Vegas Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel will not play Game 5 against the Winnipeg Jets, the first time he has missed a game since early in the 2009-10 season.
Kessel holds the Iron Man streak for most consecutive games-played at 1,064. He maintains that streak since it accounts for regular-season games only.
The 35-year-old joined the Golden Knights in free agency during the 2022 off-season and has struggled to generate offence, scoring 36 points in 82 games. In four games this post-season with the Golden Knights, he’s notched two assists.
William Carrier, who was listed as a game-time decision after missing the last two months with a lower-body injury, slots in as Kessel’s replacement.
The Golden Knights will also be without defenceman Brayden McNabb, who was injured last game after taking a shot to the ribs. According to the team, McNabb is “day-to-day with an upper-body injury.”
While Shea Theodore was present for warmup ahead of Game 5, he was replaced by Brayden Pachal in the Golden Knights’ lineup due to illness.
