Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Divisional Round
Having been blanked with a count of 4-0 in two consecutive games, the Arizona Coyotes (7th in Central Division) will try to get back on track while hosting the Vegas Golden Knights (1st in Pacific), who just snapped a three-game losing skid yesterday.
The Vegas Golden Knights (29-16-2) finally snapped their season-long three-game losing skid (0-3-0) after concluding their seven-game homestand with a 3-4-0 record following a 6-2 triumph over the Washington Capitals at T-Mobile Arena last night. Paul Cotter (8 goals, 11 points this year) collected two snipes, as the Knights lit the lamp five times in succession throughout the first two periods before Washington got a marker back just before the second intermission, with both teams netting a goal each in the final third. It was the first contest in the past six games Vegas buried the first snipe in.
Goalie Logan Thompson (19-12-1 for the season with a 2.70 GAA and a .913 save percentage) turned aside 20 shots yesterday, but is likely to free up Vegas’ crease for Adin Hill ahead of tonight’s matchup in Arizona. Hill, w ho has posted a 10-4-1 tally for the ongoing campaign with a 2.65 GAA and a .907 save percentage, has never faced the Coyotes before, but is 8-7-0 against the Central Division historically with a 2.88 GAA and a .898 save percentage. The Golden Knights, meanwhile, are sitting 13th in most goals scored per game this year (3.23), 12th in least goals allowed on average (2.85), 8th in power play (24.6%) and 16th in penalty kill (79.0%).