BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
NOTES
Thursday's game is the first meeting of the 2022-2023 season between the Golden Knights and Penguins.
This is Vegas' second of a four-game east coast road trip. The stops remaining include Pittsburgh, Detroit and Boston.
The Golden Knights hold a 3-5-0 all-time record against Pittsburgh.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, in a shootout thanks to Paul Cotter's goal on Monday at Nationwide Arena. William Karlsson and William Carrier gave Vegas an early 2-0 lead in the first period, but Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner eventually tied things up for Columbus, forcing overtime. The shootout lasted seven rounds, before Cotter finally snagged the winner. It was the rookie's first NHL shootout attempt. Logan Thompson made 26 saves on 28 shots and stopped six shootout attempts.
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel - 26 points (11G, 15A)
Alex Pietrangelo - 21 points (3G, 18A)
Chandler Stephenson - 19 points (6G, 13A)
Mark Stone - 18 points (9G, 9A)
Jonathan Marchessault - 18 points (8G, 10A)
Shea Theodore - 17 points (3G, 14A)
Reilly Smith - 16 points (10G, 6A)
William Karlsson - 16 points (6G, 10A)
MILESTONE WATCH
Mark Stone - six points away from 500 points
William Karlsson - twelve assists away from 100 assists
PACIFIC DIVISION PICTURE
Vegas Golden Knights - 17-6-1, 35 points
Seattle Kraken - 14-5-3, 31 points
Los Angeles Kings - 12-9-4, 28 points
Edmonton Oilers - 13-10-0, 26 points
Calgary Flames - 10-9-3, 23 points
Vancouver Canucks - 9-11-3, 21 points
San Jose Sharks - 8-14-4, 20 points
Anaheim Ducks - 6-15-2, 14 points
OPPOSITION UPDATE
Entering Thursday's game against Vegas, the Penguins hold fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 26 points and a record of 11-8-4. They have lost their last two games as they fell 3-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes and 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before the last two losses, they were on a five-game win streak dating back to Nov. 17th. Sidney Crosby is Pittsburgh's scoring leader, holding 31 points (12G, 19A). Jake Guentzel's 21 points (11G, 10A) rank second while Evgeni Malkin's 20 points (8G, 12A) put him third. During the 2021-2022 season, Pittsburgh clinched the playoffs with third place in the division and 103 points. They were eliminated in the opening round in seven games by the New York Rangers.
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 234th win in franchise history
- Give Vegas its 4th win all time against Pittsburgh
KEYS TO THE GAME
Strong offense:Vegas is eighth in the NHL for goals-per-game while Pittsburgh is ninth. It will be a tough battle between both team's goal scorers, so scoring first and getting back to all four lines contributing will be important to secure two points.
Penalty kill:The Penguins have a top-10 penalty kill in the NHL at 81.9 percent. Vegas has struggled in the department with a 74.6 percent efficiency to rank 23rd. The Golden Knights need to avoid the penalty box to prevent Pittsburgh from capitalizing on the man advantage.
