The Vegas Golden Knights (10-5-7) take on the Ottawa Senators (11-7-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Scripps Sports (The Spot-Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network)
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340 | Deportes Vegas 1460
NOTES
Ivan Barbashev moved into third place in points with 19 (8G, 11A) for the Golden Knights with his second-period goal in Utah.
Braeden Bowman has notched six points (4G, 2A) in his first seven career NHL games and leads all NHL rookies in points and goals since his debut on Nov. 13 against the Islanders.
Jack Eichel posted six points in the previous three games (2G, 4A) and is the first Golden Knight this season to reach 30 points.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Brett Howden – Three points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
Ivan Barbashev – Three games away from 200 games as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Kaedan Korczak – One game away from 100 career games
Colton Sissons – Five goals away from 100 career goals
Shea Theodore – Five assists away from 300 career assists
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 30 points (10G, 20A)
Mitch Marner – 21 points (4G, 17A)
Ivan Barbashev – 19 points (8G, 11A)
Tomas Hertl – 18 points (9G, 9A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 16 points (11G, 5A)
BY THE NUMBERS
30 – Jack Eichel’s 30 points (10G, 20A) is the second most by any American player in the NHL this season.
54.4 – The Golden Knights hold the third highest faceoff win percentage across the league at 54.4 percent.
LAST TIME OUT
Vegas was defeated, 5-1, by the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on Monday. Ivan Barbashev scored the only Golden Knights goal of the night when he gathered a rebound in front of the net and went backhand, with Jack Eichel and Braeden Bowman picking up helpers. Dylan Guenther scored Utah’s first goal of the game, then Logan Cooley poured in the next four, with two empty-netters, to seal the Mammoth’s win.
2024-25 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights took the win in both matchups against the Ottawa Senators last season. The first came on Oct. 25, 2024, when Vegas completed a third-period comeback to take down Ottawa, 6-4, at T-Mobile Arena. Ottawa carried a 4-3 lead into the final frame, but Vegas responded with three unanswered goals in the final five minutes of the contest. Tomas Hertl and Keegan Kolesar scored exactly one minute apart before Ivan Barbashev buried his second goal of the night on an empty-netter to seal the comeback. Alex Pietrangelo had a trio of assists, while Jack Eichel and Mark Stone added two, and Noah Hanifin and Alexander Holtz each added one. The second and final matchup of the season was less than a month later, as the Golden Knights skated to a 3-2 win over the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Nov. 21, 2024. Pavel Dorofeyev, Brett Howden, and Eichel scored goals to lift Vegas to the win, while Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, Hanifin, Holtz added a helper, and Barbashev added a pair of assists.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Senators enter Wednesday in third place in the Atlantic Division with an 11-7-4 record and 26 points. They’ve won two-of-three games on their current road trip and hold an away record of 5-4-2 on the year. Ottawa opened its West Coast swing with a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks, followed by a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, before falling, 2-1, to the Los Angeles Kings. Ottawa is led in goals and points by Tim Stutzle (11G, 10A), while Drake Batherson is close behind with 20 points (7G, 13A), and Shane Pinto (10G, 6A) and Dylan Cozens (8G, 8A) each have 16 points.
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
Anaheim Ducks – 14-7-1, 29 points
Seattle Kraken – 11-5-6, 28 points
Los Angeles Kings – 11-6-6, 28 points
Vegas Golden Knights – 10-4-7, 27 points
San Jose Sharks – 11-9-3, 25 points
Edmonton Oilers – 10-10-5, 25 points
Vancouver Canucks – 9-12-2, 20 points
Calgary Flames – 8-13-3, 19 points
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 372nd win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 13-1-1 all-time record against Ottawa
- Improve the Golden Knights’ home record against the Senators to 7-1-0 during the regular season
KEYS TO THE GAME
Value the Puck: Puck management will be key for Vegas throughout the homestand. The Golden Knights will look to limit turnovers through the neutral zone and make cleaner breakouts to avoid giving Ottawa extra looks on the rush. Keeping things simple early in shifts can help the group dictate the pace and stay in front.
Win the Walls: Owning the boards will go a long way in Wednesday’s matchup. Vegas wants to be the stronger team on 50-50 pucks, extend time in the offensive zone, and finish plays along the wall with a purpose. Winning those small-area battles can shift the momentum and create multi-chance opportunities for the Golden Knights.
