Brandon Pirri continues to make his case to remain with Golden Knights

By Justin Emerson

Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019 | 9:53 p.m.

Brandon Pirri has turned himself into a sort of cult hero among Golden Knights fans, and Tuesday’s 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings didn’t do anything to quell that.

He had the game-winning goal and an assist on the empty-netter at T-Mobile Arena, and now has six goals and nine points in seven games this season.

He can score goals, which is something team officials have long known. But it is the strides in his defense, and his play away from the puck, that have helped take him from the AHL taxi squad to becoming one of the Golden Knights’ most popular players.

“I think early in my career, I maybe took that stuff for granted,” Pirri said. “I’m a little older, a little more mature, and I realize you do those tough-area things and you get rewarded on the other end of the ice.”

Pirri was part of one Vegas’ most dominant efforts of the year, outshooting the Kings 48-17 and holding them to four shots in the second period. Pirri lasered a puck past Jack Campbell on the power-play in the third period, which was the lone shot of the game to beat the Los Angeles goalie.

Pirri may never be an elite defensive player, but that might not matter. He’s been the team’s most prolific goal scorer, and with the admittedly small sample size, his .857 goals-per-game is far better than the next-best: Alex Tuch at .400 goals-per-game.

But the defensive improvement is noticeable, and that could be the difference when it comes to keeping him in Vegas the rest of the year.

“Since he’s been here he’s played great two-way hockey and that’s real key for us,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “He’s just playing an all-around game. He’s 27-years-old, he’s mature and he wants to play in the NHL and that’s why he’s playing real well for us.”

Pirri was called up to fill the skates of winger Max Pacioretty, who was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 19. It was assumed he would go back down to the minors when Pacioretty returns, but his scoring prowess is going to make that decision hard, and that decision is coming soon.

Once Pirri plays 10 games in the NHL (and if he’s not sent down or scratched before, his 10th game will be next Tuesday), he cannot be returned to the AHL without clearing waivers, and point-per-game players seldom make it through without a claim.

Though Pirri isn’t thinking about that right now. He’s worried about playing well and making that decision as hard as possible.

“Going through it as a 19-21-year-old when I was up and down, a little more stressed,” he said. “Now it’s 27, I got a wife and a kid, if I get sent down I get to spend time with them.

“This is an opportunity I’ve been working really hard for and I’m glad things are going good.”