William Carrier’s legs were fresh and his body felt good Saturday.
The Golden Knights winger said he didn’t think twice about delivering checks against the Columbus Blue Jackets after missing more than a month with an undisclosed injury.
“No. I was ready,” Carrier said.
The Knights were happy he was, because the NHL’s hits leader did what he does best against the Blue Jackets: Use his body to separate the puck from opponents. Carrier’s eight hits in the 4-3 loss, his first game since Jan. 4, were tied for fourth-most in his three-year career.
That raised the 24-year-old’s league-leading total this season to 227, well ahead of teammate Ryan Reaves, who is second with 202.