After allowing four third-period goals in a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights will try to rebound against the top-scoring team in the NHL.
The Anaheim Ducks are averaging a league-best 4.15 goals per game and come into Saturday night’s game in Las Vegas after scoring seven in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history.
The Pacific Division-leading Ducks, who hold a two-point lead over Vegas, have won five in a row, including a wild 7-5 victory at Dallas on Thursday.
Chris Kreider scored two goals, and Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson each added a goal and an assist to extend their points streak to eight games for Anaheim, which rallied after trailing 2-0 after the first period.
The Ducks also hit the seven-goal mark Tuesday when they knocked off the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 7-3 at the Honda Center.
Kreider, who had 22 goals and 30 points in 68 games with the New York Rangers last season, has now scored nine goals in nine games.
“Healthy. Knock on wood. Healthy,” Kreider said when asked about the key to his good start. “Having a ton of fun. Good group. I think missing some time and dealing with some stuff last year, I think you appreciate feeling healthy again. So, there’s a lot of gratitude there (and) just showing up at the rink every day and enjoying it.”
Kreider was asked if it was time for the rest of the league to take notice of the first-place Ducks and their impressive win streak, which also includes a shootout win at Florida and impressive home victories over Detroit and New Jersey.
“Every team is so good in this league,” Kreider said. “Any team can win on any given night, so each game is really a stand-alone thing. I think we’ve done a good job of learning from the previous game and leaving it behind and attacking the next game. Enjoy this one for a few minutes and then get ready for Vegas.”
The Golden Knights have bullied Anaheim since joining the league in 2017, compiling a 27-7-1 record while outscoring the Ducks 127-76. Vegas swept all four games last season and is 15-3-0 all-time against Anaheim at T-Mobile Arena.
It will be the fourth game of a season-high six-game homestand for Bruce Cassidy’s squad. The Golden Knights have dropped two of the first three games, including Thursday’s third-period meltdown against Tampa Bay.
Vegas held the Lightning without a shot on goal for the first 15:35 of the contest while building a 2-0 lead behind a pair of Ivan Barbashev goals. But Tampa Bay dominated the second period, outshooting the Golden Knights 15-4 and tying the game 2-2 on goals by Gage Goncalves and Dominic James.
After Nikita Kucherov gave Tampa Bay its first lead 3-2 with a power-play goal early in the third period, Mitch Marner tied it 50 seconds later with his fourth goal. But it was all Lightning after that, with Brandon Hagel and Kucherov scoring goals and Hagel then sealing the win with an empty-netter.
“There’s going to be ups and downs during the season,” said Marner, who had a goal and two assists and leads the league with eight multi-point games. “It’s a roller-coaster ride for the season. The thing this team does really well is stay even keel. Don’t get too excited, don’t get too low on yourself. We know we have a great team in here. Just got to trust what we’re doing and the results will come.”
