The Vegas Golden Knights (17-8-11) face off with the Minnesota Wild (23-10-6) on Monday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
NOTES
Mitch Marner has racked up 10 points in the previous six games (3G, 7A).
Ben Hutton leads Golden Knights defensemen in scoring with five goals.
Colton Sissons has tacked on a goal in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Noah Hanifin has notched seven assists in the previous four games.
Tomas Hertl stretched his point streak to five games (2G, 5A) with a helper against Colorado.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Tomas Hertl – Six points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Colton Sissons – Two goals away from 100 career goals
Brayden McNabb – Four games away from 300 consecutive games played
Keegan Kolesar – Seven games away from 400 career games
Mitch Marner – Seven games away from 700 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 41 points (12G, 29A)
Mitch Marner – 39 points (9G, 30A)
Mark Stone – 29 points (8G, 21A)
Tomas Hertl – 29 points (15G, 14A)
Ivan Barbashev – 28 points (12G, 16A)
BY THE NUMBERS
4 – At least one player from each of the Golden Knights' four lines lit the lamp for the second consecutive game.
12 – The Golden Knights notched 12 goals combined in the last two times out, tied for the most this season in a two-game stretch (6G on Oct. 16 vs. BOS, 6G on Oct. 18 vs. CGY).
14 – Vegas is tied for the second-fewest goals allowed on the penalty kill this season at 14.
25.4 – The Golden Knights hold opponents to 25.4 shots per game, the third fewest in the NHL.
30 – Mitch Marner became the fastest skater in franchise history to record their first 30 helpers with the club, doing so in just 36 games.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell to the Colorado Avalanche, 6-5, in a shootout on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Alexander Holtz opened the scoring just 2:43 into the contest, and Ivan Barbashev added a second early in the middle frame to give Vegas a 2-0 lead. After Colorado evened the score, Ben Hutton and Brett Howden scored 29 seconds apart late in the second period to restore a two-goal advantage. Martin Necas recorded two goals for the Avalanche, including one in the third period, while Nathan MacKinnon tied the game at 4-4, with his league-leading 31st goal. Colton Sissons put Vegas back in front late in regulation, but Artturi Lehkonen forced overtime with an extra-attacker mark. Following a scoreless overtime, Necas and MacKinnon netted shootout goals for Colorado to secure the win.
SEASON SERIES
In the first matchup with Minnesota this season, Vegas came up short, 3-2, in overtime on Nov. 16 at Grand Casino Arena. Pavel Dorofeyev and Reilly Smith scored on the power play, with Mitch Marner and Tomas Hertl assisting on Dorofeyev’s tally, and Shea Theodore and Ivan Barbashev adding helpers on Smith’s. Mats Zuccarello had a multi-point night (2A), while Joel Eriksson Ek and Yakov Trenin scored in regulation, and Kirill Kaprizov won it for the Wild with 10 seconds remaining in overtime.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Wild head to Vegas sitting third in the Central Division, and third in the Western Conference with 52 points and a 23-10-6 record. The Wild have won seven straight through mid-December, before dropping two of their last three contests. Most recently, they kicked off a season-long seven game road trip with a 4-3 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets behind a two-goal outing from Matt Boldy. Kirill Kaprizov leads the way for Minnesota’s offense with 46 points (23G, 23A), followed closely by Matt Boldy with 45 points (24G, 21A) and Marcus Johansson in third with 28 points (11G, 17A). The Wild are backed in net by the Swedish duo of Filip Gustavsson (12-8-4, 2.49 GAA) and Jesper Wallstedt (11-2-2, 2.17 GAA).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 17-8-11, 45 points
Anaheim Ducks – 21-15-2, 44 points
Edmonton Oilers – 19-14-6, 44 points
Los Angeles Kings – 16-12-9, 41 points
San Jose Sharks – 18-17-3, 39 points
Seattle Kraken – 16-14-6, 38 points
Calgary Flames – 16-18-4, 36 points
Vancouver Canucks – 15-19-3, 33 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 379th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 16-12-2 record all-time against the Wild
- Give the Golden Knights a 9-5-1 home record against the Wild
- Give the Golden Knights points in 10 out of 12 games in the month of December
KEYS TO THE GAME
Keep Them on the Walls: With the addition of Quinn Hughes, Minnesota’s offense is driven by puck movement from the blue line and an ability to attack through the middle of the ice. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy pointed to limiting those interior looks as a priority. “Our job will be keeping him to the outside in the o-zone,” Cassidy said. “Once he gets to the middle of the ice, he’s really good at finding lanes and sticks, and can really break you down in a hurry.” Strong gap control, quick support and layered defense will be essential in taking away time and space from the Wild.
Four-Line Pressure: The Golden Knights enter the matchup playing some of their best offensive depth of the season, scoring 12 goals over the last two games with at least one tally from all four lines in each contest. Vegas’ increased depth scoring has allowed them to sustain pressure, create off the forecheck and wear down opponents shift after shift. Maintaining that balanced attack and setting the tone early could force Minnesota on their heels for long stretches and open up the game for the Golden Knights.
