BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
Watch Party: Tap Sports Bar at Excalibur Hotel and Casino - 3850 S Las Vegas BLVD
NOTES
Thursday's game is the second of a five-game trip for the Golden Knights. They'll face the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers on the voyage.
Vegas is 0-1-0 so far on the road trip after losing 2-1 to the Panthers on Tuesday night.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights were defeated by the Panthers, 2-1, on Tuesday night at FLA Live Arena. Ryan Lomberg scored just four minutes into the first period to put the Panthers up 1-0. In the middle frame, Aleksander Barkov extended Florida's lead to 2-0. Despite a goal from Shea Theodore halfway through the period, the Golden Knights were unable to secure two points.
SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights won their last outing against Tampa, 5-4, on Feb. 18 at T-Mobile Arena. Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals, while Brett Howden, Shea Theodore and Nicolas Roy scored one apiece in the win.
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Chandler Stephenson - 50 points (12G, 38A)
Jack Eichel - 49 points (23G, 26A)
Reilly Smith - 42 points (21G, 21A)
Jonathan Marchessault - 42 points (19G, 23A)
William Karlsson - 40 points (11G, 29A)
Mark Stone- 38 points (17G, 21A)
Alex Pietrangelo - 35 points (8G, 27A)
Shea Theodore - 35 points (8G, 27A)
MILESTONE WATCH
William Karlsson - three games away from 600 NHL games
Jonathan Quick - three wins away from tying John Vanbiesbrouck for 2nd all-time wins (374) by a U.S. Born goaltender
Teddy Blueger - seven points away from 100 NHL points
Reilly Smith - five goals away from 200 NHL goals
Shea Theodore - eight assists away from 200 NHL assists
PACIFIC DIVISION PICTURE
Vegas Golden Knights - 38-20-6, 82 points
Los Angeles Kings - 37-20-8, 82 points
Seattle Kraken - 37-21-6, 80 points
Edmonton Oilers - 35-22-8, 78 points
Calgary Flames - 29-23-13, 71 points
Vancouver Canucks - 27-32-5, 59 points
Anaheim Ducks - 21-35-9, 51 points
San Jose Sharks - 19-34-12, 50 points
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Lightning sit third in the Atlantic Division with a 38-21-5 record and 81 points. They are 3-5-2 in their last 10 outings, most recently winning 5-2 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Nikita Kucherov leads the club in points with 91 (25G, 66A). Brayden Point is second in points with 74 (39G, 35A) and Steven Stamkos follows with 65 (27G, 38A).
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 255th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 7-3-0 record against Tampa Bay all time
- Improve the Golden Knights' record against Eastern Conference teams this season to 19-8-2
KEYS TO THE GAME
Offensive production: The Golden Knights only scored one goal against the Panthers. Tampa is third in the league in goals scored per game (3.48). Vegas must find their groove offensively to power past Tampa's high scorers.
Penalty kill: Tampa has the second best power play percentage in the league at 26.2%. The Golden Knights must come out strong on the penalty kill to avoid giving up too much in their own end.
