Vegas @ Columbus preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 6, 2018 ) Vegas 1, Columbus 4

The Vegas Golden Knights have found their stride after a slow start to the season and can finish a four-game trip without a regulation loss when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Vegas, which started the season 1-4-0, has earned at least one point in 11 of its last 13 games (10-2-1) after Alex Tuch scored in overtime on Sunday for a 4-3 triumph over the New York Rangers.

The Golden Knights began their trek with a 3-2 win against the New York Islanders but coughed up a three-goal lead in a 5-4 overtime loss at New Jersey on Friday before registering 41 shots in the victory over the Rangers. “I thought it was a great response by everybody, myself included,” Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury told reporters after tying Tony Esposito for ninth place on the all-time list with his 423rd win. “Nobody was happy about that last loss. From start to finish, we played a good game and we deserved to win.” The Blue Jackets opened their five-game homestand with a 4-0 setback against Washington but outshot their next three opponents 114-77 while going 1-1-1 after Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to Anaheim. “We haven’t been getting rewarded, but we’ve played three good hockey games here,” Columbus coach John Tortorella told reporters. “We just have to keep our wits about ourselves here and keep on playing. We’ve found a good little piece here of playing the right way.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Vegas), FS Ohio (Columbus)

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (19-14-2): Jonathan Marchessault notched an assist on Sunday to take over the team lead with 27 points - one more than William Karlsson, who had his three-game goal-scoring streak halted in his 300th NHL contest. Tuch has recorded a goal in three of his last four games to push his season total to 12 while Reilly Smith has netted two tallies and set up two others during his four-game point streak. Paul Stastny notched a goal and an assist on Sunday - his first points with the club - in his just second game after missing more than two months with a lower-body injury.

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (17-12-3): Columbus has scored only seven times during the first four games of the homestand, with many of its top point producers cooling off and the power play going 1-for-17 over the last five contests. Cam Atkinson has not scored in five games since registering a hat trick - though he has recorded four assists in that span - while Artemi Panarin has tied him for the team lead with 34 points after collecting seven in his last six contests. Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed three goals on 52 shots in his last two games, but he gave up five in a loss at Vegas last season.

OVERTIME

1. Columbus captain Nick Foligno, who has recorded just two points in his last eight contests, is slated to play in his 800th NHL game on Monday.

2. Vegas D Colin Miller has registered five assists in his last four games, including a pair in Sunday’s win.

3. Panarin and C Pierre-Luc Dubois notched three points apiece as Columbus beat Vegas 4-1 at home last season to earn a split of the two-game series.

PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 3, Golden Knights 2