Morning Skate Report: Nov. 28, 2023

The Vegas Golden Knights (14-6-2) take on the Edmonton Oilers (7-12-1) for the first time this season on Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT at Rogers Place.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Vegas 34 (Scripps Sports)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340

NOTES
Tuesday’s game is the first meeting of the season between Vegas and Edmonton.

Vegas is playing the second game of a three-game trip. The Golden Knights opened the trip with a 2-1 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday night at Scotiabank Saddledome. 

VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Jack Eichel – one goal away from 50 goals as a Golden Knight
Alex Pietrangelo – two assists away from 100 assists as a Golden Knight

CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Brett Howden – two games away from 300 career games played
Jonathan Marchessault – three goals away from 200 career goals

VGK SCORING LEADERS
William Karlsson – 21 points (10G, 11A)
Jack Eichel – 20 points (8G, 12A)
Mark Stone – 18 points (5G, 13A)
Shea Theodore – 18 points (4G, 14A)
Jonathan Marchessault – 14 points (9G, 5A)

LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights lost to the Calgary Flames, 2-1 in overtime on Monday night at Scotiabank Saddledome. William Karlsson opened scoring for the night with his power-play goal in the first period, putting Vegas ahead 1-0. After a scoreless second period, Calgary responded in the third with a goal from A.J. Greer to tie the game at one each. At the end of regulation, the game is still tied so it heads to overtime. With five seconds left in overtime, MacKenzie Weegar scored his fifth of the season to win the game 2-1 for the Flames.

2022-23 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights posted a 1-2-1 record against the Oilers during the 2022-23 regular season. Vegas and Edmonton met for the first time on Nov. 19, 2022, in Edmonton, with the Oilers winning the game 4-3 in overtime after McDavid scored just over a minute into it. The teams met for a second time, first in Vegas, on Jan. 14, 2023, with the Oilers winning 4-3 again. Keegan Kolesar, Paul Cotter and William Karlsson all scored for Vegas but were unable to secure the win. The final two regular-season games against the Oilers were a home and home. The first happened in Edmonton on Mar. 25 with Vegas winning 4-3 after Nicolas Roy scored two minutes into overtime. The teams then flew to Vegas for their matchup on Mar. 28. Despite Marchessault opening scoring for the night, the Golden Knights lost 7-4.

Vegas and Edmonton met again during the playoffs as the Golden Knights won the series in six games. The Golden Knights claimed a 6-4 victory in Game 1 on home ice before the Oilers evened the score with a 5-1 win in Game 2. Vegas skated to a 5-1 win in Game 3 when the scene shifted to Edmonton as Marchessault scored his first two goals of the playoffs. After Edmonton picked up a 4-1 win in Game 4, the Golden Knights took advantage of home ice with a 4-3 win in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. Marchessault recorded a natural hat trick in the second period of Game 6 as Vegas won the series, 4-2. 

OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Edmonton Oilers hold a record of 7-12-1 (15 points) and sit seventh in the Pacific Division heading into Tuesday’s matchup as they close out a brief two-game homestand. Their most recent game against the Anaheim Ducks saw them win 8-2 with goals scored by Evander Kane, Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, James Hamblin, Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm; McDavid had five points on the night. Draisaitl (9G, 19A) and McDavid (7G, 18A) lead the team in points with 28 and 25 respectively.

A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
-Mark the 282nd win in franchise history
-Improve the Golden Knights’ all-time record against the Edmonton to 8-9-2

KEYS TO THE GAME
Finish all 60 minutes: The Golden Knights held a 1-0 lead in the third period on Monday night, but surrendered the game-tying goal in the final frame and the winning goal in overtime. While Vegas kept pressing for the entire game, the team needs to convert on more chances to avoid situations like Monday's game in Calgary. 

Mindset: Vegas is heading into the second game of the back-to-back after coming off a home loss and a lengthy East Coast road trip. The Golden Knights need to keep a positive and calm mindset as they head to Edmonton and Vancouver.