Vegas Golden Knights Vs. Anaheim Ducks: Main storylines
Hockey is back! Normal service resumes tonight for the Vegas Golden Knights following the NHL’s break for the holiday season.
With Christmas now done and dusted, the Vegas Golden Knights are getting ready for a huge second-half of the 2019-20 regular season and it all starts tonight.
In their first game since that ugly blowout loss to the Colorado Avalanche last week, the Golden Knights travel to California to take on the Anaheim Ducks in a one-game road trip.
It is the first of two matchups with the rebuilding Ducks in a matter of days, with these two teams set to meet again on New Years Eve.
Faceoff tonight is set for 7:00 p.m. PT and, ahead of the game, we have conjured up some storylines to look out for…
Storyline 1 – Bounceback
As already mentioned, the Vegas Golden Knights didn’t exactly enter the holiday period on a high note after being blown out by the Colorado Avalanche 7-3 on Dec. 23.
It was a bad loss to an elite team but that is in the past now and the Golden Knights must refocus and come back after the break revitalized and ready to go.
This is a big week for the Knights who face a mouthwatering and gigantic showdown against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, with the two teams sharing the lead atop the Pacific Division.
But, first, the Golden Knights must first focus their energy on taking down another divisional rival in the Ducks, who are sixth in the Pacific and are in the early stages of a rebuild.
One of the hallmarks of a good team is taking care of the bottom feeders in the NHL, and the Vegas Golden Knights must do that tonight by beating the Anaheim Ducks and thus setting the tone for the second-half of the 2019-20 regular season.
Storyline 2 – Return of the Glass
It wasn’t all that long ago that Cody Glass took a wild elbow to the head from New York Rangers forward Brendan Lemieux, thus forcing him out of action.
Glass struggled to get off the ice in the wake of that collision on Dec. 8, and he’s been absent from the lineup ever since.
However, the rookie forward looks set for a return to action tonight after the Golden Knights reassigned Valentin Zykov to the AHL earlier this week.
It would be a welcome boost for the Knights with Glass likely to center a strong third line featuring Chandler Stephenson and Alex Tuch, while it would also enable them to reunite their top six forward unit.
Glass had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 32 games prior to his injury, and it will be a timely return for the rookie phenom tonight.
Storyline 3 – Who gets the start in net?
Marc-Andre Fleury had a rough night between the pipes last time out against the Colorado Avalanche, allowing seven goals on 38 shots.
Fleury has of course had a few days rest since then but, with a date with destiny against Taylor Hall and the Arizona Coyotes coming up on Saturday, you would think that Malcolm Subban will go tonight.
However, could Vegas Head Coach Gerard Gallant be tempted to go with Fleury tonight in order to help him banish his last outing from his mind?
It is possible but given that Subban has been much improved in his last few games, it would make sense to save Fleury for the bigger game against the Coyotes tomorrow.
Storyline 4 – All-Star watch
This is a minor storyline in the grand scheme of things, but still an interesting one to keep an eye on nonetheless.
With Christmas now over, the 2020 All-Star Game is rapidly approaching and we already know the four Division Captains.
Given that a Vegas Golden Knights player wasn’t named among the four, only one player from this team will represent the franchise in St. Louis next month.
And the competition couldn’t be greater.
As it stands, Max Pacioretty is probably the most obvious candidate given that he has been phenomenal for the Knights so far this year, leading the team in points with 37 (16 goals, 21 assists).
Marc-Andre Fleury, who went to the All-Star Game in San Jose last year, is also another solid choice given that he has a record of 14-8-3 this year with a 2.81 Goals Against Average and a .910 Save Percentage.
Other candidates include William Karlsson who has 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 40 games, while Mark Stone is second on the team in points with 35 (13 goals, 22 assists).
There are just a handful of games remaining until the All-Star break and it will be a fascinating battle between the players mentioned above to see who stamps their ticket to St. Louis.
Storyline 5 – Rebuilding Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks have now committed to their rebuild and, as a result, it hasn’t been a pretty season for that franchise.
They do sit above the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division, though, so there is that.
However, the mental toll of going through a rebuild is starting to show and the Ducks have lost six of their last nine games.
They give up a lot of goals too, averaging 3.05 Goals Against Per Game, while elite goaltender John Gibson has been left to hang out to dry as of late, allowing three or more goals in six of his last eight starts.
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The Ducks also struggle to generate offense and they are ranked 29th in the NHL in Goals For Per Game (2.51), while they only have three players who have passed the 20 point plateau so far this year.
It is likely to get worse before it gets better for Anaheim, and the rest of the year will be about evaluating the talent they do have on the roster, starting with tonight’s game.