The Vegas Golden Knights (42-20-8) finish their season series against the Minnesota Wild (40-26-5), looking for their fourth win in a row and the series sweep on Tuesday at 5 p.m. PT at the Xcel Energy Center.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
NOTES
Jack Eichel was awarded the NHL’s second star of the week with seven points (2G, 5A) in three games.
On Sunday, Nicolas Hague tied his single-season career high in goals (5).
Keegan Kolesar had a team-high of 12 hits in three games.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Five goals away from 100 goals as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Keegan Kolesar – One point away from 100 career points
Ilya Samsonov – One game away from 200 career games
Mark Stone – Two assists from 400 career assists
Nicolas Roy – Three assists away from 100 career assists
Mark Stone – Four games away from 700 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 87 points (23G, 64A)
Mark Stone – 61 points (18G, 43A)
Tomas Hertl – 59 points (31G, 28A)
Shea Theodore – 48 points (7G, 41A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 46 points (30G, 16A)
Ivan Barbashev – 45 points (20G, 25A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights scored three consecutive goals in the first period of the game against the Lightning, with Nicolas Roy scoring the first goal of the game on the power play, followed by Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel, each netting a goal of their own to make it a 3-0 game. Tampa scored the lone goal of the second period, and Nicolas Hague made it 4-1 Vegas with an empty-net goal in the third before Tampa tacked on a late goal before time expired. The Golden Knights skated away with the 4-2 win, and Ilya Samsonov stood tall in his 16th win with 35 saves on 37 shots.
SEASON SERIES
Minnesota and Vegas first met back on Dec. 15, 2024, when the Golden Knights won 3-2. In a back-and-forth match, Victor Olofsson and Shea Theodore each scored through the first two periods before Olofsson netted his second in the third frame to give Vegas the win. Theodore (1G, 1A) and Jack Eichel (2A) came away with two points on the night, and Ilya Samsonov made 20 saves in the victory. The Golden Knights and the Wild next met on Jan. 12, 2025, on the tail-end of a back-to-back. Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice, while Keegan Kolesar and Tomas Hertl each tacked on a goal. Nicolas Roy secured a point in his return from injury, Shea Theodore picked up two assists, and Adin Hill made 15 saves on 16 shots to secure the 4-1 win.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
With a 40-26-5 record, the Minnesota Wild sit fourth in the Central Division and seventh in the West. The Wild enter Tuesday’s match on the back half of a back-to-back, after they lost to the Dallas Stars on Monday night, 3-0. Minnesota is 6-4-1 in March, with four of those wins coming against Western Conference teams. Matt Boldy leads Minnesota with 60 points (23G, 37A), followed by Marco Rossi with 54 points (22G, 32A), and Kirill Kaprizov with 52 points (23G, 29A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 42-20-8, 92 points
Los Angeles Kings – 39-21-9, 87 points
Edmonton Oilers – 41-24-5, 87 points
Vancouver Canucks – 33-26-12, 78 points
Calgary Flames – 33-25-11, 77 points
Anaheim Ducks – 30-32-8, 68 points
Seattle Kraken – 30-36-5, 65 points
San Jose Sharks – 19-42-9, 47 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
- Mark the 355th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 14-12-1 all-time record against the Wild
- Give the Golden Knights a 16-13-5 record on the road
KEYS TO THE GAMES
Steady Climb: With each game, the Golden Knights have improved to get closer to a full 60-minute game. Zach Whitecloud stated that Vegas played the right way for almost 120 minutes over the weekend, which is crucial as the team makes its final push toward the postseason.
Points on Points: The Golden Knights had minimal struggles on the offensive end in their last three matchups, scoring three or more goals in each contest. Vegas will need to carry its scoring touch on the road to finish March on a high note.
