Logan Thompson came off the bench to make 20 saves as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Sunday night.
Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev each contributed a goal and an assist, while Jonathan Marchessault, Nicolas Roy, Chandler Stephenson, and William Karlsson also found the net for the Golden Knights.
After returning to the net for the first time since Nov. 30, Adin Hill allowed one goal and made just two saves before leaving the game 6:25 in. Thompson, who appeared to show signs of a lower-body injury, played the rest of the game, making crucial saves despite apparent discomfort.
Vegas captain Mark Stone expressed confidence in Hill’s quick return. “I’m sure he’ll be okay,” said Stone, who finished with three assists. “He’ll get back to work tomorrow to try and get back in the lineup. Definitely not worried about him. LT came in and played really well for us and got us the win.”
The Golden Knights, now 10-1-0 all-time against the Senators, extended their win streak against Ottawa to nine games. Vegas has outscored Ottawa 47-29 and scored three or more goals in 10 of the 11 meetings.
Both teams finished 2 for 5 on the power play. Vegas, improving to 6 for 17 with an extra attacker over its last four games, has been effective since a mid-November drought, with a power-play percentage of 25%, tied for eighth-best in the NHL during that span.
“I think that’s something we’ve really been good at this year,” said Stephenson. “It’s helped us win games, create momentum, kind of all the above, so it’s something that we’re confident in right now.”
Josh Norris, Ridly Greig, and Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, while Joonas Korpisalo made 25 saves.
Following Friday’s disappointing collapse against Buffalo, the defending champions quickly set the tone. Barbashev skated in on a 2-on-1 with Eichel, who kept the puck and scored just 1:37 into the game. Eichel extended his point streak to a franchise-record 10 games.
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Hill would be evaluated before the team departs for a four-game trip starting Tuesday in Carolina.
Ottawa has now lost four straight and eight of its last 11 games.
“Everybody wants to win so badly, and, of course, it’s not as easy to do in this league,” said Tkachuk. “We’re seeing that right now that it’s hard to win. We have to find a way to give our absolute best on Tuesday.”
UP NEXT
- Senators: Visit Arizona on Tuesday.
- Golden Knights: Visit Carolina on Tuesday.
