Golden Knights Gameday 3: Off to Sea: Lines and Notes vs Kraken

The Vegas Golden Knights (2-0-0, 4 points) will look to keep their perfect all-time record against the Seattle Kraken (1-0-1, 3 points) active in tonight’s game at 7:00 pm at Climate Pledge Arena.

In four matchups last season, the VGK swept their expansion brothers to win the season series.

The Golden Knights are also undefeated in the young 2022-23 season, having defeated both the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. Tonight marks a two-game road trip for the VGK to Seattle and then to Calgary to play the Flames on Tuesday.

Both Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone were not at practice Friday with maitenece days. For the first time this season, injured goaltender Laurent Brossoit took shots in active drills.

What to Watch For

Goaltending– I would expect to see Adin Hill sometime soon for the Golden Knights. Not that Logan Thompson has been bad, far from it; rather, it would be wise to give Hill a start to see what he is capable of in the regular season and also to get him some NHL action to keep him spry.

With the VGK not playing back-to-back games until late Oct. 24/25th, Hill could get the start against a weaker Kraken team, with Thompson coming back in against the playoff-contending Calgary Flames.

Calling Kessel– Through two games, Phil Kessel hasn’t done much to stand out with his new team. On the top line with Jack Eichel and Reilly Smith, Kessel has five shots in two games and four penalty minutes. The Golden Knights will be looking for more out of Kessel against the Kraken.

Cotter Causes Chaos– I had to throw in the good story of Paul Cotter’s emergence once more. After scoring the Golden Knight’s only goal against the Blackhawks, Cotter has earned a roster spot for the time being. Look for him to impress again on a line with Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson.

This now starts a healthy bottom-six battle between guys like Michael Amadio, Will Carrier, and Keegan Kolesar. One of them has to sit with Cotter now in the lineup.

Pacific Battle– The Golden Knights will play their third Pacific Division team this season with the Kraken on Saturday. Head coach Bruce Cassidy says he wants to play every team in the Pacific for evaluation.

“I would like to play every team in our division to see where we are at. Measuring stick games. We’re getting Calgary and Seattle, and obviously LA,” said Cassidy.

The Golden Knights play the Flames next Tuesday, San Jose on Oct. 25, Anaheim on Oct. 28, Edmonton on Nov. 19, and lastly, the Canucks on Nov. 21 to round out the division.

With the VGK missing the playoffs last season, every game against a Pacific Division rival is crucial.

Projected Vegas Golden Knights Line Combinations

Reilly Smith- Jack Eichel- Phil Kessel

Brett Howden- Chandler Stephenson- Mark Stone (c)

Jonathan Marchessault- William Karlsson- Paul Cotter

William Carrier- Nicolas Roy- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Logan Thompson/Adin Hill

Vegas Golden Knights Special Teams

PP1: Stone, Eichel, Stephenson, Smith, Theodore

PP2: Roy, Karlsson, Marchessault, Kessel, Pietrangelo

PK1: Roy, Stephenson, McNabb, Pietrangelo

PK2: Karlsson, Stone, Martinez, Whitecloud

IR/Scratches

Jake Leschyshyn, Michael Amadio, Ben Hutton, Laurent Brossoit

Projected Kraken Line Combinations

Andre Burakovsky- Matty Beniers- Jared McCann

Jaden Schwartz- Alex Wennberg- Oliver Bjorkstrand

Brandon Tanev- Yanni Gourde- Jordan Eberle

Ryan Donato- Morgan Geekie- Karson Kuhlman

Vince Dunn- Adam Larsson

Jamie Oleksiak- Justin Schultz

Carson Soucy- Will Borgen

Martin Jones/Philipp Grubauer

Kraken Special Teams

PP1- Wennberg, Beniers, Donato, Bjorkstrand, Schultz

PP2- Schwartz, McCann, Eberle, Dunn, Burakovsky

PK1- Gourde, Tanev, Oleksiak, Larsson

PK2- Wennberg, Schwartz, Soucy, Borgen

IR/Scratches

Shane Wright, Daniel Sprong, Cale Fleury/Chris Driedger, Joonas Donskoi

How to Watch/Listen

7:00 pm on AT&T Sportsnet, ESPN+, and Fox Sports 98.9 FM Radio.