The Vegas Golden Knights will be without three players when they face the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night as Reilly Smith, Logan Thompson and Alec Martinez are unable to go. Both Smith and Thompson sustained injuries in Thursday night’s game versus the Calgary Flames, while Martinez is away for personal reasons.
Smith, 31, has been his usual consistent self this season with 24 goals and 51 points through 72 games. He was hurt during the second period of Thursday night’s outing, and didn’t come back out for the third. An official update on a potential injury timeline has not yet been released, though the team did announce that he has already been sent back to Vegas.
Thompson, 26, was making his first start since being injured back on Feb. 9. He was forced to leave the game early in the third period, at which time he had played phenomenally, kicking aside 37 of the 39 shots he had faced. He has remained with the team but is not expected to be in the lineup versus the Oilers.
Last but not least is Martinez, who also suited up on Thursday night but has also headed back to Vegas due to personal reasons. The 35-year-old has been his usual sturdy self this season, logging solid minutes while providing a shutdown role for the Golden Knights. Hopefully whatever he is dealing with doesn’t force him to miss much time, though hockey is obviously on the back burner to whatever situation is going on.
Not having these three will leave the Golden Knights shorthanded in what will be a huge game versus the Oilers. Connor McDavid and company are still hoping to track them down for first place in the Pacific Division, a spot in which they currently trail by six points. Fans tuning in can expect to see a great game between two of the league’s premier teams.
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