The Vegas Golden Knights just finished a five-game gauntlet against teams currently in playoff positioning. They took care of business and won four out of five possible games. In turn, they ended up with eight points and are one of the NHL's best teams. Gotta find a way to silence those critics, eh?
Now, they face a 10-game stretch consisting entirely of teams out of playoff positioning entering Saturday. That includes eight games at T-Mobile Arena, where the Golden Knights are 12-3-0 in 2024-25. Their opponent? The Seattle Kraken, who are sixth in the Pacific Division with 32 points.
Life has been cruel to the Kraken, who've failed to generate any offense this season. Compared to the Golden Knights, who are sixth in goals per game (3.44), the Kraken is mustering 2.82 goals per game. That's good for 23rd in the NHL, leaving little to be desired in the Pacific Northwest.
Still, that doesn't mean the Golden Knights should take this game lightly. A hockey team can win a game at any given moment, whether their best player hurts themselves sneezing or coming down with a bad stomach virus (gotta stay away from that Taco Bell, eh?). Anyway, here's who has the upper hand heading into the weekend matinee.
Who wins between the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken?
Obviously, the Seattle Kraken aren't the best offensive team in the NHL. Their best player regarding points entering Saturday was Jared McCann with 26 (11 goals, 15 assists). Chandler Stephenson leads the team in assists with 18. While that's typical of the center, there isn't much else to be excited about in the Emerald City.
That also goes for their special teams. The Kraken have the 24th-best power play in the league (17.5%) and are tied for the 14th-best penalty kill in the NHL (80%). The Vegas Golden Knights have allowed one power play goal in their last six games, showing a vast improvement in their penalty kill unit.
If these trends continue for Saturday's game at T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights shouldn't have too much of a problem defeating the Kraken. The power play will see a business-as-usual mantra from Tomas Hertl, who will attack the net alongside Mark Stone. The penalty kill will pounce on numerous mistakes made by Seattle, allowing for more clears and disrupted plays.
Speaking of Hertl, he'll be the player to watch heading into Saturday's matchup. The center has one goal and three assists in December, a far cry from his terrific month in October (four goals, seven assists). If the Czech forward can crash the net and get solid opportunities up front, the Golden Knights will have an easier time against Seattle.
That's what should happen in Saturday's matchup, for the Kraken are struggling right now. They've lost three straight and are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Compare that to the Golden Knights, who handled a challenging five-game gauntlet well and are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games. Expect the Golden Knights to win, 5-2, and take care of business at T-Mobile Arena. The home team starts a relieving stretch with a good win, building momentum throughout the homestand.