The Golden Knights head into Little Caesars Arena with three of four points banked on this Eastern Conference road trip, and they’ll try to keep that momentum rolling against the Red Wings tonight.
Puck drop is set for 4:08 p.m. PST, with Vegas coming off a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
The Golden Knights got on the board first with a power-play goal, watched Pittsburgh move in front in the third period, then answered right back. Trevor Connelly tied it with a quick response, and Tomáš Hertl finished the job with a late power-play goal.
Detroit’s last outing came Tuesday as well, a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Red Wings fell into a 3-0 hole in the second period, clawed back within one, and still couldn’t find the equalizer.
Carter Hart is expected to get the start for Vegas. He’s 4-3-2 with a .893 save percentage in nine games this season.
On the other side, Daniil Tarasov is projected to go for Detroit. He’s 2-1-2 with a .927 save percentage in six appearances.
The Golden Knights’ projected forward groups have a different look tonight: Brett Howden with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev alongside William Karlsson and Mitch Marner, Trevor Connelly centered by Tomáš Hertl with Victor Olofsson, and Marc Gatcomb with Nic Dowd and Braeden Bowman.
On defense, Vegas is listed with Jeremy Lauzon and Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin and Dylan Coghlan, with Carter Hart and Adin Hill in goal.
Detroit’s projected lines feature Alex DeBrincat with Emmitt Finnie and Viktor Arvidsson, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård with Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond, Michael Rasmussen with JT Compher and Nate Danielson, and Carter Mazur with Sheldon Dries and Keegan Kolesar. The Red Wings’ defense pairs are Ben Chiarot with Moritz Seider, William Wallinder with Justin Faulk, and Andreas Englund with Anton Johansson. Tarasov and Michal Postava are listed as the goaltenders.
Special teams could matter here. Vegas brings a 29.4% power play, good for sixth, and a 73.9% penalty kill, tied for 21st. Detroit’s power play sits at 23.6%, 10th in the league, while its penalty kill is 70.0%, tied for 25th.
There’s recent history on Vegas’ side, too. The Golden Knights swept the season series last year, going 2-0 against Detroit, and they’re 8-6-1 all time versus the Red Wings.
Jack Eichel leads Vegas in scoring with 22 points in 17 games. Against Detroit in his career, he has eight goals and 26 points in 26 games. Alex DeBrincat tops the Red Wings with 16 points in 16 games, and he’s posted six goals and 15 points in 20 career games against the Golden Knights.
Hart has also seen Detroit before. In 11 career games against the Red Wings, he owns a 7-3-1 record with a .914 save percentage. Tarasov’s career numbers against Vegas are a 1-2-1 record and a .907 save percentage in four games.
There are a couple milestones worth tracking, too. Brayden McNabb is one point away from 200 career points, and Mitch Marner is two points away from 100 as a Golden Knight.
Vegas is 4-2-2 on the road this season, while Detroit is 4-4-1 at home.
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