Morning Skate Report: April 18, 2024
The Vegas Golden Knights (45-28-8) look to finish the regular season off strong against the Anaheim Ducks (26-50-5) as the two clubs face off on Thursday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
Streaming: KnightTime+
NOTES
Thursday is the fourth and final matchup between Vegas and Anaheim this season. The Ducks hold the series advantage with a 2-1-0 record.
The Golden Knights have gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 matchups, while the Ducks are 2-7-1 in their last 10 outings.
Tomas Hertl looks to extend his point streak to four games against Anaheim.
Jonathan Marchessault, Brayden McNabb and Ivan Barbashev have appeared in all 81 games so far this season and have the opportunity to post perfect attendance in the 2023-24 season on Thursday night. McNabb played in all 82 games during the 2022-23 season.
FAN APPRECIATION KNIGHT
The Golden Knights cap off Fan Appreciation Week with Fan Appreciation Knight as the Golden Knights host the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena presented by Southern Nevada Toyota Dealers Association. All fans in attendance will receive a poker chip giveaway presented by Atomic Golf. At the conclusion of the game, players will hand-deliver their game-worn jerseys to select fans in attendance in the “Jerseys Off Our Backs” event presented by Circa Sports. The annual regular season awards ceremony will also take place where three winners will each choose a local charity to receive a $5,000 from the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation. There will be giveaways and other surprises throughout the game and VGK Authentics will have specialty items available on the concourse at section 11/12, including mystery sticks and skates staring at just $200.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jonathan Marchessault – one goal away from tying the franchise single-season goal record (William Karlsson, 43)
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Ben Hutton – two assists away from 100 career assists
Anthony Mantha – four points away from 300 career points
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jonathan Marchessault – 69 points (42G, 27A)
Jack Eichel – 67 points (30G, 37A)
William Karlsson – 59 points (30G, 29A)
Mark Stone – 53 points (16G, 37A)
Chandler Stephenson – 51 points (16G, 35A)
Noah Hanifin – 47 points (13G, 34A)
Ivan Barbashev – 45 points (19G, 26A)
Anthony Mantha – 44 points (23G, 21A)
LAST TIME OUT
The Vegas Golden Knights downed the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-1, on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Brayden McNabb scored late in the second period to break a stalemate, before Michael Amadio tallied the game-winner in the third. Nicolas Roy potted an empty-net goal as Vegas moved into third place in the Pacific Division.
2023-24 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights look to even the season series against the Ducks, as Anaheim has the 2-1-0 advantage so far this season. Vegas defeated Anaheim, 4-1, on Oct. 14 at T-Mobile Arena with goals from Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, Chandler Stephenson and Jonas Rondbjerg. The Ducks won each matchup at Honda Center this season as they beat the Golden Knights, 4-2, on Nov. 5 and 5-2 on Dec. 27.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Anaheim Ducks are on a two-game losing streak after dropping a home matchup to the Calgary Flames and a road contest to the Los Angeles Kings. With a 26-50-5 record, Anaheim sits at seventh in the division. This is their sixth season in a row missing the postseason. Frank Vatrano leads the club in points with 57 (34G, 23A) while Troy Terry has earned 54 (20G, 34A). The Ducks special teams are 26th in the league on the man-advantage (17.5%) and 31st on the penalty kill (72.5%). John Gibson and Lukas Dostal have mostly split goaltending duties this season with each netminder earning 13 wins this season.
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
-Mark the 313th win in franchise history
-Improve the Golden Knights’ all-time record against the Ducks to 24-6-1
-Give Vegas their fifth win in seven seasons to end their regular season
-Give the Golden Knights their fourth four-game win streak of the year
KEYS TO THE GAME
Fan Appreciation Knight: As the Golden Knights organization celebrates its fans on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena, energy in the building won’t be hard to come by. The team can channel the energy from its home crowd to claim the final two points of the season.
Finish Off Strong: The Golden Knights look to finish off their regular season strong with good, consistent play in order to prep for the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.