Winnipeg @ Vegas preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 22, 2019 ) Winnipeg 6, Vegas 3

The red-hot Vegas Golden Knights continue to tune up for what they hope is another memorable postseason run as they host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. Vegas, which reached the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season of 2017-18, has won three straight after Monday's 7-3 victory at San Jose and is 9-1-0 since acquiring Mark Stone at the trade deadline.

The Golden Knights' top line of Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith and William Karlsson has flourished since Stone joined the lineup, combining for 11 goals and 33 points after exploding for four tallies and seven assists versus the Sharks. "It's definitely been a little bit of a roller-coaster year for us," Marchessault told reporters on Monday after registering two goals and two assists. "We're not producing as much as last year. It's fine. I think we're playing well, still, defensively and shutting down big lines on the other teams. When we do that, I think that's when we're the most successful." Despite the hot streak, the Golden Knights appear to be locked into third place in the Pacific Division, as they are seven points behind second-place San Jose and nine clear of fourth-place Arizona with nine games remaining. First-place Winnipeg increased its lead over Nashville in the Central Division to three points - and have a game in hand - after posting a 3-0 victory at Anaheim on Wednesday for its fourth straight win as a showdown looms Saturday in Music City.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Vegas)

ABOUT THE JETS (44-25-4): Kyle Connor (57 points) recorded a goal and an assist for the second straight game on Wednesday and has netted five of his 29 tallies in 10 games this month. Mark Scheifele (80 points) scored his team-leading 35th goal of the season against the Ducks and has registered three in his last four games - extending his career high and moving within two points of matching the personal best he set in 2016-17. Laurent Brossoit (13-5-2, 2.42 goals-against average, .927 save percentage) likely will start on Thursday after Connor Hellebuyck, who has played in back-to-back games once this season (Nov. 1 and 2), stopped 29 shots against Anaheim for his first shutout of the season.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (41-27-5): Marchessault on Tuesday became the third player in the club's brief history to record four points in a game, joining Karlsson and defenseman Shea Theodore, and has recorded 24 goals while pacing the club with 53 points. Stone (32 goals) has collected four goals and eight points in 10 games with Vegas after scoring in each of his last two contests as part of a six-game point streak (four goals, three assists). Marc-Andre Fleury (35-19-5, 2.46, .914) is doubtful to play Thursday (lower body) but hasn't been completely ruled out publicly by coach Gerard Gallant.

OVERTIME

1. Golden Knights G Malcolm Subban (6-7-0) has won both starts in Fleury's absence, stopping 52-of-58 shots.

2. Winnipeg has scored a power-play goal in five straight games (5-for-14) after going 1-for-5 on Wednesday, dropping the league's fourth-best unit to 25.8 percent.

3. The Jets won the first two of three meetings this season by a combined 10-4, with Connor producing three goals and two assists.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 3, Jets 2