The Vegas Golden Knights (32-18-6) take on the Toronto Maple Leafs (31-16-8) for the first time this season on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34 (Scripps Sports)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
NOTES
Tuesday’s game is the first of two meetings of the season between Vegas and Toronto. The teams will complete their season series next Tuesday in Toronto.
Vegas is 5-4-1 in its last 10, while Toronto is 8-2-0.
The Golden Knights are one win away from 300 franchise victories.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Chandler Stephenson – two assists away from 150 assists as a Golden Knight
Ivan Barbashev – two points away from 50 points as a Golden Knight
Jonathan Marchessault – eight points away from 400 points as a Golden Knight
Alex Pietrangelo - five games away from 250 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Ben Hutton – one game away from 500 career games played
Keegan Kolesar – one game away from 250 career games played
Alex Pietrangelo – two points away from 600 career points
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Mark Stone – 53 points (16G, 37A)
Jonathan Marchessault – 44 points (28G, 16A)
Jack Eichel – 44 points (19G, 25A)
William Karlsson – 36 points (18G, 18A)
Ivan Barbashev – 33 points (13G, 20A)
Nicolas Roy - 31 points (11G, 20A)
Chandler Stephenson - 31 points (11G, 20A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell to the Nashville Predators, 5-3, on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena. Nashville opened scoring for the night but at 14:09 in the first, Alex Pietrangelo tied the game. With 51 seconds left in the frame, Nashville broke the tie with a goal from Cody Glass. The second period saw Nashville tally two goals and extend its lead to 4-1. Vegas cut the lead to one goal after William Karlsson and Michael Amadio got on the board. With two minutes left in regulation, Gustav Nyquist netted an empty net goal to cement Nashville’s 5-3 win.
2022-23 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights and Maple Leafs will faceoff for the first time this season on Thursday night. Vegas swept Toronto 2-0-0 during the 2022-23 season. On Oct. 24, the Golden Knights defeated the Maple Leafs 3-1 with goals from Nicolas Roy, Chandler Stephenson and Michael Amadio. The teams met again two weeks later, on Nov. 8, in Toronto as the Golden Knights defeated the Maple Leafs, 4-3, in overtime. Vegas’ Roy and Jack Eichel gave the team a 2-1 advantage in the first frame, but Toronto came back to score two in the second, giving them a 3-2 lead. Reilly Smith tied the game with a shorthanded goal, which sent the teams to overtime before Smith netted the winning goal 23 seconds into overtime, giving Vegas the 4-3 win.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Toronto Maple Leafs hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 70 points. The Maple Leafs extended their win streak to five games after defeating the Arizona Coyotes, 6-3, on Wednesday night at Mullett Arena. Auston Matthews scored his 50th goal on the season, setting the record for the fastest U.S.-born player in NHL history to hit 50 goals in a season. In addition to Matthews’ two goals, Bobby McMann, William Nylander and John Tavares all got on the board for Toronto. Matthews (51G, 24A) and Nylander (31G, 43A) lead the team in points with 75 and 74 respectively.
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
-Mark the 300th win in franchise history
-Give Vegas 72 points on the season
-Improve the Golden Knights’ all-time record against the Maple Leafs to 4-3-3
KEYS TO THE GAME
Full 60 Minutes: The past couple of home games, Vegas has struggled to put together a full 60 minutes of play. Heading into a big matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the key for Vegas to get the win is to finish all 60 minutes, start and finish strong and manage the puck.
Home Advantage: Thursday’s game is the last home game for February before the team heads on a two-week road trip. Vegas needs to embrace being at home and playing in front of friendly fans, which will help bring the team to a win.
