Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Puck drop: 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT)
TV/Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet Pacific (Canucks), Scripps Sports (Golden Knights)
Vegas begins a two-game Pacific Northwest road trip after splitting its first two home games. Vancouver wraps up a three-game homestand (and plays its second game in as many nights) following a 4-1 win over Calgary on Saturday. The Golden Knights have dominated recent meetings with the Canucks.
Projected Lineups
Vegas Golden Knights:
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone
Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
Trevor Connelly – Tomas Hertl – Victor Olofsson
Marc Gatcomb – Nic Dowd – Braeden Bowman Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Parker Wotherspoon – Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon – Noah Hanifin G: Carter Hart or Adin Hill (both available; Hart has seen recent action)
Vancouver Canucks:
Marco Rossi – Elias Pettersson – Linus Karlsson
Liam Öhgren – Paul Cotter – Brock Boeser
Drew O’Connor – Aatu Räty – Brendan Gallagher
Arshdeep Bains – Max Sasson – Jonathan Lekkerimäki Zeev Buium – Filip Hronek
Jamie Oleksiak – Tom Willander
Elias Nils Pettersson – Luke Schenn G: Kevin Lankinen (projected; Leevi Meriläinen likely backup after starting Saturday)
Injury Reports
Golden Knights:
Raphael Lavoie (C) – Undisclosed (day-to-day; possible return).
Lukas Cormier (D) – Undisclosed (IR; expected around Oct. 6).
Canucks:
Thatcher Demko (G) – Hip (IR; no firm timetable, potentially December).
Filip Chytil (C) – Shoulder (IR; expected mid-October).
Jake DeBrusk (LW) – Illness (day-to-day; missed Saturday vs. Calgary, status for Sunday uncertain).
Additional depth: Jack Thompson, Akil Thomas, Mackenzie MacEachern (IR, various).
Demko’s long-term absence forces Vancouver to rely on Lankinen/Meriläinen. DeBrusk’s availability would help the top-six depth.
Recent Team Forms
Golden Knights: 1-1-0 after a 5-2 home win over Chicago and a 4-3 home loss to Anaheim. Strong special teams early (high power-play percentage, perfect penalty kill in limited samples). Depth scoring and structure remain strengths from last season’s Western Conference finalist group. They have a day of rest entering this game.
Canucks: 2-1-0 after a 6-5 OT win at Edmonton, a high-scoring 9-7 home loss to Edmonton, and a 4-1 home win over Calgary on Saturday (Leevi Meriläinen strong in net; multi-goal third period). High-event hockey so far (averaging over 5 goals for and against). They are on the second half of a back-to-back.
Series History
Vegas has controlled the matchup. The Golden Knights swept the three-game series last season (outscoring Vancouver 11-5) and have won the last seven meetings dating back to April 2024. Vancouver is 7-19-2 all-time against Vegas (3-9-2 at home). Recent results include a 2-1 Vegas win in Vancouver (April 2026), 4-2 and 5-2 wins in Vegas earlier in 2026.
Key Player Matchups
Jack Eichel / Mark Stone / Ivan Barbashev vs. Elias Pettersson / Marco Rossi — Vegas’s top line against Vancouver’s primary offensive unit. Eichel’s playmaking and Stone’s two-way excellence pose major problems for a Canucks group still finding consistency.
Mitch Marner / William Karlsson vs. Brock Boeser / Paul Cotter / Liam Öhgren — Secondary scoring battle; Marner’s vision and Karlsson’s reliability against Vancouver’s emerging middle-six contributors.
Shea Theodore / Brayden McNabb vs. Zeev Buium / Filip Hronek — Defensive pairings; Theodore’s mobility and power-play involvement against Vancouver’s young blue line.
Goaltending: Vegas tandem vs. Kevin Lankinen / Leevi Meriläinen — Vancouver lacks its No. 1 (Demko). Vegas has more proven options.
Special teams — Vegas has been sharp early on the power play and penalty kill; Vancouver’s PK has been vulnerable.
Game Odds
Vegas Golden Knights – 285
Vancouver Canucks 6
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, October 3, 2026
