Two of the hottest teams in the NHL face off on Monday night when the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes face the Pacific Division leading Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas.
Carolina, playing the fourth game of a season-long six-game western road trip that covers 5,225 miles, is the only unbeaten team in the league (5-0-0, 10 points) while Vegas has a six-game point streak (4-0-2), the second longest season-opening point streak in team history behind a 12-gamer (11-0-1) to begin the 2023-24 campaign.
The Hurricanes opened the trip with a 5-1 win at San Jose followed by a 4-1 victory at Anaheim and come in off a record-breaking 4-3 overtime win at Los Angeles on Saturday. Seth Jarvis scored at 1:45 of OT to become the first player in NHL history with four game-winning goals in a team’s first five games in a season. Two of the scores have come in overtime.
“He’s a special player in special times,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We see time and time again, he seems to be coming through for us.
Jarvis certainly and has ignited the Hurricanes in the early stage of the season.
“I want to be a big-time player and I like these moments,” Jarvis said. “I like the pressure. When you have a chance and the game on your stick, it’s always fun. To be trusted in these moments, and to be able to capitalize like I have, it’s awesome.”
Jarvis was asked what the Hurricanes need to do to continue their winning ways.
“Just keep it rolling,” he said. “Keep doing what we’re doing. I think we’re finding our game more and more every night. I think the lines are finding chemistry. It’s getting better and better. Just keep riding the momentum and keep having fun and see where this thing takes us.”
Next up is a game against a Vegas team that comes in off a 6-1 victory over visiting Calgary on Saturday and has scored a league-leading 26 goals.
Center Jack Eichel had four assists in the win over the Flames and leads the league with 15 points while forward Mark Stone added two goals and two assists and has a league-best 11 assists.
Stone, however, landed awkwardly on his left arm during a third-period check and didn’t return. He sat briefly on the bench hunched over and appeared to clutch his left wrist before heading up the tunnel to the locker room. He has at least one assist in all six games, the longest assist streak in team history.
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t provide an injury update on Stone afterward and said he might not have an answer on his status until the team’s practice on Monday morning.
Mitch Marner also scored two goals in the victory, snapping a five-game goalless drought to begin the season.
Marner, in the first year of a eight-year, $96 million contract that was part of a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer, wasn’t concerned about the slow goal start with his new team.
“I wasn’t stressed about it,” Marner, who leads the Golden Knights in plus-minus (plus-7), said. “I knew I was going to get looks and opportunities. I knew they’d fall eventually. I was trying to make sure I do everything else right to get the opportunities to put myself in that spot to get those looks.”
Vegas improved to 2-0-1 at home, scoring 17 goals in the process.
“I think our team has done a good job of scoring here at home and getting this fan base going,” Marner said. “It’s nice to contribute in that and put one in yourself.”
