James Neal, Malcolm Subban Nearing Returns From Injury

The Golden Knights needed some good news.
After an 8-3 drubbing at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday and with the Minnesota Wild coming into town next, Vegas sits at a juncture of the season where it has to get itself under control.
Where the Golden Knights still hold a massive 10-point lead in the Pacific Division with only 12 games left in the regular season, Vegas wants to avoid the sort of prolonged slump that it has dodged through the first five months of the season.
RELATED: Vegas looked poised for rebound on Thursday.

The team in need of good news got some on Thursday with James Neal participating in practice without a red no-contact jersey for the first time. Neal has missed eight straight games dating back to Vegas' overtime loss on February 26.
Malcolm Subban also participated in practice on Thursday. The goalie hasn't played since February 2 in Minnesota.
"I'm assuming that both will be ready for tomorrow," coach Gerard Gallant said. "Not 100 percent sure of that right now."
With the Golden Knights still also without the service of Reilly Smith, Oscar Lindberg, William Carrier and Luca Sbisa, these potential additions to the lineup could provide a much-needed boost.
Although an interesting wrinkle on Thursday was that Neal was placed on the right wing with Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson, in Reilly Smith's usual slot. Neal has almost exclusively skated with Erik Haula and David Perron since late October, although Tomas Tatar has joined that duo in recent games.
For Neal, however, where he slots in doesn't seem to matter as much as just getting back into the lineup for the stretch drive.

"You're never happy when you're sitting out with an injury," Neal said. "Especially when the guys go on the road and you're sitting home by yourself. You want to get back as quick as you can. The medical staff here, the guys did a great job here."
"Obviously, James is a big part of our group," Gallant said. "He's missed quite a few games over the last month. He's ready, he feels real good, he's shooting pucks well."
Neal has 24 goals and 16 assists in 59 games this season, and looked to be a solid bet to reach the 30-goal mark for the third time in his career prior to his injury.
Malcolm Subban's potential return could also provide some much-needed relief for Marc-Andre Fleury, who has started 18 of the last 19 games since Subban went down. On the heels of a rough night where he allowed four goals in 22 minutes and was pulled for Maxime Lagace, Subban's eventual return could also aid Fleury before the playoffs.
Subban talked on Thursday about the final stages of his rehab at City National Arena.
"The little things that matter a lot," Subban said. "Being sharp. Maybe stuff that had crept into your game. Focus on the little details and doing it consistently."