The Vegas Golden Knights (7-4-5) will face the St. Louis Blues (6-8-4) in the first half of a back-to-back on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT at Enterprise Center.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
NOTES
Braeden Bowman made his NHL debut on Thursday against the New York Islanders.
In Bowman’s first NHL game, he tallied four shots on goal and registered 16:45 TOI.
Brayden McNabb leads the league in blocked shots with 54.
The Golden Knights own an 8-6-0 regular-season record on the road against the Blues.
Brandon Saad will make his first return to St. Louis, where he played parts of four seasons.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Brett Howden – Four points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
Tomas Hertl – Five games away from 100 games as a Golden Knight
Ivan Barbashev – Nine games away from 200 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 – Seven games away from 100 career games
Shea Theodore – Nine assists away from 300 career assists
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 23 points (8G, 15A)
Mitch Marner – 19 points (4G, 15A)
Ivan Barbashev – 16 points (7G, 9A)
Tomas Hertl – 13 points (7G, 6A)
Mark Stone – 13 points (2G, 11A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 11 points (10G, 1A)
BY THE NUMBERS
101 – Tomas Hertl leads the league in offensive zone face-off wins with 101.
300 – Reilly Smith recorded his 300th point as a Golden Knight on a go-ahead goal in Thursday's matchup against the Islanders.
600 – Brayden McNabb played in his 600th game as a Golden Knight on Thursday, the most of any VGK player in franchise history.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell, 4-3, in overtime against the New York Islanders on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas was able to overcome a 2-0 deficit after Shea Theodore, Tomas Hertl and Reilly Smith found the back of the net. Mathew Barzal scored late in the third period to force overtime and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored shorthanded in overtime to lock in the 4-3 victory for New York.
2024-25 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights earned points in all three meetings with the Blues last season, posting a 2-0-1 record. In their first contest on Oct. 11, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights beat the Blues 4-3. Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev, and Shea Theodore all netted a goal and an assist each, while Mark Stone picked up a pair of helpers. On Jan. 20, Vegas saw scoring from Tomas Hertl, Brett Howden, Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev while Shea Theodore came away with a season-high four assists. Vegas ultimately fell, 5-4, in a shootout. Three days later, Vegas secured a 4-2 win at Enterprise Center when Stone and Dorofeyev both recorded goals and Hertl sealed the victory for the Golden Knights with an empty-netter.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
St. Louis currently holds a record of 6-8-4 and enters Saturday’s matchup in seventh place in the Central Division. The Blues are 2-1-2 in their last five outings and most recently fell 6-5 in a shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers last night. The Blues will close out their four-game home stand against the Golden Knights on Saturday. Jordan Kyrou (6G, 5A) and Robert Thomas (3G, 8A) sit on top of the team's leaderboard with 11 points each.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Anaheim Ducks – 11-5-1, 23 points
Los Angeles Kings – 9-5-4, 22 points
Seattle Kraken – 8-4-5, 21 points
Edmonton Oilers – 8-7-4, 20 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 7-4-5, 19 points
San Jose Sharks – 8-7-3, 19 points
Vancouver Canucks – 8-9-2, 18 points
Calgary Flames – 5-12-2, 12 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 369th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights an 18-9-3 all-time record against the Blues
KEYS TO THE GAME
Elevate the Power Play: In the last few games, the Golden Knights have struggled to generate offensive pressure with an extra man on the ice. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy says that players need to quickly process the right setup and execute in the small areas to create more solid chances.
Secondary Scoring: Cassidy says that in close, low-scoring games, Vegas needs production from players up and down the lineup. If more players are able to contribute to the scoring, close games will swing in the Golden Knights’ favor.
