The Vegas Golden Knights (7-3-3) take on the Anaheim Ducks (9-3-1) on Saturday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena as they look to take a share of the top spot in the Pacific Division.
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
Ivan Barbashev recorded two goals and an assist in Thursday’s loss to the Lightning, moving up to third in points for the Golden Knights with 14 (6G, 8A).
The Golden Knights hold an all-time record of 151-60-20 against Pacific Division opponents in regular-season play.
Vegas has posted a record of 15-3-0 against Anaheim at T-Mobile Arena.
Jack Eichel’s two assists on Thursday brought him to a tie for third in the NHL in points with 21 (8G,13A).
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Reilly Smith – One point away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
Brayden McNabb – Three games away from 600 games as a Golden Knight
Brett Howden – Six points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
Tomas Hertl – Eight games away from 100 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Ivan Barbashev – Two games away from 600 career games
Pavel Dorofeyev – Five points away from 100 career points
Colton Sissons – Five goals away from 100 career goals
VGK SCORING LEADER
Jack Eichel – 21 points (8G, 13A)
Mitch Marner – 17 points (4G, 13A)
Ivan Barbashev – 14 points (6G, 8A)
Mark Stone – 13 points (2G, 11A)
Tomas Hertl – 11 points (5G, 6A)
BY THE NUMBERS
8 - Mitch Marner notched his eighth multi-point performance of the season Thursday, the most in the NHL.
13 – Jack Eichel reached 21 points through the first 13 games of the season, making him the second fastest to 20 points in Golden Knights history (Mark Stone, 12 games – 2024-25)
14 – Ivan Barbashev’s two-goal outing last game marked his 14th career multi-goal game, nine of which have come with Vegas.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell, 6-3, to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. Ivan Barbashev netted two first-period goals, and Noah Hanifin collected his first point of the season with an assist on the opening goal. Mitch Marner tacked on assists to both of Barbashev’s goals and followed up with a goal of his own in the third period with a shot from the blueline that was deflected off a Tampa Bay defenseman. Gage Goncalves and Dominic James accounted for both Lightning goals in the second frame, then Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel each scored twice in the third to seal the 6-3 win.
2024-25 SEASON SERIES
Vegas completed a sweep of Anaheim last season, going 4-0-0 and limiting the Ducks to one goal in three of the four games. The two teams first met at T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 13, 2024, with Vegas taking home a 3-1 win behind goals from Brett Howden, Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev. The next time they matched up was one month later on Nov. 13, 2024, as the Golden Knights took that one, 3-2, at the Honda Center. Hertl and Dorofeyev also scored in November’s win, as Vegas threw 39 shots on net in total. Adin Hill saved 22-of-24 shots for a .917 save percentage. The Golden Knights returned to the Honda Center three weeks later on Dec. 4, 2024, skating to a dominant 4-1 win. William Karlsson and Alexander Holtz each scored in the win, and Shea Theodore found the net twice. Hertl’s dominance over Anaheim continued for the final matchup on Dec. 23, 2024, as he picked up his 10th goal of the season to give him a tally in three-of-four games against the Ducks. Keegan Kolesar also netted one late in the third period, helping Vegas to a 3-1 win.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Anaheim Ducks enter Saturday’s game with a record of 9-3-1 for 19 points, as they sit atop the Pacific Division. The Ducks have won five straight, and seven of their last eight. The Ducks' 4.15 goals per game leads the league, and they’ve poured in seven goals in each of their last two games against the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars. Leo Carlsson leads the way with 20 points (6G, 14A) and comes into Saturday’s matchup with a point streak of eight games. Cutter Gauthier trails Carlsson with 18 points (11G, 7A), as the 21-year-old has recorded multi-point performances in each of the Ducks’ previous four games, followed by Troy Terry with 17 points (5G, 12A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Anaheim Ducks – 9-3-1, 19 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 7-3-3, 17 points
Seattle Kraken – 6-3-4, 16 points
Edmonton Oilers – 6-5-4, 16 points
Los Angeles Kings – 6-5-4, 16 points
San Jose Sharks – 6-6-3, 15 points
Vancouver Canucks – 7-8-0, 14 points
Calgary Flames – 4-10-2, 10 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 369th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 28-7-1 record against the Ducks
- Give the Golden Knights a 5-2-1 record at home this season
KEYS TO THE GAME
Limit the Looks: Anaheim comes into Thursday’s matchup red-hot in the offensive zone, as they’ve posted seven goals in consecutive games. Winning puck battles and closing off seams will be key to keeping the Ducks out of dangerous areas.
Activate The Blue Line: Vegas’ opening goal on Thursday came off a rebound from a point shot, which Head Coach Bruce Cassidy pointed to as a needed source of offense. “When [the puck] does arrive on time, we’ve scored some goals on rebounds,” Cassidy said. “Between the puck getting there, the forwards being there, and tippable pucks, we can do a much better job in that area. We need that part to improve.”
