Fans react after Golden Knights’ center Jonathan Marchessault (81) scores past Ottawa Senators’ goaltender Anders Nilsson (31) to win a shootout at T-Mobile Arena Friday, Oct. 17, 2019.
Published Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 | 6 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 | 10:03 p.m.
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Jonathan Marchessault scored the shootout-clinching goal, and the Golden Knights defeated the Senators 3-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday night when overtime was not enough.
The shootout final score was 3-2 in five rounds. Brandon Pirri and Shea Theodore also scored for Vegas.
The Senators controlled the overtime, and the Golden Knights needed five terrific saves from Marc-Andre Fleury to force the shootout.
The Golden Knights led in shots on goal, 56-39, the most shots in franchise history for Vegas.
The Golden Knights improved to 5-0 in games that they led entering the third period.
Golden Knights, Senators heading to overtime
The Golden Knights held a one-goal lead entering the third period, but saw it evaporate in the first quarter of the frame, and will head to overtime with the Ottawa Senators in a 2-2 tie.
Vegas has struggled against Ottawa at home, losing in the inaugural season and needing overtime last year.
The Senators tied it up at the 4:25 mark of the third when Jean-Gabriel Pageau chipped in a rebound. Marc-Andre Fleury had the initial save on Tyler Ennis, but Pageau was there to lift it over Fleury.
The Golden Knights never led by more than a goal, scoring first on a Reilly Smith goal at the 4:12 mark, only to lose the lead when Thomas Chabot scored for the Senators a minute later.
Nick Holden scored near the end of the first on the power play for a 2-1 Vegas lead, which stood until the Pageau goal in the third. Jonathan Marchessault had a grade-A chance for the Golden Knights midway through the third, but missed the net on a breakaway.
Vegas led in regulation shots on goal, 51-34.
Golden Knights still lead going into third period
If you missed the second period, you didn't miss much. There plenty of shots on goal but none of them found twine, and the Golden Knights carried over their 2-1 lead over the Ottawa Senators from the first into the second intermission.
The Golden Knights looked good in the second period, including the frame's first power play. They nailed the post once, but did not score.
The Senators also failed on their power play, dropping them to 0-for-19 on the season. The penalty was a trip from Marc-Andre Fleury. On the Senators' next power play, Anthony Duclair dinged the post on an open net, and Ottawa could not finish despite Fleury losing his stick and his glove for the end of it.
Vegas led in shots on goal for the period 15-11, giving them a 31-24 lead for the game.
Golden Knights score early again, lead Senators after 1
The Golden Knights have made a habit of early goals, and Thursday's game wasn't any different. The Golden Knights scored in the first seven minutes of the game for the fifth time in seven tries and led the Ottawa Senators 2-1 after the first period.
Reilly Smith picked up his team-best sixth goal of the season at 4:12 of the first thanks to some nifty forechecking. Jonathan Marchessault forced a turnover in the offensive zone and slid it to Smith, who went back-hand five-hole on Anders Nilsson for the 1-0 lead.
A minute later though, Ottawa got it right back.Thomas Chabot was the Senators' All-Star last year and proved why. He made a terrific play to toe-drag the puck away from a defending Paul Stastny and wristed the puck by Marc-Andre Fleury to even the score.
Later in the frame, the Golden Knights scored with one second remaining on the power play. Nearly everyone contributed. Paul Stastny won the faceoff clean to Max Pacioretty, who gave it to Mark Stone, who fed Nick Holden for the shot that bounced off a Senator and into the net. It gave Vegas a 2-1 lead at the 13:32 mark of the first.
The night got off to an explosive start, when Ryan Reaves and Ottawa's Scott Sabourin dropped the gloves just 2:27 into the game. The fight represented Reaves' first penalty minutes of the season.
Mark Stone faces old Senators team boasting career-best start
Since the expansion draft, every veteran player on the Golden Knights has faced their old team. For most of them that happened in the inaugural year, and for a few it happened last season.
Mark Stone has yet to face his former team. The longtime Ottawa Senator was traded to Vegas in February and will face his old squad for the first time at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. And he’ll do it sporting the best start of his career.
“I don’t know what it’s going to be like to be honest with you,” Stone said. “I’m sure it will be weird to skate out for warm up and see that jersey on the other side, but it’s going to be fun.”
Stone has 10 points in Vegas’ first seven games, the fewest games he’s ever needed to reach double-digit point totals. He played parts of eight seasons with the Senators, and his previous best start was 10 points in nine games in 2015-16.
Since Stone arrived to Vegas he’s reached a new level. He was good in 18 regular season games last year, but was a force in the playoffs and has carried that into this season, where he is tied for seventh in the league in points and eighth in goals (5).
“Once you’re in the game you don’t think about it, but it’s definitely a story before and after,” forward Max Pacioretty said. “He’ll wake up tomorrow and it will be in the past, but like I said, emotional in the moment.
The Senators are in the midst of a rebuild that started in earnest last season with trades of Stone, Erik Karlsson and others. Ottawa has one win in five games this year, though that win did come against the vaunted Tampa Bay Lightning.
Ottawa is relying on its youth, as Thomas Chabot (22-years-old), Colin White (22) and Brady Tkachuk (20) are expected to ferry this year’s team to the next contending season, as well as defenseman Erik Brannstrom (20), who was traded from Vegas for Stone and will be making his first regular season appearance at T-Mobile Arena.
But eyes will be on the former Senator tonight. Stone went to dinner with some of his old Ottawa friends, meeting up with five players and some of the staff last night.
Vegas dropped its last game despite leading after the first period, and Stone said his main focus is on the victory, not the romance of facing his old team.
“Disappointing game for us Tuesday night so we want to get back into the win column,” Stone said. “And for me, I want to beat my old team.”
TV: AT&T Sports Net (DirecTV 684, Cox 1313, CenturyLink 1760)
Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM
Betting line: Golden Knights minus-320, Senators plus-260; over/under: 6.5 (minus-115, plus-105)
Golden Knights (4-3-0, 8 points) (2-2-0 home), third place, Pacific Division
Coach: Gerard Gallant (third season)
Points leader: Mark Stone (10)
Goals leaders: Reilly Smith, Mark Stone (5)
Assists leaders: William Karlsson (7)
Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (2.56 GAA, 9.22 save percentage)
Predators (1-4-0, 2 points) (0-1-0 road), eighth place, Atlantic Division
Coach: D.J. Smith (first season)
Points leaders: Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Vladislav Namestnikov (4)
Goals leaders: Vladislav Namestnikov, Brady Tkachuk (2)
Assists leaders: Connor Brown, Jean-Gabriel Pageau (3)
Expected goalie: Anders Nilsson (5.08 GAA, .861 save percentage)
Golden Knights expected lineup
Forwards
Jonathan Marchessault—William Karlsson—Reilly Smith
Max Pacioretty—Paul Stastny—Mark Stone
Brandon Pirri—Cody Eakin—Cody Glass
William Carrier—Tomas Nosek—Ryan Reaves
Defensemen
Brayden McNabb—Shea Theodore
Jon Merrill—Nick Holden
Nicolas Hague—Deryk Engelland,
Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury, Oscar Dansk
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