BY THE NUMBERS
3 – The Golden Knights are third place in the Western Conference with 24 points in 18 games played.
7 – Trevor Connelly scored his seventh goal of the season on Thursday, putting him second among all rookies.
23 – Jack Eichel is tied for 12th in the NHL with 23 points, recording three assists in his last two games.
398 – Vegas ranks sixth in the NHL in five-on-five shots on goal with 398.
LAST TIME OUT
Vegas edged past the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, 2-1, when both teams waited until the final period to start the tally. Anton Johansson opened the scoring for Detroit off a loose puck from the end boards. However, two minutes and 18 seconds later, Victor Olofsson got a point in his first game back from injury when he made the tight pass to Braeden Bowman, who used the Detroit defenseman as a screen and ripped the puck past goaltender Daniil Tarasov to tie the game at 1-1. Vegas scored again late in the final period when Trevor Connelly made a toe-drag move around the defender and beat Tarasov with a hard, low shot to seal the win.
2026-27 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights and the Buffalo Sabres met twice last season, with Vegas dropping both encounters. On March 3 at KeyBank Center, Buffalo scored three straight goals to claim a 3-0 lead. Despite efforts from Ivan Barbashev early in the second period to get one back, Vegas fell short, 3-2. Two weeks later, the teams met again at T-Mobile Arena. Josh Doan scored for Buffalo with two minutes left in the first period, and Josh Norris extended the lead in the second en route to a 2-0 final for the Sabres.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Sabres currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 8-5-3 record and are tied for ninth place in the league with 19 points. Vegas will be their third opponent during their four-game homestand. Buffalo recently fell 2-1 to the Ottawa Senators earlier this week but gained a victory, 5-2 over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Center Tage Thompson leads the team with 18 points this season, with 10 goals and eight assists, while Zach Benson leads with 13 assists.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Edmonton Oilers, 12-2-3, 27 points
Vegas Golden Knight, 11-5-2, 24 points
Seattle Kraken, 9-6-1, 19 points
Anaheim Ducks, 9-7-1, 19 points
Calgary Flames, 7-9-1, 15 points
San Jose Sharks, 7-11-1, 15 points
Los Angeles Kings, 5-8-2, 12 points
Vancouver Canucks, 3-15-1, 7 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 413th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights an 8-8-1 all-time record against the Sabres
- Give the Golden Knights a 3-5-1 all-time record at KeyBank Center
KEYS TO THE GAME
Win the Defensive Battle: Head Coach Ryan Craig spoke about prioritizing checking and strong defensive structure to limit the opponent's offensive opportunities. Vegas has talented offensive players who can generate chances off the rush, so strong puck management and limiting turnovers will be critical.
Establish Offensive Zone Pressure: “We have to get to our game by playing as much as possible in the offensive zone,” Jack Eichel said on Saturday. Sustain pressure, spend time in the attacking end, and make the opponent defend rather than allowing them to build momentum in transition.
