Golden Knights Gameday 35: Going Gold: Lines and Notes vs Coyotes

The Vegas Golden Knights (22-11-1, 45 points)  have another chance for a win on home ice Wednesday night as they take on the Arizona Coyotes (10-15-5, 25 points) at 7:00 p.m. The Golden Knight's home ice record is now a losing one at 8-9-0 and the team has scored less than three goals in their last six home games. No lineup changes are expected from the team, and Logan Thompson is expected to start.

The Coyotes are currently on a two-game losing streak, having most recently lost to the Montreal Canadiens at home in overtime.

What To Watch For

Plan-D

With Jack Eichel, Paul Cotter, and Brett Howden out of the lineup, head coach Bruce Cassidy has resorted to playing Michael Amadio on the team's top line. Amadio has three points in 20 games but had an assist in the team's most recent game.

The lack of depth scoring on the Golden Knights had been apparent as coach Cassidy put Amadio on the top line after he didn't like the play of Phil Kessel in the top-line left wing spot.

"It was less about him (Amadio) and more about who was there that wasn't getting it done (Kessel). So you've got to go to a plan B and C sometimes… We're at plan D now Ammo (Amadio) is kind of plan D right now. We're going to do our best just to slot somebody in there that help us win," said Cassidy. 

As long as Jack Eichel remains out, the Golden Knights will have to come up with ways to supplement the top line with better play.

Gold Helmets

Perhaps superstitions can change the way the Golden Knights play at home. In both of the team's most recent morning skates, they were seen wearing their Gold helmets, which they have not worn in a while at home. All signs are pointing towards the VGK wearing these flashy buckets as they take on the Coyotes. Maybe it will be the proper thing to get them back on track at T-Mobile Arena.

Fine Goaltending

Cassidy has also mentioned goaltending in his two previous post-game press conferences stating that if the team's offense isn't scoring, then the goaltending of Logan Thompson and Adin Hill would have to improve.

"Tonight could have been enough (two goals) to win; it really could have. We could have gotten the six-on-five goal, and if we got one more save now, you're into overtime. So there's a little bit of that. We need a few more saves here if we are not going to score; that's just the way it is," Cassidy said after the team's 3-2 loss to the Sabres. 

Both Hill and Thompson believe the team's goaltending has been fine, but just has been magnified recently, likely due to the team not being able to score and also the looming presence of Laurent Brossoit with the Henderson Silver Knights.

Projected Vegas Golden Knights Line Combinations

Michael Amadio- Chandler Stephenson- Mark Stone (c)

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Jonathan Marchessault

Jonas Rondbjerg- Jake Leschyshyn- Phil Kessel

William Carrier- Nicolas Roy- Keegan Kolesar

Ben Hutton- Alex Pietrangelo

Alec Martinez- Nicolas Hague

Brayden McNabb- Daniil Miromanov

Logan Thompson/Adin Hill

Golden Knights Special Teams

PP1: Stephenson, Stone, Marchessault, Smith, Pietrangelo

PP2: Carrier, Karlsson, Kessel, Roy, Miromanov

PK1: Karlsson, Smith, Martinez, Pietrangelo

PK2: Stephenson, Stone, McNabb, Hague

IR/Scratches

Zach Whitecloud, Paul Cotter, Brett Howden, Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore

Projected Coyotes Line Combinations

Clayton Keller- Travis Boyd- Nick Schmaltz

Matias Maccelli- Nick Bjugstad- Lawson Crouse

Nick Ritchie- Barrett Hayton- Christian Fischer

Juuso Valimaki- Jack McBain- Zack Kassian

Jakob Chychrun- Shayne Gostisbehere

JJ Moser- Josh Brown

Patrick Nemeth- Troy Stetcher

Karel Vejmelka/Connor Ingram

Coyotes Special Teams

PP1- Crouse, Boyd, Maccelli, Keller, Moser

PP2- Ritchie, Bjugstad, Schmaltz, Gostisbehere, Chychrun

PK1- Hayton, Fischer, Nemeth, Stetcher

PK2- Bjugstad, Crouse, Moser, Brown

IR/Scratches

Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd, Liam O'Brien/Troy Stetcher

How to Watch/Listen

7:00 p.m. on AT&T Sportsnet, ESPN+ and Fox Sports 98.9 FM Radio.