Tonight will be all about redemption for the Vegas Golden Knights who will be looking to bounce back from an ugly night in Philadelphia when they go head-to-head with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Vegas Golden Knights decided to celebrate Halloween early by putting on an absolute horror show against the Flyers last night, allowing five unanswered goals including four in the second period with Oscar Dansk enduring a start from hell between the pipes.
However, they have a chance to put things right tonight and end this trip on a high note and a winning record by beating the Chicago Blackhawks, who are 2-3-1 to start the year.
Chicago opened their season in Europe against Philadelphia and, like the Flyers, the Blackhawks haven’t really got going yet in 2019-20 and currently sit under .500.
The Blackhawks fell 5-3 to the Washington Capitals in their last outing on Sunday, so they will be hoping for a win on home ice tonight.
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It is worth mentioning that the Hawks are tied for the fewest amount of games played in the NHL, so it is perhaps fair to suggest that they have yet to hit their stride and they will be fresh too having not played since Sunday.
Robin Lehner, who was outstanding for the New York Islanders last year, will start in goal for Chicago tonight, while Kirby Dach, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, will play again tonight having made his NHL debut against the Capitals on Sunday.
Slater Koekkoek, Brendan Perlini and Zack Smith will all be healthy scratches for the Blackhawks for the second straight game tonight.
The Vegas Golden Knights (6-4-0) will be a dangerous hockey team, however, given that they are coming off an ugly loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last night, and they will be determined to finish this road trip with a winning record.
It is worth mentioning that the Knights were not completely awful against the Flyers, although they lost battles in key areas and they failed to protect Oscar Dansk between the pipes.
For Vegas, the key to tonight will be generating shots on net early to try and build some momentum because the last thing you want to do when playing in the second game of a back-to-back is to have to come from behind.
Also, special teams will be key for the Golden Knights tonight too given that they struggled in that area against the Flyers after going one-for-five on the power play in addition to giving up two goals on the penalty kill.
Marc-Andre Fleury should be back between the pipes for Vegas tonight, and that should fill his teammates with confidence given his outstanding start to the year – a 2.18 Goals Against Average and a .934 Save Percentage through nine games and eight starts.
Mark Stone is currently riding a six-game point streak (three goals, three assists) and he will be the key man for the Knights tonight having endured a quiet outing against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Vegas Golden Knights have fond memories at the United Center having carved out an 8-3 rollicking of the Chicago Blackhawks on November, 27, 2018, where the Knights had seven different scorers.
They also beat Chicago 4-3 in Overtime on the road on January, 12, 2019 thanks to Shea Theodore‘s winning goal, with the defenseman also scoring two goals in that 8-3 success.
And here is all the essential information you need to know prior to faceoff…
Time: 5:30 p.m. PT
Where: United Center – Chicago
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.
It is a big game in terms of bouncing back for the Vegas Golden Knights and they will be looking to return home with a winning record on this road trip ahead of a four-game homestand.