Back at T-Mobile Arena for the final matchup of a three-game homestand, the Vegas Golden Knights (8-2-0) take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (6-2-0) at 7:30 p.m. PT for the first time this season.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPN
Pregame Show: The Spot-Vegas 34 & KnightTime+ at 7 p.m.
Radio: X 107.9 | 105.7 Maxima
NOTES
Trevor Connelly scored his fourth goal and seventh point of the season on Saturday, leading all NHL rookies.
Mark Stone is tied for third in the league with seven goals, scoring four in the last two games.
It took Rasmus Andersson 66 seconds to score in the first period against Pittsburgh on Saturday – the second-fastest goal to start a game for the Golden Knights this season.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Nic Dowd – One point away from 200 career points
Brett Howden – One game away from 500 career games
Marc Gatcomb – Two games away from 100 career games
Brayden McNabb – Three points away from 200 career points
Brayden McNabb – Five games away from 900 career games
Jeremy Lauzon – Six games away from 400 career games
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Mitch Marner – Nine games away from 100 games as a Golden Knight
Shea Theodore – Nine games away from 600 games as a Golden Knight
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 18 points (5G, 13A)
Mark Stone – 14 points (7G, 7A)
Mitch Marner – 11 points (2G, 9A)
Tomas Hertl – 7 points (4G, 3A)
Brett Howden – 7 points (4G, 3A)
Trevor Connelly – 7 points (4G, 3A)
Ivan Barbashev – 7 points (7A)
BY THE NUMBERS
1 – Shea Theodore ranks first among all Golden Knights defensemen in franchise history with 389 points (85G, 304A).
4 – Trevor Connelly's four goals are first amongst NHL rookies.
16 – The Golden Knights lead the league with 16 points and eight wins.
18 – Jack Eichel is second in the league scoring race with 18 points.
42 – Vegas leads the NHL with 42 goals scored.
LAST TIME OUT
On Saturday, the Golden Knights recorded a 6-2 win against the Penguins at T-Mobile Arena. Just 66 seconds into the first period, Rasmus Andersson opened the scoring for the first of six, assisted by Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. Nearly three minutes later, Noah Hanifin doubled the lead with the second tally of the game, with Eichel and Stone contributing once again. Late in the opening period, Stone scored with 10 seconds left on the power play to put Vegas up by three, assisted by Trevor Connelly and Mitch Marner.
The Penguins struck back quickly at the start of the second period off a power-play goal, but less than two minutes later, Connelly buried a shot on an unassisted breakaway to put the Golden Knights back up by three once again, with his fourth goal of the season. Shea Theodore then scored on a one-timer for his second of the season, with assists from Brayden McNabb and William Karlsson, to make it 5-1 heading into the final frame.
The third period kicked off with the Penguins scoring their second of the match from Ville Koivunen. However, Vegas closed out the victory with an awarded empty-net goal by Brett Howden. Adin Hill earned his fourth straight victory in net, turning aside 22 shots.
2025-26 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights and Lightning met twice in the 2025-26 regular season, ending in repeated defeat for Vegas. The first matchup came on Oct. 26, 2025 at Benchmark International Arena. William Karlsson netted a game-tying goal in the first period to even the score 1-1. After scoreless second and third periods, Nikita Kucherov tallied 30 seconds into overtime to secure the win for Tampa Bay.
In their second meeting back in Vegas on Nov. 6, a scoring frenzy occurred between the two star-studded squads. In the opening frame, back-to-back goals from Ivan Barbashev gave the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead. Tampa Bay struck back quickly with a pair of their own in three minutes to tie the score 2-2 going into the third period. Mitch Marner scored the only Vegas goal in the final frame, with the Lightning netting three unanswered to take the second victory of the season series 6-3.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
Entering Tuesday's game, the Lightning hold a 6-2-0 record and 12 points, ranking second in the Atlantic Division. Both losses for the Lightning came from the New York Rangers, 5-1 and 4-1. Tampa Bay most recently completed a victorious two-game homestand against the Seattle Kraken, 4-3, and the Vancouver Canucks, 4-2. Brandon Hagel leads the Lightning with 11 points (6G, 5A), followed by Nikita Kucherov with 10 points (3G, 7A), and Jake Guentzel with nine points (4G, 5A). Andrei Vasilevskiy leads Tampa Bay in net with four wins, a 2.53 GAA, and an .886 save percentage.
During the offseason, the Lightning lost players Nick Paul, Darren Raddysh and Jonas Johansson. However, they acquired John Carlson from the Anaheim Ducks, Ilya Mikheyev from the Chicago Blackhawks, and Jeffrey Viel from the Anaheim Ducks.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights, 8-2-0, 16 points
Edmonton Oilers, 6-1-1, 13 points
Seattle Kraken, 5-3-1, 11 points
San Jose Sharks, 4-4-1, 9 points
Anaheim Ducks, 4-4-0, 8 points
Vancouver Canucks, 2-7-1, 5 points
Calgary Flames, 2-6-0, 4 points
Los Angeles Kings, 0-4-2, 2 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 410th regular season win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 9-7-1 all-time record against Tampa Bay
- Give the Golden Knights a 5-4-0 all-time record against Tampa Bay at T-Mobile Arena
KEYS TO THE GAME
Comfortable but Not Satisfied: Head Coach Ryan Craig said he feels the team is in a comfortable place, trusting their defense and goaltending, and finding the back of the net on a regular basis. They know they can't get complacent, though, just 10 games into the season.
Opportunity for Growth: Tampa Bay presents a significant challenge for the Golden Knights as one of their top opponents, statistically, so far this season. The Lightning have the longest-tenured coach in the league in Jon Cooper, as well as consistent talent throughout their lineup.
