combination he landed on was center William Karlsson skating with Mitch Marner, moving him back to the wing, along with leading goal scorer Brett Howden.
That line had a 4-1 edge in shot attempts in 3:51 of 5-on-5 time, according to Natural Stat Trick, and had some of the Knights’ dangerous chances in the third period.
“I don’t know what the lines are going to be,” Tortorella said, adding that he thought Karlsson “felt more comfortable tonight.”
Karlsson, playing in his second game since returning from a near-six-month absence because of a lower-body injury, said he felt more rust come off.
The 33-year-old saw an uptick in ice time compared to Game 1 at 13 minutes, 19 seconds, finishing with one shot but also going 8-for-9 in the faceoff circle.
“I felt better today,” Karlsson said. “So, that’s a step forward. Legs were not cramping, so that’s good.”
Karlsson started with Tomas Hertl and Keegan Kolesar on his wing for the second straight game.
Whether it was because of chasing the game or overall play, Kolesar (8:51) and Hertl (11:46) played the fewest minutes among forwards on Wednesday.
Karlsson took Hertl’s place on the first power-play unit in the third period.
Tortorella chose to put him with Marner and Howden, who have become the Knights’ best offensive duo this postseason.
Captain Mark Stone moved back to the top line with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, moving Pavel Dorofeyev with Hertl in the third.
Tortorella showed in the Utah series that he’s not afraid to change the lines, even in the middle of the game.
Karlsson and Marner are two of the best defensive forwards on the team. Offensively, Karlsson’s speed would be a complement to Marner’s playmaking.
Not to mention, Karlsson’s best scoring chance came at 2:19 of the third period, but Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal made the save.
“It’s 1-0, and Bill has a great chance,” Tortorella said. “The goalie makes a great save. You look at those types of situations, if we score, does that jumpstart us a little bit? But give the goalie credit.”
The Knights aren’t pressing for answers offensively, but four goals after two games can raise some alarm bells.
Especially given how the Ducks swarmed them in all three zones on Wednesday to even the best-of-seven series at a game apiece.
Game 3 is at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday.
Karlsson will shake off the rust in due time offensively. His skating and defensive ability haven’t missed a beat through two games.
What that means for the rest of the lineup is unclear.
Hertl’s ice time continues to dip and has now gone more than two months since last scoring a goal. The fact he’s now off the top power play unit, even briefly, is a concern.
Reilly Smith and Brandon Saad are waiting in the wings, and Tortorella affirmed Wednesday morning that both played good minutes toward the end.
That may change come Friday.
“We certainly liked what it looked like in the third,” Tortorella said. “I’m not sure where it all is going to work as far as lines next game.”
