10:09 pm
December 14

Penguins @ Golden Knights

Who will WIN this matchup?

Pittsburgh Penguins (16-13-3)

@ Vegas Golden Knights (19-9-2)

 

Starting Goalies:

Matt Murray (PIT): Confirmed

Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK): Confirmed

 

Current odds:

Pittsburgh Penguins: (-110)

Vegas Golden Knights: (-110)

 

• Marc-Andre Fleury plans to turn it up a notch on Thursday when he leads the Golden Knights into T-Mobile Arena to face the team with which he won three Stanley Cups and spent the first 13 seasons of his NHL career. The 33-year-old enters the much-anticipated reunion with the Pittsburgh Penguins after returning from a two-month absence due to a concussion with 35 saves in Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to Carolina.

• Pittsburgh, however, has dropped two in a row and three of four on the heels of a four-game winning streak. Matt Murray, Fleury’s understudy and eventual successor, was activated from injured reserve on Tuesday and will roll the dice as the Penguins open a three-game road trip in Vegas.

• Phil Kessel extended his point streak to five games (four goals, one assist) after scoring his team-leading 15th goal with 12 seconds remaining in a 2-1 loss against Colorado on Monday. The 30-year-old has recorded at least a point in 25 of 32 games this season. Fellow forward Evgeni Malkin set up Kessel against the Avalanche to increase his point streak to six, during which he has two goals and five assists.

• Fleury isn’t the only former Penguin in this game, as alternate captain Deryk Engelland spent parts of his first five NHL seasons in the Steel City. The 35-year-old defenseman scored a goal early in the second period versus Carolina and has two points in his last four contests following a nine-game point drought. Reilly Smith scored in back-to-back contests to give him four points (three goals, one assist) in six games in December while fellow forward Erik Haula has three goals and as many assists during his four-game point streak.

• Vegas has secured at least a point in 12 of its 14 home games (11-2-1), while Pittsburgh has dropped 10 of 16 (6-8-2) away from PPG Paints Arena.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Vegas Golden Knights
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