Morning Skate Report: March 3, 2026

The Vegas Golden Knights (28-18-14) open the season series with the Buffalo Sabres (35-19-6) on Tuesday at 4 p.m. PT at KeyBank Center.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340

NOTES
Adin Hill appeared in his 200^th NHL game on Sunday, with 126 being played with the Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights are sixth in the NHL with 44 power-play goals this season.

Keegan Kolesar leads the Golden Knights and sits fifth in the NHL with 209 hits.

The Golden Knights have scored the third-most goals in the league (80) since the beginning of 2026.

VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Six games away from 300 games as a Golden Knight
Shea Theodore – Seven assists away from 300 assists as a Golden Knight

CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Colton Sissons – One goal away from 100 career goals 
Rasmus Andersson – Five games away from 600 career games

VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 68 points (21G, 47A)
Mark Stone – 60 points (21G, 39A)
Mitch Marner – 59 points (16G, 43A)
Tomas Hertl – 51 points (23G, 28A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 47 points (28G, 19A)

BY THE NUMBERS
25.6 – The Golden Knights are sixth in the NHL for power-play percentage (25.6%).

82 – Vegas has the most third-period goals in the league with 82.

295 – Tomas Hertl is third in the NHL with 295 offensive zone face-off wins.

LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights were shut out, 5-0, by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena.

2024-25 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights and Buffalo Sabres each won a game in the season series last year, but Vegas skated away with three out of four possible points. In the team’s first meeting on Jan. 4, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights beat the Sabres, 3-1. Jack Eichel registered a multi-point night (1G, 1A), while Tanner Laczynski scored his first goal with the Golden Knights and Mark Stone netted the game-winning goal. Adin Hill stopped 23 out of 24 shots and registered a .958 save percentage in the victory. On March 15, 2025, at KeyBank Arena, the Golden Knights fell, 4-3, in a shootout against the Sabres. Despite the loss, Brett Howden, Pavel Dorofeyev and Eichel found the back of the net. On the opposition, Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin all recorded goals, with Alex Tuch scoring the shootout winner.

OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Sabres sit second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 35-19-6 and 76 points. The Sabres are on a three-game win streak and have gone 4-1-1 in their last six outings. On Friday, Buffalo beat the Florida Panthers, 3-2, at Amerant Bank Arena, then followed it up with a 6-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 63 points (32G, 31A), followed by Alex Tuch (24G, 27A), and Rasmus Dahlin (12G, 39A) with 51 points each. 

PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 28-18-14, 70 points
Anaheim Ducks – 33-23-3, 69 points
Seattle Kraken – 29-22-9, 67 points
Edmonton Oilers – 29-24-8, 66 points
San Jose Sharks – 29-25-4, 62 points
Los Angeles Kings – 24-22-14, 62 points
Calgary Flames – 24-28-7, 55 points
Vancouver Canucks – 18-35-7, 43 points

A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 390^th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 8-6-1 all-time record against the Sabres

KEYS TO THE GAME
Recharge and Reset: After a tough loss on Sunday, the Golden Knights are looking to flip the script in Buffalo. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy says that he wants to see the group bring more energy, win board battles, and generate stronger scoring opportunities.

Special Teams: The Golden Knights have been strong on the power play all season, but struggled to generate offense in Pittsburgh. The Golden Knights need to get back to their identity by creating sustained pressure in the offensive zone and converting quality looks with an extra man.