Early look The full preview opens on Tuesday 23 February, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Anaheim Ducks at Vegas Golden Knights: game preview

Puck drop26 Feb · 9:00 PM ET
VenueT-Mobile Arena
All-time meetings45 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Three points apart last season

Anaheim finished last season 18th in the league on 92 points. Vegas finished 13th on 95, and the 2025-26 season series went ANA 5-3-1.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 46

Across 45 completed games, Vegas lead the head-to-head 31-10-3.

All-time record31-10-3Vegas's record in the series
Meetings played45This is number 46
2025-26 seriesANA 5-3-1
Last 53-2Vegas
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
2 OctANA 4 – VGK 320–30ANA 0/2 · VGK 1/3ANA
14 May 2026VGK 5 – ANA 121–32VGK 1/2 · ANA 1/5VGK
12 May 2026ANA 2 – VGK 3 OT36–32ANA 1/0 · VGK 1/1VGK
10 May 2026VGK 3 – ANA 421–23VGK 1/3 · ANA 2/4ANA
8 May 2026VGK 6 – ANA 228–33VGK 1/3 · ANA 0/2VGK
Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateAnaheimVegas
8 May 202643-33-6 · 92 pts18th39-26-17 · 95 pts13th
10 May 202643-33-6 · 92 pts18th39-26-17 · 95 pts13th
12 May 202643-33-6 · 92 pts18th39-26-17 · 95 pts13th
14 May 202643-33-6 · 92 pts18th39-26-17 · 95 pts13th
2 Oct1-0-0 · 2 pts13th1-1-0 · 2 pts17th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 8 May 2026, Anaheim were 18th in the league and Vegas 13th. By 2 Oct it was 13th and 17th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Anaheim out-attempted Vegas 321 to 269

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Anaheim Ducks

321 att · 144 on goal · 13 G · 9.0%
Crease17 att · 1 G
Slot101 att · 9 G
Wing150 att · 2 G
Point44 att · 1 G
Neutral zone9 att · 0 G

Vegas Golden Knights

269 att · 132 on goal · 20 G · 15.2%
Crease32 att · 4 G
Slot105 att · 11 G
Wing91 att · 3 G
Point31 att · 1 G
Neutral zone10 att · 1 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Vegas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

AnaheimVegas
2.19xG for per game3.79
3.49xG against per game2.09
38.6%xG share64.4%
+2.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.8
+2.0GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−1.6

This season: 2 games for Anaheim, 4 for Vegas. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Anaheim

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2750.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.6% · 23rd
Power play · last 5 meetings4/13 · 30.8%
Penalty kill · 2026-2785.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2676.4% · 27th
Faceoffs · 2026-2743.9% · 50/114
Drawn · 2026-276 (3.00/gm)
Drawn · last meetings13 (2.60/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-277 (3.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings4

Vegas

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2731.3%
Power play · 2025-2624.6% · 6th
Power play · last 5 meetings5/12 · 41.7%
Penalty kill · 2026-2783.3%
Penalty kill · 2025-2681.4% · 7th
Faceoffs · 2026-2753.0% · 122/230
Drawn · 2026-2716 (4.00/gm)
Drawn · last meetings12 (2.40/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2712 (3.00/gm)
PP goals · last meetings5

Skaters

Mitch Marner has 10 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
91Leo Carlsson21452.50
61Cutter Gauthier22242.00
64Mikael Granlund21121.00
9Jack Eichel428102.50
95Victor Olofsson44151.25
48Tomas Hertl43251.25
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
67Tristan Luneau20110.50
47Noah Warren20110.50
27Shea Theodore41230.75
15Noah Hanifin41010.25
Defencemen stats

Mitch Marner vs Anaheim · game by game

See all: Mitch Marner vs Anaheim · game by game →
DateVenueGAPSOGTOI
2 Octhome011122:22
14 May 2026away112118:11
12 May 2026home000120:52
10 May 2026away033224:08
8 May 2026away314523:07
Last 5 meetings10 P4 G, 6 A · 10 SOG
Next best7 PJack Eichel, VGK
2026-27 season2 P4 GP · 1 G
Blank vs ANA1 of 5
Full game log

Goaltending

Carter Hart has started most of these meetings

Carter Hart played 5 of the last 5 meetings with Anaheim, with a .910 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 24 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 24 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

ANA · 2-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 23 Feb

SV% · 2026-27.9182 GP · 2.42 GAA · 2025-26 .888
vs Vegas.8485 app · 112 SA · 17 GA
GSAx · 2026-27+2.02 starts · most on the roster
vs VGKVenueSAGASV%
2 Octaway303.900
14 May 2026home215.762
12 May 2026away323.906
10 May 2026home213.857
8 May 2026home83.625
Full game log

VGK · 2-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 23 Feb

SV% · 2026-27.8903 GP · 2.70 GAA · 2025-26 .891
vs Anaheim.9105 app · 144 SA · 13 GA
GSAx · 2026-27−1.13 starts · most on the roster
vs ANAVenueSAGASV%
2 Octhome204.800
14 May 2026away321.969
12 May 2026home362.944
10 May 2026away234.826
8 May 2026away332.939

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Adin Hill .900 (1 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.6 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

2 Oct7 · ANA 4–3 VGK
14 May 20266 · VGK 5–1 ANA
12 May 20265 · ANA 2–3 VGK
10 May 20267 · VGK 3–4 ANA
8 May 20268 · VGK 6–2 ANA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Anaheim3.502.503.333.51
Vegas4.252.503.233.05

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.6Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings6.6Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Anaheim · injuries

Drew HellesonLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Ian MooreLower BodyIRReturn16 Oct
Troy TerryHipIRReturn21 Nov

Vegas · injuries

Lukas CormierUndisclosedIRReturn22 Oct
Raphael LavoieUndisclosedOutReturn8 Oct
Victor OlofssonUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct
1 Oct · ANA

Signed D Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension.

30 Sep · ANA

Reassigned C Roger McQueen and C Cruz Lucius to San Diego (AHL). Recalled D Noah Warren, D Ian Mitchell and D Tristan Luneau from San Diego. Placed D Drew Helleson on injured reserve. Moved RW Troy Terry from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · ANA

Placed G Laurent Brossoit and D Travis Mitchell on waivers.

30 Sep · VGK

Signed C William Karlsson to a two-year contract.

29 Sep · VGK

Placed C Jakub Cormier, RW Matyas Hemmerling and C Jakub Uchacz on the injured non-roster list.

23 Sep · VGK

Placed D Jaycob Megna, D Adam Ginning, D Joe Fleming, C Jakub Demek and D Jeremy Davies on waivers.

Injury report
#15Nikita KlepovRound 1 · SaginawRW
#28Marcus NordmarkRound 1 · Djurgarden Jr.LW
#45Jayden KurtzRound 2 · RogersD
#50Mathis PrestonRound 2 · VancouverRW
Full draft
#29Juho PiiparinenRound 1 · TapparaD
#63ForfeitedRound 2 ·
#92Benjamin WilmottRound 3 · BarrieC
#95Sean BurickRound 3 · PentictonD
Full draft

Updated after every final