Pregame Report: December 16, 2018

The Vegas Golden Knights look to improve to 2-0-1 on their Eastern Conference road trip as they take on the New York Rangers at 9:30 a.m. PT Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Catch the game on AT&T SportsNet and FOX Sports Radio 98.9/1340.
NOTES
This is the third game of Vegas' four-game trip. The Golden Knights are 1-0-1 on the trip.
LAST TIME OUT
Goals from Alex Tuch, William Karlsson and William Carrier had Vegas up 3-0 in the first period against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night at Prudential Center. But lapses in the third period and overtime saw the Golden Knights lose, 5-4.

A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Rangers are one of the teams on the outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference but are within striking distance of reaching the postseason with a strong second half of the season. They have 32 points through 31 games and hold a 14-13-4 record.
Mika Zibanejad paces the club in scoring this season with 27 points (10G, 17A) while Chris Kreider has found the back of the net 14 times, the most of any Ranger.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Be cliché: One of the biggest clichés in hockey is the necessity to play a "full 60 minutes." Vegas didn't subscribe to that saying Friday night and will need to make sure they're playing hard the entire game.
Make the most of what you've got:The Golden Knights intend to outshoot their opponent each time they step on the ice. They haven't done that in the last two games, but they've still produced seven goals in those two contests. Ideally, Vegas will get back to its style of play that creates 30+ shots on goal each night, but until that happens, they'll need to continue being efficient with their shots.