Morning Skate Report: Oct. 19, 2024
The Golden Knights close out their road trip with a tilt against the reigning Stanley Cup champions
The Golden Knights (3-2-0) are in Sunrise, Florida and look to close out their three-game road trip with their first road win against the Florida Panthers (3-2-1) on Saturday at 3 p.m. PT at Amerant Bank Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
Watch Party: Uncommons – 6880 Helen Toland St, Las Vegas, NV
Watch Party: Park Market & Tavern – 2305 E Knox Rd, Gilbert, AZ
NOTES
Saturday is the third and final game of the Golden Knights’ three-game trip. Vegas lost the first game, 4-2, to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night at Capital One Arena and the second against the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, on Thursday night at Amalie Arena.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Bruce Cassidy – One win away from 100 wins with the Golden Knights
Nicolas Roy – Four games away from 300 games as a Golden Knight
Shea Theodore – Four points away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
Jack Eichel – Five assists away from 100 assists as a Golden Knight
Mark Stone – Nine goals away from 100 goals as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Bruce Cassidy – Nine wins away from 400 career NHL wins
Tomas Hertl – Nine points away from 500 career points
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 10 points (2G, 8A)
Mark Stone – 9 points (2G, 7A)
Ivan Barbashev – 8 points (4G, 4A)
Shea Theodore – 7 points (1G, 6A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, on Thursday night at Amalie Arena. Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore had two assists each on the night, and Brayden McNabb scored his first goal of the season. Despite a strong effort from Vegas, the Lightning scored two goals back-to-back in the final three minutes of the game to get the win over the Golden Knights.
2023-24 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights went 0-2-0 against the Florida Panthers in the 2023-24 season. In their first meeting on Dec. 23, 2023, the Golden Knights lost 4-2 against the Panthers, despite both Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev’s scoring efforts. In their second and final matchup of the season on Jan. 4, 2024, Vegas lost to Florida 4-1, with the lone goal from Dorofeyev.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Florida Panthers are 3-2-1 through their first six games after coming off a Stanley Cup-winning 2023-24 season. The Panthers have qualified for the playoffs every year since 2019-20, including a loss in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final to the Golden Knights. Captain Aleksander Barkov won the 2024 Selke Trophy for the Panthers. Sam Reinhart led the Panthers in scoring in 2023-24 with 94 points (57G, 37A), followed behind by Matthew Tkachuk, who had 88 points (26G, 62A), and Barkov with 80 points (23G, 57A).
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Calgary Flames – 4-0-0, 8 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 3-2-0, 6 points
Seattle Kraken – 3-2-0, 6 points
Los Angeles Kings – 2-1-2, 6 points
Anaheim Ducks – 2-1-1, 5 points
Vancouver Canucks – 1-1-2, 4 points
Edmonton Oilers – 2-3-0, 4 points
San Jose Sharks – 0-3-2, 2 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
– Mark the 316th win in franchise history
– Give the Golden Knights a 10-6-1 all-time record against Florida
– Be the first road win of the season for Vegas
KEYS TO THE GAME
Turn the Page: The Golden Knights have lost two straight on the road, and defenseman Brayden McNabb has stated the best thing for the Golden Knights to do would be to turn the page and get to their game.
Shut it Down: Captain Mark Stone made it clear that the team needed to bear down in the final minutes of a game. Shutting down the opposition is the key to the next Vegas win.