The Vegas Golden Knights face a huge early litmus test tonight when they host the Nashville Predators at T-Mobile Arena.
It is a mouthwatering showdown between two Stanley Cup contenders and it should be a good measuring stick for both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Predators.
The Knights are 4-2-0 on the year after winning both games of a back-to-back at the weekend, beating the Calgary Flames 6-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday before cruising to victory over the LA Kings at Staples Center the following night.
Nashville, meanwhile, are 3-2-0 so far in 2019-20 but they are no doubt still reeling from the manner in which they lost their last game at the LA Kings on Saturday.
They lost 7-4 to the Kings but had been staring a 4-1 deficit in the face before clawing their way back into the game with three unanswered goals, only to implode in the final minute of the third period.
It was a tough loss to take for the Predators who are considered a contender for the Stanley Cup, and you can see why given the abundance of talent they have at their disposal.
Roman Jose is an absolute horse on the blueline, Pekka Rinne is still one of the best netminders in the NHL and then there is a stacked offense.
Boasting a plethora of big hitters, the Predators bolstered their depth at the center ice position significantly by signing Matt Duchene, who was arguably one of the biggest prizes available in free agency.
And Duchene has enjoyed an outstanding start to life in Nashville so far, leading the franchise in points with nine (two goals, seven assists), including two goals in his last two games.
The key to winning a third straight game tonight for Vegas will be attempting to put the shackles on Duchene, who is one of the premier playmaking centers in the NHL.
But Nashville aren’t just a one-trick pony. Filip Forsberg is a star in his own right and he has potted four goals and tallied three assists for seven points in five games, while top line center Ryan Johansen has seven points also (two goals, five assists).
And the Predators have also got a tremendous amount of secondary scoring from their bottom six forward unit, too. Six depth players have two or more points so far, led by Mikael Granlund who has two goals and two assists for four points and Calle Jarnkrok who has four points (four assists).
However, one area to keep an eye on is Nashville’s top line which hasn’t been as productive this year following the decision to split Forsberg, Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson up, with the Calle Jarnkrok experiment on the left wing of the top line not working so far.
For Vegas, much of their early season success has come down to the firepower of their top two lines and Mark Stone leads the way with nine points (four goals, five assists).
Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny have all been outstanding to start the year too, while rookie phenom Cody Glass has thrived in the NHL so far with two goals and two assists for four points.
It should be a tantalizing battle between two teams hoping to get their hands on the Stanley Cup and, given the firepower both franchises possess, it could be a hell of a high-scoring contest.
Let’s go over some of the key information you will need at your disposal ahead of tonight’s game…
Time: 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas
TV Broadcast: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: FOX Sports 98.9/1340
Live Streaming: ESPN+ has a free 7-day trial that includes live streaming for this game on all your smart devices! Besides NHL games, ESPN+ features a selection of live games from MLB, MLS, Serie A, FA Cup and EFL. Get in on the action with Live UFC Fight Nights, 30+ Top Rank Boxing Cards, Grand Slam Tennis from Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open.
The Vegas Golden Knights are looking for their third straight win but they are going to have to play a smart game in their own zone in order to shut down Nashville’s offensive talent. If they can do that while dominating in the offensive zone, then there is no reason why they can’t continue their strong start to the year.