Morning Skate Report: Dec. 4, 2023

The Vegas Golden Knights (16-5-4) face the St. Louis Blues (12-10-1) in the first of three matchups this year on Monday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34 (Scripps Sports)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460

NOTESMonday's game is the first meeting of the season betwen Vegas and St. Louis.

VGK captain Mark Stone is on a three-game point streak (2G, 1A).

VGK MILESTONE WATCH

Chandler Stephenson – three points away from 200 as a Golden Knight
William Karlsson – three assists away from 200 as a Golden Knight
William Carrier – five points away from 100 as a Golden Knight

CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Michael Amadio – one point away from 100 career points
Jonathan Marchessault – one goal away from 200 career goals
Zach Whitecloud – three games away from 200 career games

VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 27 points (10G, 17A)
William Karlsson – 23 points (11G, 12A)
Mark Stone – 21 points (7G, 14A)
Shea Theodore – 18 points (4G, 14A)
Jonathan Marchessault – 16 points (11G, 5A)

LAST TIME OUT
The Vegas Golden Knights are coming off a 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals at home on Saturday. Jonathan Marchessault opened the scoring in the first period on a power-play goal, before Jack Eichel tallied a goal in the second on a breakway for the 2-0 lead. Making it 3-0 in the third, Mark Stone put one behind Capitals' goaltender Darcy Kuemper just 49 seconds into the third. Forward Tom Wilson got one back for Washington 15 minutes later, but Marchessault's second goal of the night secured the 4-1 final for Vegas. The Golden Knights improved to 11-0-2 when scoring a power play-goal as Eichel tallied a three-point night (1G, 2A).

2022-23 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights posted a 2-1-0 record against the St. Louis Blue during the 2022-23 campaign. Meeting first on Nov. 12 at T-Mobile Arena, Vegas fell to St. Louis in a 3-2 contest. In December, the two clubs met again on the Vegas Strip as the Golden Knights squeaked out a 5-4 shootout win over the Blues. Golden Knights' goaltender Logan Thompson turned away three of four shot attempts by the Blues as Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone scored to secure the two points. Playing again for the final time of the 2022-23 season at the Enterprise Center, Vegas skated away with the 5-3 win on the road. William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Michael Amadiao, Pavel Dorofeyev, and a last-second goal from Alex Pietrangelo saw the Golden Knights take the game 5-3 and the season series 2-1-0.

OPPOSITION UPDATE
The St. Louis Blues hold a 12-10-1 record coming into Monday's matchup. In their last six games, the Blues are .500, going 3-3-0. They most recently fell to the Arizona Coyotes in a 4-1 contest on the road. They are holding on to the final wild card spot in the West with 25 points, just two more than the Calgary Flames (23). St. Louis' power-play percentage sits at 30th in the league at 10%. Starting goaltender Jordan Binnington is sixth in the league with seven wins and holds a .910 save percentage heading into the matchup.

A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
- Mark the 285th win in franchise history
- Improve the Golden Knight's all-time record versus the Blues to 14-9-1

KEYS TO THE GAME
Back to Who We Are: According to head coach Bruce Cassidy, the biggest change the team has made lately is "getting back to who we are." The checking game, being more focused, playing on our toes, everything that makes the Knights 'Golden' is back on the ice.

Keeping Opposing Shots Low: In their two most recent wins, the Golden Knights have held their opponents to 22 shots. The defense has been firing all year, but when you keep the other team from shooting, you keep them from scoring. The Golden Knights will need to continue the pressure and hold the Blues to fewer shots.