The Vegas Golden Knights (5-1-3) take on the Carolina Hurricanes (6-2-0) on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. PT at the Lenovo Center.
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
On Sunday, Carl Lindbom made his NHL debut with 26 saves on 28 shots in an overtime loss in Tampa Bay. He posted a solid .929 save percentage in this appearance.
The Golden Knights (5-1-3) continue to hold the top spot in the Pacific Division with 13 points through 9 games.
Pavel Dorofeyev is tied with Leon Draisaitl and Kirill Kaprizov for the most power-play goals (4) in the NHL.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Reilly Smith – One point away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
Brett Howden – Seven points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
Brayden McNabb – Seven games away from 600 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Ivan Barbashev – Two points away from 300 career points
Ivan Barbashev – Six games away from 600 career games
Pavel Dorofeyev – Seven points away from 100 career points
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)
William Karlsson – 5 points (4G, 1A)
BY THE NUMBERS
8 - Jack Eichel leads the league in power play assists with 8 total helpers.
57 - Tomas Hertl shares the lead (Elias Lindholm) the NHL in offensive zone face-off wins with a total of 57.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights came up short on Sunday in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Lightning at Benchmark International Arena. Brandon Hagel got on the board early to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead, and William Karlsson scored the lone goal for Vegas late in the first period to bring them even. Neither team capitalized in the remaining two periods, but Nikita Kucherov put the game away for the Lightning 30 seconds into overtime. Carl Lindbom saved 26-of-28 shots on net for Vegas in his NHL debut.
SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights’ first matchup with the Hurricanes ended with Vegas taking a 4-1 win last Monday at T-Mobile Arena. Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev scored both first-period goals, while Sebastian Aho netted the only goal of the middle frame. After taking a 2-1 lead into the third, Ivan Barbashev scored an unassisted goal on a strong forecheck, and William Karlsson put home an empty netter to give Vegas the win. Goaltender Akira Schmid saved 22-of-23 shots on net after coming on in the first period.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Carolina Hurricanes come into Tuesday’s game sitting third in the Metropolitan Division with 12 points and a 6-2-0 record. They opened the season hot, notching five straight wins before the loss in Vegas. Carolina followed that up with a 5-4 shootout win over Colorado, and most recently fell 3-2 in Dallas to the Stars. Center Seth Jarvis leads the team in points with 11 (7G, 4A), followed by Sebastian Aho with 10 (4G, 6A), and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere with seven (1G, 6A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 5-1-3, 13 points
Seattle Kraken – 5-2-2, 12 points
Los Angeles Kings – 4-3-3, 11 points
Vancouver Canucks – 5-5-0, 10 points
Edmonton Oilers – 4-4-2, 10 points
Anaheim Ducks – 4-3-1, 9 points
San Jose Sharks – 2-5-2, 6 points
Calgary Flames – 2-7-1, 5 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 367th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 7-6-3 all-time record against the Lightning, and a 4-3-1 record in the Lenovo Center
KEYS TO THE GAME
Power Play Recharge: Vegas began the current road trip leading the league in power-play efficiency and goals per game but have since fallen out of the top five in both after going 0-5 with the man-advantage this weekend. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy noted after Sunday’s game that the power play needs to get back to being a factor. “The power play was humming for us, now we’re in a bit of a lull,” Cassidy said. With Shea Theodore stepping up on the power play, the Golden Knights must regain the rhythm they had early in the season with the five-forward unit.
Simplify the Game: In Sunday’s matchup with the Lightning, Vegas managed only 19 shots on net and gave up 15 penalty minutes. Winning 50/50 puck battles and staying disciplined in the defensive zone will not only generate more chances, but also keep the Golden Knights out of the box and away from a disadvantage.
