Major absence confirmed for Vegas ahead of crucial Game 1

His last game was November 11. That's more than five months ago.

This isn't a player who got hurt in March and might be close. Karlsson has been completely absent since mid-November, and the Knights have been building their identity without him all season long.

He played 14 games total this year, posting 4 goals and 3 assists, including a shorthanded goal. Then the lower body gave out and that was it.

McCrimmon told reporters Friday that Karlsson continues to progress. Those words don't mean Sunday. They might not mean this series at all.

Vegas still finished 39-26-17 with 95 points, first in the Pacific Division, winning three straight to close the regular season and going 7-0-3 over the last 10 games.

Jack Eichel carries the top line with 90 points in 74 games. Mark Stone added 73 points in just 60 appearances. That duo is legitimate playoff firepower.

But center depth beyond Eichel gets thin fast. Tomas Hertl played all 82 games and contributed 58 points, yet finished at -17. That rating doesn't inspire confidence when the margins shrink in May.

Utah went 43-33-6 this season with 92 points. And the head-to-head record between these two clubs this year is not flattering for Vegas. The Knights won once, 4-1 back in November. Then lost 1-5 and 0-4 in the two meetings that followed.

A center who can kill penalties and score on the shorthanded is a specific kind of player. Replacing that production with depth options is like patching a tire with tape. It holds until it doesn't.

In goal, Akira Schmid posted a .893 save percentage across 34 starts. That's a workable number. The crease isn't the problem.

McCrimmon says Karlsson is progressing. Fine. But five months off the ice is a long runway, and Game 1 is Sunday night in Vegas.

This Golden Knights team is good enough to win this series. The question is whether that center-ice hole gets exposed before Karlsson can fill it.

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