The Vegas Golden Knights conclude their homestand by taking on the Pacific-Division leading Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena tonight.
After dropping a tough game to the San Jose Sharks in Overtime on Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights (11-9-4) will be looking to bounce back with a big win tonight against the best team in the Pacific Division.
The Oilers (14-7-3) have been dominant all year so far and they are thriving under new Head Coach Dave Tippett, who has added some real structure to this team.
But it is the dynamic play of star duo Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl that has really set the tempo for the Oilers, with the star duo having combined for over 100 points already this year.
And we haven’t reached Thanksgiving yet. Utter madness.
Both McDavid and Draisaitl have already reached the 40-point plateau, while the likes of James Neal, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zack Kassian have all chipped in with secondary scoring.
Their defense has also been much improved and is ranked inside the top 10 in the Goals Against Per Game category, while their goaltending tandem of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen.
There is enough of a sample size to go on now to suggest that the Edmonton Oilers are indeed the real deal, and they could stretch their lead in the Pacific Division by securing a win tonight.
For the Vegas Golden Knights, tonight is a huge opportunity to close the gap on the Oilers and start to gain some ground in the Pacific.
After opening this homestand with two wins the Knights suffered a setback on Thursday after dropping a tough loss to the San Jose Sharks in Overtime, so tonight will all be about bouncing back.
Marc-Andre Fleury is set to get the start in goal tonight while Nick Holden is likely to come back into the lineup, with Jon Merrill the expected healthy scratch.
Cody Eakin has scored two goals in three games and is starting to find his groove offensively, and the Golden Knights are going to need a complete team effort if they are to get the W tonight.
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.
With a tough road trip coming up, the Vegas Golden Knights would give themselves a huge boost if they could beat the best team in the Pacific Division and finish this homestand with a winning record, although it won’t be easy with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in town.