The Vegas Golden Knights will host the Calgary Flames on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, seeking to build on their 4-2 victory over Calgary earlier this week. With several injuries impacting both teams, the matchup features strong offensive potential from Vegas despite goaltending uncertainties.
The Golden Knights defeated the Flames 4-2 on Tuesday at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman scored for Calgary in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Jack Eichel responded with a goal in the second period, followed by his go-ahead tally at 6:38 of the second. Kaedan Korczak tied the game at 4:11 of the third before Eichel's efforts and Tomas Hertl's empty-net goal sealed the win for Vegas.
Goaltending was a focal point in the first meeting, as Vegas' Adin Hill allowed two goals on 10 shots before exiting early with a lower-body injury. Akira Schmid relieved him and stopped all 19 shots faced in the final two periods. Hill is likely to miss Saturday's rematch due to the injury, putting pressure on the Golden Knights' net.
Vegas enters with a 3-0-2 record, bolstered by Hertl's scoring touch—he has two goals over five games, including the empty-netter against Calgary, while averaging 18:01 time on ice. Hertl shares a line with Mitchell Marner and the top power-play unit. However, injuries loom large: Noah Hanifin has missed four straight games with an undisclosed issue and is expected to sit out again, while Brett Howden is likely absent for a third game with a lower-body injury.
Calgary sits at 1-4-0, with goaltender Dustin Wolf posting -1.21 goals saved above expectation per 60 minutes in the early season. The Flames allow 3.27 expected goals per 60 minutes defensively. Analysts note Calgary's middle-of-the-road defense but highlight goaltending as a weakness.
Betting projections expect Hertl to score around 0.49 median goals, with the total leaning under 6.5 goals given recent trends.