The Vegas Golden Knights visit the Boston Bruins on Monday at 7 p.m. ET — a high-profile game between the defending Western Conference champions and the current Atlantic Division leaders.
Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, who grew up in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and played collegiately at Boston University, returns to his home region. Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin, a Boston native and Boston College graduate, makes his first appearance in Boston since joining Vegas. Eichel has nine goals and 15 assists in 22 career games against Boston, playing for Buffalo and Vegas. Hanifin has five goals and 12 assists in 22 matchups with the Bruins, representing Carolina, Calgary and Vegas.
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Boston allows 2.40 goals per game — the fourth-lowest rate in the NHL — with goaltender Jeremy Swayman playing a central role. Swayman was an Olympic teammate of both Eichel and Hanifin. The Bruins are 9-0-0 this season when scoring three or more goals.
Also on Monday, the Detroit Red Wings visit the Florida Panthers at 7 p.m. ET. The Panthers hold an 8-4-2 record and have won three straight, but they are 0-2-0 against Atlantic Division opponents. Florida ranks ninth in power-play efficiency at 24.2%. Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat leads Detroit with 15 points in 14 games. Detroit is 3-1-0 when serving fewer penalty minutes than its opponent.
The Colorado Avalanche visit the Chicago Blackhawks at 8 p.m. ET. This is the first of four scheduled meetings between the teams this season; their next game is Feb. 28. Colorado’s top scorers are Nathan MacKinnon (24 points in 14 games), Martin Necas (18 in 14) and Artturi Lehkonen (17 in 14). Chicago’s leading point-getters are Connor Bedard (nine points in eight games) and Patrick Kane (nine in 14).
The Calgary Flames visit the San Jose Sharks at 9 p.m. ET. Calgary enters with the NHL’s second-ranked power play at 33.3%. San Jose’s top scorers are Macklin Celebrini (16 points in 13 games) and Will Smith (10 in 15).
More: NHL · Boston Bruins · Vegas Golden Knights
