Golden Knights Gameday 42: Marching Home: Lines and Notes vs Kings

It's a battle of the two crest-logoed Southwestern United States NHL hockey teams as the Vegas Golden Knights (27-17-2, 56 points) play the Los Angeles Kings (22-14-6, 50 points) in game two of the VGK's current seven-game homestand. Jonathan Marchessault is expected to make his return to the lineup after missing six games with a lower-body injury. Alec Martinez could play, but is more likely to play Thursday against the Panthers.

The Golden Knights welcomed back both Paul Cotter and Jack Eichel to their lineup last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both players put together multi-point efforts in the Golden Knight's 5-2 win. All-Star goaltender Logan Thompson is expected to start tonight after Adin Hill started Thursday.

This is the third of four meetings between the Kings and Golden Knights this season. They have split the season series 1-1, which brings the Golden Knights all-time record against the Kings to 14-13-0.

No other franchise in NHL history has scored more goals against the Golden Knights than the Kings, who have scored 81 goals. Kings captain Anze Kopitar has 30 points in 27 career games against the Golden Knights, the most out of any player against the VGK.

The Kings are chasing the Golden Knights in the Pacific Division standings, as they have 50 points, and the Golden Knights 56.

What to Watch For

More Reinforcements

With Marchessault, and potentially Martinez back in the lineup, the Golden Knights will become an even more complete team. Both Cotter and Eichel scored multiple points in their return games, and perhaps Marchessault and potentially Martinez could do the same.

Four Line Team

Players coming back from injury means a deeper team for the Golden Knights. Based off line rushes, it looks like the Golden Knights will be able to run a solid four-line team with Jack Eichel, Chandler Stephenson, William Karlsson, and Nicolas Roy making up the team's centers, which is perhaps the most ideal center depth this team has.

Tame The Pheonix

Since he made his season debut on Dec. 6th, no goaltender in the NHL has more wins than Pheonix Copley, who has taken over as the Kings starter. This season the longtime NHL journeyman has a 9-2-0 record with a 2.66 GAA and a .901 save percentage.

Projected Vegas Golden Knights Line Combinations

Reilly Smith- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

Michael Amadio- Chandler Stephenson- Mark Stone (c)

Paul Cotter- William Karlsson- Phil Kessel

Will Carrier- Nicolas Roy- Keegan Kolesar

Nicolas Hague- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Kaedan Korczak

Ben Hutton- Brayden Pachal

Logan Thompson/Adin Hill

Golden Knights Special Teams

PP1: Stephenson, Stone, Smith, Eichel, Pietrangelo

PP2: Cotter, Karlsson, Kessel, Roy, Hutton

PK1: Karlsson, Smith, McNabb, Pietrangelo

PK2: Stephenson, Stone, Hague, Hutton

IR/Scratches

Shea Weber, Nolan Patrick, Robin Lehner/Jake Leschyshyn/Brett Howden, Pavel Dorofeyev, Shea Theodore, Zach Whitecloud, Alec Martinez, Daniil Miromanov

Projected Kings Line Combinations

Quinton Byfield- Anze Kopitar- Adrian Kempe

Alex Iafallo- Philip Danault- Viktor Arvidsson

Kevin Fiala- Blake Lizzote- Gabe Vilardi

Brendan Lemieux- Rasmus Kupari- Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Mikey Anderson- Drew Doughty

Sean Durzi- Matt Roy

Alex Edler- Sean Walker

Pheonix Copley/Jonathan Quick

Kings Special Teams

PP1- Vilardi, Kopitar, Kempe, Doughty, Fiala

PP2- Arvidsson, Danault, Byfield, Durzi, Iafallo

PK1- Kopitar, Kupari, Anderson, Doughty

PK2- Kempe, Danault, Edler, Roy

IR/Scratches

Jacob Ingham, Arthur Kaliyev, Trevor Moore/Cal Petersen, Carl, Austin Wagner, Grundstrom, Jacob Moverare

How to Watch/Listen

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