The Vegas Golden Knights (44-20-8) conclude their road trip with a second meeting against the Nashville Predators (27-37-8) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. PT at Bridgestone Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
NOTESThe Golden Knights will conclude their 11th back-to-back this season. So far, Vegas is 6-4-1 in game one and 6-4-0 in game two of back-to-backs.
In William Karlsson’s first five games since his return from his injury on March 20th, the forward has notched six points (6A). The forward is currently on a three-game point streak.
On Friday night, Vegas recorded their eighth third-period comeback win of the season to tie the Flyers and Canadiens for the most in the NHL.
The Golden Knights are on a five-game win streak, the club's second-longest stretch of the season.
Brett Howden posts 35 points (21G, 14A) to continue his career-high season in both points and goals.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Two goals away from 100 goals as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Ilya Samsonov – One game away from 200 career games
Mark Stone – Two games away from 700 career games
Nicolas Roy – Three assists away from 100 career assists
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 91 points (26G, 65A)
Mark Stone – 65 points (19G, 46A)
Tomas Hertl – 59 points (31G, 28A)
Shea Theodore – 49 points (7G, 42A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 47 points (31G, 16A)
Ivan Barbashev – 46 points (20G, 26A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Friday night at United Center to extend their win streak to five games. Ryan Donato scored his first of the night to give the Blackhawks the initial 1-0 lead in the first period. In the second period, Mark Stone and Victor Olofsson struck just 53 seconds apart to put Vegas ahead 2-1. However, Donato responded with two more goals to complete his first career hat trick to send Chicago into the second intermission with a 3-2 lead. Olofsson, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Brett Howden all scored in the final period to secure a 5-3 victory. William Karlsson notched three points (3A) to post his first multi-point night in just his fifth game back after returning from injury. Olofsson scored two goals to record his third multi-goal night of the season. Keegan Kolesar notched his 100th point in the win.
SEASON SERIES
In the first and only meeting between the two clubs, the Vegas Golden Knights fell to the Nashville Predators, 5-3, on Jan. 14th to begin a three-game road trip. Pavel Dorofeyev recorded his first career hat trick in the loss. Victor Olofsson tallied assists on two of Dorofeyev’s goals to record his fifth multi-point night of the season.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Nashville Predators post a 27-37-8 record and 62 points to officially be eliminated from playoff contention. Nashville will host the Golden Knights to conclude their two-game homestand after a most recent 3-2 loss against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday evening. Filip Forsberg leads the team with 66 points (28G, 38A), followed by Jonathan Marchessault with 49 points (19G, 30A) and Steven Stamkos with 45 points (23G, 22A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 44-20-8, 96 points
Los Angeles Kings – 40-22-9, 89 points
Edmonton Oilers – 41-26-5, 87 points
Vancouver Canucks – 34-26-13, 81 points
Calgary Flames – 34-26-11, 79 points
Anaheim Ducks – 32-32-8, 70 points
Seattle Kraken – 31-36-6, 68 points
San Jose Sharks – 20-42-9, 49 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
- Mark the 356th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 11-7-2 all-time record against the Predators
- Give the Golden Knights a 18-13-5 record on the road
KEYS TO THE GAMES
Balanced Scoring: Head Coach Bruce Cassidy has emphasized that having a balanced lineup makes a good hockey club. The Golden Knights have five players who have reached the 20-goal mark this season, a franchise high. If Vegas continues to get scoring from up and down their line-up, they’ll continue to have success.
The Hot Hand: Noah Hanifin emphasized that the team’s success on Friday stemmed from their ability to play in sync. As a result, Vegas has outscored its opponents 25-10 during its win streak. The Golden Knights will need to carry their offensive prowess into their matchup with the Predators to continue their winning ways.
