In this matchup, wee see the San Jose Sharks vs. the Vegas Golden Knights. Welcome back to the return of NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey looks at the games happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in. Be sure to check out more NHL predictions for all the NHL’s games here on Last Word on Sports!
NHL Predictions
San Jose Sharks at Vegas Golden Knights
Time: 10 PM EDT (Eastern Daylight Time)
TV: NBCSCA, Scripps, ESPN+
2023-24 Season Series: Vegas won (4-0-0)
Golden Knights Looking to Continue Dominance over Sharks
Let’s face it: the numbers in this series don’t lie. Vegas dominated their games against San Jose last year and is poised to be in contention for the Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights are off to a good start to the year, with a 4-2-1 record and coming off of wins against Los Angeles and Ottawa. Up front, Mark Stone and Jack Eichel predictably lead the way in points. Ivan Barbashev and former Shark Tomas Hertl have given the club solid contributions as well. Fresh off of signing a seven-year contract extension, Shea Theodore has seven points in seven games to lead Vegas defenceman. Alex Pietrangelo also has nine points. Vegas is also expected to get a boost, as William Karlsson is expected to make his season debut in this game.
After moving on from Logan Thompson in the offseason, the Golden Knights have turned to a tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Adin Hill. The pair have almost split starts, with Hill appearing in four games and Samsonov in three. Samsonov has been the better of the two with a .944 SV% and 1.95 GAA. Hill, on the other hand, has a .864 SV% and 3.81 GAA. He has also been in the net for each Vegas loss in the young season. Since Hill saw the net yesterday against Ottawa, expect Samsonov between the pipes against the Sharks.
Sharks Aim to Stem the Tide
The Sharks are coming off their eighth-straight loss to open the season, three short of their 11-straight to open last season. The team has struggled in every category, though they have seen some bright moments from their veteran players. Namely, Mikael Granlund has continued his hot start. He is up to nine points in eight games after a two-goal performance against the Kings. Tyler Toffoli is up to seven points and William Eklund has continued his strong play. The biggest surprise in recent games, however, has been Jack Thompson. Since being called up on October 12, he has appeared in three games and registered three assists, each on the power play. Thompson has provided a much-needed spark for the club in his short time in the NHL.
It continues to be a struggle for the Sharks in the net, however. Like Vegas, the tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek have nearly split starts. Neither player has grabbed the net as the number one starter, as each has a SV% under .900. As we’ve discussed before, both have had moments of solid play behind shaky defence, but the results paint a different picture. As for this game against Vegas, Vanecek should get the start.
Prediction
The Golden Knights enter this game after playing against Ottawa last night. San Jose is the more rested team, but Vegas has too much firepower up front and should take this game.
Prediction: Golden Knights win 4-2.
We’ve also got some player props for you from Fanduel. We like Hertl to find the back of the net in this matchup against his former team. You can get those odds at +240. We also like Vegas to cover -1.5 at -128 odds.
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Main Photo: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
