The Vegas Golden Knights (29-22-14) will close the season series against the Pittsburgh Penguins (32-17-15) at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m.
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
Jack Eichel is on a three-game point streak (2G, 1A) and has tallied 11 points (4G, 7A) in his last 11 games.
Rasmus Andersson played in his 600th career game on Tuesday evening.
Jeremy Lauzon recorded five hits in Tuesday’s contest and leads all NHL defensemen with 195 hits this season.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Two games away from 300 games as a Golden Knight
Shea Theodore – Four assists away from 300 assists as a Golden Knight
Brett Howden – Six games away from 300 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Colton Sissons – One goal away from 100 career goals
Shea Theodore – Seven points away from 400 career points
Nic Dowd – Eight points away from 200 career points
Ivan Barbashev – Nine points away from 200 career assists
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 72 points (23G, 49A)
Mitch Marner – 65 points (18G, 47A)
Mark Stone – 60 points (21G, 39A)
Tomas Hertl – 54 points (24G, 30A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 51 points (30G, 21A)
BY THE NUMBERS
5 – Brayden McNabb put five shots on goal against the Stars, the most he has recorded this season.
28 – Jack Eichel netted his 28th game-opening goal as a Golden Knight, the most in franchise history.
319 – Tomas Hertl is second in the league for offensive zone face-off wins with 319.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell, 2-1, to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday evening at American Airlines Center. Jack Eichel found the back of the net first, scoring his 23rd goal of the season, with Shea Theodore and Ivan Barbashev picking up assists. The Stars' Oskar Bäck and Jamie Benn then scored two unanswered goals to seal the 2-1 victory over the Golden Knights.
SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights were shut out, 5-0, in their first meeting against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1 at PPG Paints Arena. Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Justin Brazeau scored goals in the win for Pittsburgh. Artur Silovs was in net for the Penguins and turned aside all 22 Golden Knights shots.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Pittsburgh Penguins are second in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 32-17-15 and 79 points. The Penguins are currently on a five-game road trip, with their second stop being in Vegas. Pittsburgh has gone 2-2-2 in its last six contests, with half of the games ending in extra time. At PPG Paints Arena on Sunday, the Penguins beat the Boston Bruins, 5-4, in overtime, and then fell, 5-4, in a shootout against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on Tuesday. Leading the Pittsburgh Penguins is Sidney Crosby with 59 points (27G, 32A), followed by Bryan Rust with 49 points (23G, 26A) and Anthony Mantha with 48 points (24G, 24A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Anaheim Ducks – 36-25-3, 75 points
Edmonton Oilers – 32-25-8, 72 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 29-22-14, 72 points
Seattle Kraken – 29-25-9, 67 points
Los Angeles Kings – 26-23-15, 67 points
San Jose Sharks – 30-26-6, 66 points
Calgary Flames – 25-32-7, 57 points
Vancouver Canucks – 19-37-8, 46 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 391st win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 7-8-1 all-time record against the Penguins
- Give the Golden Knights a 6-2-0 all-time record against the Penguins at T-Mobile Arena
KEYS TO THE GAME
Offensive Execution: The Golden Knights competed hard against the Stars but struggled to generate sustained offensive pressure. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy wants to see the team capitalize on more opportunities around the net, create second-chance looks, and have all five skaters contribute in the offensive zone.
Stay Disciplined: The Golden Knights spent 10 minutes in the penalty box in Tuesday's meeting against the Stars. With the Pittsburgh Penguins ranking fifth in the league in power-play percentage (25.1), Vegas will need to stay out of the box and avoid leaning on their penalty kill to keep the puck out of the net.
