Can the Vegas Golden Knights end the decade on a winning note today? They will hope that’s the case when they take on the Anaheim Ducks (12:00 p.m. PT).
Following their huge and impressive win over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights will now look to close out 2019 by beating the Ducks at T-Mobile Arena.
It is another huge game for the Golden Knights who have a chance to start really building some momentum, and we’ve taken a look at some storylines to keep an eye on during this afternoon’s contest…
Storyline 1 – Revenge Game
These two teams did battle just a few days ago with the Anaheim Ducks beating the Golden Knights 4-3 on Friday at Honda Center.
It was an ugly loss for Vegas who allowed four unanswered goals to a rebuilding Ducks franchise, and the Knights will no doubt be out for payback today.
A lot of what has plagued the Golden Knights this year was on show during that one game, and Vegas will need to execute their game plan a lot better if they are to finish the year and the decade on a high.
Storyline 2 – Get voting for Pacioretty
The rosters for the 2020 All-Star Game in St. Louis were announced on Monday, with Marc-Andre Fleury the lone representative for the Vegas Golden Knights.
However, should Max Pacioretty been included on that roster rather than his teammate?
We delved into that question here, and Pacioretty will now hope fans vote for him in the “Last Men In” ballot which opens on Wednesday.
And the forward can boost his chances of going to St. Louis starting tonight by continuing to do what he has done all season long.
Heading into today’s contest, Pacioretty leads the Golden Knights in points with 40 (16 goals, 24 assists) and he’s on pace to carve out a career year in a number of categories.
If Pacioretty can produce a big showing against the Ducks then that may well persuade some to vote for the forward.
Storyline 3 – Can Stastny get going?
Much has been made of Paul Stastny‘s slow start this year and the veteran center is certainly having a down year.
Through 42 games, Stastny has tallied just 16 points (10 goals, six assists) and he’s also a -7 on the year.
There is no exact science as to why Stastny has failed to get going offensively this year, although the fact that he’s been used up and down the lineup probably hasn’t helped.
And the forward will center a third line between Alex Tuch and Cody Glass today, although with two high-end playmakers alongside him, could that spark a breakout?
Let’s hope so because the Golden Knights are going to need Paul Stastny to be firing on all cylinders and contributing if they want success this year.
Storyline 4 – Fleury the All-Star
It has been a good few days for Marc-Andre Fleury who bounced back from a rough couple of outings by stopping 27 saves on his way to beating the Arizona Coyotes and securing his 454th career NHL win.
Then, on Monday, Fleury was announced as the lone Vegas Golden Knights representative at the 2020 All-Star Game in St. Louis.
It will be Fleury’s fifth All-Star Game and his third consecutive time at the event, which is an impressive feat in itself.
It is fair to say that it hasn’t been the most vintage of years for Fleury, although he’s still been operating at a high level.
And the future Hall of Famer will be hoping to produce a strong outing against the Anaheim Ducks as the Golden Knights look to finish the year on a high.
Fleury is still one of the best goalies in the National Hockey League and he’ll be key to any success Vegas enjoys this year.
Storyline 5 – Who can adapt best
Faceoff for today’s game is at 12:00 p.m. PT which is an incredibly early start and, as such, it will prevent challenges for both teams.
For instance, certain players won’t be able to take their traditional pre-game naps and whether that will have an effect remains to be seen.
It is no secret that hockey players are slaves to their respective routines, so it will be down to both teams to adapt and prepare properly for an early start.
Whichever team that fails to do just that will probably find themselves going home empty-handed.