Golden Knights Gameday 52: Life Without Stone: Lines and Notes vs Predators

The Vegas Golden Knights (29-18-4, 62 points) will return from their nine-day All-Star Break with a game against the Nashville Predators (24-18-6, 54 points) on the road Tuesday evening at 5:00 p.m. This game will kickstart the back half of the Golden Knight's 2022-23 season as they push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing last season. 

They will have to do so without captain Mark Stone, who had yet another back surgery on Jan. 31st and will not return anytime soon for the team. On a more positive note, injured defenseman Zach Whitecloud is expected to return to the VGK lineup after missing 21 games with a leg injury.

"Zach is a big part of this team. He's a great penalty killer and steady defenseman and is very good in his own end with a good stick and he can contribute offensively too," said defenseman Brayden McNabb.

This is the season's second and final matchup between the Predators and Golden Knights. The VGK won in overtime on Dec. 31, 2022, by a score of 5-4, where Nicolas Hague scored the overtime winner.

What to Watch For

Look Around

With Whitecloud likely returning and Stone out for the foreseeable future, the Golden Knights have a set roster for the foreseeable future until a potential trade is made. They will need to look around and realize that this is the main group of guys they have to get them into the playoffs.

Injured defenseman Daniil Miromanov will likely not make it in the lineup over any of the six Golden Knights defensemen. So the Golden Knights are essentially operating at 99% health right now. But that 1% difference that is out, in Mark Stone, could be all the difference in determining the season.

The Hunt Is On

Coming back from the All-Star Break naturally means the final push of the regular season. We all know what happened last year, as the Golden Knights were in a similar situation and slipped out of the playoff race. The groundwork has been laid for either that same narrative to repeat, or for the VGK to hold on.

“It is getting to that crunch time where games become 4-point games. You never want to get the guys focused solely on the schedule, it’s about the process and playing right, but this is the time of the year where you have to recognize where you are and the importance of two points every night,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy.

Preds Points

A few quick notes on some specific Nashville Predators players. Filip Forsberg, one of the most underrated players in the NHL, has nine goals and an assist in eleven career games against the VGK. He has 10 goals and 15 points in his last 16 games.

Former Golden Knight Cody Glass is now operating as the Predators' first-line center in between Forsberg and Matt Duchene. He has 18 points in 38 games this season. Lastly, the Predators will be employing Cole Smith, who just signed a one-year extension, on their third line.

Projected Golden Knights Line Combinations

Paul Cotter- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Michael Amadio

Will Carrier- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel

Brett Howden- Nicolas Roy- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Logan Thompson/Adin Hill

Golden Knights Special Teams

PP1: Stephenson, Marchessault, Roy, Eichel, Pietrangelo

PP2: Carrier, Karlsson, Kessel, Smith, Theodore

PK1: Karlsson, Smith, McNabb, Pietrangelo

PK2: Stephenson, Roy, Whitecloud, Martinez

IR/Scratches

Shea Weber, Nolan Patrick, Robin Lehner/Mark Stone (c), Daniil Miromanov/Ben Hutton

Projected Predators Line Combinations

Filip Forsberg- Cody Glass- Matt Duchene

Nino Niederreiter- Ryan Johansen- Mikaedl Granlund

Cole Smith- Juuso Parssinen- Colton Sissons

Yakov Trenin- Thomas Novak- Tanner Jeannot

Ryan McDonagh- Roman Josi (c)

Mattias Ekholm- Jeremy Lauzon

Kevin Gravel- Dante Fabbro

Juuse Saros/Kevin Lankinen

Predators Special Teams

PP1- Duchene, Johansen, Granlund, Forsberg, Josi

PP2- Parssinen, Novak, Niederreiter, Glass, Ekholm

PK1- Sissons, Jeannot, McDonagh, Lauzon

PK2- Smith, Trenin, Ekholm, Fabbro

IR/Scratches

Mark Borowiecki, Alexandre Carrier/Mark Jankowski, 

How to Watch/Listen

5:00 p.m. on AT&T Sportsnet, ESPN+ and Fox Sports 98.9 FM Radio.