Golden Knights face Sabres with Stone day to day

Vegas doesn’t get a breather on this trip.

The Golden Knights head into a back-to-back Tuesday in Buffalo, then close the road swing Wednesday in Detroit. They’re also trying to clean up the same problem that has followed them since the Olympic break: slow starts that turn into long nights.

Bruce Cassidy put the fix in plain terms after Monday’s practice.

“Just a little more energy in our game,” Cassidy said. “When we’re winning our board battles, we’re a really good team and we weren’t [in Pittsburgh].”

Back-to-back, with the lineup in flux

Mark Stone is day to day after leaving Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh.

“He’ll be day to day,” Cassidy said. “We’ll see how he is.”

Vegas is also managing a bit of sickness in the room. Cassidy said it has been moving through the locker room, which is part of why Monday was an optional skate with the back-to-back on deck.

Bowman’s rise matters right now

With injuries and travel still lingering, Vegas needs more from the “other” lines. That is where Braeden Bowman keeps showing up.

Cassidy said the rookie’s biggest strength has been consistency, even with the grind of an 82-game season hitting him for the first time.

“His trajectory… he reminds me of a Mark Stone type player,” Cassidy said. “He finds ways to make plays on the ice.”

Bowman has also earned trust next to Jack Eichel, which Cassidy called a real challenge. Vegas will likely need that line to drive early, especially in a building that should have some emotion in it.

Buffalo’s surge is real

The Sabres come in 35-19-6 and have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10. They’ve also tightened the formula that has held them back in past years.

“It looks like their goaltending got squared away in terms of they’re getting that consistently every night,” Cassidy said.

Buffalo’s offense is dangerous, but the back end is what sets the table. Rasmus Dahlin is the headliner, and the Sabres have enough puck-moving to turn a soft forecheck into a long shift.

Vegas has to meet that with a cleaner first period. The Golden Knights have been chasing too often since the break, and that does not play well against a team that can roll four lines and get saves.

Players to watch

Pavel Dorofeyev has been Vegas’ hottest finisher lately, and he’s been driving the “next-man” scoring since the break. On the other side, Tage Thompson remains Buffalo’s matchup problem in the middle of the ice.