Morning Skate Report: February 2, 2019

The Vegas Golden Knights gear up for the second game of a back-to-back as they make their only trip to BB&T Center this season to face the Florida Panthers at 4 p.m. PT Saturday. Fans can tune into AT&T SportsNet and FOX Sports Radio 98.9/1340 for the action.
WATCH PARTY
The Golden Knights are hosting their official watch party at City National Arena. Fans are encouraged to skate on the same ice the team practices on while they enjoy the game on the big screen with fellow fans.
NOTES
This is the first matchup between Vegas and Florida this season. Last year, the Golden Knights went 1-0-1 against the Panthers.
Saturday's game is the second of a four-game road trip for the Golden Knights.
LAST TIME OUT
In their return from the bye week Friday night, the Golden Knights couldn't put together a 60-minute effort and fell to the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-2 at PNC Arena. Shea Theodore scored two goals and Maxime Lagace made 27 saves in his first start of the season.

OPPOSITION UPDATE
Florida enters Saturday's action on a similar note as the Golden Knights. The Panthers opened February on Friday night with a 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators.
The Panthers are 11 points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and have a record of 20-21-8. They occupy sixth place in the Atlantic Division.
Jonathan Huberdeau has scored at just more than a point-per-game pace as he's potted 50 points (13G, 37A) in 49 games. Captain Aleksandr Barkov ranks second on the team with 47 points (17G, 30A) while Mike Hoffman leads the club in goals (23).
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
KEYS TO THE GAME
Short Memories: Friday's loss was a stinger for Vegas, but it will have to quickly move on from that game to play a talented Florida team.
Stay Sharp At Center Ice: The Panthers have some offensive-minded defenseman like Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad who look for stretch passes to lurking forwards. The Golden Knights will have to have their wits about them in the neutral zone to avoid those quick-strike plays.