Morning Skate Report: March 12, 2023

The Vegas Golden Knights (40-20-6) take on the St. Louis Blues (29-31-5) in the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday at 4 p.m. PT at the Enterprise Center.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
NOTES
Sunday's game is the fourth of a five-game road trip for the Golden Knights. Vegas will face the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday to close out the trek.
The Golden Knights are 2-1-0 on the road trip after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0 on Saturday night.
According to Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, goaltender Jiri Patera is slated to make his NHL debut on Sunday.
Ivan Barbashev is slated to return to St. Louis for the first time since being traded by the Blues.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vegas Golden Knights shutout the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0 on Saturday night at PNC Arena. Jonathan Marchessault kicked things off in the first period with his 20th of the season. Late in the second, Reilly Smith tacked on his own to extend the Golden Knights' lead by two. In the final frame, a Paul Cotter tally was followed by a Brett Howden empty-net goal to secure the 4-0 victory for the Golden Knights. Jonathan Quick earned his first shutout with the Vegas after he stopped all 33 of Carolina's shots.
SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights are 1-1-0 against the St. Louis Blues this season. Last time both teams met was on December 23 when Vegas defeated the Blues 5-4 in a shootout. Alex Pietrangelo, Mark Stone, Michael Amadio, and Chandler Stephenson were the goal scorers in the victory.
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Chandler Stephenson - 52 points (13G, 39A)
Jack Eichel - 50 points (23G, 27A)
Reilly Smith - 44 points (22G, 22A)
Jonathan Marchessault - 44 points (20G, 24A)
William Karlsson - 42 points (12G, 30A)
Mark Stone - 38 points (17G, 21A)
Alex Pietrangelo - 38 points (8G, 30A)
Shea Theodore - 36 points (8G, 28A)
MILESTONE WATCH
Jonathan Quick - one win away from tying John Vanbiesbrouck for 2nd all-time wins (374) by a U.S. Born goaltender
William Karlsson - one game away from 600 NHL games
Teddy Blueger - five points away from 100 NHL points
Reilly Smith - four goals away from 200 NHL goals
Shea Theodore - seven assists away from 200 NHL assists
PACIFIC DIVISION PICTURE
Vegas Golden Knights - 40-20-6, 86 points
Los Angeles Kings - 38-20-9, 85 points
Seattle Kraken - 37-22-7, 81 points
Edmonton Oilers - 36-23-8, 80 points
Calgary Flames - 29-24-13, 71 points
Vancouver Canucks - 28-32-5, 61 points
Anaheim Ducks - 22-35-9, 53 points
San Jose Sharks - 19-36-12, 50 points
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The St. Louis Blues are ranked sixth in the Central Division with a record of 29-31-5 with 63 points. They are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games having most recently defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Jordan Kyrou leads the Blues in scoring with 57 points (26G, 31A) with Pavel Buchnevich in second with 56 (20G, 36A). Justin Faulk leads all Blues defensemen in scoring with 33 points (8G, 25A).
GOALTENDING REPORT
Vegas Golden Knights: In 34 games played, Jonathan Quick has a record of 14-13-4, a save percentage of .883, and a goals-against average of 3.35. In three games played for the Golden Knights, Quick has a record of 3-0-0, a save percentage of .939, and a GAA of 1.97. Jiri Patera was recalled from the Henderson Silver Knights and has yet to make his NHL debut. In the AHL, Patera has a record of 12-13-1 a .916 save percentage, and a 2.66 GAA.
St. Louis Blues: Jordan Binnington has a record of 22-23-5, a .894 save percentage, and a 3.31 GAA. Thomas Greiss has a record of 7-8-0, a .903 save percentage, and a 3.42 GAA. Greiss stopped 37 out of 39 shots in St. Louis' 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
-Mark the 257th win in franchise history
-Give the Golden Knights a 13-9-1 record against St. Louis all time
-Improve the Golden Knights' record against Central Division teams this season to 13-5-2.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Scoring Advantage:The St. Louis Blues give up the fifth most goals in the league with 3.66 goals allowed per game. The Golden Knights should be able to take advantage of this especially given their recent offensive surge.

Every point counts:With the Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, and Edmonton Oilers all dropping points in their most recent outings, The Golden Knights have the opportunity to create some separation in the Pacific Division with a win.