Back at T-Mobile Arena for the middle matchup of a three-game homestand, the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m. PT for the first time this season.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: X 107.9 | 105.7 Maxima
NOTES
Mark Stone completed his second career hat trick as part of Thursday's 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames, and is tied with William Karlsson for third-most multi-point periods in Vegas franchise history.
The Golden Knights are tied for first in the league for goals at 35.
Mitch Marner’s multi-point streak against Calgary is up to seven games with his two assists on Thursday.
Jack Eichel is tied for second in the league scoring race with 16.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – One game away from 700 career games
Nic Dowd – One point away from 200 career points
Brett Howden – Two games away from 500 career games
Marc Gatcomb – Three games away from 100 career games
Brayden McNabb – Four points away from 200 career points
Brayden McNabb – Six games away from 900 career games
Jeremy Lauzon – Seven games away from 400 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 16 points (5G, 11A)
Mark Stone – 11 points (6G, 5A)
Mitch Marner – 9 points (2G, 7A)
Tomas Hertl – 7 points (4G, 3A)
Ivan Barbashev – 7 points (7A)
BY THE NUMBERS
3 – Trevor Connelly’s three goals are tied for first amongst league rookies.
11 – Jack Eichel is second in assists in the NHL with 11.
14 – The Golden Knights lead the league with 14 points.
25 – It took Brett Howden 25 seconds to score in the first period against Calgary on Thursday – the fastest goal to start a game for the Golden Knights this season.
31 – Eichel leads Vegas with 31.12 total miles skated this season.
LAST TIME OUT
Thursday marked a 6-2 at-home success against the Flames for the Golden Knights. Only 25 seconds into the opening frame Brett Howden netted the team’s first goal of many. Jack Eichel secured an unassisted shorthand goal nine minutes later, putting Vegas up by two at the end of the first. In the second, Jake Middleton slashed the Golden Knights lead in half with Calgary’s own shorthanded goal, before Braeden Bowman leveraged the home team's power-play advantage a minute later, extending the margin back to two.
The final period was the Mark Stone show as the Vegas captain scored one minute in, then a second time just over 10 minutes later, and a final third time during a power play, completing his second career hat trick. The Flames made one final push at the end of the contest during their own power play, when Matt Coronato sunk a puck. Stone, Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Ivan Barbashev all recorded multi-point games, and Carter Hart earned his fourth win of the season with a .933 save percentage, turning aside 28 of 30 shots.
2025-26 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights and Penguins met twice last season, splitting the end results in each game. The first matchup came on March 1 at PPG Paints Arena where the Penguins secured a shutout win with five goals. A week and a half later on March 12, the second contest yielded a significantly different outcome than the first. The Golden Knights, back on home ice at T-Mobile Arena, secured a 6-2 win, with Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel, and Brayden McNabb each lighting the lamp. Marner (1G, 1A), Eichel (1G, 1A), and Braedan Bowman (2A) all walked away with multi-point nights, and Adin Hill boasted a .923 save percentage.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
Going into tonight's game, the Penguins hold a 3-4-1 record, placing them sixth in the Metropolitan Division. They're concluding a road back-to-back after battling the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Friday, resulting in a 5-2 loss.
During the offseason, the Penguins added forwards Nicholas Robertson and Thomas Novak plus defenseman Tomas Galvas in July. They also traded defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to the Golden Knights in exchange for fellow blueliner Kaedan Korczak.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights, 7-2-0, 14 points
Edmonton Oilers, 5-1-1, 11 points
Seattle Kraken, 5-2-1, 11 points
Anaheim Ducks, 4-3-0, 8 points
San Jose Sharks, 4-3-0, 8 points
Vancouver Canucks, 2-6-1, 5 points
Los Angeles Kings, 0-3-2, 2 points
Calgary Flames, 1-6-0, 2 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 409th regular season win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights an 8-8-1 all-time record against Pittsburgh
- Give the Golden Knights a 7-2-0 all-time record against Pittsburgh at T-Mobile Arena
KEYS TO THE GAME
Scoring Isn’t Everything: There is much more that goes into a successful hockey game than just scoring. Head Coach Ryan Craig says he’s not worrying about that as much as he is about what goes on away from the puck with regards to support and checking.
Deep Gold Sea: A well-balanced lineup has been the pinnacle of success for the Golden Knights this season. Not overplaying anyone, but still managing to find that sweet spot of all the players getting ice time and contributing will position the team well through the remaining 75 regular-season games.
