The Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers have built up a rivalry, and with the two teams attempting to assert dominance in the Pacific Division, tonight’s clash is a crucial one.
The Golden Knights were victorious in the first meeting between the two teams, edging out the Oilers 4-2. Noah Hanifin was the game-changer that night, scoring the tying and go-ahead goals in the third period. Mark Stone scored the empty-netter with five seconds remaining but suffered an injury on the play. The injury has forced him to miss every Golden Knights game since then and he’ll remain out of the lineup tonight despite practicing in a regular jersey today.
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At the moment, the Golden Knights hold a two-point Pacific Division lead over the Los Angeles Kings and a five-point lead over the Oilers who are currently sitting in the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Tonight’s matchup will feature two Hart Trophy favourites, Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid. The two centres were the first and second overall picks in the 2015 draft and have been battling each other ever since. Eichel’s career has been hampered by injuries but he’s showing again that when he is healthy, he is among the league’s best players.
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Another key matchup tonight will be the one between the pipes. Both Adin Hill and Stuart Skinner will be in goal tonight as they compete for the final roster spots on Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
Golden Knights projected lines:
Barbashev-Eichel-Dorofeyev
Hertl-Roy-Kolesar
Howden-Karlsson-Olofsson
Pearson-Schwindt-Holtz
Hanifin-Pietrangelo
McNabb-Theodore
Hague-Korczak
Hill
Samsonov
Oilers projected lines:
Nugent-Hopkins-McDavid-Kapanen
Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Brown
Skinner-Henrique-Janmark
Caggiula-Ryan-Perry
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Stecher
Emberson-Kulak
Skinner
Pickard
Puck drop is at 7:00 P.M. PST at T-Mobile Arena.
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