The Vegas Golden Knights (5-1-2) take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (2-4-2) on Sunday at 2 p.m. PT at Benchmark International 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
Jack Eichel continues to lead the league in total points with 16 (6G, 10A) through eight games.
Mitch Marner has the best plus/minus record (+9) on the Golden Knights so far this season.
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 – Eight games away from 600 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Tomas Hertl – One game away from 800 career games
Ivan Barbashev – Two points away from 300 career points
Colton Sissons – Two 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 – Seven 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)
Tomas Hertl – 7 points (3G, 4A)
BY THE NUMBERS
800 – Tomas Hertl is expected to play in his 800th NHL game today against Tampa Bay.
3.75 – The Golden Knights are tied for third in the NHL with an average of 3.75 goals per game. The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes share this placement with the Golden Knights.
30 – The Golden Knights are the fifth-best in the league with 30% efficiency on power plays.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vegas Golden Knights fell, 3-0, to the Florida Panthers on Saturday Night at Amerant Bank Arena. Sam Reinhart, Cole Schwindt and A.J. Greer all recorded goals for the Panthers. This event marks the first regulation loss for the Golden Knights this season.
2024-25 SEASON SERIES
The Vegas Golden Knights split the season series 1-1-0 with the Tampa Bay Lightning in both matchups last season. Brayden McNabb, Pavel Dorofeyev and Ivan Barbashev scored for the Golden Knights in their first meeting as Vegas fell, 4-3, to the Lightning on Oct. 17 in Tampa Bay. The teams met again on March 23 at T-Mobile Arena, where the Golden Knights took a 4-2 victory over the Lightning. Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel each picked up goals in the first period.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Tampa Bay Lightning enter Sunday's game eighth place in the Atlantic Division with six points and a record of 2-4-2. After opening the season with two losses, the Lightning found their first win of the season against the Boston Bruins. Tampa Bay dropped the next four matchups, with two games ending in overtime. Most recently, the Lightning fell, 4-3, to the Chicago Blackhawks, but then snapped their losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. In the victory, Nikita Kucherov picked up his 1000th career point with an assist on a goal by Jake Guentzel (4G, 5A), who leads Tampa Bay with nine points. Right behind Guentzel is Anthony Cirelli (5G, 2A), Kucherov (2G, 5A, Brayden Point (2G, 5A), and Victor Hedman (0G, 7A), all tied with seven points each.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 5-1-2, 12 points
Seattle Kraken – 5-2-2, 12 points
Anaheim Ducks – 4-3-1, 9 points
Edmonton Oilers – 4-4-1, 9 points
Los Angeles Kings – 3-3-3, 9 points
Vancouver Canucks – 4-5-0, 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 a 9-6-0 all-time record against the Lightning
KEYS TO THE GAME
Stay Sharp: The Vegas Golden Knights could not generate much offensive pressure on Saturday night. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy says that the team needs to find consistency in their forecheck and have more clean breaks through the neutral zone to create more scoring opportunities.
Shoot the Puck: The Golden Knights had only 17 shots on goal Saturday night and struggled to stay in the offensive end during power plays. Bruce Cassidy says that the team needs to generate more chances in front of the net and not solely rely on exemplary setups.
