Two players added to NHL's protocol list, including Vegas blueliner Brayden McNabb

The Golden Knights are forced to scramble ahead of Game 6.

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Published 2 years ago
Two players added to NHL's protocol list, including Vegas blueliner Brayden McNabb
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This just in from Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Brayden McNabb has been ruled out of tonight's playoff game against the Minnesota Wild and has been placed in the league's COVID-19 protocol list. Additionally, Colorado Avalanche forward Jayson Megna has also been added to the league's COVID-19 protocol list, but since his team is awaiting the result of the Golden Knights vs Wild series, his absence shouldn't affect the team.

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McNabb had been playing second pairing minutes with stud blueliner Shea Theodore for much of the season and the entire four games of his team's post-season. Look for either Nick Holden or Zack Whitecloud to get a bump up in minutes, while it's expecting that rookie Nicolas Hague will step into the lineup on the third pairing.

While tonight's game isn't a "must-win" for the Golden Knights in earnest, it sure feels that way. The Wild staved off elimination in Game 5 and look poised to tie the best of seven series if they carry on that trajectory this evening. Star rookie Kirill Kaprizov seems to have woken up a bit and if you're a Vegas fan that should make you very, very VERY nervous. The Russian sniper is lethal whenever he's in the offensive zone and he can break a game wide open like few others in the league. In fact, I'd argue that the Wild haven't had a player with this much skill and star power since they drafted and developed a young Marian Gaborik in the early 2000s.

 If you're a Vegas fan though, you have to trust that a team with this much veteran leadership can find a way to close out this series. Marc Andre Fleury, Alex Pietrangelo, Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone... this team is loaded with veteran talent who know what it takes to get the job done. I don't suspect that the above mentioned players are shedding any tears over the fact that McNabb will have to watch from the press box. This is a group whose focus is on winning Game 6 regardless of who is on the game sheet. Drop the puck!