Vegas looks to stay hot at the T-Mobile Arena

We entered 2020 with a great NHL Winter Classic Game in Dallas and this Thursday there are again twelve games on the slate. In one of the late games the Philadelphia Flyers will meet the Vegas Golden Knights. Will the points stay in Vegas, or do the Flyers pull off the upset?

Vegas leads the Pacific Division

The Vegas Golden Knights have only been active in the NHL for three years, but still the hockey team is seen as one of the favourites for winning the Stanley Cup. Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny joined the Golden Knights in the summer of 2018 and Max Stone has also been making a good impression since coming over from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline last February. Vegas didn't start the current season very well and also had a lesser period in November, but is still at the top of the Pacific Division halfway through the regular season.

Winning the title in the Pacific Division shouldn't be a problem with the Edmonton Oilers, who are sinking a bit anyway, and the Arizona Coyotes, who have to work things out with their first goalkeeper Darcy Kuemper on the sideline for weeks. The forward group of the Vegas Golden Knights is extremely talented, they have been leading the NHL for months in expected goals, but in December the quality really came to the surface. On New Year's Eve Vegas run over the Anaheim Ducks (5-2). Jonathan Marchessault was the one who stepped up during this victory with two goals. It was the fourth home win in the last five games in the T-Mobile Arena of the Golden Knights.

Philadelphia more impressive at home

The Philadelphia Flyers hope to secure a Stanley Cup play off ticket this season, just like all other teams. The Flyers are currently in fifth place in the competive Metro Division, if the hockey team wants to be guaranteed of the play offs be, they still have two places to climb in the standings. The gap to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the current number three, is only three points, so the hockey team still has everything to play for in the second half of the regular season.

Philadelphia ends their road trip this Thursday with a game in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights. During their most recent road trip, the Flyers previously played three teams that perform the least in the Pacific Division this season. There was a 2-1 win in overtime in Anaheim against the Ducks, but the defeats against the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings will have hurt. If the Flyers want to secure a guaranteed ticket for the play offs, they can't lose these kind of games.

Vegas wins in regulation time

As mentioned before, the start of the season of Vegas wasn't that impressive, but they booked some nice results in their own barn recently and now the hockey team is one of the best performing home teams of the NHL. The Flyers play their third road game in five days and after defeats against the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks, the Vegas Golden Knights are playing a level above these teams. Philadelphia needs a good performance from goalie Carter Hart if it wants to leave Vegas with a result. All in all, I expect the Golden Knights to continue their strong home appearances en get the win.