Karlsson confident for Golden Knights playoff series against Kings

LAS VEGAS --A year ago, William Karlsson was a bottom-six center with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference First Round 3-0, coach John Tortorella gave him a new matchup assignment:
Sidney Crosby.
"I loved it," Karlsson said. "It's the best player in the world, and it was a real challenge, so I was really ready for it and wanted to try to shut [him] down."

Karlsson had two points (one goal, one assist) and Crosby one point (one assist), and the Blue Jackets won 5-4 in Game 4.
RELATED: Marc-Andre Fleury vs. Jonathan Quick | Complete Golden Knights vs. Kings coverage]
The Penguins eliminated the Blue Jackets with a 5-2 win in Game 5, but Karlsson had one point (one goal), just like Crosby did.
Karlsson gained valuable experience and confidence against a team that would win the championship and a center who would win the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
"We did a pretty good job those two games that we played against them," Karlsson said.

It's funny to look back on that now that Karlsson is the No. 1 center for the Vegas Golden Knights, coming off a 43-goal regular season and preparing to play the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, ATTSN-RM, FS-W).
All he needed was an opportunity, and he took advantage of it.
The Blue Jackets exposed Karlsson in the NHL Expansion Draft after he scored nine goals in 2015-16 and six last season. He was supposed to be a bottom-six center in Vegas too, a guy who could kill penalties and maybe skate on the second power play. Coach Gerard Gallant figured he could score 15 to 20 goals.
But he seized the No. 1 center role and clicked with linemates Jonathan Marchessault and
Reilly Smith
.
"About eight games into the season we realized how good he was," Gallant said. "You've seen it the rest of the year."
His 43 goals were third in the NHL. Only Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals (49) and Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets (44) scored more.
His plus-37 goal increase was tied for the third-highest in NHL history. Only Owen Nolan (plus-39 from 1990-91 to 1991-92) and Bernie Nicholls (plus-38 from 1987-88 to 1988-89) were better.
He was the most amazing story amid the most amazing story in the NHL as the Golden Knights won the Pacific Division in their inaugural season.

"I think he's grown as a player a ton throughout the year, from his confidence standpoint through the year to his confidence now, the way he talks," forward James Neal said. "You could barely get a word out of him at the start of the year. Now he tells you what's going on and how things are. It's a big step.
"He should have that confidence. The guy skates unbelievably. He shoots the puck great. Super smart player. He hasn't played in a lot of playoff games, but with how he plays the game and how smart he is, he'll be just fine."
The Kings are big and physical. They finished No. 1 in goals against (2.46 per game) and penalty killing (85.0 percent).
They have Anze Kopitar, a winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward; Drew Doughty, a winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman; and
Jonathan Quick
, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender.
Gallant doesn't worry about matchups and won't hesitate to put out Karlsson against the Kings' best players at home when he has the last change, let alone on the road when he doesn't.
"It's going to be a lot tougher now," Karlsson said. "It's up to me to step up a level and hopefully play better than they do."
But this is another opportunity. He loves it. He had four points (three goals, one assist) in four games against Los Angeles during the regular season.

"I want to be that guy," Karlsson said. "I want to be the guy who leads the team. I put that pressure on myself. That's the player I want to be."
And whatever happens in the playoffs, next season will be another opportunity too.
Karlsson wants to prove his 43 goals weren't a fluke. His shooting percentage was 23.4. No one else with at least 20 goals was higher than 19.2.
"One year doesn't make a career, you know?" Karlsson said. "I will for sure be hungry next year to prove that I can do it again, both for myself and to other people."