Hannah Kirkell
The Vegas Golden Knights (38-19-7) are on the second of a four-game road trip through the Eastern Conference. Their next two games are matinees, so enjoy the semi-normal start time while you can. The Golden Knights will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (31-25-8) at Nationwide Arena.
The puck drops just after 4 p.m.
The Golden Knights are coming off an overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. They fell behind 2-0 courtesy of Sidney Crosby but chipped away at the lead and tied the game in the waning seconds of the third period. But they never possessed the puck in overtime, and Erik Karlsson made them pay; it was a 3-2 final.
The result wasn’t what the Golden Knights wanted, but there was a lot to like about their game. They were resilient, and though the execution was off, the compete level was there. I handed out some report cards, and I think my grades were fair.
This season, the Blue Jackets are the best story in the league. They’re a bit like the 2017-18 Golden Knights: a ragtag team of underdogs who bond with the community after a horrible tragedy and find success. In their last game, the Blue Jackets fell behind early and lost 5-3 to the New Jersey Devils.
Adin Hill will get the opportunity to silence the cannon tonight. Hill has a record of 1-2-0 and an average save percentage of .851 in three career games against the Blue Jackets.
The Golden Knights will face Elvis Merzlikins for the second time this season. In their last meeting, he made 25 saves and saved 1.68 goals above expected. Merzlikins has a record of 3-1-0 and a .930 average save percentage in four career games against the Golden Knights.
Projected Golden Knights Lines
Victor Olofsson–Jack Eichel–Mark Stone
Brandon Saad–Hertl–Pavel Dorofeyev
Reilly Smith–Nicolas Roy–Keegan Kolesar
Tanner Pearson–Cole Schwindt–Jonas
Defense
Nicolas Hague–Alex Pietrangelo
Noah Hanifin–Zach Whitecloud
Brayden McNabb–Kaedan Korczak
Goaltenders: Adin Hill/Ilya Samsonov
Blue Jackets Lines
Dmitri Voronkov–Adam Fantilli–Kirill Marchenko
Kent Johnson–Boone Jenner–Mathieu Olivier
Yegor Chinakhov–Justin Danforth–Luke Kunin
Zach Aston-Reese–Sean Kuraly–James van Riemsdyk
Defense
Zach Werenski–Dante Fabbro
Denton Mateychuk–Ivan Provorov
Jake Christiansen–Damon Severson
Goaltenders: Elvis Merzlikins/Daniil Tarasov
Special Teams
Golden Knights power play: 29.0%, tied for 2nd. Golden Knights penalty kill: 76.2%, 22nd.
Blue Jackets power play: 20.1%, 20th. Blue Jackets penalty kill: 75.4%, 24th.
Golden Knights Game Notes
This is the second and final meeting between the Golden Knights and the Blue Jackets this season. The Blue Jackets won the first game 2-1 in overtime. The series between the two teams is tied 6-6-1 all-time.
Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev missed Tuesday’s tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Howden welcomed his daughter into the world; there’s no word yet on whether he or Barbashev will be available tonight.
Jack Eichel tied the franchise record for points in a single season (William Karlsson, 2017-18) with 78 on Tuesday. Eichel has 11 goals and 11 assists in 21 career games against the Blue Jackets.
Tomas Hertl is the franchise leader in power play goals in a single season with 12. He’ll look to add to that tonight.
With 69 points in 63 games, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is having a Norris Trophy-worthy season. If you ask me, he should be in consideration for the Hart Trophy. But I digress.
Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner is back in the lineup and will face the Golden Knights for the first time this season.
The Golden Knights are 14-12-4 on the road this season; the Blue Jackets are 20-6-4 at home.
How to Watch
TV: Vegas 34
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
