National Hockey League
Preview
Vegas at New Jersey
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 6, 2025
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey

The Vegas Golden Knights will try to avoid their longest losing streak in almost three years when they face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday in Newark, N.J.

The Golden Knights, second in the Pacific Division behind the Edmonton Oilers, have lost four in a row (0-2-2) for the second time this season and have dropped 11 of their last 14 games (3-8-3). Vegas hasn't lost five straight games since March 8-15, 2022, the only season in franchise history that the Golden Knights failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Vegas is playing the third game of a four-game eastern road trip and comes in off a 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. The Golden Knights lost despite yielding 14 shots on goal -- matching the fewest allowed in franchise history -- and putting 34 shots on Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin.

"It's tough," defenseman Shea Theodore said. "I thought we played good. I think giving up 14 shots, throughout the season, a lot of times you're going to be on the better end. We just didn't get it inside enough. We whacked away, but it's something we have to really focus on. We have two games left before the (4 Nations Face-Off) break and we have to be better."

Brock Nelson scored the game-winner on a deflection of an Alexander Romanov shot midway through the third period.

Vegas, which has lost six of its last seven road contests, has scored just four goals over its last three games.

"All of these games are pretty tight, just got to find ways to bury more pucks," center Nicolas Roy said. "You're not going to win a lot of games on the road when you score one goal. We've got to find a way to score more goals."

New Jersey, third in the Metropolitan Division, has won four of its last six games and comes in off a 3-2 shootout victory at Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Jack Hughes scored two goals, Timo Meier netted the winner in the seventh round of the shootout and Nicolas Daws made 25 saves for the Devils, who are just two points behind second-place Carolina entering Thursday.

New Jersey led 2-0 midway through the second period but yielded goals to Rickard Rakell late in the second period and Kevin Hayes midway through the third, setting the stage for the eventual shootout.

"I liked our game and what we did to build the 2-0 lead to begin with," Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "It would have been nice to get the third one or not give up the one at the end of the second. Lots of resilience. Guys were battling, guys were tired, through overtime, through the shootout. ... All in all, it's a good two points."

"We would have liked a different third period to secure us this win in regular time," Meier said. "But at the end it doesn't matter how you win. We got two points. Now we go back to New Jersey, we regroup after this game. We've got two more before the break, and we want to end those two games with a win."

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W/L Strk Home Away Day Night Div
Vegas 31-17-4-2 L4 19-6-2-1 12-11-2-1 6-3-0-1 25-14-4-1 14-2-1-0
New Jersey 30-19-5-1 W1 15-8-3-1 15-11-2-0 5-6-0-0 25-13-5-1 10-6-3-0
Last Meeting
Vegas New Jersey
Date Away Home Shots Saves PP Shots Saves PP
3/17/24 NJ 1 VEG 3 37 20 0-2 21 34 0-2
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Total Points Player  
Vegas N. Hanifin 2
New Jersey N. Hischier 1
Goals Player  
Vegas W. Carrier 1
New Jersey N. Hischier 1
Assists Player  
Vegas N. Hanifin 2
New Jersey J. Allen 0
Saves Player  
Vegas L. Thompson 20
New Jersey J. Allen 34
Season
Total Points Player  
Vegas J. Eichel 70
New Jersey J. Bratt 64
Goals Player  
Vegas P. Dorofeyev 26
New Jersey N. Hischier 26
Assists Player  
Vegas J. Eichel 50
New Jersey J. Bratt 47
Saves Player  
Vegas A. Hill 818
New Jersey J. Markstrom 847
Quickchart Matchup
Vegas Off vs  New Jersey Def
3.28 GF
2.51 GA
30.6 Shots
25.9 Shots
35 PP
25 PK
New Jersey Off vs  Vegas Def
3.07 GF
2.76 GA
29.4 Shots
26.7 Shots
43 PP
26 PK