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Game Knight Preview: Golden Knights vs Flames

October 12, 2019, 7:04 PM ET [0 Comments]
Jeff Paul
Vegas Golden Knights Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT


Ryan Reaves and Matthew Tkachuck have become buds! (USA Today Sports)

A matchup between two of the top teams in the Pacific Division, on a Saturday night in Vegas; what could be better? The Calgary Flames (2-1-1) and Vegas Golden Knights (2-2-0) finished the 2018-19 season in first and third place, respectively. Both teams will be major players in the Western Conference by the end of the season and this game will be a useful benchmark for the playoff teams. In a contest between two very good hockey clubs, there are multiple storylines to keep track of. Here’s a look at five fun aspects of tonight’s game.

A Tale of Two Ds:


If there is one area, that the Flames are clearly better than the Golden Knights, it’s on the blue line. The Flames’ defense corps are just a bit more solid than the Golden Knights’ top six, which includes the likes of aging vets, Nick Holden (32) and Deryk Engelland (37).

A defending Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman) winner headlines the Flames’ roster of defensemen. Captain Mark Giordano is truly elite at both ends of the ice and provides a calming veteran presence for the rest of the team. In his Norris-winning season, Giordano finished with a plus-39 rating to go with 74 points, putting his all-around impact on display. He is joined by TJ Brodie, Noah Hanifin, and Travis Hamonic rounding out a great top-four for the club.


Mark Giordano is a stud (USA Today Sports)


When directly compared to the Flames’ lineup, the Golden Knights’ six defensemen don’t look so hot. While they are in no way a bad unit, the Golden Knights’ top-six lacks the stability and reliability of the Flames’. Heading into their first matchup of the season, the Golden Knights will be forced to play without Nate Schmidt, who is arguably their best all-around defenseman. The loss of Schmidt has once again had a negative impact on the team, looking to bounce-back from two straight losses. Shea Theodore is a budding superstar and Brayden McNabb is the definition of reliable, but the team will be much better off when Schmidt returns.

Injuries:


Saturday night’s game won’t be as simple as the best team taking the win. While the Flames come into the game healthy, the Golden Knights are on the mend. Cody Eakin (upper-body) will be making his season debut, but as one man comes back, another was lost. Goaltender Malcolm Subban played one period of hockey, before suffering an undisclosed lower-body injury. In his steed, Oscar Dansk (not Garret Sparks), was recalled from the Chicago Wolves (AHL). Dansk will serve as the back-up to incumbent starter Marc-Andre Fleury. With Eakin back, the rookie Cody Glass will slide to the right wing on line three. Usual third-line right wing, Alex Tuch (upper-body), also remains out, in addition to Subban and Schmidt.

Sources of Scoring:


Just four games into the season, nine different players have scored goals for the Golden Knights. This list is comprised of top-liners, fourth-liners, and two defensemen. They have been getting contributions from most of the lineup and rely on that depth to overwhelm and overcome their opponents. Reilly Smith, Mark Stone, and Tomas Nosek are the three multi-goal scorers on the team. Nosek is the least offensively inclined of the bunch, but as he has shown in two strong preseasons, the ability is there.


Johnny Hockey is one man to keep an eye on (USA Today Sports)


Five players have scored two goals for the Flames. Four of those names, are predictable. Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm, and Matthew Tkachuk are the top four forwards on the Flames’ roster. Monahan centers the top line, flanked by Gaudreau and Lindholm, that is just as good as any in the entire NHL. Tkachuk and his new three-year, $21 million provide the second line a top-line talent and some well-known tenacity. Early on, the Flames have been reliant on that quartet for offense while the Golden Knights have the depth scoring every team needs throughout an 82-game season.

Brotherly Love:



Mark Stone is a treat to watch (USA Today Sports)


Mark and Michael Stone have been reunited since the Flames arrived in Vegas. The brothers were able to spend time together before their teams face off on Saturday evening. Michael got his first game of the season on Thursday, in Dallas and could possibly be tasked with defending his own brother. While both are great players, Mark has become one of the best two-way forwards in the game and will be a handful for the Flames. He already has two goals and four assists in four games on the season, with three multi-point games under his belt.

History:


Dating back to their inaugural season, the Golden Knights have enjoyed a (5-3-0) record against the Flames. All eight of those eight games were decided in three periods, with just one being decided by one goal. For some reason, when these teams meet, one team tends to dominate the other. Subban was the victim of bad team defense in a 7-2 loss to the Flames last November, in a season where the teams split the series two games apiece. In the Flames’ second win, they scored six goals, again with Subban in goal.

Both teams are highly skilled and have solid goaltending, with Fleury and David Rittich set to start in goal. The Golden Knights will be looking to stop a two-game losing streak, before heading to Los Angeles for a game with the Kings the following day. Calgary will also be playing the first game of their own back-to-back, with a game in San Jose on Sunday’s agenda. Both teams will be hungry, with a back-to-back. Vegas may need this one more than Calgary due to the loss of Subban. A loss against the Flames may force the Golden Knights into starting Fleury two days in a row, a practice that even the Golden Knights don’t enjoy.

Prediction:




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