Adin Hill News: Starting versus Edmonton
adin hill will defend the home crease against Edmonton on Thursday (ET), Mark Spector said; the move comes with the goalie under scrutiny after recent struggles. Hill’s numbers since the league returned following the Olympic break show a 5-6-0 record, a 2. 78 goals-against average and an. 867 save percentage across 11 starts. Overall this season he is 9-9-3 with a 3. 03 GAA and an. 868 save percentage over 23 appearances, while Edmonton ranks tied for fifth in league scoring at 3. 47 goals per game.
Game-day decision and projected lineups
The NHL projected lineups show both clubs set their forward groups for the matchup. Edmonton’s top forwards are listed as Vasily Podkolzin, Connor McDavid and Matthew Savoie on the first line, followed by Jack Roslovic, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman on the second. The Oilers shuffled their lines following a 5-2 win at the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday (ET): Hyman moved from the first line to the second, Podkolzin moved from the second to the first, Roslovic moved from the third to the second, Kapanen moved from the second to the third, Samanski moved from the fourth to the third and Jones moved from the third to the fourth.
The Golden Knights’ forward groups listed are Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone on the top line, with Reilly Smith, Mitch Marner and Pavel Dorofeyev on the second. Vegas will dress the same lineup it used in a 4-1 loss at Winnipeg on Tuesday (ET), leaving several depth and scratched players off the game card.
Adin Hill: form and team context
adin hill’s recent form is a central storyline heading into the matchup. Since the NHL returned from the Olympic break he is 5-6-0 with a 2. 78 GAA and an. 867 save percentage across 11 starts, and his season totals stand at 9-9-3 with a 3. 03 GAA and an. 868 save percentage over 23 appearances. With Edmonton generating 3. 47 goals per game this season, the matchup presents a clear offensive test for Hill and the home defense.
Immediate reactions from team officials
Mark Spector said the team will start Hill in net for the home matchup on Thursday (ET). Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Wednesday (ET) that Carter Hart is nearing a return; Hart has been out since Jan. 8 with a lower-body issue. The Golden Knights list Hart, William Karlsson and Jonas Rondbjerg on the injured list (all lower body), and the team has scratched Braeden Bowman, Ben Hutton and Brandon Saad for the contest.
Quick context
Hill has not played well since the league returned following the Olympic break, a stretch that includes 11 starts where his save percentage fell to. 867. Edmonton’s offensive output, tied for fifth in scoring at 3. 47 goals per game, raises stakes for the home netminder.
What’s next
The immediate focus is how adin hill responds in Thursday’s start (ET) against a high-scoring opponent and whether the club will rotate its goaltending plan if results do not improve. Attention will also turn to Carter Hart’s timetable after coach Bruce Cassidy’s comment Wednesday (ET) that Hart is nearing a return; any roster or netminder changes will shape the Golden Knights’ plans in the days after this matchup.
