The Vegas Golden Knights face a pivotal moment in their second-round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks. As they look to close out the series in Game Six on Thursday, they'll have to do it without one of their key defensemen, Brayden McNabb.

On Wednesday, the NHL Department of Player Safety handed down a one-game suspension to McNabb for his hit on Ducks forward Ryan Poehling during Game Five. The incident occurred just nine minutes into the first period, when McNabb was called for interference. After further review, the officials upgraded the penalty to a five-minute major and ejected him from the game.

The hit left Poehling needing help off the ice, and he didn't return due to what the Ducks described as an upper-body injury. Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville confirmed that Poehling will also miss Game Six. "That’s tough to watch that type of play," Quenneville said. "He’s very useful, he gives us a lot of different versatility, and I certainly hope he’s going to be fine."

McNabb's suspension puts the Golden Knights in a tough spot. Their defensive corps was already stretched thin, with Jeremy Lauzon yet to play a game in this series. The impact was felt immediately in Game Five, as depth defensemen Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan stepped up to play 19 and 20 minutes, respectively, in an impromptu five-man rotation. With McNabb out, they'll need to rise to the occasion again.

"They gave us really good minutes," said defenseman Rasmus Andersson after Game Five. "I thought they were as steady as it comes. That’s what you need in playoffs. You need people to step up when their opportunity is called."

The Golden Knights have options to fill McNabb's spot for Game Six. Kaedan Korczak could return to the lineup, or they might take a chance on Lukas Cormier, who tied for the lead among AHL defensemen with 47 points for the Henderson Silver Knights. Either way, the war of attrition from Game Five is already taking its toll, and Vegas will need every ounce of depth to secure the series win.