Anaheim @ Vegas preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 27, 2019 ) Vegas 3, Anaheim 4

The first-place Vegas Golden Knights have a real chance to separate themselves from the Pacific Division pack as they continue their season-high seven-game homestand Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. Vegas took over first place in the Pacific with a 4-1 victory over Arizona on Saturday and gets a chance to exact revenge from the Ducks after a 4-3 loss Friday in Anaheim.

“If I can watch this every night, I’d be real happy,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant told reporters Sunday. “We played a hard game, a physical game, but we also played a skilled game. We were first on pucks and real nice goals from our top players. I liked the game.” Anaheim on Friday used a three-goal explosion in 1 minute, 37 seconds to defeat Vegas for only the second time in 10 meetings since the Golden Knights joined the league for the 2017-18 season. The Ducks, though, couldn't keep the momentum going and lost 2-1 in overtime to Philadelphia on Sunday. "It seems like we take a step forward and a step back constantly," Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins told reporters. "That's part of the grind. That's part of the challenge of this league, especially with us transitioning as an organization."

TV: 3 p.m. ET, FS West (Anaheim), AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain (Vegas), Sportsnet One

ABOUT THE DUCKS (16-18-5): Jakob Silfverberg paces the club with 13 goals and 26 points while captain Ryan Getzlaf (25 points) has been kept off the scoresheet for six straight games. Rickard Rakell (10 goals, 25 points) has missed the last three contests with an upper-body injury. Anaheim hasn't won consecutive games since defeating Winnipeg 7-4 on Oct. 29 and Vancouver 2-1 in overtime Nov. 1.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (21-15-6): Marc-Andre Fleury moved into a tie with Curtis Joseph for sixth on the NHL's all-time wins list at 454 after making 27 saves versus Arizona. “CuJo is a guy I grew up watching,” Fleury told reporters. “I loved his feistiness and his battle in the game, and his style. He always had nice gear, too.” Max Pacioretty has team highs of 16 goals and 40 points after recording two assists Saturday, and boasts six goals and eight assists in his last 10 games.

OVERTIME

1. Vegas RW Mark Stone scored twice Saturday, giving him 15 goals and 39 points this season.

2. The Ducks have killed 9-of-9 penalties in their last three games while the Golden Knights snapped a five-game drought without a power-play goal (0-for-8) by scoring twice with the man advantage against Arizona.

3. Vegas' Shea Theodore matched a career high with three assists Sunday and leads Vegas defensemen with 23 points.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 3, Ducks 2