The homestand continues tonight as the Vegas Golden Knights renew hostilities with bitter rivals the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena.
After snapping a five-game losing streak by smoking the Calgary Flames and following that up with a big win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Vegas Golden Knights (11-9-3) will be going for their third straight win tonight.
And it looks set to be a doozy with the San Jose Sharks (10-11-3) having won six of seven prior to tonight’s matchup, recovering from what was a labored start to the year.
They did drop their last outing to the Pacific Division-leading Edmonton Oilers, losing 5-2, but the Sharks are now playing with a renewed swagger and they will pose a tough test tonight.
The Sharks are led in scoring by Captain Logan Couture who has recorded 23 points (four goals, 19 assists), while stud defenseman Brent Burns has contributed five goals and 15 assists for 20 points.
And they boast the best penalty kill in the entire National Hockey League, despite the fact that they have given up a lot of goals this year.
However, the Sharks have been dealt a blow with Tomas Hertl out of the lineup tonight, with the forward second on the team in points with 21 (10 goals, 11 assists).
Aaron Dell will get the start in net for the San Jose Sharks tonight, and the goalie has a 3-3-0 record with a 3.32 Goals Against Average and a .897 Save Percentage this year.
For the Vegas Golden Knights, Marc-Andre Fleury will again start between the pipes just days after making THAT save against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Bottom six forward Nicolas Roy was called up from the AHL on an emergency basis, although he won’t be needed after all tonight.
Here are the projected lines for tonight’s game, per nhl.com:
San Jose Sharks
Evander Kane – Logan Couture – Kevin Labanc
Timo Meier – Barclay Goodrow – Patrick Marleau
Marcus Sorensen – Joe Thornton – Dylan Gambrell
Lukas Radil – Antti Suomela – Melker Karlsson
Radim Simek – Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Erik Karlsson
Brenden Dillon – Mario Ferraro
Aaron Dell
Scratched: Tim Heed
Injured: Dalton Prout (upper body), Tomas Hertl (undisclosed)
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 – Deryk Engelland
Marc-Andre Fleury
Scratched: Nick Holden, Nicolas Roy
Injured: None
Suspended: Valentin Zykov
Here is all the essential information you need to know prior to faceoff…
Time: 7:00 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.
Tonight is a big game for the Vegas Golden Knights who will be seeking their first three-game win streak of the year, although the San Jose Sharks team they are facing tonight is very different from the one they went up against at the beginning of the regular season.
Tonight’s game is also Hockey Fights Cancer Night for the Golden Knights, who will wear lavender jerseys during warmups that will be signed and auctioned after the game.