The Vegas Golden Knights (16-6-9) return home for a matchup against the New Jersey Devils (18-14-1) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: TNT
Streaming: HBO MAX
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
Pregame Show: Scripps Sports (Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network) and KnightTime+ at 6:30 p.m.
NOTES
Jack Eichel holds a five-game point streak with nine points (1G, 8A).
Mitch Marner is tied for second-fewest games required to reach 30 points (6G, 24A in 31 GP) as a Golden Knight in franchise history.
The Golden Knights have the second fewest regulation losses (6) in the NHL behind the Colorado Avalanche (2).
The Golden Knights own a 7-0-2 record against teams in the Metropolitan Division this season.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Six points away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Carter Hart – One win away from 100 career wins
Jack Eichel – Two assists away from 400 career assists
Colton Sissons – Four goals away from 100 career goals
Shea Theodore – Five games away from 600 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 41 points (12G, 29A)
Mitch Marner – 32 points (6G, 26A)
Ivan Barbashev – 25 points (11G, 14A)
Mark Stone – 24 points (6G, 18A)
Tomas Hertl – 22 points (13G, 9A)
BY THE NUMBERS
.917 – The Golden Knights own the best points percentage in the league for December with a .917 points percentage and a 5-0-1 record.
3 – Mitch Marner recorded his first three-assist game with Vegas on Saturday against the Blue Jackets, becoming the second player in franchise history to factor on all the team’s goals in a game twice in the same season (also 1G, 2A on Nov. 6 vs. TBL).
82 – Brayden McNabb is tied for the NHL lead in blocked shots with 82.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, in the final game of their road trip on Saturday at Nationwide Arena. Charlie Coyle scored first for Columbus to give them a 1-0 lead just over seven minutes into the game. Less than a minute into the second period, Pavel Dorofeyev tied the game at one with a power-play goal for the only goal in the frame. Yegor Chinakhov regained the lead for the Blue Jackets shortly into the third period before Ben Hutton scored his fourth goal of the season just over a minute later. Brayden McNabb registered the game-winning goal with 6:47 remaining in the final frame to lift Vegas to the 3-2 win. Mitch Marner (3A) factored on each goal in the victory, and Carter Hart extended his point streak to four games with 26-of-28 saves on the night.
SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights and Devils faced off 12 days ago at Prudential Center, with Vegas skating to a 3-0 shutout win. Shea Theodore tallied the first goal for the Golden Knights with 13 seconds remaining in the opening frame. Following a scoreless second period, Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev registered power-play goals exactly three minutes apart in the third to seal the 3-0 victory. Akira Schmid recorded his second shutout of the season, stopping all 24 shots from the Devils, his former club.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Devils sit at sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 18-14-1 record and 37 points. New Jersey visits Vegas for the first game of a two-game road trip, later going to face the Utah Mammoth on Friday. Prior to Wednesday night’s meeting, New Jersey went 1-2-0 in their most recent homestand with their only win coming against the Anaheim Ducks (4-1). Jesper Bratt leads the Devils with 29 points (6G, 23A), followed by Nico Hischier with 26 points (10G, 16A), and Timo Meier with 23 points (11G, 12A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Anaheim Ducks – 20-12-2, 42 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 16-6-9, 41 points
Edmonton Oilers – 16-12-6, 38 points
Los Angeles Kings – 14-9-9, 37 points
San Jose Sharks – 17-14-3, 37 points
Seattle Kraken – 12-13-6, 30 points
Calgary Flames – 13-17-4, 30 points
Vancouver Canucks – 13-17-3, 29 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 378th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights an 11-2-3 all-time record against New Jersey
- Give the Golden Knights an 8-4-4 record at T-Mobile Arena this season
- Extend the Golden Knights' point streak to eight games
KEYS TO THE GAME
Full 60: Putting together a full 60 minutes of good team play is critical as Vegas progresses forward in the season. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned he believes the team is getting close to putting together a full 60 minutes of solid play. He wants more out of 5-on-5 offensively but was happy with how the defense was getting more involved, especially during the recent road trip.
Keep the Momentum: The Golden Knights look to continue their recent success as they return home for a game against the New Jersey Devils. Jeremy Lauzon stated how good the team looked during the road trip, earning nine out of a possible 10 points, despite the trip being the longest of the season. The team is looking to continue the momentum of their solid play at home for the first time in two weeks.
