VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES:
LAST GAME RECAP – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1, ST. LOUIS BLUES 2 (OT)
The Vegas Golden Knights (16-5-5) fell to the St. Louis Blues (13-10-1) in overtime, 2-1, at T-Mobile Arena on Monday night. After both teams exchanged chances throughout the first period, it was St. Louis’ Alexey Toropchenko who broke through with 20 seconds left in the frame to lead 1-0. After a scoreless second period, Jack Eichel evened things up on the power play for his 11th goal of the season. The teams entered overtime level at 1-1 and within 38 seconds, Pavel Buchnevich potted the game-winning goal to give the Blues the 2-1 victory.
AGAINST THE BLUES
The Vegas Golden Knights and the St. Louis Blues will meet for the second time in three days in a home-and-home matchup. Capping off at Enterprise Center tonight, Vegas and St. Louis will collide after the Golden Knights fell 2-1 in overtime to the Blues at T-Mobile Arena on Monday. The Golden Knights own a 13-9-2 record against the Blues in 24 meetings and are 5-6-0 when playing at Enterprise Center. Vegas is 6- 1-2 against the Central Division this season and have outscored Central opponents 30-19, the Golden Knights’ largest goal differential against any division this season (11).
DOING IT FOR DAD
The Golden Knights will kick off their annual Dads’ Trip in St. Louis tonight. Vegas holds a 7-0-1 all-time record when competing in front of their dads. Last season, fathers of the Golden Knights watched the club snap a four-game skid with consecutive victories in Nashville and Minnesota (Feb. 7-9) and ignite Vegas’ 22-4-5 run (.790 points percentage) to conclude the season and become Pacific Division Champions.
JACK ATTACK
Jack Eichel scored in his third consecutive game on Monday night against St. Louis. Eichel’s goal against the Blues came on the power play to mark his fifth power-play goal of the season, matching his total number of tallies recorded on the man advantage through his first two regular-seasons with the Golden Knights. The centerman has seven points (3-4—7) in his last three games after posting back-to-back three-point games. Eichel is two points away from becoming the second-fastest Vegas skater to reach the 30-point mark in a single season, should he hit the mark before he plays in his 30th game this year.
BALANCING ACT
Vegas has three players – Jack Eichel, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault – tied for the team lead with 11 goals each. The Golden Knights are the only team in the league with three 11-goal scorers.
EXTRA HOCKEY
In 26 games, the Golden Knights have needed overtime or a shootout nine times to reach a final result, including five in the club’s last 10 games. Vegas’ nine extra hockey sessions are the most the club has ever had at this point in the season and tied for second in the NHL this year (Toronto leads with 11). The Golden Knigths own a 64-46-0 overtime record and their 23 shootout wins are tied for second in the NHL since the club’s inaugural season in 2017-18.
POSITIVE AMMO
Michael Amadio leads the team and ranks tied for 13th in the NHL with a +12 rating through 26 games. Before this year, Amadio’s best plus/minus season in the NHL came a year ago, when he was +2 in 67 games for the Golden Knights.
DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
The Golden Knights kicked off the month of December with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Capitals on Saturday. Vegas has a history of success in December, owning an all-time .711 points percentage, the best in a single month by any team in NHL history. The Golden Knights are 28-8-4 at home in December (.778 point pct) and average 3.46 goals per game, the most in any calendar month.
THE BEST IN THE WEST
Vegas remains the number one team in the Western Conference with 37 points after capturing a point in its 2-1 overtime loss to St. Louis on Monday. The Golden Knights are 12-3-4 against Western Conference opponents this season and four of their next five games will be Western matchups.
ST. LOUIS BLUES NOTES:
Blues vs. Golden Knights
• The Blues and Golden Knights will meet for the 2nd of 3 matchups this season (last on Mar. 25, both in St. Louis) • The Blues and Knights will finish a home-and-home series as the Blues beat Vegas, 2-1 in overtime, on Monday in Vegas • The Blues went 1-1-1 against Vegas last season, going 1-0-1 on the road and 0-1-0 at home • The Blues are 4-2-1 in their last 7 games against Vegas • The Blues are 2-2-0 in their last 4 games against Vegas at Enterprise Center • The Blues have scored a power play goal in 4 of their last 6 games against Vegas, going 5 for 14 (35.7%) on the power play over those 6 games • Since Vegas entered the NHL in 2017-18, the Blues are 11-6-7 against them (6-4-1 at home; 5-2- 6 on the road)
Extra Notes
• The Blues are 12-0-0 when scoring first this season, which shares the 3rd most wins in the NHL (1. NY Rangers/Vancouver, 13), and the Blues are the only team in the NHL to not have a loss of any kind when scoring first this season • The Blues are 10-1-0 this season when they score at least 3 goals in a game • The Blues are also 11-1-1 this season when allowing 3 or less goals • The Blues have been shorthanded 61 times this season, which is the least in the NHL (2. Ottawa, 68) • The Blues have scored 6 shorthanded goals this season, which shares the most in the NHL with Dallas, Carolina, and Philadelphia • On Nov. 30 vs. Buffalo, the Blues scored 6 goals on just 20 shots, marking just the 5th time in franchise history the Blues have scored 6 or more goals in a game where they had 20 or less shots (5-0-0 in such games) • Both Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich each scored 3 goals on Nov. 11 at Colorado, becoming the third pair of Blues players to score a hat trick in the same game, following Doug Gilmour and Mark Hunter (Feb. 23, 1986) as well as Kevin LaVallee and Dave Barr (Oct. 20, 1984) • The Blues scored 2 shorthanded goals in the same penalty kill on Nov. 22 at Arizona in a span of 33 seconds (Leddy & Toropchenko), which was the 2nd fastest 2 shorthanded goals in franchise history (1. 26 seconds on Nov. 6, 2019 / Bozak & Barbashev, both empty net goals) • It was also just the 5th time in franchise history the Blues have scored 2 shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill
Home Sweet Home
• The Blues will return home for one game against Vegas on Wednesday, before another 2-game road trip this upcoming weekend (Columbus & Chicago) • The Blues are 7-3-0 at home this season for 14 points • Despite sharing the least amount of home games so far this season (10), the Blues 7 home wins shares 12th in the NHL (1. Vegas/Boston/Colorado, 9), while their 14 points at home share 15th in the NHL (1. Vegas, 20) • The Blues mark of 3.50 goals per game at home this season shares 10th in the NHL (1. Colorado, 4.36) • Since Mar. 19, 2023, the Blues are 11-4-2 at home for 24 points • Their 11 wins since Mar. 19 share 8th in the NHL (1. Boston, 16), while their 24 points since then also shares 8th in the NHL (1. Boston, 33) • Jordan Binnington has posted a 5-1-0 record at home this season, with a 2.39 GAA and a .930 SV% • Among goaltenders in the NHL to appear in at least 5 home games this season (45 total), Binnington’s 2.39 GAA ranks 7th (1. Hill, 1.60), while his .930 SV% ranks 5th (1. Hill, .945)
