The Vegas Golden Knights (10-6-8) battle the San Jose Sharks (12-10-3) for the second time this season on Saturday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile 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
The Golden Knights hold a record of 13-2-0 against San Jose at T-Mobile Arena during the regular season.
Ivan Barbashev is expected to play in his 200th game as a Golden Knight against San Jose.
The Golden Knights have picked up four out of a possible six points (1-0-2) in the second game of a back-to-back this season.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Ivan Barbashev – One game away from 200 games as a Golden Knight
Brett Howden – Two points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Shea Theodore – Four assists away from 300 career assists
Colton Sissons – Five goals away from 100 career goals
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 31 points (11G, 20A)
Mitch Marner – 23 points (4G, 19A)
Ivan Barbashev – 20 points (8G, 12A)
Tomas Hertl – 18 points (9G, 9A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 16 points (11G, 5A)
BY THE NUMBERS
8 – Mark Stone has goals in back-to-back games since his Nov. 26 return, extending his personal point streak to eight games while recording 15 points (4G, 11A).
298 – The Golden Knights are second in the NHL for offensive zone face-off wins (298).
LAST TIME OUT
The Vegas Golden Knights fell, 4-1, to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday at T-Mobile Arena. Mark Stone scored a net-front goal in the third frame, with Mitch Marner and Ben Hutton each picking up helpers. Zack Bolduc, Cole Caufield, Jake Evans, and Juraj Slafkovsky all recorded goals for Montreal.
SEASON SERIES
Vegas and San Jose met on Oct. 9 for the Golden Knights’ first road game of the season at SAP Center. Brett Howden and Jack Eichel recorded goals, while Pavel Dorofeyev found the back of the net on the power play. Jeff Skinner, Alexander Wennberg and Philipp Kurashev kept the game alive for the Sharks with one goal each. The matchup finished in overtime, when Reily Smith scored his first goal of the season 1:24 into the extra period to secure the 4-3 victory for the Golden Knights.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The San Jose Sharks currently sit fifth in the Pacific Division and hold a record of 12-10-3 and 27 points. The Sharks took three out of four victories in a recent home stand, winning a pair over Western Conference opponents against the Utah Mammoth (3-2) and Los Angeles Kings (4-3) and splitting two non-conference games against the Ottawa Senators (3-2, L) and Bosotn Bruins (3-1, W). On Wednesday, San Jose was shut out, 6-0, by the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, and most recently beat the Vancouver Canucks, 3-2, at SAP Center. Macklin Celebrini owns the second-most points in the league and leads the Sharks with 36 points (14G, 22A), followed by Will Smith with 22 points (8G, 14A), and William Eklund with 15 points (6G, 9A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Anaheim Ducks – 15-8-1, 31 points
Los Angeles Kings – 11-6-7, 29 points
Seattle Kraken – 11-6-6, 28 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 10-6-8, 28 points
San Jose Sharks – 12-10-3, 27 points
Edmonton Oilers – 10-10-5, 25 points
Vancouver Canucks – 10-13-2, 22 points
Calgary Flames – 9-14-3, 21 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 372nd win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 29-2-5 all-time record against San Jose.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Play to Your Strengths: The Golden Knights have a very versatile team and Head Coach Bruce Cassidy wants to see the group use that to their advantage. Staying true to their identity and leaning on the tools in their arsenal will help Vegas generate more quality chances.
Control the Game: After falling behind by three goals early in the third period on Friday, Cassidy emphasized the need to flip the script. He wants to see the team get ahead from the jump and avoid expending unnecessary energy by chasing the game.
