Midday Fix: April 20

After two days away from the rink, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant reconvened practice and began to prep his group for a second round series against the San Jose Sharks.
The series schedule has not yet been set by the NHL but it will begin in Vegas next week. Stay tuned to all official team social channels for schedule information.
Gallant put his team through a fast-paced skate before a crowd of 1,000 or so at City National Arena.
Fans broke into "Go Knights Go" chants throughout the session. Gallant used the same lines and defense pairings on Thursday as he did in Games 3 and 4 of the opening round. Vegas swept the Los Angeles Kings in four straight games and the Sharks did the same to the Anaheim Ducks.

Here are some key quotes from Gallant's media scrum:
Thoughts on Brayden McNabb's play this year…
That's what he does. Brayden is a solid guy. He's a great defender for us. He played against the top line a lot this season for us. He does a good job. He scored a clutch goal for us. We always talk about everybody being a big part of our team offensively and defensively. I think he's a perfect example of that.
Thoughts on the energy level of the team at practice…
I thought it was great. I thought practice was fun. The crowd was into it a little bit. The guys are working hard. They skated hard and they're working hard. They're happy to get back on the ice. Two days off, you don't want to go any longer than that. It showed a little bit of rust, but they were great. They worked hard, they had great energy. Everyone was out there having fun.
Thoughts on if the team will do anything differently to keep the guys ready during the break…
No, not really. We only keep them sharp and we'll keep doing the things we've done all season long. Maybe we'll have a little 3-on-3 scrimmage a little bit more. We'll probably have more competitive drills. D-zone coverage drills and stuff like that because there's so much time in between. You can't do all slow stuff, obviously. You want to make sure the guys have some contact and some bumping; game-like situations.
Thoughts on the benefits of having so much time off…
The guys that are banged up a little bit, they get some extra time not having to battle and compete. In a perfect world, I would just have three or four days off and then get back at it. I'm sure San Jose is the same way. Any coach would say the same thing.
Thoughts on the development of Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch this season and his philosophy dealing with the younger players…
I've coached in junior hockey and junior major hockey. Young kids are going to make mistakes. Everybody is going to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes on the ice. You've got to give them confidence and you've got to put them back out there. That's part of our game. I watch games every night like every other coach does or every other fan does. The best players in the league make mistakes. You've got to get them out there and you've got to give them confidence. I think they'll get over the mistakes and they'll get more experience. They'll play better when you really them like we need them now. They've all improved. I don't think I do anything any different than most coaches do. Some situations are different. We came in to this season trying to make our team better and trying to make our young players better. Some other coaches are in different markets where your team has to win now and you have to make sure you're winning. You get a lot of pressure, there. There's different situations for every team and every coach.
Thoughts on how healthy the team currently is…
It's really healthy right now. That's a good thing for our group. Playoffs are a battle. You work hard and you compete hard. I think we've got 25 or 26 guys now that are pretty close to 100%.
Thoughts on if there's a difference in the way that L.A. and San Jose kill penalties…
I think from the little bit I watch San Jose right now, they're very aggressive. L.A. is aggressive too, but they push hard and they make you make mistakes. I watched their game against Anaheim the other night and they did a hell of a job forcing Anaheim to make real good plays. They didn't give up a whole lot of opportunities. When they do give up something, it's a pretty good chance. They're pretty good at pressuring you up high. They do a real good job. They have experience back there. Their penalty kill is second to none, besides Los Angeles.
Thoughts on what's unique and challenging about getting ready for San Jose…
There's not really a challenge. We know them, they know us. We've played each other four times. You watch a lot of their games because you're on the West Coast. You get ready for them. They're a good, solid hockey team. They remind you of L.A. a lot. They're experienced and they've been to a Stanley Cup Final a few years ago. They have a lot of experience and they have a lot of good hockey players. We'll see what happens, but they're a good hockey team. They're good from top to bottom and they have a lot of speed. They work hard. There's not a lot to choose from. Like I said when the series started against L.A., someone asked me what team I'd choose to play. I'd never say that, but truthfully all three of those teams in our conference -- Anaheim, L.A. or San Jose - they're great hockey teams. There's not a lot to choose between three of those hockey teams. It will be a battle, it will be fun and hopefully we'll come out on top.