9:50 PM: Pietrangelo is in the lineup, skating on the team’s second pairing alongside Nicolas Hague, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
9:20 PM: The Vegas Golden Knights will be without winger Pavel Dorofeyev for their Game 2 matchup against the Oilers, while defender Alex Pietrangelo will be a game time decision, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
Dorofeyev has been out of the lineup since sustaining an injury in Game 5 of their opening-round matchup against the Minnesota Wild. His injury remains undisclosed and remains day-to-day. The 24-year-old burst onto the scene this season, scoring 35 goals while playing all 82 regular season games. He surpassed his previous career high in goals by 22 and more than doubled his personal best in points. In the first-round series, he recorded a goal and an assist over five games. His goal scoring prowess would be a welcomed return for the Golden Knights, especially considering the Oilers lead all playoff teams with 4.43 goals per game.
Pietrangelo is currently battling an illness, but head coach Bruce Cassidy said the veteran has a chance to play and that the team would be making a game-time call on his participation. In 71 games on the season, Pietrangelo posted four goals, 33 points, a plus-11 rating, and 139 blocked shots. Perhaps most importantly, the veteran of more than 1,000 career games also averaged a hefty 22:24 of ice time per game, eating valuable minutes on the back end. The two-time Stanley Cup champ (including one with Vegas) was off to a hot start in the playoffs as well, posting a goal and two assist in six games, while again averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time per night. His return to the lineup is equally important as Dorofeyev’s when it comes to matching up against the star-studded Oilers.