Takeaways from another Golden Knights preseason loss to San Jose

Preseason is almost over for the Golden Knights. That might be a good thing for everyone involved.

The Golden Knights lost their fourth game of the exhibition slate, a 2-0 defeat to the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday. Vegas fell to 1-3-1 with opening night, and banner night, around the corner next Tuesday against Seattle.

The roster that skated didn't jump off the page. It was a group of those who will play for AHL Henderson this season.

Vegas' lone veteran line was the fourth line of William Carrier, Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar. That trio had the best offensive night of the forward group with a 9-3 edge in shot attempts at 5-on-5.

"We're just trying to get in game shape here," Carrier said. "I like the way our line played tonight.

That wasn't the surprise, but rather the ineffectiveness of the other two lines that featured the players still competing for the final NHL roster spot. It was an invisible game for the likes of Brendan Brisson, Max Comtois and Pavel Dorofeyev. It was a noticeable game, however, for Paul Cotter.

Some takeaways from the Golden Knights' fifth preseason game:

Strong goaltending

Coach Bruce Cassidy gave Adin Hill and Logan Thompson about 30 minutes each Tuesday with both playing well.

Hill, who started the game, stopped 14 of 15 shots before being replaced by Thompson in the second period. The all-star goalie stopped 13 of 14 shots during his stint.

"I thought they played well," Cassidy said. "If you're going to take something out of this game, that's it for them. Both got a fair amount of work and action around the net. There's not much other positives to take from it. We got something out of that position tonight."

Hill, in particular, looked like he was still in playoff mode. He made a kick save in the first period, lost his stick, then made another save shortly after to keep the Sharks off the board.

Cassidy all but assured both will get a start next week. It's likely Hill gets the opener against Seattle. Thompson will follow in the aftermath. With how strong Thompson has looked, that has to be an encouraging sign for Vegas.

Quinney shows skill

There wasn't a lot of notable offensive moments from the Golden Knights. The one highlight came from an unlikely source.

Forward Gage Quinney, who tied the team lead in Henderson with 25 goals last season, nearly scored in the first period when he circled behind the San Jose net, faked a pass and cut to the front of the net. His attempt was stopped by goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, but it was the most noteworthy instance of the night.

Cassidy said after morning skate that this game was also geared to see who could fit the bill for the next line of call-ups. The 28-year-old has gotten better each year in Henderson, and it's also helped he stayed healthy after 66 games last season.

"He's sneaky around the net. He found his way there in the first period," Cassidy said. "He had one of our few good looks. Not too many of the other guys were willing to take the puck inside tonight, which is why, a) we were shut out, and b) you're not helping yourself."

Cotter leading the race?

Given the competition, this was an opportunity for those fighting for the open third-line left wing spot and separate themselves from the pack.

Zero goals doesn't help, but Cassidy noted of the two that have the first crack at the job — Cotter and Dorofeyev — Cotter had a stronger outing.

"Not good enough from (Dorofeyev). He needs to be better in this situation," Cassidy said. "Paul Cotter, I thought the effort was there, he tried to get going a little bit, tried to be physical, impact the game."

The metrics tell a different story than what Cassidy saw. Cotter's effort outweighed the production with the Golden Knights allowing 14 shot attempts with Cotter on the ice, to only generating four when he skated.

Dorofeyev wasn't any better. Vegas allowed 15 attempts with him on the ice, and only seven at the San Jose net.

Close to the net was the story; Dorofeyev was on the ice for 11 scoring chances and five high-danger chances allowed, while Cotter allowed two.

The personnel matters here, so jumping to conclusions is going to be harsh. Dorofeyev, who has had a great preseason, didn't look his best tonight. Cotter hasn't played as much as Dorofeyev and Brisson, but could see an extended look Thursday against Colorado.

Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.