The Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-10) close out the regular season with one final Pacific Division tilt against the Vancouver Canucks (38-29-14) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Rogers Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: TNT, truTV
Streaming: MAX
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
Pregame Show: Vegas 34, KnightTime+ at 6:30 p.m. PT
Watch Party: Uncommons Las Vegas
NOTES
Vegas will face a Central Division opponent to open the postseason for the fifth straight season as the round one matchup against the Minnesota Wild was locked into place on Tuesday. The series marks the second time the Golden Knights go up against the Wild in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (also in 2020-21).
Vegas earned one point in its shootout loss against Calgary on Tuesday, allowing the club to secure second seed in the Western Conference heading into the postseason.
Ilya Samsonov played in his 200th career game on Tuesday against Calgary.
The Golden Knights own a record of 9-1-2 at Rogers Arena.
Vegas boasts a record of 18-4-2 against Pacific Division teams and are 33-10-6 against teams in the Western Conference.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Reilly Smith – Three points away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
William Karlsson – Five points away from 400 points as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Ben Hutton – Two assists away from 100 career assists
Nicolas Roy – Two assists away from 100 career assists
Tomas Hertl – Three assists away from 300 career assists
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 93 points (27G, 66A)
Mark Stone – 67 points (19G, 48A)
Tomas Hertl – 61 points (32G, 29A)
Shea Theodore – 55 points (7G, 48A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 51 points (34G, 17A)
Ivan Barbashev – 51 points (23G, 28A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell to the Calgary Flames, 5-4, in a shootout on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Saddledome. Pavel Dorofeyev, Nicolas Roy, Tomas Hertl and Brandon Saad scored for Vegas as the team secured second place in the Western Conference by picking up one point. Saad led the way with three points (1G, 2A) while Ilya Samsonov played in his 200th career game.
SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights own a 3-0-0 record against the Vancouver Canucks in the 2024-25 season. The first matchup against the Pacific Division teams resulted in a 3-1 win for Vegas on Dec. 19 at T-Mobile Arena. Vancouver took an early one goal lead in the first period before Alex Pietrangelo, William Karlsson, and Brett Howden each tallied a goal to secure the 3-1 victory. Howden recorded two points (1G, 1A) in the win. The teams met again on Feb. 22 at T-Mobile Arena where Vegas once again skated to a 3-1 win over the Canucks. Just as in the first game, Vancouver took a 1-0 lead in the second period. Ivan Barbashev, Brandon Saad, and Tomas Hertl scored three unanswered goals, and Howden tallied two points (2A) to lift Vegas to a 3-1 win. Ten days ago on April 6, the Golden Knights defeated the Canucks for the third time with a 3-2 win at Rogers Arena. Eight different Golden Knights recorded a point with Barbashev, Nicolas Roy, and Victor Olofsson notching goals in the win. The game was tied, 2-2, until Olofsson scored the game-winning goal with 3:14 remaining in the final frame. Adin Hill earned all three wins over the Canucks, stopping 71-of-75 shots for a .947 save percentage.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Vancouver Canucks come into Wednesday’s matchup with a regular season record of 38-29-14 and 90 points. Vancouver was officially eliminated from the playoffs on April 9 despite winning the Pacific Division last season. The team has missed the playoffs in four of its last five seasons. The Canucks have gone 4-2-1 in April including a 6-5 overtime win over the Dallas Stars and a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Wednesday’s tilt will be the final game of the season for the Vancouver Canucks. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver’s captain, leads the team with 76 points (16G, 60A), followed by Brock Boeser with 50 points (25G, 25A), and Conor Garland with 49 points (19G, 30A). Hughes tied a franchise record for most points by a Canucks defenseman (409) with his assist on the overtime game-winning goal against the Sharks on Monday.
WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF PICTURE
Pacific Division:
y-Vegas Golden Knights – 49-22-10, 108 points
x-Los Angeles Kings – 48-24-9, 105 points
x-Edmonton Oilers – 47-29-5, 99 points
Central Division:
p-Winnipeg Jets – 55-22-4, 114 points
x-Dallas Stars – 50-25-6, 106 points
x-Colorado Avalanche – 49-29-4, 102 points
Wild Card:
1. x-Minnesota Wild – 45-30-7, 97 points
2. x-St. Louis Blues – 44-30-8, 96 points
Key:
x-clinched playoff spot
y-clinched division
p-clinched Presidents’ Trophy
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 361st win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 18-4-3 all-time record against Vancouver
- Give the Golden Knights a 50-22-10 record to close out the 2024-25 regular season
KEYS TO THE GAME
Finish Strong: The Golden Knights are set to the play their final regular season game on Wednesday. In order to prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Vegas will need to finish strong and carry the positive momentum into the postseason.
Healthy Habits: After Tuesday’s loss, both Head Coach Bruce Cassidy and Brandon Saad mentioned maintaining good habits heading into the postseason. With one more regular season game to go, the team aims to focus on upholding healthy habits and attention-to-detail to keep their game sharp.
