Preseason losses can normally be brushed aside.

There may be an exception if the Golden Knights give up a two-goal lead in the final three minutes and lose in regulation.

The Knights squandered a hat trick from left wing Pavel Dorofeyev as the San Jose Sharks rallied for a 6-5 victory at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

Sharks right wing Luke Kunin scored twice on the man advantage, both on deflections in front of the net, to make it 5-5 with 1:42 to go, then right wing Ethan Cardwell scored with 12 seconds left to seal the comeback.

It was a deflating few minutes to end the Knights’ preseason at 3-3-0 with the regular season now on the horizon. The Knights open their eighth campaign at home against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

“Not something you can just flush down the toilet,” said Captain Mark Stone. “We need a call on Wednesday.”

Coach Bruce Cassidy has stressed the importance of respecting the game, even in pre-season. That was right as the Knights put icing on the cake for what will likely be their opening night roster.

Cassidy said much of the game was good. Through five games and 57 minutes of the preseason, the Knights seemed to be developing an identity. The last three minutes changed that.

“We got overworked,” Cassidy said. “Give them credit for finding a way to score and get to the front of our net.”

Goaltender Adin Hill allowed all six goals on 29 shots in his second preseason start, including four in the third period. San Jose tied the score 35 seconds into the game on a shot from defenseman Mario Ferraro that Hill seemed to have trouble tracking.

That was the only goal that could be considered Hill’s fault. The other goals came from breakdowns in coverage or deflections up front.

Other than that, things looked promising for the Knights.

The top power-play unit scored for the second straight game when Stone deflected a point shot from Shea Theodore to give the Knights a 4-3 lead at 3:28 of the third. They pushed the lead to 5-3 when Dorofeyev’s one-timer beat goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood for his third goal of the game, sending a few hats onto the ice.

“He finds ways to put himself in a good place and understand who he’s playing with,” Stone said of Dorofeyev.

Here are three lessons from the loss:

1. Dorofeev seizes moment

What makes Dorofeyev so impressive is his ability to score goals in a variety of ways.

His first was via a backhand in front of the crease after receiving a pass from defender Alex Pietrangelo. The second came on a deflection from defenseman Zach Whitecloud.

His third goal was a one-timer from the right circle after receiving a cross-ice pass from center Tomas Hertl – who had three assists – for the two-goal lead.

“I’ve always liked Pav,” Cassidy said. “You can see now that he might be ready to make a splash this year. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but we have that feeling.”

Dorofeyev has impressed at every preseason opportunity, whether playing with established NHL players or playing with AHL regulars, as he did Tuesday in Colorado.

He, Hertl and right wing Alexander Holtz combined for four of the Knights’ five goals. Cassidy may have a second line that acts as a center. William Karlsson works his way back into game form.

2. The debut of the fourth line

The first full-time rehearsal of the new fourth line had a strong performance.

Left wing Tanner Pearson was a minus-1 in 14:50 in his first game since signing the one-year deal he earned after his professional tryout deal.

The Knights defeated the Sharks 8-2 when the trio of Pearson, center Brett Howden and right wing Keegan Kolesar were on the ice and had a 9-1 advantage in scoring chances.

3. Switch the top line

Cassidy switched Stone to the top line with center Jack Eichel and left wing Victor Olofsson to start the game. That trio was defeated 7-3 in 5:49 time at five-on-five.

Ivan Barbashev was advanced midway through the second period. The Knights had a 5-1 advantage in scoring opportunities when that line played together.

Cassidy said he wanted to take a look at Olofsson in that spot, and also hinted that Eichel and Stone could start together on Wednesday if Karlsson is available.

Cassidy added that there was nothing more to worry about, but “we have to make a decision on Wednesday and have the best information, even though some of these guys have played three, four games.”

Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.