The Vegas Golden Knights, clinging to the Pacific’s wildcard fringes with a rollercoaster December, trek to Nationwide Arena for a Saturday evening matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are desperate to leverage home-ice energy amid a middling Metropolitan push. This inter-conference clash pits Vegas’ veteran poise and road resilience (7-4-4 away) against Columbus’ opportunistic youth, with the Golden Knights’ power play (23.7%, 10th) probing the Jackets’ leaky penalty kill (77.5%, 25th). Injuries have shuffled both benches, amplifying reliance on stars like Jack Eichel and Kirill Marchenko, in a game where puck possession (VGK 52.3% CF%) and third-period execution could forge a turning point for either squad’s playoff aspirations.
Game Information
Pukdrop: 7:00 p.m. ET (puck drop)
Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio (capacity: 18,144; home of the Blue Jackets since 2000)
Broadcast: TNT (national), Bally Sports Ohio (Blue Jackets local), Scripps Sports (Golden Knights local)
Series Context: Second meeting of the 2025-26 season (Vegas won 5-2 at home on Nov. 15); Golden Knights hold a 7-3-0 edge in last 10 H2H.
Injury Report
Vegas’ blue line depth is tested without Theodore’s mobility, while Columbus’ crease and forward corps suffer from prolonged absences, forcing emergency tweaks.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury/Details | Estimated Return |
| Golden Knights | Shea Theodore | D | Out | Lower Body | Dec. 20 (IR since Dec. 4; 4G, 15A in 27GP) |
| Golden Knights | Tomas Hertl | C | Out | Knee | Jan. 10 (IR since Oct. 28; post-surgery rehab) |
| Golden Knights | William Carrier | LW | Questionable | Upper Body | Game-time (DTD after collision vs. VAN Dec. 11) |
| Blue Jackets | Elvis Merzlikins | G | Out | Ankle | Dec. 27 (IR since Nov. 20; Daniil Tarasov starts) |
| Blue Jackets | Sean Kuraly | C | Out | Lower Body | Dec. 18 (IR since Dec. 6; 3G, 5A in 20GP) |
| Blue Jackets | David Jiricek | D | Out | Knee | Indefinite (IR since Nov. 15; rookie limited to 12GP) |
| Blue Jackets | Jake Christiansen | D | Questionable | Upper Body | Game-time (practiced Dec. 12) |
Vegas pairs Alex Pietrangelo with Noah Hanifin sans Theodore; Columbus recalls Jet Greaves as Tarasov’s backup, exposing a 3.28 GA/G crease.
Key Player Matchups
Projected lines from pre-game skates (Vegas via Cassidy; Columbus via Larsen). Eichel’s rush vs. Werenski’s containment headlines a test of experience vs. upside.
Golden Knights Top Line (Stone – Eichel – Roy) vs. Blue Jackets Top Line (Marchenko – Monahan – Chinakhov): Jack Eichel (12G, 35P) orchestrates with 8P in last 6 road; Mark Stone (10G) grinds cycles. They face Kirill Marchenko (16G, breakout star) and Ryan Johansen’s replacement Sean Monahan (9G, 20A). Edge: Vegas’ chemistry, but Marchenko’s shot volume (3.2/game) pressures.
Golden Knights Second Line (Barbashev – Hill – Howden) vs. Blue Jackets Second Line (Sillinger – Rossi – Gudbranson): Ivan Barbashev (11G) and Adin Hill (wait, no—line is Barbashev-Karlsson-Riikola? Wait, forwards: Barbashev – Roy – ? Adjust: Barbashev – Stephenson – Carrier if healthy). Columbus’ Cole Sillinger (8G) centers Marco Rossi’s two-way game. Edge: Blue Jackets’ youth speed exploits Vegas’ fatigue.
Goalie Duel: Adin Hill (Golden Knights) vs. Daniil Tarasov (Blue Jackets): Hill (9-5-3, 2.71 GAA, .910 SV%; 2 straight wins) stabilizes post-bounceback; 2.45 GAA vs. East. Tarasov (6-7-2, 3.12 GAA, .892 SV%) seeks first quality start in 3; vulnerable at home (4.02 GAA). Edge: Hill’s consistency in high-stakes spots.
Special teams: Vegas PP (23.7%) vs. CBJ PK (77.5%); Columbus PP (19.8%) faces VGK’s 81.2% kill (12th).
Team Records and Standings
Vegas Golden Knights: 15-6-9 (39 points, 6th in Pacific Division; 7-4-4 on road). Advanced stats: 10th in GF/G (3.15), 14th in GA/G (2.92), +0.23 diff (10th).
Columbus Blue Jackets: 13-12-4 (30 points, 7th in Metropolitan Division; 7-5-2 at home). Advanced stats: 22nd in GF/G (2.75), 24th in GA/G (3.28), -0.53 diff (26th).
Vegas’ road points (18 in 15GP) vs. Columbus’ home regression (3-4-2 last 9).
Recent Team Forms
Vegas halts a mini-skid with a 4-3 road win over Vancouver on Dec. 11 (Eichel 2A, Hill 29 saves; rallied from 3-1 down). Prior: 2-1 SO L at SEA (Dec. 9), 3-2 W vs. CGY (Dec. 7), 1-4 L vs. LAK (Dec. 5). Last 10: 5-2-3 (3.1 GF/G, 2.8 GA/G), with 4 comeback wins tying for 8th—traded depth sparks surge.
Columbus builds after a 6-3 home thumping of Ottawa on Dec. 11 (Marchenko hat trick; outshot 34-30). Before: 2-4 L vs. CAR (Dec. 9), 4-2 W vs. DET (Dec. 7), 1-3 L at PIT (Dec. 5). Last 10: 4-5-1 (2.9 GF/G, 3.4 GA/G), snapping 0-3-0 skid but leaky D persists (3.6 GA/G last 5 home).
| Last 5 Games | Golden Knights Record | Key Stat | Blue Jackets Record | Key Stat |
| @ VAN (Dec 11) | W 4-3 | 31 SOG, 1/3 PP | vs. OTT (Dec 11) | W 6-3 |
| @ SEA (Dec 9) | L 1-2 (SO) | 28 SOG, 0/2 PP | vs. CAR (Dec 9) | L 2-4 |
| vs. CGY (Dec 7) | W 3-2 | 29 SOG, Stone GWG | vs. DET (Dec 7) | W 4-2 |
| vs. LAK (Dec 5) | L 1-4 | 24 SOG, 0/3 PP | @ PIT (Dec 5) | L 1-3 |
| @ ARI (Dec 3) | W 5-1 | 35 SOG, Eichel 2G | vs. NJD (Dec 3) | L 3-5 |
Series History
In 18 meetings since Vegas’ 2017 debut, the Golden Knights lead 11-5-2 (avg. 6.1 goals). Vegas owns recent dominance: 7-3-0 in last 10, including 5-2 home win Nov. 15, 2025. At Nationwide: Even 3-3-2. Overs hit 6-4 in last 10 (offensive tilt), but unders 4-2 since 2024 (Vegas clamps: 2.5 GA/G).
Betting Trends
Puck Line: Golden Knights -1.5 (+145); Blue Jackets +1.5 (-180). CBJ 4-6 ATS last 10 home.
Total: 6.0 (Over -110 / Under -110). Overs 6-4 in H2H; 5-5 in VGK road.
Trends: Vegas 6-4 SU last 10 road dogs/faves; CBJ 2-8 SU after wins. Public: 57% on Over 6.0. Sharp: Golden Knights ML (line up).
Game Odds
Vegas Golden Knights – 142
Columbus Blue Jackets 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 12, 2025
