BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: AT&T SportsNet (pregame show at 5:30 p.m.)
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 (pregame show at 5 p.m.)
Watch Party: Nacho Daddy 9560 W Sahara Ave
LAST TIME OUT
Mark Stone (2G, 1A) and William Karlsson (1G, 2A) each had three points to lead the Golden Knights to a 5-1 win against the St. Louis Blues on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena. Keegan Kolesar scored his first NHL goal as Vegas improved to 3-0-1 against St. Louis this year.
TOP PERFORMERS
Mark Stone: Stone has 21 points (8G, 13A) in his last 12 games and leads the team with 38 points (12G, 26A) on the year.
Max Pacioretty: Pacioretty is the team's leading goal scorer with 16 goals to go with 14 assists.
Shea Theodore: Theodore is the team's top-scoring defenseman with 24 points (5G, 19A) in 27 games played.
Alex Tuch: Tuch ranks second on the team in goals with 13 tallies.
Jonathan Marchessault: Marchessault has chipped in with 23 points (9G, 14A).
2020-21 SEASON SERIES
Vegas has faced Colorado four times in 2020-21 and has a 2-2-0 record. The season series opened with a 1-0 victory for the Golden Knights on Feb. 14 at T-Mobile Arena. Colorado bounced back with a 3-2 win two nights later as Nazem Kadri scored the game-winning goal in the final minute of regulation. The Avalanche picked up another 3-2 victory on the shores of Lake Tahoe on Feb. 20, but the Golden Knights won the most recent matchup, 3-0, on Feb. 22. William Karlsson leads the Golden Knights in scoring against the Avalanche this year with four points (4A).
OPPOSITION UPDATE
Colorado has a 7-1-2 record in its last 10 games and is two points back of Vegas in the Honda West Division race heading into Thursday's action. The Avalanche had its seven-game win streak halted by Arizona on Tuesday, but the team hasn't lost in regulation since March 8. Mikko Rantanen's strong campaign has him atop the team leaderboard with 38 points (19G, 19A) while Nathan MacKinnon has posted 35 points (10G, 25A).
WESTERN ROUNDUP
Vegas Golden Knights (22-7-1), 45 points
Colorado Avalanche (20-8-3), 43 points
Minnesota Wild (20-10-1), 41 points
St. Louis Blues (16-11-5), 37 points
Arizona Coyotes (14-14-5), 33 points
Los Angeles Kings (13-13-6), 32 points
San Jose Sharks (13-14-4), 30 points
Anaheim Ducks (9-19-6), 24 points
VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM SCRATCHES
Stay tuned to the Golden Knights on Twitter for updates on the lineup.
KEYS TO THE GAME PRESENTED BY TOYOTA
Two Points at a Time: Vegas and Colorado are the top two contenders for the Honda West Division title. With obvious playoff implications at play, both teams want to just focus on getting two points Thursday and worry about crossing other bridges when they come to them.
Strong Return: The Golden Knights have been off since Monday which feels like an eternity in this condensed season. It's unlikely that Vegas would have rust to shake off, but it is important the team gets going quickly.
