Tuesday night’s matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Tampa Bay Lightning has star power baked right in. Nikita Kucherov is on one side, Jack Eichel on the other, and the Golden Knights center is still chasing the kind of season that lands him in rare company: 100 or more points.
That alone makes this one worth circling, but the bigger picture is just as striking. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, Vegas answered with a title in 2023, and both teams have also reached the Final since then.
The Lightning did it in 2022, while the Golden Knights got there last season. So while plenty of eyes will be on the stars, this is also a meeting between two franchises that have spent the current decade in the middle of the league’s biggest stage.
For Vegas, the milestone watch starts with Mark Stone. He needs one goal to move past Reilly Smith and take over third place all-time in Golden Knights history.
Stone already lit up the scoreboard with a hat trick Thursday against the Calgary Flames, then added another goal on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He enters Tuesday with 143 career goals for Vegas.
Stone has also done damage against Tampa Bay before, with 12 career goals against the Lightning. The only wrinkle: he hasn’t scored in his last four games against them. Tuesday gives him a shot to snap that streak and make a little more franchise history at the same time.
Jack Eichel has a milestone of his own within reach. He is tied with Max Pacioretty for seventh place all-time in power play goals in Golden Knights history with 22, and one more would move him into sole possession of the spot. That matters even more with Vegas looking to clean up its power play production in 2025-26.
Tampa Bay’s penalty kill could help make that happen. The Lightning are sitting at 75% on the kill, which ranks 22nd in the NHL, and that opens the door for Vegas to make something happen with the extra man.
If the Golden Knights get into their preferred spots, Eichel could be the one finishing the job. The setup could come from Stone or Marner, with Hertl potentially pulling defenders away and creating room in the high-danger area. Eichel is on goal watch again, and Tuesday’s man-advantage chances may be where he finds it.
In Other News...
Carter Harts New Mask Says A Lot About His Vegas Mindset
Carter Harts new mask is the kind of reveal that says as much about a players mindset as it does about his taste. The Golden Knights goaltender went with an Elvis Presley theme after a friend suggested the idea, and artist Frannie Drummond brought it to life with plenty of Vegas flavor, from a gold Presley signature to the TCB logo, along with a cross symbolizing Harts faith and the teams 10th anniversary mark.
For Hart, it all ties back to what it means to be in Vegas and around a franchise that has built a reputation for expecting to win. He spoke about being grateful to be part of the organization and wanting to help add to that culture, which makes the mask feel less like a one-off design choice and more like a small glimpse into how he sees his place with the Golden Knights. [Read more 🡒]