The Vegas Golden Knights (1st in Pacific Division) will try to split their current California back-to-back stretch while visiting the Anaheim Ducks (8th in Pacific), who have won just three of their past 15 games.
The Vegas Golden Knights (24-12-1) returned from the Christmas break with a Southern California back-to-back set, snapping a two-game winning run with a 4-2 defeat in the first outing against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena last night. Michael Amadio (4 goals, 8 points this year) tied the game at 1-1 during power play in the opening frame before Brayden McNabb (1 goal, 11 points) gave Vegas a 2-1 lead midway through the following frame, only for the hosts to equalize moments later, adding two more strikes, including an empty-netter, in the final third. The setback ended a four-game road winning streak for the Knights, who are 2-3-0 in their last five overall matchups.
Goalie Logan Thompson, who was entering Vegas’ current back-to-back stretch with a 16-8-0 total for the season on top of a 2.66 GAA and a .914 save p ercentage, turned aside 21 shots yesterday. Adin Hill (8-3-1 on the year with a 2.66 GAA and a .903 save percentage), though, is expected to patrol the crease tonight, having banked an impressive 4-0-1 past tally against the Anaheim Ducks with a 2.50 GAA and a .919 save percentage. The Golden Knights, meanwhile, were starting this week, netting the 10th highest amount of goals per game in 2022-23 (3.31), while allowing the 10th lowest quantity defensively (2.78). They were 8th in power play (26.5%) and 23rd in penalty kill (75.3%).