The Vegas Golden Knights (1-0-0) look to continue their strong start as they host the St. Louis Blues (2-0-0) on Friday 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
Jack Eichel (4A) and Ivan Barbashev’s (2G, 2A) performances on Wednesday night set a franchise record for most points in a season-opener.
Friday’s game is the second of a three-game homestand for Vegas.
Eichel and Barbashev are tied for the NHL lead in scoring with four points each.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Bruce Cassidy – Three wins away from 100 wins with the Golden Knights
Nicolas Roy – Eight games away from 300 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Nicolas Roy – One game away from 300 career games
Shea Theodore – Two games away from 500 career games
Nicolas Hague – Three games away from 300 career games (all with VGK)
Victor Olofsson – Eight goals away from 100 career goals
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Ivan Barbashev – Four points (2G, 2A)
Jack Eichel – Four points (4A)
Mark Stone – Three points (2G, 1A)
Shea Theodore – Three points (3A)
Victor Olofsson – Two points (2G)
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights used goals from five different players to win their season-opener, 8-4, against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Barbashev, Stone and Olofsson each scored twice while Zach Whitecloud and Brett Howden also found the back of the net. Barbashev (2G, 2A) and Eichel (4A) became the first pair of Golden Knights to post four points in a season-opening game in franchise history.
2023-24 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights posted a 2-0-1 record in their three games against the St. Louis Blues during the 2023-24 season. In their first meeting on Dec. 4, 2023, Eichel scored a goal in the third period to take the game to overtime, but St. Louis scored 38 seconds in to take the 2-1 overtime win at T-Mobile Arena. On Dec. 6, 2023, the Golden Knights scored five unanswered goals to win 6-3 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Eichel and Keegan Kolesar led the team with two points (1G, 1A) each, and Ivan Barbashev had two assists. The Golden Knights took the 2-1 overtime win in their final season matchup on Mar. 25, 2024.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
St. Louis will play its third game of the 2024-25 season on Friday in Vegas and skate into the matchup with a 2-0-0 record. The Blues failed to qualify for the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Playoffs after posting a 43-33-6 record and 92 points. Robert Thomas led the Blues with 86 points (26G, 60A) in 82 games. Jordan Kyrou finished the season with 67 points (31G, 36A), leading St. Louis in goals. Torey Krug quarterbacked their blue line with 39 points (4G, 35A) in 77 games.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 1-0-0, 2 points
Los Angeles Kings – 1-0-0, 2 points
Calgary Flames – 1-0-0, 2 points
Vancouver Canucks – 0-0-1, 1 point
San Jose Sharks – 0-0-1, 1 point
Anaheim Ducks – 0-0-0, 0 points
Seattle Kraken – 0-1-0, 0 points
Edmonton Oilers – 0-1-0, 0 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
-Be the 314th win in franchise history
-Improve the team’s record against the Blues to 16-9-2
-Give Vegas a two-game win streak to start the year
KEYS TO THE GAME
Keep the Momentum: The Golden Knights started the eighth season of the franchise on a high note. With their next two games at home, it’s ideal for Vegas to keep going with what they did on Wednesday night, according to Bruce Cassidy: feed off the energy from The Fortress.
A Character Win: Captain Mark Stone mentioned that Wednesday night’s win showed a lot of character for the team to bounce back when things didn’t go their way. The Golden Knights will look to continue with that message as the regular season develops.
