Wrapping up Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Vegas Golden Knights will be an “ornery” mood for the Edmonton Oilers game tonight.

It makes sense why.

The Golden Knights got doubled up 6-3 against the Calgary Flames, snapping an eight-game point streak, and setting up a back-to-back where both Edmonton and Vegas are looking for a win to salvage their weekends.

That was just the seventh regulation loss of the Knights’ season – only the Colorado Avalanche have fewer regulation losses. However, they sit just two points better than the Edmonton Oilers, with a 16-7-10 record.

Yes, that’s right. Ten loser points. They’ve gone to overtime or a shootout a league-leading 14 times and have gone 4-10 after 60 minutes.

However, they’ll be without their leading scorer and top defenceman in Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore, who didn’t make the Alberta trip. Both are dealing with injury and illness.

It’s a quick two-game trip this weekend for the Golden Knights, as they return home to play their rival San Jose Sharks on Tuesday before the Christmas break.

Like a Stone

The big splash of the off-season was the acquisition of Mitch Marner, and he’s been a fine addition to their top-six, with six goals and 34 points in 33 games played. He compliments Jack Eichel’s game well, and with the Golden Knights’ depth, he’s playing a minute less per game on average than he did the last three seasons with the Leafs.

However, you’d have to think there are more goals to come for Marner. He has just three since Halloween, and hasn’t scored fewer than 26 goals in his past four seasons.

Mark Stone is back, too, and he’s been dominant this season — when available, of course. Stone missed November, meaning he’s suited up for 17 out of the Golden Knights’ 33 contests.

In that span, though, he’s scored seven goals and 27 points, a terrific total. What’s even more impressive is Stone has only been held pointless once this season. Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong is going to take him, no?

His LTIR status has become a punch line in recent years, but last season’s total of 66 games played was the most since 2018-19. He’d have to have fortuitous health to reach that milestone again, but for now, Stone is a dog for this Golden Knights club.

Not to mention, they are 10-2-5 when he’s in the lineup, 6-5-5 without him.

Controversial crease

The crease situation in Vegas always seems to be chaotic, and this season is no exception, especially with the Carter Hart signing.

Four goaltenders have suited up for at least five games for VGK this year, with Akira Schmid leading the way.

Schmid surrendered five goals on 25 shots in Calgary, but otherwise has provided stable goaltending when he’s played. That was the 18th game of the season. His next start will tie his career high.

Their starter Adin Hill was injured on Oct. 22 and hasn’t played since. It’s believed he’ll be out for a couple months still. Carl Lindblom has started seven games, as well. The 22-year-old has won just one of those games.

That means a homecoming start for Carter Hart, who has played five times following his signing and suspension. He’s won three of those games, the other two were shootout losses, and boasts a .917 save percentage and 2.26 goals against average.

As we know, Hart missed a season and a half as the NHL didn’t allow the five Team Canada players who were facing sexual assault charges to play. After the acquittal, the NHL & NHLPA worked to reinstate the players after a suspension. Hart made his first start on Dec. 2.

I wonder how he will be received.

Underlying numbers

Scoring goals can be a bit of a chore for this team, at least five-on-five. Vegas has scored the third-fewest goals at five-on-five in the NHL heading into the weekend, according to Moneypuck.

Four even-strength goals against against Calgary is also uncharacteristic of their group, as they’d allowed the seventh fewest across the league 5-on-5, and had the second lowest expected goals against.

That’s where their power play steps in: it’s a dangerous combination that scores a quarter of the time. Even without Jack Eichel last night, they went 1/2. A top-10 penalty kill rounds out a team that, despite lower-scoring 5-on-5, doesn’t give up a ton, and has success with specialty teams.

These numbers help understand how this team has gone to OT and SO in almost half their games, and five times out of their last eight.

Notes:

Pavel Dorofeyev was shooting the lights out to start the season, with seven goals in his first seven games. He’s not kept that unsustainable pace, and went 10 games without one from mid-November on. However, he’s scored three times in the last five games to lead VGK, but had a point streak snapped Saturday.
Last year was a wicked 35-goal campaign at a mere $1.835-million cap hit. In a contract year (RFA), expect a big raise for Dorofeyev.
Ivan Barbeshev (11 goals and 25 points) has been held pointless in three straight.
Undrafted Braeden Bowman worked from a solid junior career with the Guelph Storm to a pro contract. After starting this year with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, he got the call-up and played his first game on Nov. 13. In 18 games, he has 5-6–11. Pretty good for the 22-year-old.
William Karlsson has had injury problems this year too. He isn’t expected back until January after a lower-body injury.
Further to Stone’s impressive display offensively: he was just the sixth player in the past 20 years with at least a point in his first 14 games of the season.
Historically, Carter Hart hasn’t played well in Edmonton, with just a 1-3 record. But overall in his career, he’s 4-4.
This is the only time Vegas travels to Edmonton this season. The two other division matchups take place in Sin City on March 8 and 26th.
The Oilers went 2-2 vs VGK last regular season, but made quick work of them in the Pacific Division final. Overall, Edmonton has won seven of its 10 matchups.

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