The Vegas Golden Knights (29-13-3) conclude their three-game road trip as they face the Chicago Blackhawks (14-28-3) on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT at United Center.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
Watch Party: The Great American Pub | 9310 Eastern Ave | Las Vegas, NV | 89123
NOTES
Vegas is concluding their seventh back-to-back this season. The team is 3-4-0 in game one and 5-1-0 in game two of back-to-back games.
Tomas Hertl tallied a goal on Friday night to extend his point streak to four games. Hertl has six points (2G, 4A) in his last four games.
Alex Pietrangelo skated in his 300th game as a Golden Knight against Carolina on Friday. Pietrangelo became the second defenseman to record a point in his 300th VGK game following Shea Theodore (1A) on Jan. 17, 2022.
Shea Theodore owns 37 points (5G, 32A) so far this season. The defenseman is ranked fifth in the league amongst the blueline.
Seven different Golden Knights have hit the 10-goal mark: Pavel Dorofeyev (19G), Ivan Barbashev (15G), Brett Howden (15G), Tomas Hertl (13G), Mark Stone (12G), Jack Eichel (11G), and Keegan Kolesar (10G). Vegas averages 3.41 goals per game, to rank fourth overall in the league.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Mark Stone – Five points away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
Brayden McNabb – Seven assists away from 100 assists as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Victor Olofsson – One goal away from 100 career goals
Victor Olofsson – One point away from 200 career points
Brett Howden – Four games away from 400 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 55 points (12G, 43A)
Mark Stone – 39 points (12G, 27A)
Shea Theodore – 37 points (5G, 32A)
Tomas Hertl – 32 points (13G, 19A)
Ivan Barbashev – 30 points (15G, 15A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 28 points (19G, 9A)
Alex Pietrangelo – 22 points (3G, 19A)
Brett Howden – 21 points (15G, 6A)
Noah Hanifin – 21 points (6G, 15A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Vegas Golden Knights fell to the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-2, Friday night at Lenovo Center. Tomas Hertl and Shea Theodore scored for the Golden Knights while Adin Hill had 25 saves on the night in the loss. Jack Eichel (1A), Alex Pietrangelo (1A), Pavel Dorofeyev (1A), and Victor Olofsson (1A) all tallied a point on the loss. Seth Jarvis led the way for Carolina with two goals whie Jackson Blake also found the back of the net.
2023-24 SEASON SERIES
Last season, the Golden Knights went 2-0-1 against the Chicago Blackhawks. The two teams first faced off on Oct. 21, 2023, at United Center, where Vegas earned a 5-3 victory to become the first defending Stanley Cup Champions to start the following season 6-0-0. Chicago’s Connor Bedard opened the scoring with his second NHL goal, giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. The game was tied 2-2 heading into the final period, but the Golden Knights pulled away with three goals in the third. William Karlsson, Nicolas Roy, and Mark Stone each found the back of the net, while Jack Eichel and Keegan Kolesar each registered an assist in the win. The two teams met again on Oct. 27, 2023, where the Blackhawks handed Vegas their first loss of the season, a 4-3 overtime defeat at T-Mobile Arena. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his first goal of the year, and Karlsson (1G, 1A) and Shea Theodore (1G) each added a goal. Eichel (1A) also assisted on Theodore’s goal, marking his 100th point as a Golden Knight and becoming the second-fastest to reach that milestone in franchise history (110 games), behind only Mark Stone. The season series wrapped up on April 16, 2024, with the Golden Knights extending their win streak to three games, securing a 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Brayden McNabb and Nicolas Roy scored to help seal the win. Tomas Hertl, who had four points (2G, 2A) in his first five games with the team, added an assist in the victory.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Chicago Blackhawks enter the first meeting with Vegas with a record of 14-28-3 and 31 points. Chicago sits in eighth place in the Central Division and last place in the NHL. Since the beginning of the New Year, Chicago has gone 2-5-1 in seven games. The Blackhawks most recently fell, 3-2, in a shootout to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night. Connor Bedard leads the team with 40 points (13G, 27A). The 2024 Calder Memorial Trophy winner notched his 40th point in the team’s most recent outing and he became just the second teenager in Blackhawks history to record multiple 40-point campaigns. Teuvo Teravainen follows with 31 points (10G, 21A) and Tyler Bertuzzi with 24 points (14G, 10A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 29-13-3, 61 points
Edmonton Oilers – 29-13-3, 61 points
Los Angeles Kings – 25-12-5, 55 points
Calgary Flames – 21-16-7, 49 points
Vancouver Canucks – 19-15-10, 48 points
Anaheim Ducks – 18-21-6, 42 points
Seattle Kraken – 19-24-3, 41 points
San Jose Sharks – 14-27-6, 34 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
- Mark the 342nd win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 14-2-3 all-time record against Chicago
- Give the Golden Knights a 12-6-3 record on the road this season
KEYS TO THE GAMES
Finding The Silver Lining: With a packed schedule ahead, it’s important to find positives even in losses. Shea Theodore talked after Friday's loss about the improvement in pressure and a stronger start to the game. For Vegas to finish the road trip on a high note, they must build on these positives and continue to address areas that need growth.
Second Chances: Vegas didn't come away with the result it wanted on Friday night in Carolina. They've been given a fresh opportunity to pick up two points against a Chicago team that sits at the bottom of the standings.
