The Vegas Golden Knights (31-25-14) complete their final back-to-back of the season Sunday as they visit the Dallas Stars (43-15-11) at American Airlines Center with puck drop at 4 p.m. PT.
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
Vegas is 5-2-2 on the second half of back-to-backs this season.
Brett Howden is expected to skate in his 300th game as a Golden Knight on Sunday.
Pavel Dorofeyev has tallied 13 points (8G, 5A) over his previous 13 games dating back to the return from the Olympic break.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Brett Howden – One game away from 300 games as a Golden Knight
Shea Theodore – Three assists away from 300 assists as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Mark Stone – Four points away from 700 career points
Shea Theodore – Five points away from 400 career points
Nic Dowd – Seven points away from 200 career points
Ivan Barbashev – Seven assists away from 200 career assists
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 74 points (24G, 50A)
Mitch Marner – 69 points (19G, 50A)
Mark Stone – 62 points (21G, 41A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 57 points (34G, 23A)
Tomas Hertl – 54 points (24G, 30A)
BY THE NUMBERS
18 - Pavel Dorofeyev ranks second in the NHL in power-play goals with 18.
70 – Mitch Marner needs one point to become just the third Golden Knight in franchise history to record 70 points in a debut season with the club, and the first since the inaugural campaign.
81 - Shea Theodore lit the lamp Saturday, pushing his franchise goal total to 81, the most of any defenseman in Golden Knights history and more than double the next closest (Pietrangelo, 39).
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights were downed by the Nashville Predators, 4-1, on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena. Steven Stamkos struck twice, with Ryan O’Reilly and Tyson Jost also finding the net for Nashville in the win. Shea Theodore ended the Predators’ shutout bid with a tally on the power play.
SEASON SERIES
Vegas has faced Dallas twice this season, going 0-1-1 and dropping both decisions by one goal. In their first meeting on Jan. 29 at T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights stormed back with three unanswered goals in the final frame to force overtime before falling in a shootout. Keegan Kolesar and Mitch Marner each posted a goal and an assist, while Reilly Smith and Ivan Barbashev added tallies. In the most recent battle, Dallas earned a tight, 2-1 win at American Airlines Center on March 10. Jack Eichel notched the only goal for Vegas at the start of the second period, but Jake Oettinger saved 25-of-26 shots for Dallas to close the door.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Dallas Stars head into Sunday’s game in second place in the Central Division with a record of 43-15-11 and 97 points, just three shy of the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. Dallas is 7-1-2 in their last 10 outings and coming off consecutive 2-1 losses beyond regulation on a short road trip, falling in a shootout against the Avalanche on Wednesday before dropping the front end of a back-to-back in overtime to the Minnesota Wild. Jason Robertson leads the way for the Stars with 82 points (38G, 44A), followed by Wyatt Johnston with 74 points (37G, 37A) and an NHL-high 22 power-play goals, and Mikko Rantanen with 69 points (20G, 49A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Anaheim Ducks – 38-27-4, 80 points
Edmonton Oilers – 34-28-9, 77 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 31-25-14, 76 points
Los Angeles Kings – 28-25-16, 72 points
Seattle Kraken – 31-29-9, 71 points
San Jose Sharks – 32-30-6, 70 points
Calgary Flames – 28-34-7, 63 points
Vancouver Canucks – 21-40-8, 50 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 393rd win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 13-5-5 all-time record against the Stars
- Give the Golden Knights an 8-3-2 all-time record against Dallas at American Airlines Center
KEYS TO THE GAME
Bounce Back: Vegas dropped the front half of this back-to-back in Nashville, managing just one goal despite doubling up the Predators’ shot total, 40-20. The Golden Knights have proved resilient in the second game of back-to-backs, going 5-2-2 this season, but they’ll need to come out with more urgency and a sharper offensive push to steal a road win against the Western Conference’s second-best record.
Killin’ It: Wyatt Johnston’s NHL-leading 22 power-play goals underscore how dangerous Dallas is with the man advantage, and Vegas can’t afford to hand them opportunities in a crucial stretch. The Golden Knights have allowed only three power-play goals since March 3, tied for the fewest in the league, but will need to stay disciplined to avoid giving the Stars power-play chances.
