The set-up: The NHL newest expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, were given a nice break by the schedule-makers. Vegas opened with back-to-back road games but then returned to Las Vegas for a seven-game homestand covering three weeks! Vegas won its first two games, then went 6-1-0 on the homestand to reach 8-1-0. However, as the team faces its final two games of its first significant road trip of six games, the Golden Knights hope to build off Saturday's 5-4 win Saturday in Ottawa, after losing the frist three games of the trip. Vegas will be in Toronto tonight, taking on the 8-7-0 Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto is opening a three-game homestand, after winning just once on its four-game trip. The Maple Leafs have lost five of six overall, after Saturday's 6-4 setback in St. Louis.

Vegas: Maxime Lagace recorded his first career victory Saturday despite allowing four goals on 28 shots. He is Vegas' fourth starting goaltender already this season following injuries to Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion), Malcolm Subban (lower body) and Oscar Dansk (lower body). The three losses did not shake the new team's belief in itself, according to center Jonathan Marchessault. "Nobody was panicking. We've been playing well as a team. Everyone's trying to stay loose. After three games like that, everyone could've tied up their sticks. But we know we're a good team, and we have a lot of experienced guys in the room who aren't going to let things get away from us."

Toronto: Auston Matthews apparently is not allowing himself to be plagued by the sophomore jinx, as he has followed his Calder Trophy-winning season by recording 10 goals and 18 points - both team highs - in 15 contests.However, the Maple Leafs have allowed a total of 11 goals in their last two games.The Maple Leafs are glad to be home after completing a 1-3 road trip. "We've got to go home and have an off-day (Sunday) and get regrouped and get back on track," Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after the game Saturday. "We were sitting pretty good a week ago or 10 days ago, or however long it was. Now, we've got to get back on track and get things fixed up and get playing good and get some swagger back in our game."

The pick: The Golden Knights won eight of their first nine games, while the Maple Leafs won seven of their first nine games. Both teams are struggling to get back on track here. While both teams have been 'over' clubs so far (combined 18-9-1 to the over), I see this as a lower-scoring contest. Make the Under a 10* play.