Golden Knights Bring a Road-Tested Attack to St. Louis

Vegas comes to St. Louis as the best team in the West, and the real question is whether the chances it keeps creating follow it onto the road. The Golden Knights are 8-3-0 with a +14 goal differential, first in both the Pacific and the Western Conference. They are also 3-1-0 away from home, though they arrive off a lopsided home loss.

The evidence for the attack is solid. Over their last ten games, Vegas has averaged 3.7 expected goals per game, a measure of how many goals its chances were worth, against 3.05 allowed. That is a real edge, but the gap at the other end is narrower than the record suggests.

St. Louis sits 4-4-1, holding the fifth wild-card spot, with an even goal differential. The building matters here. The Blues are 2-0-1 at home and 2-4-0 on the road, and they come in off a 2-1 home win over Winnipeg. Their chances have been nearly level with their opponents', 3.1 expected goals for against 2.98 against.

For Vegas to win, its shot volume has to keep translating into quality looks, and Adin Hill, expected in goal, has to clean up what got loose in that last home loss. For St. Louis, the path is the same one that beat Winnipeg: keep the game tight, get timely saves and make home ice count again.