Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Daniil Miromanov (42) is congratulated after a goal as Arizona Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad (17) skates by during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022.
Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Back home in Moscow at his parents’ house sits the hockey net that Daniil Miromanov’s grandfather built for him.
Along with a gift from his father of 200 pucks, Miromanov was about 10 years old when he started firing pucks into that cage. The pucks would always slice through the mesh of the net, which has seen more than its share of use over the last 15 years.
“I’ve put a little heavier net in there so the puck stays in the net,” Miromanov said with a laugh.
But it was that net Miromanov practiced on every day to perfect his shooting craft — precision, velocity, picking his spots.
The Golden Knights defenseman has gotten a chance to show off the years of work he’s put into that shot since he was recalled from AHL Henderson a little less than a month ago.
Miromanov was initially called up on Dec. 1 as a fill-in for Alex Pietrangelo, who was out tending to the health of his 4-year-old daughter, Evelyn.
But the injuries to fellow defensemen Shea Theodore (week-to-week, lower body) and Zach Whitecloud (lower body, month-to-month) have allowed Miromanov to stay on the NHL roster longer than anticipated.
The 25-year-old defenseman has five points (two goals, three assists) through 11 games and has been quickly pushed up to a top-4 role while being the lone defenseman on the second power-play unit.
“I try to do the same things (I’ve always done)” Miromanov said., “really work hard, work on other things on a day-to-day basis, help guys offensively and make plays on the power play.”
Miromanov burst onto the scene last season when he scored twice in a preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings. He’s a forward-turned-defenseman; the scoring knack has always been there.
He impressed during training camp last season, but the crowded blue line pushed him to play in Henderson where he scored 40 points in 53 games. At the time he was recalled this season, Miromanov was tied for the Silver Knights lead in points with 13 in 17 games.
Miromanov’s offensive-minded instincts made him the right choice to play in place of Theodore, Vegas’ second-leading scoring defenseman who has missed the last seven games with no announced timetable for a return.
“The offensive part of his game has been good since Day 1. I think his composure, his head’s up when he has the puck. He’s not panicking,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He has an NHL shot. He has NHL puck skills. For Miro, we’ve said it’s learning how to defend and taking care of the hard areas in front of the net, the back of the net.”
All of his five points have come this month, with three of them coming in the 6-5 victory Dec. 5 at Winnipeg. In addition to the career-high in points, Miromanov scored his first NHL goal.
After the game, Miromanov said he was going to call his parents. Asked what he was going to tell them, he said, “I did it.”
“I’m so happy I could share that with my parents, my grandparents. It was a dream come true (to score0,” Miromanov said. “We all dreamed about it since I was 5 years old.”
Due to the ongoing political climate in Russia and the war with Ukraine, Miromanov’s parents and grandparents haven’t been able to get to Las Vegas to see him play live.
“It’s hard to get a visa these days,” he said.
He still calls his parents twice a day because “that’s the way I’ve always been.”
“We all want them to come here and experience the joy with their own eyes,” Miromanov said.
Amadio taking advantage
The Golden Knights may have found an unlikely solution for the top line while Jack Eichel remains out.
Forward Michael Amadio is the latest to be on a line with Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone, and his presence appears to be a good fit.
Amadio is coming off a three-point night Friday in the 5-4 overtime win against St. Louis, the second such game since joining Vegas a waiver claim last season. And Tuesday against the Kings, he scored a power-play goal in the first period to give him a goal in three consecutive games.
“Staying in the lineup is a big thing for me,” Amadio said. “Just got to keep it simple and make plays when I can.”
With an assist Wednesday in Anaheim, Amadio extended his career-best point streak to five games. He has scored seven of his nine points this season in the last five games. Prior to that, Amadio had just two points through 19 games.
He’ll continue to have those opportunities as long as Eichel (lower body) remains out. There’s no timetable for the center’s return.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Amadio said of playing with Stephenson and Stone. “They’re two great players and they make it easy to play with.
