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| VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS |
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16–6–1 (33 points; .717%) ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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7:00 P.M. – MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH |
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BALLY SPORTS OHIO ESPN+ (Out of Market) |
Friday and Saturday were supposed to be a difficult pair of games for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
But after losing a close one at home Friday night to the New York Islanders, Columbus did not take their charter to Nashville for a Saturday date with the Predators. A water line break flooded parts of the Bridgestone Arena, postponing the game and giving head coach Brad Larsen's bunch the entire weekend to digest Friday's 3-2 loss to the Isles.
Monday, the Blue Jackets can get back in the win column when they face off against Jack Eichel and the western-conference leading Vegas Golden Knights.
Here's what to know when the Blue Jackets play an unexpected seventh straight game from the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena:
| CBJ | SEASON STATS | VGK |
|---|---|---|
| 2.90 | GOALS FOR | 3.48 |
| 4.20 | GOALS AGAINST | 2.65 |
| 16.0% | POWER PLAY | 21.2% |
| 77.6% | PENALTY KILL | 73.7% |
| 29.8 | SHOTS FOR | 33.0 |
| 36.3 | SHOTS AGAINST | 30.1 |
| 44.4% | CF% (EVEN) | 49.0% |
| 51.1% | FACEOFF % | 53.0% |
| PROJECTIONS | ||
| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK | 48% | |
| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER THE 538 | 44% | |
| CAESAR'S SPORTSBOOK BETTING | VGK -267 | |
| GOLDEN KNIGHTS: LAST THREE GAMES | ||
| SAT, 11/26 | vs. VANCOUVER | L 5-1 |
| FRI, 11/25 | vs. SEATTLE | L 4-2 |
| WED, 11/23 | vs. OTTAWA | W 4-1 |
| GOLDEN KNIGHTS: TEAM LEADERS | ||
| GOALS | JACK EICHEL | 11 |
| ASSISTS | ALEX PIETRANGELO | 18 |
| POINTS | JACK EICHEL | 26 |
TALKING POINTS: VGK
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Despite a pair of home losses in the two days following Thanksgiving, the Golden Knights still boast the third best record in the NHL and have four more points than any other western conference foe. Their 16-6-1 start is the best in franchise history.
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The five goals they allowed to the Vancouver Canucks in Saturday's 5-1 loss was just the second time this season the Golden Knights gave up more than four goals in a game.
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Eichel has been the main catalyst behind Vegas' impressive offensive output this season. He's had a hand in 26 of the 80 goals scored by the Knights through the team's first 23 games and is on pace for 93 points.
- Balance has been key for the sixth-year Golden Knights. They rank 7th in both goals for and goals against.
CBJ STORYLINES
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IT'S GETTING BETTER
The Blue Jackets lost Saturday, but connected on two power play goals for just the second time this season. The other? Last Sunday in a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Columbus' 16.0% power play conversion rate is still third from last in the NHL, but it's definitely showing signs of life. The last time the Blue Jackets scored two or more power play goals in a span of two out of three games was November of 2019.
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YOUTH MOVEMENT CONTINUES
Specifically, it's 21-year-old Yegor Chinakhov and 20-year-old Kent Johnson who are making major strides in the first six weeks of the season. In 19 games, Chinakhov has already matched his assist total (7) from last season, in which he played 62 games. He's also just three goals away from matching the seven he had in his rookie season. Johnson, meanwhile, averages a team-leading 3.04 points per 60 minutes. Win or lose, these kids have to be on the ice to develop into the players that they are flashing the potential of becoming.
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CONSISTENCY ON DEFENSE?
Despite losing two of the three, the Blue Jackets have allowed three goals in each of their last three contests. That doesn't sound impressive (and it's not), but that's their best three-game stretch of the season when it comes to goals allowed. Can they make it four in a row against Vegas? If so, it'll be the first time they've went four straight games of allowing three or less goals since March of 2021 — a span of 125 games.
PROJECTED LINES
Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Johnny Gaudreau | 38 | Boone Jenner | 91 | Kent Johnson |
| 59 | Yegor Chinakhov | 34 | Cole Sillinger | 14 | Gys Nyquist |
| 19 | Liam Foudy | 96 | Jack Roslovic | 72 | Carson Meyer |
| 50 | Eric Robinson | 7 | Sean Kuraly | 24 | Matheiu Olivier |
| LD | RD | ||
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| 4 | Vladislav Gavrikov | 47 | Marcus Bjork |
| 23 | Jake Christiansen | 44 | Eric Gudbranson |
| 15 | Gavin Bayreuther | 2 | Andrew Peeke |
| Starting Goalie | Backup | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Joonas Korpisalo | 40 | Daniil Tarasov |
