The Calgary Flames, struggling to find their footing early in the season, are set to face a formidable challenge in the Vegas Golden Knights and their rising star, Pavel Dorofeyev. The Flames will host the Golden Knights at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday night, hoping to avoid a third consecutive loss.

Calgary opened the season with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Edmonton Oilers but have since suffered defeats against the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues, with a combined score of 9-3. In their recent 4-2 loss to the Blues, Matt Coronato scored twice, and Dustin Wolf made 24 saves. Coronato, who was third on the team in goals last year, currently leads the Flames with two goals and three points. Head Coach Ryan Huska noted the team's inability to capitalize on early chances in the game against St. Louis.

Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights have had a mixed start to the season, with all three of their games decided after regulation, resulting in a 1-0-2 record. However, Pavel Dorofeyev has emerged as a key player, showcasing his offensive prowess. Dorofeyev's hot streak has made him only the second Vegas skater to score five goals in the first three games of a season, a feat previously achieved by James Neal during the franchise's inaugural season in 2017-18. Of those five goals, four have come on the power play. As a result of his strong performance, Dorofeyev was named one of the NHL's three stars of the week.

Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy believes Dorofeyev is building on his performance from last season, demonstrating increased confidence and strength. Cassidy also acknowledged Dorofeyev's development, stating that he knows he can score in this league and is not deferring to others.

In their previous game, a loss to the Seattle Kraken, Cassidy altered his lines, placing Mark Stone with Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel, while Mitch Marner joined Tomas Hertl and Dorofeyev.

Looking ahead, this game concludes a three-game road trip for Vegas, who will then return home for a three-game homestand, including their second of four meetings with Calgary. Last season, the Golden Knights had a 50-22-10 record and were particularly strong against Pacific Division opponents, going 20-7-4. They scored a total of 274 goals, including 53 power-play goals. The Flames, on the other hand, had a 41-27-14 record last season, with a 16-4-6 record in division play. Their power-play success rate was 21.0%, with 49 goals scored on 233 chances.

The game is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+.