Two of the hottest teams in the league are set to collide on Monday night on the Las Vegas strip. The Carolina Hurricanes are the final undefeated team, parlaying two wins at home with three more against each of the California teams. Saturday's victory was the toughest of the three, requiring overtime as the Canes defeated the Los Angeles Kings, 4-3.
While the Canes are rolling into a tough stretch, they aren't doing so under the best circumstances health-wise. Along with both Jaccob Slavin and Pyotr Kochetkov not traveling with the team for the road trip, Shayne Gostisbehere left Saturday's contest in the first period with a lower-body injury. Not having him available would be a huge loss to a defensive group already down a man.
On the Other Side: Vegas Golden Knights
Heading into the offseason, Mitch Marner was set to be the top free agent on the market. There was a ton of speculation surrounding where he'd land on July 1st. Unfortunately for most of the league, the Vegas Golden Knights swooped in and completed a sign-and-trade with the Maple Leafs to land one of the premier playmakers in the NHL.
It feels like the rich get richer, especially after another 100+-point, Pacific Division-winning season. Unfortunately, they stalled out in the 2nd round, falling in five games to Edmonton. Backed by a Hart-caliber season from Jack Eichel, a solid season in the net by Adin Hill, and one of the most balanced teams in the league, adding Marner only served to make Vegas far more dangerous.
As expected, Vegas is off to an excellent start this season. They're one of three teams, along with Carolina and Colorado, that haven't lost a game in regulation this season, sitting at 4-0-2. Eichel (15) and Mark Stone (13) sit #1 and #2 in points, but Stone exited their win on Saturday early, leaving his status for Monday's contest uncertain.
Last season: The Hurricanes won both meetings with the Golden Knights a season ago. They flew out to a 4-0 lead when they visited Vegas last November in a 5-2 victory. Five Hurricanes finished the night with two points. The meeting in Raleigh in January was a little closer, but the Canes prevailed, 3-2. Pyotr Kochetkov started both games, making 59 stops in a pair of victories.
Golden Knights to Watch
Mitch Marner: You're not going to play one of the best teams in the league with one of the biggest offseason acquisitions and not focus on him. Marner is coming off his first two goals with Vegas in their 6-1 victory over the Flames on Saturday. He's third on the team in scoring with eight points, entering Monday's tilt with three straight multi-point performances.
Pavel Dorofeyev: After breaking out for a team-leading 35 goals last season (T-18th in the league), Dorofeyev is picking up where he left off. Through six games, Dorofeyev is tied for second with six goals, including a hat trick in their season-opening loss. He has done most of his damage on the power play, currently tied with Kirill Kaprizov for the most in the league with four.
Hurricanes to Watch
William Carrier: As one of the key cogs on the Canes' most imposing lines, Carrier has found his scoring touch during the early going. He helped set up Jordan Staal's 300th goal, bringing him to three points in five games. Playing against his former team, Carrier and his linemates will be in for a fight, likely against one of Vegas' toughest lines.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi: After spending the first two games of the trip in the press box, Kotkaniemi returned to the lineup on Saturday and made an impact. He buried a beautiful breakaway goal in the second period, helping to extend the lead. Kotkaniemi was also much better in the dot. If he's still in the lineup for Monday's contest, he'll need to do more of the same.