Golden Knights at Jets
Perhaps the Vegas Golden Knights and the Winnipeg Jets were not considered to be the top teams in the Western Conference when the season started in October, but February dawns with a showdown between the two division leaders on Thursday. The expansion Golden Knights travel to Winnipeg after scoring three goals in 53 seconds to stun Calgary 4-2 on Tuesday, while the Jets were sprinting past East leader Tampa Bay for a 3-1 victory.
Vegas continues to author one of the most successful expansion seasons in history, tying the 1993-94 Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks for most victories by a first-year NHL team with 33. “It’s nice, but we’ve got a game to play, then the next one, and keep on going,” Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury told the media after Tuesday’s victory, which pushed Pacific Division-leading Vegas to 70 points. Winnipeg has 68 points and owns a three-point lead over Nashville in the Central Division, getting Patrik Laine’s power-play goal to jump-start the offense in the opener of a 10-game homestand. “Our power play has done a pretty good job all year of at least creating chances or creating momentum for our team,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler told reporters.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Vegas), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (33-12-4): Erik Haula and Jonathan Marchessault scored the tying and go-ahead goals 10 seconds apart against Calgary, giving Marchessault 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in his past 18 games. Center William Karlsson has 15 points in his past 13 games (10 goals, five assists) after recording two assists Tuesday, and is tied for second in the league in goals with 27. Vegas is second in the league in goals per game (3.39) after Tuesday, while Fleury sits second in the NHL in save percentage (.942) and goals against average (1.78).
ABOUT THE JETS (30-13-8): Connor Hellebuyck is second in the NHL in wins (26), but it was Michael Hutchinson - one night after starting in the AHL All-Star Classic - who made 23 saves against Tampa Bay in his first start of the season Tuesday. Laine scored his team-leading 23rd goal of the season Tuesday and moved into a tie for first in the league in power-play goals (12). Wheeler finished with two assists and is in a fourth-place tie in the NHL with 42 assists through Tuesday, while Mathieu Perreault’s third-period assist gives him nine points (five goals, four assists) in his past nine contests.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg has won seven in a row at home and 14 of its past 15 on home ice.
2. The Golden Knights own the NHL’s best record when scoring first (22-1-0).
3. Each team has defeated the other on home ice this season as Vegas won 5-2 on Nov. 10 and Winnipeg prevailed 7-4 on Dec. 1.