The Vegas Golden Knights (23-8-3) look for their second win against the San Jose Sharks this season as they hit the road for a quick trip on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at SAP Center.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
NOTES
With Monday's win against the Anaheim Ducks, Bruce Cassidy became the winningest head coach in franchise history with 119 wins.
Tomas Hertl returns to San Jose for the first time since being traded to the Golden Knights on March 8, 2024.
The Golden Knights return to the ice following the holiday break. They enter Friday's matchup with an NHL-best .721 points percentage.
The Golden Knights are 11-2-1 against Pacific Division teams this season. The team is also 19-3-2 against Western Conference teams this season.
Vegas comes into Friday's game against the Sharks on a four-game win streak. The Golden Knights are 8-1-0 in the month of December and are 12-2-1 in their last 15 games. The team has a four-game win streak for the third time this season.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Two games away from 200 games as a Golden Knight
Mark Stone – Four goals away from 100 goals as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Tanner Pearson – Two points away from 300 career points
Victor Olofsson – Three goals away from 100 career goals
Victor Olofsson – Five assists away from 100 career assists
Mark Stone – Five points away from 600 career points
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 45 points (9G, 36A)
Ivan Barbashev – 30 points (15G, 15A)
Mark Stone – 28 points (7G, 21A)
Shea Theodore – 28 points (4G, 24A)
Tomas Hertl – 24 points (10G, 14A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 18 points (12G, 6A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights completed the season sweep as they defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 3-1, before the holiday break on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena. Tanner Pearson started the scoring for Vegas with a shorthanded goal near the end of the second period. After a scoreless second period, Mason McTavish tied the game up shortly into the third period. Tomas Hertl and Keegan Kolesar responded with goals of their own to secure the 3-1 win for Vegas. Adin Hill earned his 50th win as a Golden Knight by stopping 31-of-32 shots.
SEASON SERIES
The first matchup of the season between the Golden Knights and the Sharks saw a 7-3 victory in favor of Vegas on Oct. 26 at T-Mobile Arena. Pearson, Jack Eichel, and Brett Howden all scored in the first period to put Vegas up 3-0. Mikael Granlund got one back for the Sharks, but William Karlsson tallied his first goal of the season, a shorthanded goal, followed by a power-play goal by Pavel Dorofeyev to increase Vegas’ lead to 5-2 heading into the third period. Mark Stone tallied a goal, marking the sixth Vegas player to score in the game. Howden netted his second of the night with under two minutes to go to seal the 7-3 victory for the Golden Knights.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The San Jose Sharks have a record of 11-20-6 with 28 points and sit in last place in the Pacific Division. The Sharks have lost their last five games, four of which they lost by one goal. Friday’s matchup is part of a home back-to-back for San Jose. Mikael Granlund leads the Sharks with 33 points (11G, 22A), followed by William Eklund with 27 points (7G, 20A) and Macklin Celebrini with 25 points (11G, 14A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 23-8-3, 49 points
Edmonton Oilers – 21-11-2, 44 points
Los Angeles Kings – 19-10-5, 43 points
Vancouver Canucks – 17-10-7, 41 points
Calgary Flames – 16-11-7, 39 points
Seattle Kraken – 15-19-2, 32 points
Anaheim Ducks – 13-16-4, 30 points
San Jose Sharks – 11-20-6, 28 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
- Mark the 336th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights an 26-2-5 all-time record against San Jose
- Give the Golden Knights a 13-0-3 record at SAP Center
KEYS TO THE GAMES
Keep The Connection: Coming off the brief holiday break, Vegas would like to keep the same chemistry they had entering the holidays. Keegan Kolesar mentioned that consistency is key. He stated the team addresses what they need to work on, practice it, then bring it to the table come game time.
Division Dominance: Vegas is 11-2-1 in the Pacific Division and 19-3-2 in the Western Conference. Head coach Bruce Cassidy stated that in order to go all the way to the Finals, the team must be good in their own division. Cassidy also mentioned that the team “certainly feels like the top dogs of the division.” Maintaining their top-dog status, alongside remaining calm, cool, and collected is the key to success for Vegas.
