Need to Know: Bruins at Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS – The Bruins are kicking off their five-game road trip on Thursday night against the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Boston is aiming to avoid its fourth consecutive loss.

“It’s a good team, it’s a fun building to play in,” said Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov. “Obviously they are on top of the league and we’re fighting for our lives right now. It’s a huge match for us. They’re big, heavy – I thought we could have come out with a point at home last time we played them.

“I don’t think you need to do much to get up for this game today, it’s a huge game obviously. They probably have good starts in this building as well. We’ve got to match it.”

With so many new faces in the lineup, Zadorov added that this 12-day road trip should benefit the Bruins as they get to know each other on and off the ice.

“It’s fun, just being around the guys for the past two days,” said Zadorov. “It’s a fun stretch of hockey games coming up for us…it’s playoff hockey already, it’s always having that mentality. The weather is great outside too, that helps.

“When you’re at home for a while and then you go on such a long road trip, it definitely gives you some bonding.”

Opposing View

Vegas has dropped two straight and four of five but remains atop the Pacific Division with a 39-20-8 record and 86 points, two points clear of Edmonton.

Jack Eichel paces the Golden Knights with 80 points (21 goals, 59 assists) in 66 games this season, while Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev both lead the team with 27 goals. Mark Stone (17-41—58) and Shea Theodore (7-41—48) round out the team’s top five scorers.

Goalie Adin Hill, recently inked to a six-year contract extension, is 24-11-5 with a 2.54 goals against average and .907 save percentage.

Wait, There’s More

• Jeremy Swayman was the first goalie off the ice at the optional morning skate, indicating that he’ll get the start between the pipes.
• No other lineup changes are expected for Boston, meaning Fabian Lysell and Michael Callahan – both recalled from Providence on an emergency basis earlier this week – will not play on Thursday night. “Both guys will get an opportunity to draw in here at some point on the trip,” said Sacco. “But for tonight we’ll just give them another day or two to get acclimated and we’ll see after that.”
• Zadorov on taking on more of a leadership role since the trade deadline: “I’ve been trying to do that since I came here…we lost a few veteran guys during the deadline so it’s more on our shoulders, [David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy], us older guys to help the younger guys, some new guys on the team as well. It’s all coming natural and from the heart. You try to help them in some way and prepare them.”

Thursday’s Projected Lineup

FORWARDS

Morgan Geekie – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak

Marat Khusnutdinov – Elias Lindholm – Jakub Lauko

Cole Koepke – Casey Mittelstadt – Vinni Lettieri

Johnny Beecher – Mark Kastelic – Patrick Brown

DEFENSEMEN

Nikita Zadorov – Henri Jokiharju

Mason Lohrei – Andrew Peeke

Parker Wotherspoon – Ian Mitchell

GOALIES

Jeremy Swayman

Joonas Korpisalo