Golden Knights Games To Watch In 2018-19

With the start of the 2018-19 NHL slate on every hockey fan's mind, Vegas Golden Knights fans can get excited about matchups that have a little extra meaning to them this season.
The Golden Knights will start their season on Oct. 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers as the team seeks a great encore to their historic inaugural season. With 41 home games, trying to pick out standout games and must-watch matchups can be tough, but here are a few that fans should make sure to mark on their calendar.

7 p.m., Oct. 4 - Home Opener vs. Philadelphia Flyers
After starting their inaugural season with two Western Conference road games, the Golden Knights will embark on their second campaign at home against an Eastern Conference foe. Last season, the Golden Knights dropped the matchup with the Flyers at T-Mobile Arena, but revenged the loss in Philadelphia - also Marc-Andre Fleury's 400th career win.
Fleury and the rest of the Golden Knights, including former Flyer Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, will be itching to erase the memory of the Stanley Cup Final Game 5 and series loss, the last game played at T-Mobile.
5 p.m., Oct. 10 - at Washington Capitals
By all accounts, most expansion franchises would be ecstatic to end their season in the Stanley Cup Final, but the Golden Knights will be looking for some redemption from a heartbreaking series loss as they visit Washington in their first rematch against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Vegas was 2-0 against the Capitals in the regular season, before losing the Cup in five games.
The two teams might look a bit different, with players coming and going in the offseason and a new Washington head coach, but the game is still sure to be a good one.
3 p.m., Oct. 26 - vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Already a tradition, hosting an afternoon game on Nevada Day provides Las Vegans a cool day of celebration.
Last season, the Golden Knights gave fans a show with a 7-0 victory against the Colorado Avalanche, including the franchise's first shutout, a 32-save performance by goaltender Oscar Dansk.
The Lightning were one of the top teams in the NHL last year, finishing the regular season as the Eastern Conference point leaders and losing to the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Golden Knights were 2-0 against the Lightning last year and look to continue that streak on Nevada day.
5 p.m., Nov. 1 - at St. Louis Blues
Vegas takes on David Perron and the Blues to kick off the month of November. Perron finished third on the Golden Knights in scoring last season with a career-high 66 points (16 goals, 50 assists). He signed on for his third stint with St. Louis on July 1.
In 2017-18, Vegas went 2-1-0 against St. Louis and all three games were decided by one goal. On Oct. 21, William Karlsson netted an overtime-winner with 23.8 seconds to go in the extra session to propel the Golden Knights to a 3-2 win. The Blues evened the score on Jan. 4 with a 2-1 win in regulation in St. Louis. Vegas took the rubber match on March 30 with another overtime win at home thanks to Jonathan Marchessault's deciding tally.
3 p.m., Nov. 23 - vs. Calgary Flames
Thanksgiving weekend is already a regular after-dinner treat in Las Vegas as James Neal and the Calgary Flames make their way south. Shake off the turkey dinner, grab some leftovers, and get riled up for the Black Friday afternoon game.
The Golden Knights were 3-1 against the Flames last season. Neal signed with Calgary on July 2 after coming up short in the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row (Nashville, 2017). He finished fourth on the Golden Knights in goals last year (25) and added six goals during the playoffs. Acquiring Neal was one of a few roster-altering moves that Calgary made in the offseason to gear up for a new look in 2018-19.
The next day, the San Jose Sharks return to T-Mobile Arena following a raucous Second Round Playoff series as the Pacific Division foes start their regular season series, which concludes March 30 in San Jose, with games in Las Vegas on Jan. 10 and San Jose on March 18.
6 p.m., Jan. 1, 2019 - vs. Los Angeles Kings
One season might be too early to form a true rivalry, but the Los Angeles Kings certainly have a case. Before the Golden Knights, the Kings regularly played preseason games in Las Vegas and the two teams split the regular season matchups before the Golden Knights swept the Kings in a hard-hitting, defensive first round playoff matchup.
Los Angeles will certainly desire to prove the playoffs were a fluke, and Vegas will be eager to continue its strong play.
They'll meet twice in the preseason and four times in the regular season, including the New Year's Day game at T-Mobile Arena, along with games in L.A. on Dec. 30 and finishing the season on April 6. The Golden Knights will also host the Kings on Dec. 23.