Morning Skate Report: April 18, 2023
Golden Knights host Jets for Game 1
NOTES
Head Coach Bruce Cassidy said Laurent Brossoit will start in goal for Veags in Game 1.
Mark Stone will return to the lineup after being out since Jan. 12. Zach Whitecloud is also expected to return pending medical approval.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV Local: AT&T SportsNet
TV National: ESPN2
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
FAN ACTIVATIONS
To celebrate the team's return to the postseason, fans are encouraged to arrive early at T-Mobile Arena, where doors will be open 90 minutes prior to puck drop for the duration of the playoffs. On Toshiba Plaza, Golden Knights fans can await the game with complimentary hair styling, beard dyes and trims from 101 Barbershop. A local artist, Joey Hamilton from Revolt Tattoos, will also be outside T-Mobile Arena before Game 1 and Game 2 for fans interested in a permanent or temporary tattoo of the team's logo. The two activations will be available beginning at 3:30 p.m. PT on both Tuesday and Thursday. A live broadcast of Game 1 and Game 2 will be played outside on Toshiba Plaza for fans without a ticket to the game. Inside T-Mobile Arena, rally towels will be placed on individual seats for every home game during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tuesday's rally towels are presented by T-Mobile and will be prepared for fans when the doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT. Those with a ticket to the game are encouraged to download the Stadium FX mobile application on their iPhone or Android device to become part of the team's immersive experience during the pregame show. The Golden Knights will host official watch parties for Game 3 and Game 4 when Vegas travels to Winnipeg. Additional details regarding the watch parties will be announced later. Official playoff merchandise is available for purchase now at The Arsenal at City National Arena.
TRAFFIC UPDATE
The Nevada Department of Transportation's I-15 Tropicana Project will have a major impact on many fans' travel to games at T-Mobile Arena. Road, ramp and lane closures will change throughout the two-and-a-half year project. The Vegas Golden Knights encourage fans to arrive early and stay late for games, but with some closures fans' typical routes to the arena will not be available. Please visit
vgk.io/i15Trop
for more information. Fans can also use traffic mobile apps like Waze which will be updated with road and ramp closures.
SERIES PREVIEW
The Golden Knights finished the regular season as Pacific Division Champions and atop the Western Conference with a 51-22-9 record and 111 points. The Winnipeg Jets finished as the second Wild Card team behind the Seattle Kraken with a 46-33-3 record and 95 points. Vegas went 3-0-0 against Winnipeg in the regular season. The three wins consisted of a 5-2 win on Oct. 20, a 2-1 win on Oct. 30 and a 6-5 win on Dec. 15. Vegas and Winnipeg have met in the postseason once before as the Golden Knights defeated the Jets in five games in the 2018 Western Conference Final.
VGK PLAYOFF HISTORY
2017-18
First Round: Vegas Golden Knights defeated Los Angeles Kings in four games
Second Round: Vegas Golden Knights defeated San Jose Sharks in six games
Western Conference Final: Vegas Golden Knights defeated Winnipeg Jets in five games
Stanley Cup Final: Washington Capitals defeated Vegas Golden Knights in five games
2018-19
First Round: San Jose Sharks defeated Vegas Golden Knights in seven games
2019-20
First Round: Vegas Golden Knights defeated Chicago Blackhawks in five games
Second Round: Vegas Golden Knights defeated Vancouver Canucks in seven games
Western Conference Final: Dallas Stars defeated Vegas Golden Knights in five games
2020-21
First Round: Vegas Golden Knights defeated Minnesota Wild in seven games
Second Round: Vegas Golden Knights defeated Colorado Avalanche in six games
Western Conference Final: Montreal Canadiens defeated Vegas Golden Knights in six games
SEASON SERIES
On Oct. 20 at T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights were victorious in a 5-2 win over the Jets. They scored four consecutive goals in the first period from Jack Eichel, who scored twice, William Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson. In the second, Pierre Luc-Dubois got Winnipeg on the board to make it a 4-1 game. Neal Pionk then scored in the third to make it 4-2. Jonathan Marchessault found the back of the net with just 22 seconds remaining in the game to win it for the Golden Knights, 5-2. Adin Hill made 26 saves in the win.
Both teams met again on Oct. 30 at T-Mobile Arena. The first and second periods went scoreless until Adam Lowry opened the scoring in the third for Winnipeg. Mark Stone tied things at 1-1 halfway through the period. With just seven seconds remaining in overtime, Eichel scored the winner to lift the Golden Knights past Winnipeg, 2-1. Hill made 23 saves on 24 shots.
On Dec. 15, the clubs met up for the final time of the regular season at Canada Life Centre. It was a high-scoring game, with Vegas walking away with a 6-5 victory. Halfway through the first, Mark Scheifele got things started for Winnipeg, making it 1-0. Two minutes later, Daniil Miromanov scored his first NHL goal to tie the game at 1-1 for the Golden Knights. Stone then put Vegas ahead, 2-1, with just two seconds remaining in the first period. In the middle frame, Morgan Barron tied the game at 2-2. Stone scored his second goal of the game four minutes later to give the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead. With a few minutes left in the period, Sam Gagner tied the game at 3-3. In the third period, Scheifele scored his second goal of the game on the power play to give the Jets a 4-3 lead. Jonathan Marchessault then responded by scoring two goals in a row on the power play. The Golden Knights were now ahead 5-4. With less than two minutes remaining in the period, William Karlsson extended Vegas' lead to 6-4. Then, with two second left in the game, Scheifele secured a hat trick to make it a one-goal game, but Vegas held on for the 6-5 win. Adin Hill stopped 29 of 34 shots.
AROUND THE NHL
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets (Series tied, 0-0)
Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken (Series tied, 0-0)
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers (Los Angeles leads, 1-0)
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild (Minnesota leads, 1-0)
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers (Boston leads, 1-0)
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders (Carolina leads, 1-0)
New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers (Series tied, 0-0)
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (Series tied, 0-0)
KEYS TO THE GAME
Home advantage: Vegas gets to play Game 1 and Game 2 on home ice, which is a huge advantage since travel is out of the equation until later in the week. It's vital the Golden Knights try to win both at home so they have leeway once they head to Winnipeg.
O Captain! My Captain!: Stone hasn't been in the lineup since Jan. 12 after receiving back surgery. Having the captain back with the team just in time for a playoff run is a great boost for the team on and off the ice. The Golden Knights should come out firing on all cylinders knowing an important piece of their lineup is there to help them along the way.
