History could be made at T-Mobile Arena today as the Vegas Golden Knights take on the slumping Washington Capitals.
In what is a Presidents’ Day matchup, the Vegas Golden Knights will look to win three consecutive games and maintain their perfect start to this homestand.
However, they will be coming up against a Capitals team that will be incredibly motivated to win tonight given that they have lost four of their last six outings.
Plus, there will be the small matter of Alex Ovechkin chasing a huge milestone as he is two goals away from reaching the 700 plateau, an incredible achievement that has evaded the forward in his last four games.
So, on that note, let’s delve into some storylines to watch out for between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals on Presidents’ Day…
Storyline 1 – Great Eight Chasing History
The biggest narrative surrounding tonight’s game will of course be Alex Ovechkin’s chase to became only the eighth player in the rich history of NHL history to score 700 goals.
Ovechkin has been sat at 698 goals for four straight games now and the wing’s slump has coincided with a rough patch for the Caps too.
However, you can never write Ovechkin off when he’s on the ice and, given that he finally lifted the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena, he will no doubt be extra motivated to secure another piece of history in Las Vegas.
Storyline 2 – Going For Three
The Vegas Golden Knights are getting it done right now and they have opened this five-game homestand with two consecutive wins.
They beat the reigning Stanley Cup Champions in a wild overtime win, before grinding their way to a big shutout over the New York Islanders.
Tonight will be a different test, however, given that the Washington Capitals are one of the best teams in the NHL, despite their poor February.
But, if the Knights can stick with what has worked so perfectly on this homestand, then they have a great chance of taking advantage of a Capitals team far from the peak of their powers.
Storyline 3 – No Kuznetsov
Forward Evgeny Kuznetsov will miss his second straight game for the Washington Capitals today due to an upper-body injury.
That should come as boost to the Golden Knights given that Kuznetsov is fourth on the Capitals in points with 46 (19 goals, 27 assists).
Storyline 4 – Presidents’ Day Matchup
This should be a mouthwatering tilt between two franchises that will forever be linked given their showdown in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.
The Vegas Golden Knights are playing their best hockey under Head Coach Peter DeBoer, while the Washington Capitals are one of the best teams in the NHL, although they have slowed down somewhat as of late.
There is a lot on the line for both teams today and it is a perfect way to mark Presidents’ Day with the Golden Knights hoping to get the better of the team from our Nation’s Capital.