Morning Skate Report: Jan. 27, 2026

The Vegas Golden Knights (25-14-12) face the Montreal Canadiens (28-17-7) on Tuesday at 4 p.m. PT at the Bell Centre.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340

NOTES
Pavel Dorofeyev played in his 200^th career game on Sunday, all of which have been with the Golden Knights.

Noah Hanifin is expected to play in his 800^th career game on Tuesday evening in Montreal.

The Golden Knights have only allowed 23 goals on the penalty kill this season, which is tied for the second fewest power-play goals allowed in the league.

Jack Eichel leads all NHL players born in the United States with 20 points (7G, 13A) through the month of January.

VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Five assists away from 200 assists as a Golden Knight
Shea Theodore – Eight assists away from 300 assists as a Golden Knight

CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Noah Hanifin – One game away from 800 career games
Adin Hill – One win away from 100 career wins
Adin Hill – Five games away from 200 career games
Tomas Hertl – Six points away from 600 career points
Mitch Marner – Seven points away from 800 career points

VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 61 points (19G, 42A)
Mark Stone – 52 points (20G, 32A)
Mitch Marner – 52 points (12G, 40A)
Tomas Hertl – 45 points (21G, 24A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 38 points (22G, 16A)

BY THE NUMBERS
1 – Rasmus Andersson netted his first goal as a Golden Knight and has recorded two points (1G, 1A) through his first two games with the franchise.

10 – Mark Stone has recorded the most goals (10) out of any Canadian NHL player in the month of January.

260 – Tomas Hertl has won 260 face-offs in the offensive zone, which is the third most in the league.

LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell, 7-1, against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday at Canadian Tire Centre. Rasmus Andersson put the Golden Knights on the board with his first goal as a Golden Knight, and Tomas Hertl picked up an assist.

SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights lost, 4-1, against the Canadiens in their first meeting on Nov. 28, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena. Mark Stone scored the lone Vegas goal, and Mitch Marner and Ben Hutton tallied helpers. On the other end, Zachary Bolduc, Cole Caufield, and Jake Evans all registered goals for the Canadiens, with Juraj Slafkovský scoring an empty net goal to seal the 4-1 win in Vegas.

OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Habs enter Tuesday’s matchup sitting at fourth place in the Atlantic Division, with a record of 28-17-7 and 63 points. The Canadiens have gone 7-5-1 in the month of January, and 2-3-1 in their last six contests. On Thursday, Montreal fell, 4-2, to the Buffalo Sabres at Bell Centre, and on Saturday, the team lost, 4-3, against the Bruins in Boston. The Canadiens begin a two-game homestand against the Golden Knights on Tuesday. Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 59 points (16G, 43A), followed by Cole Caufield (29G, 24A) and Lane Hutson (9G, 44A) with 53 points each.

PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 25-14-12, 62 points
Edmonton Oilers – 27-19-8, 62 points
Anaheim Ducks – 28-22-3, 59 points
San Jose Sharks – 26-21-3, 55 points
Los Angeles Kings – 21-16-13, 55 points
Seattle Kraken – 23-19-9, 55 points
Calgary Flames – 21-25-6, 48 points
Vancouver Canucks – 17-30-5, 39 points

A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 387th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 9-4-3 all-time record against Montreal
- Give the Golden Knights an 5-2-1 all-time record at Bell Centre

KEYS TO THE GAME
Back to the Basics: The Golden Knights are looking to reset and bounce back after a tough outing in Ottawa. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy says the team needs to get back to the details, find their competitive edge, and set the tone in the first ten minutes to close out this road trip on a high note.

Limit the Chances: The Montreal Canadiens have a young and fast group that are tied at fifth in the league with 175 total goals. Mark Stone says the Golden Knights need to play a smart game, limit turnovers, and force the Canadiens to earn their opportunities.