The Vegas Golden Knights (5-0-2) will play their first game of a three-game road trip against the Florida Panthers (4-5-0) on Saturday at 3 p.m. PT at Amerant Bank Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
NOTES
William Karlsson became the second Golden Knight to reach 400 points in franchise history in Monday night’s win over Carolina.
Jack Eichel leads the NHL in points with 16 (6G, 10A) and is on a seven game point streak.
Ivan Barbashev and Mitch Marner are both on four game point streaks. Barbashev has totaled six points (2G, 4A) in four games and Marner has recorded eights points (2G, 6A) in four games.
The Golden Knights have recorded their second-best season-opening point streak with a record of 5-0-2 and 12 points. Their best season-opening point streak came in 2023-24 with a 11-0-1 record and 23 points.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Reilly Smith – Two points away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
Brett Howden – Seven points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
Brayden McNabb – Nine games away from 600 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Tomas Hertl – Two games away from 800 career games
Ivan Barbashev – Two points away from 300 career points
Colton Sissons – Three games away from 700 career games
Colton Sissons – Five goals away from 100 career goals
Pavel Dorofeyev – Seven points away from 100 career points
Ivan Barbashev – Eight games away from 600 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 16 points (6G, 10A)
Mark Stone – 13 points (2G, 11A)
Mitch Marner – 10 points (2G, 8A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 8 points (7G, 1A)
Ivan Barbashev – 8 points (3G, 5A)
BY THE NUMBERS
7 – Pavel Dorofeyev is tied for first in goals scored, alongside Seth Jarvis, Mark Scheifele, Cole Caufield, and Shane Pinto.
8 – Jack Eichel and Mark Stone lead the league in power play points with eight each.
20 – Akira Schmid recorded his 20th career win on Monday, tying for fourth by most wins by a Swiss goaltender.
30 – The Golden Knights rank third in the NHL for most goals for with 30.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights handed the Carolina Hurricanes their first loss of the season on Monday with a 4-1 victory at T-Mobile Arena. It was Vegas’ first win against the Hurricanes since March 2023. Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev each scored in the first period to give Vegas a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Sebastian Aho tacked on the only goal for Carolina and the only goal in the second period four minutes into the middle frame. Ivan Barbashev extended the Golden Knights’ lead before William Karlsson potted the empty-net goal to seal the victory. Adin Hill and Akira Schmid turned aside 27-of-28 shots in net.
2024-25 SEASON SERIES
Vegas went 1-0-1 against the Panthers in the 2024-25 season. The Golden Knights visited Florida for their sixth game of the season, falling 4-3 in overtime on Oct. 19, 2024, at Amerant Bank Arena. Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden each scored for the Golden Knights, but Gustav Forsling scored the game-winner with 17 seconds left in overtime to take the victory. Vegas and Florida met again on Jan. 26 with the Golden Knights skating to a 4-1 win. Brayden McNabb (1G, 1A) and Kolesar (2A) each recorded multi-point nights. Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl tallied goals in the win, and Adin Hill stopped a total of 33 saves on 34 shots for a .971 save percentage in net.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Florida Panthers entered this season as the reigning back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions. The club holds a record of 4-5-0 with eight points and sits at fourth in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers opened their season with three wins before losing four straight road games. Most recently, they beat the Boston Bruins, 4-3, on Tuesday and fell, 5-3, to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. Brad Marchand leads Florida with 10 points (5G, 5A), followed by Anton Lundell with seven points (2G, 5A), and Mackie Samoskevich with six points (2G, 4A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 5-0-2, 12 points
Seattle Kraken – 4-2-2, 10 points
Anaheim Ducks – 4-2-1, 9 points
Edmonton Oilers – 4-3-1, 9 points
Vancouver Canucks – 4-4-0, 8 points
Los Angeles Kings – 3-3-2, 8 points
San Jose Sharks – 1-5-2, 4 points
Calgary Flames – 1-7-1, 3 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 367th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights an 8-5-2 all-time record against Florida
- Give the Golden Knights a 3-0-1 record on the road this season
KEYS TO THE GAME
Sharp Tools: After four days of rest, Head Coach Bruce Cassidy believes the team will be sharp because they know they are playing a good team which will help get their attention in a hurry. The Golden Knights have worked on having better starts, so Cassidy hopes it will carry over following the rest days.
Next Man Up: The Golden Knights have had their fair share of injuries early in the season, leading to call-ups of players. Despite the injuries, Vegas has exploded for 30 goals in seven games, showing the “next man up” mentality is alive and well. Cassidy stated that this specific mentality shows the depth of the roster and the responsibility the players embrace to take care of business on the ice.
