P.K. Subban ready for challenge of facing younger brother

NASHVILLE -- Defenseman P.K. Subban is likely to see a familiar face in the opposing net when the Nashville Predators host the Vegas Golden Knights at Bridgestone Arena on Friday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, ATTSN-RM, NHL.TV).
Golden Knights goaltender Malcolm Subban, P.K.'s younger brother, is expected to start against the Predators. If so, P.K. said, it would be the first time the two have played against each other at any level.

"Just like any other brothers that have ever played with each other or played against each other, it's a pretty special moment when you do it," P.K. said Friday. "I think that, for him, he's worked really, really hard to get to the NHL. The start of his career has been great, so I'm just going to take in the whole moment."
Karl Subban, P.K. and Malcolm's father, will be on hand as part of the Golden Knights' fathers' trip. Malcolm, who missed practice Wednesday because of illness, said Friday that his father will be wearing a Golden Knights jersey.
P.K., 28, has watched Malcolm's whirlwind of a season with the Golden Knights from afar. Malcolm, 23, was in training camp with the Boston Bruins, who took him in the first round (No. 24) in the 2012 NHL Draft, when he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Golden Knights on Oct. 3.

He began the season as the backup to Marc-Andre Fleury but got a chance to play after Fleury sustained a concussion on Oct. 21. Though Malcolm missed four weeks with a lower-body injury, he is 6-2-0 with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in nine games for the Golden Knights (17-9-1), who are second in the Pacific Division.
"I know he loved his time in Boston, and he's still close with a lot of guys in the organization," P.K. said Thursday. "He loved his time there. But we know the way the business is, and he got an opportunity somewhere else. And I think Boston also gave him that opportunity. I'm sure they knew there was a good chance that he would get picked up on waivers. They've done so much for him in his career, but I know that since he's been in Vegas, it's been some ups and downs.
"Obviously he had the injury early on once he came in and kind of had a hot start, and I know that for him that's some adversity coming back and regaining that confidence and getting back in the net. He did a really good job of doing that. It shows his growth as a professional, and I think he feels pretty confident right now as one. He's going to have to continue to work at it every day."
P.K. is the oldest of three brothers in the Subban family; the youngest, 22-year-old Jordan, is a defenseman who played for Utica, the Vancouver Canucks' affiliate in the American Hockey League, until being traded to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
P.K. has been there for advice should his brothers need it, but he also wants to make sure they learn at their own rate.
"[Malcolm's] got to learn," he said. "And to be honest with you, I don't say too much. It's not like I'm an expert in how to make it in the NHL, but whenever he needs help or has questions for me, I'm there. But I also like to let [Malcolm and Jordan] have their own experiences. I think there's the general stuff that I always talk to them about, but other than that I kind of let them do their own thing. They're their own people. They're not like me. They're a lot different than me."

P.K. said playing against Malcolm for the first time may present some challenges.
"I haven't shot on him in a while, so maybe that's part of his thing is kind of not having me shoot on him so I don't know where to go," he said. "But I'll find a way."