Predators at Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights continue to rewrite the expansion team record books as they host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday in what could remarkably wind up being a Western Conference finals preview. Vegas is riding expansion team records of a seven-game winning streak and a 12-game point streak (11-0-1) after defeating Toronto 6-3 on Sunday to complete an 11-1-1 December.
The Golden Knights, who are an eye-popping 16-2-1 at home, lead the Pacific Division by three points over Los Angeles with two games in hand. "I don't even know what's happening right now. We're just finding ways to win every night," Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault, who has a club-best 36 points, told reporters after recording a goal and an assist Sunday. "... It's so fun playing hockey right now. We don't overwork, we just do the right thing." Nashville sits second in the Central, one point behind Winnipeg with two games in hand, and is coming off a 3-0 victory versus Minnesota on Saturday for its second win in three games. Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, a key cog in the Predators' run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, was a full participant in practice Monday and could make his 2017-18 debut Tuesday after recovering from offseason knee surgery.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Las Vegas)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (23-10-5): Defenseman P.K. Subban has recorded a goal and an assist in each of his last two games and is second on the team with 29 points, including a club-most 20 assists. Kevin Fiala (10 goals, 26 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in the last four contests after recording eight goals and four assists during a nine-game point streak to begin December. Filip Forsberg (team bests of 15 goals and 34 points) will not play because of an upper-body injury and will also miss at least Thursday's game in Arizona.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (26-9-2): William Karlsson (33 points) recorded the first hat trick in team history Sunday and boasts a team-leading 20 goals after scoring 15 in 162 games with Columbus over the previous two seasons. "Change in environment can be good for a player," Karlsson told reporters. "I've gotten a lot of chances here in Vegas. I think I've done pretty well. I have two good linemates (Reilly Smith and Marchessault) I play with every night. They make it easy on me." Defenseman Luca Sbisa (plus-6, 20:18 of ice time in 23 games) could be activated off injured reserve after missing seven games with a lower-body injury.
OVERTIME
1. Golden Knights LW David Perron and RW Smith are tied for third on the team in points with 30 and each have nine goals.
2. The Predators have won eight straight games when their opponent scores five or more goals in its previous contest.
3. Vegas won the first meeting 4-3 in a shootout Dec. 8 in Nashville.