Golden Knights Gameday 77: Wild Thang- Lines and Starting Goalies vs Wild

The Vegas Golden Knights (47-22-101 points) will play their second half of a back-to-back series against the Minnesota Wild (44-23-9, 97 points) Monday night at 5:00 p.m. from Xcel Energy Center. The VGK are coming off a 4-1 win over the Wild Saturday and also have another game tomorrow against the Nashville Predators, also at 5:00 p.m. The Golden Knights are 3-2-0 in the first game of a back-to-back this season.

Injured forward Reilly Smith was a full participant at the Golden Knight's morning skate and could make a return to the lineup as a result. Jonathan Quick could also start, given that Laurent Brossoit has started the last two games, and the VGK are starting a back-to-back.

With a win, the Minnesota Wild can become the first team in the Central Division to clinch a playoff spot.

What to Watch For

All Eyes on G

Once again, the Golden Knight's goaltending situation will be an interesting storyline for this game. Laurent Brossoit has played excellent in his last two starts and is starting to emerge as the team's starter, with Logan Thompson and Adin Hill injured. If Jonathan Quick gets the start against the same team that Brossoit let in just one goal against on Saturday, it will provide the coaching staff with a good comparison between the two goalies.

Wild Want In

Although they are not in full control, given that the Wild can also clinch with a point against the VGK and the Dallas Stars defeating the Nashville Predators, the Golden Knights can push back the Wild's clinching chances with a regulation win tonight. This should good motivation for the Golden Knights, who played the Wild in the 2020-21 season, defeating them in the first round. These teams could potentially meet down the line in this year's playoffs.

First Line Flourishing

The Golden Knight's first line of Jonathan Marchessault, Jack Eichel, and Ivan Barbashev has been scoring at a strong rate as of late. Jack Eichel has eight points in his last five games, with seven of them being assists. Additionally, Barbashev has five points in his last five games, and Marchessault five in five too.

Projected Golden Knights Line Combinations

Ivan Barbashev- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Nicolas Roy

Michael Amadio- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel

Brett Howden- Teddy Blueger- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Ben Hutton- Nicolas Hague

Brayden McNabb- Zach Whitecloud

Jonathan Quick/Laurent Brossoit

Golden Knights Special Teams

PP1: Eichel, Roy, Stephenson, Barbashev, Pietrangelo

PP2: Marchessault, Karlsson, Amadio, Kessel, Hutton

PK1: Karlsson, Roy, McNabb, Pietrangelo

PK2: Stephenson, Howden, Whitecloud, Martinez

IR/Scratches

Nolan Patrick, Robin Lehner/Mark Stone (c), Will Carrier, Adin Hill, Logan Thompson, Shea Theodore/Pavel Dorofeyev, Paul Cotter, Brayden Pachal

Projected Wild Line Combinations

Sam Steel- Ryan Hartman- Mats Zuccarello

Marcus Johansson- Joel Eriksson Ek- Matthew Boldy

Marcus Foligno- Frederick Gaudreau- Oskar Sundqvist

Brandon Duhaime- Connor Dewar- Ryan Reaves

Jacob Middleton- Jared Spurgeon (c)

Jonas Brodin- Matt Dumba

Jon Merrill- John Klingberg

Marc-Andre Fleury/Filip Gustavsson

Wild Special Teams

PP1- Zuccarello, Eriksson Ek, Johansson, Boldy, Klingberg

PP2- Sundqvist, Gaudreau, Foligno, Gaudreau, Spurgeon

PK1- Dewar, Duhaime, Middleton, Spurgeon

PK2- Eriksson Ek, Gaudreau, Brodin, Dumba

IR/Scratches

Pavel Novak, Kirill Kaprizov, Mason Shaw, Gustav Nyquist/Calen Addison

How to Watch/Listen

5:00 p.m. on AT&T Sportsnet, ESPN+ and Fox Sports 98.9 FM Radio.