The Vegas Golden Knights (28-10-3) battle the New York Rangers (19-20-2) for the first time this season on Saturday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
NOTES
The Golden Knights enter Saturday’s matchup with a league-best .720 points percentage.
The Golden Knights are 6-7-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season.
Vegas is 2-0-0 in the first game of home back-to-backs this season.
Jack Eichel has a +25 rating through 41 games, leading the league in the mark. Brayden McNabb is fourth in the league at +23, and Mark Stone is sixth, at +21.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Alex Pietrangelo – Four games away from 300 games 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 – Three assists away from 100 career assists
Victor Olofsson – Four points away from 200 career points
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 53 points (11G, 42A)
Mark Stone – 35 points (11G, 24A)
Shea Theodore – 33 points (4G, 29A)
Ivan Barbashev – 30 points (15G, 15A)
Tomas Hertl – 26 points (11G, 15A)
Brett Howden – 21 points (15G, 6A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 21 points (14G, 7A)
Noah Hanifin – 21 points (6G, 15A)
Alex Pietrangelo – 21 points (3G, 18A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights were blanked, 4-0, by the New York Islanders on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena. New York’s Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, and Casey Cizikas each scored goals for the Islanders to get the victory.
2023-24 SEASON SERIES
Vegas swept the season series, 2-0-0, against the New York Rangers during the 2023-24 season. The Golden Knights won the first meeting of the season, 5-1, on Jan. 18, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena. Nicolas Roy (2A), Ivan Barbashev (2G), Mark Stone (2A), and Brett Howden (1G, 1A) all had two-point nights. Keegan Kolesar notched a goal, and Nicolas Hague tallied an assist in the victory. The second matchup favored the Golden Knights again, as they defeated the Rangers, 5-2, on Jan. 26, 2024, at Madison Square Garden. Kolesar (1G) and Hague (1A) continued their point streak against the Rangers. Similarly, Roy (2A) and Barbashev (3A) continued their multi-point streak against the Rangers to lift Vegas to victory. Adin Hill saved 36 out of 38 shots and posted a .947 save percentage.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The New York Rangers visit Vegas for their first game of a three-game road trip. The Rangers own a 3-1-1 record for this month so far as they look to make their way up from sixth place in the Metropolitan Division (40 points). Their victories include a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins, a 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, and a 3-2 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils. Artemi Panarin leads the rangers with 44 points (17G, 27A), followed by Adam Fox with 33 points (2G, 31A), and Vincent Trocheck with 28 points (13G, 15A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights –28-10-3, 59 points
Los Angeles Kings – 24-10-5, 53 points
Edmonton Oilers – 25-13-3, 53 points
Vancouver Canucks – 18-13-10, 46 points
Calgary Flames – 19-14-7, 45 points
Anaheim Ducks – 17-19-5, 39 points
Seattle Kraken – 17-22-3, 37 points
San Jose Sharks – 13-25-6, 32 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
- Mark the 341st win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 9-4-0 all-time record against the Rangers
- Give the Golden Knights an 18-5-0 record at home this season
KEYS TO THE GAMES
Short Memory: Throughout the season, head coach Bruce Cassidy has stressed the importance of working through a tough night and having a short memory if a game doesn’t go to plan. He stated that the team tries to get back out on the ice and cleanse the previous game off for a fresh start in a new game.
Fresh Start: After a tough loss, the team stresses starting fresh and moving onto the next game. Keegan Kolesar stated that the pace, intensity, and attention to detail slipped in the loss to the New York Islanders. The team got practice in to correct those things and get back to the game that has made them so successful this year.
