Golden Knights Gameday 81: SEA-son Ending Series: Lines and Starting Goalies vs Kraken

The Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-8, 107 points) will conclude their 2022-23 regular season with a two-game home-and-home series against the Seattle Kraken (46-26-100 points) which starts tonight at T-Mobile Arena at 7:00 p.m. All of Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, and now Zach Whitecloud will not play and join Mark Stone, Will Carrier, and goaltenders Logan Thompson and Adin Hill on injured reserve.

Laurent Brossoit is expected to start, and Brayden Pachal will jump back into the lineup due to the injuries to Theodore and Whitecloud.

What to Watch For

Still Stuff To Play For

Both the Golden Knights and Kraken have clinched playoff spot, but that does not mean there is nothing to play for tonight. 

The Golden Knights can clinch first place in the Pacific Division if they defeat the Kraken and the Edmonton Oilers lose to the Colorado Avalanche in any fashion (that game at 6:30 p.m.)

Mini-Series/Playoff Preview?

There is also still a possibility that these two teams could meet in the first round, which would, funnily enough, start an informal/potential nine-game series between the two. The VGK would have to lose both of these games for that to happen, however.

All Eyes on G

Once more, the Golden Knight's goaltending situation is under the magnifying glass as the clock is ticking on the regular season. All four goalies are nearing full health, and now it's all about which one is the best option for the VGK in the first round of the playoffs.

Projected Golden Knights Line Combinations

Pavel Dorofeyev- Nicolas Roy- Jonathan Marchessault

Michael Amadio- William Karlsson- Reilly Smith

Ivan Barbashev- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel

Paul Cotter- Brett Howden- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Ben Hutton- Nicolas Hague

Brayden McNabb- Brayden Pachal

Laurent Brossoit/Jonathan Quick

Golden Knights Special Teams

PP1: Kessel, Dorofeyev, Stephenson, Roy, Pietrangelo

PP2: Barbashev, Smith, Karlsson, Marchessault, Hutton

PK1: Karlsson, Roy, McNabb, Pietrangelo

PK2: Blueger, Howden, Hague, Martinez

IR/Scratches

Nolan Patrick, Robin Lehner/Mark Stone (c), Will Carrier, Adin Hill, Logan Thompson, Shea Theodore, Zach Whitecloud, Jack Eichel/Teddy Blueger, Kaedan Korczak

Projected Kraken Line Combinations

Jared McCann- Matty Beniers- Jordan Eberle

Brandon Tanev- Alex Wennberg- Oliver Bjorkstrand

Eeli Tolvanen- Yanni Gourde- Jesper Froden

Ryan Donato- Morgan Geekie- Daniel Sprong

Jaycob Megna- Adam Larsson

Jamie Oleksiak- Will Borgen

Carson Soucy- Justin Schultz

Joey Daccord/Philipp Grubauer

Kraken Special Teams

PP1- Bjorkstrand, Wennberg, Tolvanen, McCann, Schultz

PP2- Gourde, Beniers, Sprong, Eberle, Soucy

PK1- Wennberg, Tanev, Oleksiak, Larsson

PK2- Wennberg, Tanev, Oleksiak, Larsson

IR/Scratches

Chris Driedger, Joonas Donskoi, Andre Burakovsky, John Hayden, Martin Jones, Jaden Schwartz/Cale Fleury

How to Watch/Listen

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