The Vegas Golden Knights, enduring their worst slump of the season, host the St. Louis Blues on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Las Vegas. This matchup kicks off a home-and-home series, with the second game scheduled in St. Louis on Thursday.
Vegas, tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first in the Pacific Division at 61 points, has lost three straight games and five of its last six. This skid includes a rough 0-3 road trip, culminating in a 5-3 defeat to the league-worst Chicago Blackhawks. Captain Mark Stone described the team’s struggles as self-inflicted, noting that the mistakes are preventable.
The Knights have been plagued by poor starts, falling into early deficits against Nashville and Chicago. Coach Bruce Cassidy acknowledged that the team’s inability to recover from these stretches has been a glaring issue, contrasting with their earlier-season resilience.
The St. Louis Blues, meanwhile, are chasing a playoff spot, sitting fifth in the Central Division and three points out of a wild-card position. After winning two straight, they stumbled in a 4-2 loss to Utah. Coach Jim Montgomery benched his top line following early mistakes, a decision that sent a strong message about the team’s need for consistency.
Monday’s game marks the second meeting between the teams this season. Vegas won the first contest 4-3 in October. The Blues view this series as a critical test as they aim to solidify their postseason ambitions against one of the Western Conference’s strongest teams.
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