LAS VEGAS – The Vegas Golden Knights want to extend their season-opening home winning streak to a franchise-best nine games.
It won’t be easy, as the Carolina Hurricanes come into T-Mobile Arena having won eight of their last nine. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m..
“They’re not unique,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “There’s teams that play fast, but they are probably a little more of a press than you’ll ever see in terms of full-court, man-to-man, all over the ice.”
About the Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are coming off a 6-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, which ended an eight-game winning streak.
Martin Necas leads the way with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists). He is riding a nine-game point streak where he has scored 20 of his team-leading point total.
“They’re a high-pressure team,” Vegas defesenman Noah Hanifin said. “In every situation of the game, they put a lot of pressure on you with the puck. They work really hard. They’re a grinding tea, and they play the game hard. We know as D-Corps that we’re going to have our hands full.
“We just got to move the puck quick, get it up to our forwards, and keep tight gaps. Things like that, and we should be fine.”
Carrier Returns to Vegas
William Carrier returns to Vegas as a visitor for the first time in his career. He was one of the original ‘Misfits’ who was not re-signed in the past offseason.
He spent seven seasons in Vegas, scoring 53 goals and 46 assists for the Golden Knights. Carrier’s biggest attributes are in his aggressive forechecking and ability to drive to the net front with his outside speed.
“Will’s game’s not going to change,” Cassidy said. “I don’t think it will be in place with the first line. Although, I did see him score a one-timer goal, so I didn’t see a lot of that here. Maybe I was using him in the wrong spot.”
Stopping Golden Knights’ Power Play
The Hurricanes will look to slow down the Golden Knights’ power play, which is scoring at a 35 percent clip at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas ranks third in the NHL in power play, while the Hurricanes rank eighth in the penalty kill.
“All the top teams have good power plays because they have elite players. When you stick them all on the ice at the same time, that spells trouble,” Carolina coach Rob Brind’Amour said. “Staying out of the box always seems to be an issue. We need to stop taking four or five a night. … Special teams, it always seems to come down to that.”
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
