Morning Skate Report: April 1, 2022
Golden Knights close two-game set with Kraken
By
Gordon Weigers
VegasGoldenKnights.com
NOTES
Friday's game is the second of a three-game road trip for the Golden Knights. Vegas opened the trip with a 3-0 win against the Kraken on Wednesday night. The Golden Knights will face the Kraken again Friday night and close out the trip Sunday afternoon in Vancouver.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: FOX Sports 98.9/1340
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights picked up their third win in a row with a 3-0 win against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night at Climate Pledge Arena. Logan Thompson made 22 saves to record his first NHL shutout while Shea Theodore, Michael Amadio and Jonathan Marchessault each scored for Vegas.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
While the Golden Knights enjoyed historic success in their first season in the NHL, the Kraken haven't seen the same success in their first year in the league. Seattle ranks eighth in the Pacific Division with 48 points and a 21-40-6 record. The Kraken built toward the future at the trade deadline as they shipped out veterans Marcus Johansson, Mark Giordano, Mason Appleton, Jeremy Lauzon, and Calle Jarnkrok. Despite the struggles the season has brought, the Kraken have won three of their last five games including a 6-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. Seattle lost to Vegas, 3-0, on Wednesday night.
Yanni Gourde is the top scorer on the team with 39 points (16G, 23A) in 59 games for the Kraken this season. Jared McCann leads the team in goals with 24 and sits one point back of Gourde with 38 points on the year. Jordan Eberle, who represented the Kraken at NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, ranks third in the club with 37 points (16G, 21A). Vince Dunn has put up 29 points (7G, 22A) from the back end to lead all Kraken defensemen.
SEASON SERIES
Vegas has a 3-0-0 record against the Kraken this season as the Golden Knights won both matchups at T-Mobile Arena as well as Thursday's game at Climate Pledge Arena. In the season-opener, Chandler Stephenson recorded the game-winning goal as Vegas defeated Seattle, 4-3, on Oct. 12 at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights picked up a 4-2 win against the Kraken on Nov. 9 in their most recent meeting. Jonathan Marchessault (2G, 3A) leads all Vegas skaters in scoring against the Kraken this season with five points.
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jonathan Marchessault - 55 points (26G, 29A)
Chandler Stephenson - 51 points (17G, 34A)
Shea Theodore - 39 points (9G, 30A)
Reilly Smith - 38 points (16G, 22A)
Alex Pietrangelo - 38 points (12G, 26A)
Nicolas Roy - 33 points (13G, 20A)
Evgenii Dadonov - 32 points (17G, 15A)
Max Pacioretty - 29 points (15G, 14A)
Mark Stone - 28 points (8G, 20A)
PACIFIC DIVISION PICTURE
Calgary Flames - 40-18-9, 89 points
Los Angeles Kings - 37-23-10, 84 points
Edmonton Oilers - 38-25-5, 81 points
Vegas Golden Knights - 37-28-4, 78 points
Vancouver Canucks - 32-28-9, 73 points
San Jose Sharks - 29-30-8, 66 points
Anaheim Ducks - 27-30-12, 66 points
Seattle Kraken - 21-40-6, 48 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 210th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a four-game win streak
KEYS TO THE GAME
Keep Building:Vegas has some momentum in its pocket heading into Friday's game. Every point is crucial for the Golden Knights this month and the game against Seattle is a must-win.
Crease Command:Logan Thompson has done a steady job in the absence of Laurent Brossoit and Robin Lehner in the Vegas net. With Lehner activated off IR and his availability to play getting closer, the Golden Knights will lean on the goaltending position in the race for the playoffs.
