On Sunday night, the Vegas Golden Knights (17-13-5) and Vancouver Canucks (16-13-4) will be looking for a very important two points, while tightly matched in the Pacific Division standings. The Canucks have come as a bit of a surprise this season, while the Golden Knights have arguably underachieved, especially when considering their star-studded roster. Speaking of star-studded, there are a few players who are extremely important to the Golden Knights winning this matchup.
Alex Tuch:
If the young power forward can get this new-look third line humming, the Golden Knights will simply be too much for the Canucks. With a dynamic top-six, the third line has continually been a question mark that Tuch could turn into an exclamation point.
Deryk Engelland:
Reilly Smith:
At 5-on-5, Smith can be rightfully labeled the catalyst for the first line. He is Head Coach Gerard Gallant's dream player. He's a guy who has top-end skill, but plays fast and never hesitates to get into the dirty areas. He's a jack of all trades and does the dirty work, opening up looks for Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. He's not the flashiest player and can be forgotten about in the grand scheme of things, but he's one of the most important guys on this Golden Knights team.
Both teams in this matchup have top-end skill, a solid goaltending duo, and defense groups with the potential to be great. Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, and Brock Boeser need to be contained at all costs. This game could go either way and the performance of the aforementioned players could be the deciding factor for these crucial two points. This will be the first head-to-head of four on the season, with the second coming on December 19, separated by one game against the Canadiens. The Pacific Division has been tight and surprising early on and every in-division game is of the utmost importance.
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