Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise (Las Vegas), Nevada
Puck Drop: 10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT)
Television/Streaming: ESPN+ (primary); additional regional options (Prime Video / KCOP-13 for Ducks markets; SN / TVAS / Scripps for Vegas in some listings)
Context: Pacific Division matchup. Vegas opens with a 5-2 home win over the Chicago Blackhawks; Anaheim begins its season on the road.
Current Rosters / Key Players
Vegas Golden Knights (projected lines)
Line 1: Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone
Line 2: Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
Line 3: Trevor Connelly – Tomas Hertl – Victor Olofsson
Depth including Nic Dowd and others.
Defense features Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, Brayden McNabb, and supporting pieces. Goaltending expected to involve Adin Hill or Carter Hart.
Anaheim Ducks (projected lines)
Line 1: A.J. Greer – Leo Carlsson – Cutter Gauthier
Line 2: Alex Killorn – Mikael Granlund – Beckett Sennecke
Supporting lines with Ryan Poehling, Frank Vatrano, and depth.
Defense relies on Jackson LaCombe and younger/recalled pieces (Tristan Luneau and others after injuries). Goaltending: Lukas Dostal expected to start.
Injury Reports
Vegas Golden Knights
Ben Hemmerling, Lukas Cormier, Kai Uchacz – Out (undisclosed).
Raphael Lavoie – Day-to-day (undisclosed).
(Longer-term notes such as Alex Pietrangelo hip issues appear in some historical contexts but are not the primary current absences for this game.)
Anaheim Ducks
Troy Terry (RW) – Out / LTIR (hip; longer-term recovery into November).
Drew Helleson (D) – Out / IR (lower body).
Ian Moore (D) – Out / IR (lower body).
A.J. Greer (LW) – Day-to-day (upper body; status for this game monitored).
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Jack Eichel / Mark Stone vs. Ducks defense: Vegas’s elite top line against Anaheim’s injury-thinned blue line. Eichel produced multi-point efforts in the opener.
Leo Carlsson / Cutter Gauthier vs. Vegas top defense: Anaheim’s young core scoring threats testing the Golden Knights’ structured pairs.
Mitch Marner / Tomas Hertl vs. Ducks middle six: Secondary scoring and playmaking matchups.
Goaltending – Adin Hill/Carter Hart vs. Lukas Dostal: Vegas’s tandem experience against Dostal, who carries the early workload for Anaheim.
Special teams: Vegas’s strong power play and penalty kill versus Anaheim’s developing units.
Recent Team Forms
Vegas Golden Knights (1-0-0): Opened with a convincing 5-2 home win over Chicago. Strong core continuity and home success provide early momentum.
Anaheim Ducks (0-0-0): Season opener after a mixed preseason. Young talent (Carlsson, Gauthier) offers upside, but defensive injuries and the road environment against a strong Pacific rival present challenges.
Series History
Pacific Division rivals. Recent regular-season and playoff meetings have been competitive, with Vegas generally holding the edge in structure and experience. Home ice at T-Mobile Arena has favored the Golden Knights in many recent encounters.
Betting Trends
Trends strongly favor the home favorite, especially one coming off a win. Anaheim’s road struggles and injury absences further tilt the market. Totals reflect potential for moderate-to-higher scoring given Vegas’s offensive depth.
Game Odds
Anaheim Ducks 6.5
Vegas Golden Knights – 190
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, October 1, 2026
