The Vegas Golden Knights (15-6-9) close out their five-game road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets (13-12-6) at Nationwide Arena on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
NOTES
Mark Stone has 24 points (6G, 18A) in 14 games this season and is the only NHL player with at least one point in every appearance.
Jack Eichel leads the league in multi-point road games (9) and has recorded two points in each of the four games on this trip (1G, 7A).
Ivan Barbashev has points in four of the last five games (3G, 2A).
The Golden Knights are on a six-game point streak (5-0-1).
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Nine points away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Colton Sissons – Four goals away from 100 career goals
Jack Eichel – Four assists away from 400 career assists
Shea Theodore – Six games away from 600 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 40 points (12G, 28A)
Mitch Marner – 29 points (6G, 23A)
Ivan Barbashev – 25 points (11G, 14A)
Mark Stone – 24 points (6G, 18A)
Tomas Hertl – 22 points (13G, 9A)
BY THE NUMBERS
11 – Braeden Bowman’s 11 points (5G, 6A) are tied for the second most among all NHL rookies since his debut on Nov. 11.
24 – Mark Stone recorded his 24th game-winning goal with the Golden Knights on Thursday and ranks third all time for the franchise.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights have earned seven out of eight points during this Metropolitan Division road trip after knocking off the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, in overtime on Thursday. Mark Stone scored two goals, first in the second period on the power play before sealing the win with just over two minutes remaining in overtime. Jack Eichel recorded helpers on each of Stone's goals to extend his multi-point streak to four games. Zach Whitecloud notched his first goal of the season in the opening frame as Ivan Barbashev and Braeden Bowman collected assists on the play. Trevor Zegras and Noah Juulsen found the net for Philadelphia, but Akira Schmid stood tall for Vegas, saving 17-of-19 shots.
2024-25 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights split their two meetings with the Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season. Vegas first hosted Columbus on Jan. 30 at T-Mobile Arena and fell, 2-1, in overtime. Tomas Hertl scored the lone goal for the Golden Knights, extending his point streak to 11 games, the second longest in franchise history. The two teams met again on March 13 at Nationwide Arena, where the Golden Knights responded with a 4-0 shutout win. Vegas was boosted by goals from Brandon Saad, Pavel Dorofeyev and Alex Pietrangelo, and a two-assist outing from Hertl. Goaltender Adin Hill stopped all 27 shots he saw on his way to his fourth shutout of the season and 11th of his career.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Columbus Blue Jackets currently sit in last place of the Metropolitan Division with a 13-12-6 record and 32 points through 31 games this season. They enter Saturday on a four-game slide after winning their first two games to open December and hold the Eastern Conference’s worst goal-differential (-15). Columbus is led offensively by Zach Werenski, whose 32 points (9G, 23A) is second in the NHL among all defensemen. Kirill Marchenko follows Werenski with 26 points (10G, 16A), and Dmitri Voronkov with 22 points (12G, 10A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 15-6-9, 39 points
Anaheim Ducks – 19-11-1, 39 points
Los Angeles Kings – 14-8-8, 36 points
Edmonton Oilers – 14-11-6, 34 points
San Jose Sharks – 15-14-3, 33 points
Seattle Kraken – 12-11-6, 30 points
Calgary Flames – 12-16-4, 28 points
Vancouver Canucks – 11-17-3, 25 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 377th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 8-6-1 all-time record against the Blue Jackets
- Give the Golden Knights nine of a possible 10 points thus far on the road trip
KEYS TO THE GAME
Depth Scoring: Four of the Golden Knights’ last five games have been decided by a single goal, highlighting the importance of contributions throughout the lineup. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy emphasized that secondary scoring is often the different in tight matchups like these. “If you’re going to win these games and turn one-goal games into overtime wins, you’re going to need some [secondary scoring],” Cassidy said.
Manage the Middle: Columbus generates much of its offense off the rush and through quick plays between the dots, making control of the middle of the ice a priority for Vegas. Clean puck management between the blue lines and strong gap control will be key for the Golden Knights in limiting transition chances, clogging seams and forcing Columbus to play an uncomfortable brand of hockey.
