Is today the day the Vegas Golden Knights break out of their slump? They will hope that’s the case as they go up against the Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena.
In what is the first of a four game homestand, the Vegas Golden Knights complete this back-to-back with another matchup against a Pacific Division rival.
After losing 4-3 to the LA Kings at Staples Center on Saturday night, the Golden Knights have now dropped five straight and lost seven of their last eight contests.
They are currently 9-9-3 on the year and are sitting seventh in the Pacific Division, making today’s matchup against the Flames even more important.
The Flames are in fifth place in the Pacific but are just two points above the Knights after starting the year 10-9-3.
Calgary are also on the slide at the moment having lost their last three games, including being shut out 3-0 by the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.
After winning both the Pacific Division and the Western Conference last year, big things were expected of the Flames but they have failed to live up to expectations so far.
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They are averaging just 2.64 Goals For Per Game (ranked 27th in the NHL), while they are allowing an averaging of 2.91 Goals Against Per Game (ranked 12th in the NHL).
Calgary’s power play has been average and is currently clicking at a 17.8 rate, ranked 18th in the NHL, although they have one of the best penalty kills in the league, which is operating at a 86.3 click, ranked fifth.
Matthew Tkachuk leads the Flames in points with 20 (10 goals, 10 assists), while Johnny Gaudreau is second with five goals and 13 assists for 18 points, although the elite forward has been streaky this season.
Cam Talbot is likely to get the nod between the pipes for the Flames tonight, and the veteran is 1-4-0 on the year with a .907 Save Percentage and a 2.69 Goals Against Average.
For the Knights, Marc-Andre Fleury is set to get the start today after getting Saturday off, and the future Hall of Famer has been playing at an elite level this year with a 9-5-1 record, along with a 2.68 GAA and a .914 Sv%.
Ryan Reaves will play in his 600th career NHL game today, while Mark Stone and Paul Stastny will be looking to break their six and eight-game scoring slumps respectively.
Vegas did put in a much-improved effort against the LA Kings on Saturday but came up just short, although they will be looking to take the positives from that game into today’s matchup.
Here is the projected lineups for both teams:
Calgary Flames
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Elias Lindholm
Matthew Tkachuk – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik
Andrew Mangiapane – Derek Ryan – Sam Bennett
Milan Lucic – Mark Jankowski – Tobias Rieder
Mark Giordano – Rasmus Andersson
Oliver Kylington – Michael Stone
Cam Talbot
Healthy Scratches: Brandon Davidson, Alan Quine.
Vegas Golden Knights
Max Pacioretty – William Karlsson – Reilly Smith
Jonathan Marchessault – Cody Eakin – Mark Stone
Alex Tuch – Paul Stastny – Cody Glass
William Carrier – Tomas Nosek – Ryan Reaves
Jon Merrill – Nick Holden
Marc-Andre Fleury
Healthy Scratches: Deryk Engelland, Nicolas Roy.
Keys To The Game
- Strike First – The Calgary Flames are also going through some growing pains right now and the first goal in today’s game could be crucial. While the Flames were shutout in Arizona last night, the Golden Knights dominated large chunks of their game against the Kings, only to fall short. If they can get the first goal today then that could go a long way towards breaking this five-game losing streak.
- Get Mark Stone The Puck – Vegas’ elite forward is currently in the middle of a six-game scoring slump. However, Stone has come close in the last couple of games and he recorded four shots on goal against the LA Kings on Saturday. If the Knights can get the puck to Stone in good areas today, then that could lead to success for both player and team.
- Play A Complete Game – It has been said far too often this year, but the Golden Knights have been guilty of not competing for the full 60 minutes. That has to change today. They were much better against the LA Kings but just lacked that killer instinct to take the game by control when it was there waiting for them. If the Knights can get back to basics this afternoon and play a real gritty game against the Flames, that could be key to coming out on top.
Here is all the essential information you need to know prior to faceoff…
Time: 4:00 p.m. PT
Where: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas
TV Broadcast: AT&T Sportsnet
Radio: FOX Sports 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
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.
This is a huge game for both teams but particularly the Vegas Golden Knights who are hoping to take the positives from Saturday night to complete this back-to-back with a much-needed win.