The Vegas Golden Knights (18-11-12) battle the Columbus Blue Jackets (18-17-7) for the second and final time this season on Thursday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
NOTES
Mark Stone extended his goal streak to five games on Tuesday in Winnipeg to set a new career high.
Jack Eichel collected his 400th career assist on the game-winning goal on Tuesday. The forward became the fourth player from the 2015 NHL Draft class and ninth player born in Massachusetts to reach the mark.
The Golden Knights own a record of 6-3-1 in their last 10 meetings with Columbus.
Brett Howden skates into Thursday with a three-game point streak, posting three points (1G, 2A).
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Tomas Hertl – Three points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
Jack Eichel – Four points away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
Brett Howden - Ten games away from 300 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Colton Sissons – Two goals away from 100 career goals
Keegan Kolesar – Two games away from 400 career games
Mitch Marner – Two games away from 700 career games
Pavel Dorofeyev - Ten games away from 200 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 43 points (12G, 31A)
Mitch Marner – 42 points (9G, 33A)
Mark Stone – 34 points (13G, 21A)
Tomas Hertl – 32 points (16G, 16A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 30 points (16G, 14A)
Ivan Barbashev – 30 points (12G, 18A)
BY THE NUMBERS
30:49 – Noah Hanifin recorded a career-high 30:49 TOI against the Jets on Tuesday.
53.8 – The Golden Knights own the fourth-best face-off win percentage in the defensive zone at 53.8%.
88 – Mark Stone has recorded a point in 88% of games he’s played in this season, tallying 34 points (13G, 21A).
650 – Jack Eichel became one of 12 American players in NHL history to reach 400 career assists in 650 games played or fewer (650 GP).
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights overcame a two-goal deficit and defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 4-3, in overtime on Tuesday at Canada Life Centre. Cole Perfetti and Luke Schenn each scored a goal to put the Jets up 2-0. Mark Stone cut Winnipeg’s lead in half with 51 seconds remaining in the second period. Brett Howden evened the score at two eight minutes into the final frame to erase the two-goal deficit. Kyle Connor put the Jets back in front, but less than a minute later, Reilly Smith tied the game once again to send the contest to overtime. With 13 seconds remaining, Tomas Hertl was credited with the tip-in goal on a shot from Mitch Marner to earn Vegas it's fifth straight road win against Winnipeg.
SEASON SERIES
Vegas and Columbus previously met on Dec. 13 at Nationwide Arena when the Golden Knights skated to a 3-2 victory. Charlie Coyle scored the lone goal of the first period seven minutes into the game to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead. Pavel Dorofeyev tallied his 13th power-play goal just 41 seconds into the middle frame to even the score. Egor Chinakov scored for Columbus early in the third period, but Ben Hutton and Brayden McNabb's goals lifted Vegas to the 3-2 win. Mitch Marner factored on all of the goals for the Golden Knights, tallying three assists. Carter Hart earned the win in net, turning aside 26 of the 28 shots he faced and held a .929 save percentage in the win.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Blue Jackets face the Golden Knights sitting last in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 18-17-7 and 43 points. Thursday’s matchup for the Blue Jackets will be the second game of a four-game road trip. The club started their road trip with a 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Columbus opened 2026 ending the Buffalo Sabres 10-game win streak in a 5-1 victory at home on Saturday, backed up by a 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Zach Wereneski, who will join Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin on Team USA at the 2026 Winter Games, leads the Blue Jackets with 45 points (16G, 29A), followed by Kirill Marchenko with 34 points (15G, 19A), and Dmitri Voronkov with 28 points (15G, 13A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 18-11-12, 48 points
Edmonton Oilers – 21-16-6, 48 points
Seattle Kraken – 20-14-7, 47 points
San Jose Sharks – 22-18-3, 47 points
Los Angeles Kings – 18-14-10, 46 points
Anaheim Ducks – 21-19-3, 45 points
Calgary Flames – 18-21-4, 40 points
Vancouver Canucks – 16-21-5, 37 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 380th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 9-6-1 all-time record against the Blue Jackets
- Give the Golden Knights a 5-2-1 record against the Blue Jackets at T-Mobile Arena
KEYS TO THE GAME
Build on the Success: After the comeback win in Winnipeg, Noah Hanifin said that the effort uplifted the team’s overall spirit. The defenseman wants to carry those high spirits going forward as the team returns home. Building off the success in Winnipeg will keep the team moving in the right direction.
Control Special Teams: The Golden Knights started their comeback on Tuesday with a power-play goal from Mark Stone in the second period. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy said that the goal brought the team back to life and gave them confidence knowing that they were still in the game. Controlling special teams will create an advantage over the Blue Jackets, whose power play sits at 20th in the league and penalty kill sits at 29th.
