Golden Knights Gameday: Pietrangelo, VGK Prepare to Face Blues

Alex Pietrangelo faces his former team for the first time as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights as they host the St. Louis Blues for the first of a pair of games at T-Mobile Arena.

Pietrangelo hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Blues just two seasons ago before coming to the Golden Knights via free agency this summer. Now he faces his former team for the first time.

Vegas Golden Knights (5-1-0) vs. St. Louis Blues (3-2-1)

The Vegas Golden Knights lead the Honda West Division with 10 points, having won five of its first six games. Last time out Vegas beat the Arizona Coyotes 1-0 on a late goal from William Karlsson with just 43 seconds left in regulation time. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 16 shots for his 62nd career shutout.

St. Louis has been very up-and-down this season, splitting each two-game series the team has played so far. Most recently the Blues dropped a 6-3 game to the Los Angeles Kings. After the Blues went up 1-0, they allowed five straight goals against and couldn’t dig out of the hole. Brayden Schenn scored twice and leads the team with four goals on the season.

Scoring has come in fits and starts for the Blues, who have four goals in the team’s three losses but 13 goals in its three wins. After Schenn’s four goals, no player has more than two to his credit this season. The Blues also have the second-worst power play in the league coming into tonight.

Keep An Eye On

VGK – Alex Pietrangelo. The big free agent acquisition has had a slow start to the season with the Vegas Golden Knights, with only three points in his first six games. That said, expect Pietrangelo to come to life against his former club and put on a show tonight. Plus, Vegas could really use more offense no matter where it comes from. Pietrangelo has been generating some scoring chances but just hasn’t cashed in. Perhaps he’s due tonight.

STL – Jordan Kyrou. The former AHL All-Star is finally getting a shot at regular duty with the Blues and is performing admirably. His six points (2-4-6) leads the team this season. Despite being a natural center, Kyrou has found a home next to Schenn and both players seem to feed off each other creatively. Vegas will have to watch this line closely.

Notes:

Vegas Golden Knights

• Alex Pietrangelo spent his first 10 full NHL seasons with the Blues. St. Louis originally drafted him fourth overall in 2008. He scored the game-winning goal against Boston in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final, and ranks second among Blues defensemen lifetime in games played (758) and points (450).
• Vegas continue to struggle on the power play. The Golden Knights are tied for 26th (2-20) in the NHL with the Nashville Predators.
• Mark Stone’s five-game point streak came to an end in the win against Arizona. During the streak Stone scored twice and added six assists.
• Shea Theodore is tied for third in scoring among defensemen with 3-3-6 in six games.

St. Louis Blues

• The Blues luck against Vegas has not been great in Sin City, going 1-0-4 in five tries. Oddly enough, the four losses have all happened in overtime and no game has gone to a shootout.
• The Blues have recorded at least a point in all nine games against the Golden Knights in franchise history.
• Brayden Schenn is carrying a four-game point streak into tonight’s game (3-1-4).