Morning Skate Report: Feb. 23, 2023

The Vegas Golden Knights (34-18-5) are back on home ice as they face the Calgary Flames (27-20-11) on Thursday at 6 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPN
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
TRAFFIC UPDATE
The Nevada Department of Transportation's I-15 Tropicana Project will have a major impact on many fans' travel to games at T-Mobile Arena. Road, ramp and lane closures will change throughout the two-and-a-half year project. The Vegas Golden Knights encourage fans to arrive early and stay late for games, but with some closures fans' typical routes to the arena will not be available. Please visit
vgk.io/i15Trop
for more information. Fans can also use traffic mobile apps like Waze which will be updated with road and ramp closures.
NOTES
Sunday's game is the second of four games this season between Vegas and Calgary.
The Golden Knights have a 7-0-0 record all-time on home ice against the Flames.
SEASON SERIES
The first meeting of the season between Vegas and Calgary was on Oct. 18 in which the Flames defeated the Golden Knights, 3-2. William Carrier and Brett Howden were the only goal scorers for Vegas in the loss.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights were defeated in the shootout, 3-2, by the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday at the United Center. Keegan Kolesar and Jack Eichel scored for Vegas, but a late game-tying goal from Tyler Johnson set the stage for Chicago's shootout win.
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Chandler Stephenson - 48 points (12G, 36A)
Jack Eichel - 40 points (18G, 22A)
Reilly Smith - 38 points (19G, 19A)
Mark Stone - 38 points (17G, 21A)
William Karlsson - 38 points (11G, 27A)
Jonathan Marchessault - 36 points (17G, 19A)
Alex Pietrangelo - 34 points (7G, 27A)
MILESTONE WATCH
Adin Hill - three games away from 100 NHL games
Nicolas Hague - two games away from 200 NHL games
Chandler Stephenson - four games away from 400 NHL games
William Karlsson - 10 games away from 600 NHL games
William Carrier - three points away from 100 NHL points
Jonathan Marchessault - three points away from 400 NHL points
Reilly Smith - seven goals away from 200 NHL goals
PACIFIC DIVISION PICTURE
Vegas Golden Knights - 32-18-5, 73 points
Los Angeles Kings - 32-19-7, 71 points
Seattle Kraken - 32-19-6, 70 points
Edmonton Oilers - 31-19-8, 70 points
Calgary Flames - 27-20-11, 65 points
Vancouver Canucks - 22-30-5, 49 points
San Jose Sharks - 18-29-11, 47 points
Anaheim Ducks - 17-34-7, 41 points
OPPOSITION UPDATE
Entering Thursday's game, the Flames are in fifth place in the Pacific Division with 65 points and a 27-20-11 record. They are 4-4-2 in their last 10 outings, most recently winning 6-3 against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night. Tyler Toffoli (24G, 27A) and Elias Lindholm (17G, 34A) lead the club in scoring with 51 points each. Nazem Kadri is ranked second in points with 42 (21G, 21A).
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 251st win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 11-5-0 record against Calgary all-time and an 8-0-0 record on home ice against the Flames
KEYS TO THE GAME
Goaltending:Calgary has struggled in net this season. Jacob Markstrom has a 2.93 GAA and .889% save percentage. Dan Vladar has a 2.85 GAA and a .899% save percentage. Vegas can use this as an opportunity get their offensive flow back.
Division rival: The Flames are eight points behind Vegas in the standings, but as we approach the end of February, every point is crucial. The Golden Knights should secure two points against every division rival for the remainder of the season to keep them atop the division standings.