NOTES
The Golden Knights are playing the third game of a four-game trip Friday night in New York. Vegas has defeated the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils so far and will face the New York Rangers and New York Islanders this week.
Vegas is playing its first game at Madison Square Garden since Dec. 2, 2019.
Friday's game is the second of a back-to-back for the Golden Knights.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: FOX Sports 98.9/1340
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights earned their third win in a row as they knocked off the New Jersey Devils, 5-3, on Thursday night at Prudential Center. William Karlsson (1G, 1A), Jonathan Marchessault (1G, 1A), Dylan Coghlan (1G, 1A) and Reilly Smith (2A) each had two points as Vegas earned its second win of the trip. William Carrier and Nicolas Roy each scored one goal as Roy's tally stood as the game-winning goal.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Rangers have had a similar month to the Golden Knights as they've posted a 6-3-0 record in December to find themselves tied for first in the Metropolitan Division with 41 points and a 19-7-3 record. New York is tied with the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals for the top spot in the division. After falling to the Nashville Predators, 1-0, on home ice Sunday, the Rangers split a two-game trip that featured a 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche and a 3-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes. With a 25 percent efficiency on the power play, New York ranks sixth in the NHL on the man advantage. The Rangers also rank sixth in penalty killing with a PK rate of 84.1 percent.
Artemi Panarin is having another strong season for the Rangers with 33 points (9G, 24A) through 29 games. Reigning Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox has put up 31 points (5G, 26A) from the blueline to lead all defensemen in the NHL in scoring. Chris Kreider is the leading goal getter for the NYR with 17 tallies so far this season. The Rangers are led by former Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant.
WHEN LAST WE MET
Vegas and New York knocked out their season series in the span of a week in early December of the 2019-20 season. After the Golden Knights topped the Rangers, 4-1, at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2, 2019, New York earned the upper hand with a 5-0 win on Dec. 8, 2019, at T-Mobile Arena.
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Chandler Stephenson - 29 points (9G, 20A)
Reilly Smith - 23 points (10G, 13A)
Mark Stone - 21 points (4G, 17A)
Alex Pietrangelo - 21 points (5G, 16A)
Jonathan Marchessault - 20 points (13G, 7A)
Max Pacioretty - 19 points (12G, 7A)
Shea Theodore - 18 points (4G, 14A)
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 192nd win in franchise history
- Bring the Golden Knights to 3-0-0 on this trip
KEYS TO THE GAME
Quick Offense: The Golden Knights scored twice in less than a minute in the third period Thursday night and that second goal proved to be the difference in the game. Piling up goals in rapid succession against a strong Rangers team will go a long way for Vegas.
Scoring From Everywhere: Max Pacioretty, Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone were held without points in New Jersey, but Vegas still found a way to score five goals. The Golden Knights have shown off their depth this season and will need to use it to have a balanced offense at MSG.
