The Golden Knights started Mondays practice by throwing 30 minutes on the clock and activating the scoreboard. They split the squad into two groups and proceeded to simulate game, even swapping sides halfway through to get used to the second-period long change.

These types of setups will become commonplace in the final week of practice before the Golden Knights report to Edmonton for the postseason. They havent played a real game in more than four months, so theyre doing everything they can to prepare for the playoffs to begin.

Every scrimmage youll see from Day 1 I think youre going to see more and more game-like stuff, forward Paul Stastny said. Guys are more fresh, theres more control, more talking, more thinking out there. I think were making the right steps.

Stastny said sometimes when teams jump right into scrimmages at camp there is a tendency to play summer hockey, which more closely resembles a pickup game than a Stanley Cup playoff contest. The Golden Knights didnt do that, and couldnt even if they wanted to, according to Stastny.

Coach Peter DeBoer wouldnt allow it to happen.

DeBoer demands supreme focus and readiness ahead of the restarted season. Vegas has held full scrimmages at the end of most training-camp practices, including the first day, but they are beginning to look and feel more and more like games.

We havent rushed into maybe some of the things that you read around the league, DeBoer said. After four months those are the little things you have to get used to again: the shift length of games, the long change of the second period, those types of things. Well add them slowly as we go.

DeBoer said he wasnt worried about some of the nuances other teams have installed he isnt planning on taking TV timeouts or pausing before the scrimmage for the anthem or wearing game jerseys because he doesnt believe the team needs it.

The Golden Knights have the luxury of an exhibition game before the tournament formally begins then three round-robin games for seeding only with no risk of getting sent home early if they perform poorly.

I think we have a little bit more runway even though the round-robin games are important, DeBoer said.

The Golden Knights play their exhibition next week, on July 30 against the Arizona Coyotes, but still have a minimum of 22 days before the elimination round begins.

Mondays scrimmage was the closest theyve come to a real game, and there were real takeaways to draw from it. Its still practice, of course, but the line of Paul Stastny, Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault looked excellent.

All the goals were scored either right in front of the net or as a result of crowding the lane in front of the goalie.

The Golden Knights are having fun with it too. About halfway through, Marc-Andre Fleury stonewalled Marchessault on a partial breakaway and jokingly mocked him with a modified Ali shuffle.

When Ryan Reaves saw the opposing team was pulling its goalie, he loudly announced he wanted on the ice to try to score the empty netter.

It gives the guys a chance to up the pace and get that game-like feel, defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. Just gives us a chance to compete too, which is always fun.

Team Gray beat Team White 4-1, but no one will remember that, or perhaps any specifics about the scrimmage, by next week. The scrimmages purpose is to help the Golden Knights feel more comfortable when theyre soon playing a meaningful game.

Every day is a step closer to where we want to be, including myself, Stastny said. Come Aug. 11, 12 when the top 16 plays, I think everyones going to be really ready to go.

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Golden Knights trying to simulate playoff action with live scrimmages - Las Vegas Sun