Morning Skate Report: March 19, 2024

The Vegas Golden Knights (36-24-7) continue their homestand against the Tampa Bay Lightning (36-25-6) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460

NOTES
Since the 2017-18 season, the Golden Knights and Lightning are the only two teams in the NHL that have earned at least 10 series wins in the playoffs (VGK 11, TBL 13), four conference final appearances, and multiple appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.

Jonathan Marchessault will play in his 500^th game as a member of the Golden Knights - the first to hit that mark in franchise history.

Tuesday’s game is the second and final meeting between Vegas and Tampa Bay this season. The Lightning skated away with a 5-4 win when the teams last met on Dec. 21 at Amalie Arena.

The Golden Knights are 4–5-1 in their last 10 contests, while the Lightning have gone 6-3-1.

VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jonathan Marchessault – six goals away from tying the franchise single-season goal record (William Karlsson, 43); one game away from 500 games as a Golden Knight

CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Ivan Barbashev – two goals away from 100 career goals
Jack Eichel – three points away from 500 career points; four assists away from 300 career assists
Shea Theodore – four points away from 300 career points

VGK LEADING SCORERS
Jonathan Marchessault – 58 points (37G, 21A)
Mark Stone – 53 points (16G, 37A)
Jack Eichel – 51 points (21G, 30A)
William Karlsson – 46 points (24G, 22A)
Chandler Stephenson – 41 points (14G, 27A)
Noah Hanifin — 39 points (11G, 28A)

LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights defeated the New Jersey Devils, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena. After two scoreless periods, the Devils struck first 38 seconds into the final frame, going up 1-0. William Carrier then tied the game at 1-1 less than three minutes later. Jack Eichel notched the go-ahead goal for Vegas and William Karlsson secured the victory with an empty-net goal for the 3-1 final.

2023-24 SEASON SERIES
Tampa won the first matchup between the two clubs in a 5-4 victory on Dec. 21 at Amalie Arena. Jonathan Marchessault scored twice, while Ivan Barbashev and Paul Cotter scored once in the loss.

OPPOSITION UPDATE
Entering Tuesday’s game, the Lightning are on a three-game win streak having defeated the Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. They hold a 36-25-6 record with 78 points which places them at fourth in the Atlantic Division. Nikita Kucherov leads the club in points with 114 (40G, 74A). Kucherov also takes second place in the league with his point total, trailing only Nathan MacKinnon (42G, 74A). Ahead of the trade deadline, Tampa acquired Anthony Duclair and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the San Jose Sharks.

A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
-Mark the 304th win in franchise history
-Improve the Golden Knights' all-time record against the Lightning to 8-4-0
-Give Vegas 81 points on the season

KEYS TO THE GAME
Urgency: Coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned after previous losses that the Golden Knights need to play with more urgency. After Sunday’s win over the Devils, Alex Pietrangelo pointed out that the team demonstrated just that. “If you play with that urgency, skill will take over.” Pietrangelo said postgame. “I felt like we had that tonight.”

Depth scoring: William Carrier scored the tying goal for Vegas on Sunday, which was the turning point of the game. With Carrier’s recent return and the fourth line back intact, the Golden Knights can look to get back to the advantages of an almost fully healthy lineup, as well as seeing production from their bottom six.

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