The Vegas Golden Knights (17-7-3) return home to host the Dallas Stars (16-9-0) for the first time this season 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
NOTES
On Wednesday night, Shea Theodore scored the team’s 38th third-period goal this season, the most in the NHL. With his multi-goal performance, Theodore has recorded 20 points for the eighth straight season (3G, 17A).
Jack Eichel tallied his 30th assist in Wednesday’s victory to become the fastest player in franchise history to 30 assists in a season, surpassing Theodore's mark of 30 assists in 35 games in 2023-24.
Eichel is ranked second in the league with 30 assists and fourth with 38 total points (8G, 30A)
The Golden Knights are 13-2-2 against Western Conference opponents this season.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – Three points away from 200 as a Golden Knight
Bruce Cassidy – Six games away from having the most wins all-time as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Noah Hanifin – Two points away from 300 career points
Tanner Pearson – Four points away from 300 career points
Victor Olofsson – Six assists away from 100 career assists
Victor Olofsson – Seven goals away from 100 career goals
Pavel Dorofeyev – Six games away from 100 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 38 points (8G, 30A)
Ivan Barbashev – 28 points (13G, 15A)
Mark Stone – 21 points (6G, 15A)
Tomas Hertl – 20 points (8G, 12A)
Shea Theodore – 20 points (3G, 17A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 17 points (12G, 5A)
Alex Pietrangelo – 15 points (2G, 13A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 4-1, on Wednesday night at Honda Center to improve to 3-0-0 against the Ducks this season. William Karlsson opened the scoring late in the first, followed by Theodore’s first goal of the game to make it 2-0. Anaheim responded with a goal from Jackson LaCombe, but Vegas quickly regained a two-goal lead when Alexander Holtz deflected in a shot. Theodore sealed the win with his second goal, marking his first multi-goal game of the season. Victor Olofsson and Eichel each had two assists.
2023-24 SEASON SERIES
The Vegas Golden Knights finished the 2023-24 regular season with a perfect 3-0-0 record against the Dallas Stars. The first meeting between the two teams took place on Oct. 17 at T-Mobile Arena, where the Golden Knights secured a 3-2 shootout victory. Kaedan Korczak scored his first NHL goal in the win, while Karlsson added a goal and an assist. In the second matchup on Nov. 22 at American Airlines Center, Eichel netted the game-winning goal just two minutes into overtime, lifting Vegas to a 2-1 victory. Goaltender Adin Hill was sharp, stopping 31 shots to earn the win. In their final regular-season meeting, the Golden Knights dominated the Stars with a 6-1 victory at American Airlines Center. Six different Vegas players found the back of the net, including Zach Whitecloud, Mark Stone, Nicolas Roy, and Pavel Dorofeyev, as the Golden Knights completed the season sweep. The two teams later met in the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, where the series went the distance to Game 7, with Dallas emerging victorious.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Dallas Stars are in third place in the Western Conference Central Division with a 16-9-0 record and posting 32 points heading into Friday's game. They are wrapping up a three-game road trip with a visit to Las Vegas, having split their previous two matchups. In their most recent game, they were edged out by the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-2 contest. Leading the Stars offensively is Matt Duchene with 28 points (12G, 16A), followed by Mason Marchment with 25 points (11G, 14A) and Tyler Seguin with 20 points (9G, 11A). Between the pipes, Jake Oettinger is second in the league with 13 wins on the season.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Vegas Golden Knights – 17-7-3, 37 points
Los Angeles Kings – 15-8-3, 33 points
Calgary Flames – 13-9-5, 31 points
Vancouver Canucks – 13-9-5, 31 points
Edmonton Oilers – 14-10-2, 30 points
Seattle Kraken – 13-13-1, 27 points
San Jose Sharks – 10-14-5, 25 points
Anaheim Ducks – 10-11-3, 23 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD...
- Mark the 330th win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 12-3-3 all-time record against Dallas
- Give the Golden Knights a 11-3-0 record at home this season
KEYS TO THE GAME
Shake It Up: Head coach Bruce Cassidy discussed tweaking the lines following Wednesday’s win. Cassidy stated how a change of scenery can be good for the players. After a few games with limited offensive production and Olofsson’s return, Cassidy shuffled the lines to test new chemistry. The adjustments paid off and will be important to carry that spark into a rivalry game against Dallas.
Rivalry Energy: The Golden Knights and Stars have butted heads in the postseason in each of the last two seasons. Vegas and Dallas have developed a bit of a rivalry over the last few seasons and Friday's game will have lots of energy.
