NOTES
Vegas placed head coach Pete DeBoer and forward Brett Howden on the COVID-19 protocol list Monday. Forward Evgenii Dadonov and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo were placed on the list on Dec. 21.
The Golden Knights had their games on Dec. 23 and Dec. 27 postponed in accordance with a league-wide pause for COVID-19 protocols. Ticket holders to those games will have received email communication from the Golden Knights regarding their tickets for those games.
Tuesday's game is the first home game for the Kings played at the newly renamed Crypto.com Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: FOX Sports 98.9/1340
WATCH PARTY
Fans are invited to attend the official watch party at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on the ice rink. Members of the Vegas Golden Knights cast will be there to enjoy the game with fans.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights had their five-game win streak snapped by the Tampa Bay Lightning ibn a 4-3 loss last Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena. Mark Stone scored twice for Vegas while Nicolas Roy also found the back of the net. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 38 saves to help Tampa Bay erase a 3-1 deficit and take the win.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Kings head into Tuesday's game winners of four of their last six games. Los Angeles has a 14-11-5 record and 33 points to sit fifth in the Pacific Division. The league-wide holiday pause saw the Kings miss games against Vegas (Dec. 23) and Arizona (Dec. 27).
Anze Kopitar has posted a team-high 27 points (9G, 18A) through 30 games with 10 of his points coming on the power play. Alex Iafallo ranks second with 19 points (9G, 10A) while Adrian Kempe leads the club with 12 goals.
SEASON SERIES
Vegas traveled to Los Angeles for the first road game of the season on Oct. 14 and suffered a 6-2 loss to the Kings. Shea Theodore and Chandler Stephenson both scored for Vegas in the loss while Anze Kopitar had a hat trick for Los Angeles. The teams were scheduled to meet again Dec. 23 but the game was postponed in accordance with league protocols.
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Chandler Stephenson - 31 points (9G, 22A)
Reilly Smith - 24 points (10G, 14A)
Mark Stone - 23 points (6G, 17A)
Shea Theodore - 22 points (6G, 16A)
Alex Pietrangelo - 22 points (5G, 17A)
Jonathan Marchessault - 21 points (14G, 7A)
Max Pacioretty - 21 points (12G, 9A)
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 194th win in franchise history
- Level the season series with the Kings at 1-1-0
KEYS TO THE GAME
Sound Defense: The Kings posted six goals in the only other meeting between these teams this season. It was one of two games this year where the Golden Knights have allowed six goals. Shutting the LA offense down is essential.
Shake Off the Rust: Vegas hasn't been on the ice since last Tuesday's game against the Lightning. The team will have used morning skate in LA to prepare for the game and will need to be sharp from the drop of the puck when the game begins.
