Mark Stone let out a sigh of relief as he stood by his locker after the game.
“I didn’t want to lose that game, to be honest,” Stone said.
It was an emotional night for Stone, who faced his former team, the Ottawa Senators, for the first time since being traded to Vegas. Jonathan Marchessault helped ease that pressure, scoring his first career shootout winner to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Senators.
“We wanted to win this one for Stoney,” Marchessault said. “It’s tough facing your old team for the first time, and he’s such a key player for us. Seeing how happy he was after the win was great.”
Stone, who played 366 games for Ottawa, was traded to Vegas last February. The move brought Stone to the team he wanted to be with, but seeing the Senators’ logo on the opposing side was still a strange experience for him.
“It was really weird,” Stone admitted. “I wore that logo with pride and enjoyed playing for that city. But Vegas is where I want to be, and I’m glad we got the win.”
Reilly Smith and Nick Holden also scored for Vegas, with Stone registering his 200th career assist. The Golden Knights fired a franchise-record 54 shots on goal in regulation before needing a shootout to secure the win. Marc-Andre Fleury made 37 saves, marking the fourth straight game in which Vegas allowed more than 35 shots.
“I’m always impressed with Fleury,” Stone said. “He’s the hardest worker on the team, and it rubs off on the rest of us.”
After being outshot 52-34 in regulation, Ottawa outshot Vegas 5-2 in overtime, but Fleury’s stellar play forced the game into a shootout.
“We’re giving up too many chances,” said Vegas coach Gerard Gallant. “Fleury was great, and their goalie was fantastic, but we have to tighten up defensively.”
Ottawa goaltender Anders Nilsson was outstanding in his second season start, making 52 saves against Vegas’ high-octane offense. Thomas Chabot and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for Ottawa, now 1-5-0 in the season.
“That’s a really good team over there,” Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said of Vegas. “I liked our effort. Our goalie was fantastic, but their goalie was just as good.”
The Senators, who have struggled offensively this season, could not find much rhythm in their zone, relying heavily on Nilsson to keep them in the game. They remain the only team without a power-play goal this season, going 0-for-21 with the man advantage.
Reilly Smith opened the scoring for Vegas with a backhanded shot through Nilsson’s pads early in the first period. Ottawa tied it up shortly after Chabot’s wrist shot was past Fleury. Vegas regained the lead when Nick Holden’s power-play one-timer, assisted by Stone, gave the Golden Knights a 2-1 edge.
Pageau tied the game for Ottawa in the third period, smacking a rebound past Fleury’s glove. But in the shootout, Marchessault’s game-winning goal sealed the victory for Vegas.
Game Notes:
- Vegas forward Valentin Zykov was suspended 20 games for violating the NHL’s performance-enhancing substances policy, and Brandon Pirri took his place in the lineup.
- Max Pacioretty played in his 700th NHL game.
- Gerard Gallant coached his 500th career game.
- Ottawa’s Artem Anisimov missed the game due to a lower-body injury.
- Seattle’s GM Ron Francis and scout Ulf Samuelsson were in attendance.
UP NEXT:
- Ottawa: Continues a three-game road trip against Arizona on Saturday.
- Vegas: Begins a three-game road trip in Pittsburgh on Saturday.