Detroit @ Vegas preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 7, 2019 ) Vegas 4, Detroit 3

The Vegas Golden Knights have been locked into third place in the Pacific Division for weeks but they are making a spirited run to the finish line of the regular season. The hottest team in hockey north of Tampa Bay, the Golden Knights vie for their 11th victory in 12 games when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

Vegas made it four straight wins overall and six in a row at home with a 5-0 mauling of Winnipeg -- marking the third straight game it has scored at least five goals. "Obviously the goal is to be peaking when playoffs come around," top-line forward Reilly Smith said. "We're definitely turning it in the right direction right now." While the Golden Knights are playing like the team that made a stunning run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, only the Ottawa Senators are separating the Red Wings from last place in the Eastern Conference. Detroit enters the third stop of a five-game road trip coming off a 5-2 setback in St. Louis that snapped a two-game winning streak.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, AT&T Sportsnet-Rocky Mountain (Las Vegas)

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (26-38-10): Forward Thomas Vanek scored both goals in Thursday's defeat, the first of which was set up by rookie Taro Hirose. Signed out of Michigan State, where he led the nation in scoring, Hirose has an assist in each of his first two games. “He’s a smart player,” Vanek said. “Playing with him is actually really easy. The poise he has -- it’s fun. It’s fun to play with a guy like that who thinks the game at a high level. He’s not afraid to make plays. He can hold onto pucks. I’m really impressed so far with him.”

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (42-27-5): Vegas is 10-1-0 since the blockbuster deal with Ottawa to acquire forward Mark Stone, who has scored four goals and collected as many assists in nine games this month. The No. 1 unit of Smith, Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson have done the heavy lifting during the 11-game tear, amassing 15 goals and 39 points during that span. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury did not practice Friday after missing the past three games due to an upper-body injury and Malcolm Subban is expected to make his fourth straight start.

OVERTIME

1. Marchessault has four goals and three assists during a three-game point streak and scored twice in a 4-3 win at Detroit on Feb. 7.

2. Red Wings G Jimmy Howard is one win shy of reaching 20 for the eighth time in his career.

3. Smith, who has eight points in his last three contests, will appear in his 500th game on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 4, Red Wings 2