The Golden Knights (14-6-3) are back at T-Mobile Arena after a lengthy five-game road trip, which included a narrow 2-1 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche last Wednesday. Despite this setback, the Knights collected seven out of ten points during the trip, allowing them to maintain their position at the top of the Pacific Division with 31 points. Tonight, the Golden Knights will face the Winnipeg Jets (18-5-0), who are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings this past Wednesday. The Jets currently hold the best record in the NHL with 36 points.
Although the Knights could not secure the full two points against Colorado, Adin Hill delivered a strong performance, stopping 33 out of 34 shots. Hill has faced challenges early in the season, but the hope is that this solid showing will boost his confidence moving forward. Additionally, the Knights have announced that Victor Olofsson has been recalled from the Henderson Silver Knights after completing his conditioning loan. Although Olofsson will not play in tonight’s game, the team is optimistic about his return following a lower-body injury sustained against the Washington Capitals on October 15th.
The Winnipeg Jets, entering tonight’s game with the best record in the league, also boast the top powerplay and rank third in the league for goals per game while allowing the second-fewest goals per game. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is having another Vezina-worthy season, posting a .928 save percentage and allowing an average of 2.11 goals per game. However, Hellebuyck will not be in the net tonight after playing in Los Angeles; instead, Eric Comrie will make the start. Comrie comes into this matchup with a .910 save percentage and a 2.83 goals-against average (GAA).
In a highly anticipated matchup between two of the best teams in the West, this game certainly lived up to the hype. Here are the highlights and recap:
