The Vegas Golden Knights (7-4-4) look to close out the longest homestand of the season tonight against the New York Islanders (8-6-2) on Thursday 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 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
NOTES
Brayden McNabb is expected to play in his 600th game as a Golden Knight on Thursday. The defenseman is the first player in franchise history to reach the milestone.
Ivan Barbashev owns a four-game point streak, posting six points (4G, 2A).
The Golden Knights have posted a 4-3-1 record against Eastern Conference teams this season.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Brayden McNabb – One game away from 600 games as a Golden Knight
Reilly Smith – One point away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
Brett Howden – Five points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
Tomas Hertl – Six games away from 100 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Pavel Dorofeyev – Four points away from 100 career points
Colton Sissons – Five goals away from 100 career goals
Kaedan Korczak – Eight games away from 100 career games
Shea Theodore – Nine assists away from 300 career assists.
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 22 points (8G, 14A)
Mitch Marner – 18 points (4G, 14A)
Ivan Barbashev – 15 points (6G, 9A)
Mark Stone – 13 points (2G, 11A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 11 points (10G, 1A)
Tomas Hertl – 11 points (5G, 6A)
BY THE NUMBERS
20 – Brayden McNabb recorded his first point of the season with an assist on Monday, becoming the 20th Golden Knight to record a point this season.
40 – Tomas Hertl recorded his 40th goal with Vegas on Monday, making him the third-fastest Golden Knight to reach the 40-goal mark in franchise history (William Karlsson – 76 GP, Jack Eichel – 91 GP).
51 – McNabb leads the league in blocked shots with 51.
54.9 – The Golden Knights rank third in the NHL with a 54.9 face-off win percentage.
LAST TIME OUT
Vegas came up short, 3-2, to the Florida Panthers on Monday at T-Mobile Arena. Jesper Boqvist and Brad Marchand each scored a goal to give Florida a 2-0 lead through two periods. Tomas Hertl cut the Panthers’ lead in half 1:25 into the final frame, before Sam Reinhart returned Florida’s lead to two on the power play. Halfway through the third period, Ivan Barbashev continued Vegas’ push by scoring his seventh goal of the season. However, the Panthers held on through the remaining 11 minutes to secure the 3-2 victory.
2024-25 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights dropped both contests to the New York Islanders in the 2024-25 season. The teams met for the first time on Jan. 9 at T-Mobile Arena, where the Islanders shut out the Golden Knights, 4-0. The loss marked Vegas’ third shutout of the season. The final matchup of the season saw New York take a 2-1 win on Feb. 4 at UBS Arena. Brandon Saad scored the lone goal of the season series for the Golden Knights. Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin has stopped 78 of the last 79 shots he's faced against Vegas, dating back to the 2023-24 season.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The New York Islanders own an 8-6-2 record with 18 points and sit at fifth in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders enter Thursday’s contest to play their third game of a season-high seven-game road trip. On Monday, New York defeated the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, in overtime, and shut out the Rangers, 5-0, on Saturday night. Thursday’s game for the Islanders is the first game of a back-to-back and their second back-to-back series within a week. Bo Horvat leads New York with 20 points (12G, 8A), followed by Kyle Palmieri (5G, 8A) and Mathew Barzal (4G, 9A), who each own 13 points.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Anaheim Ducks – 11-4-1, 23 points
Los Angeles Kings – 8-5-4, 20 points
Edmonton Oilers – 8-6-4, 20 points
Seattle Kraken – 7-4-5, 19 points
San Jose Sharks – 8-6-3, 19 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 7-4-4, 18 points
Vancouver Canucks – 8-9-1, 17 points
Calgary Flames – 4-12-2, 10 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 369th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights an 7-6-2 all-time record against the Islanders
- Give the Golden Knights a 4-4-0 record at home against the Islanders
KEYS TO THE GAME
Minimize the Damage: Following the game on Monday, Head Coach Bruce Cassidy stated the team needs to limit the damage when it comes to the team not being on their A-game. Cassidy said the team needs to survive with their B-game and limit the mistakes until they get to their A-game when there are lulls within the contest.
Recharge the Power Play: Cassidy stated the team lacked the most on their power play on Monday night. He said the team should be able to generate momentum on power play, so regaining the confidence on the man-advantage will be an area of focus for the Golden Knights.
