The Vegas Golden Knights improved their record to 21-6-5 after a dominant 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday and now sit three points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks to lead the Pacific Division.
The Golden Knights’ highest point percentage against any opponent in franchise history is against the Senators, with a 10-1 record in their 11 matchups, including nine straight victories. They’ve also outscored the Senators 46-29 in those games, which is the best goal differential they have against any opponent.
The Senators’ losing streak has now reached four games, and there is a sense of urgency that the team needs to make personnel changes now, while head coach D.J. Smith has been the main target of criticism. On Nov. 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, fans filled the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa with chants of “Fire D.J.”, and his reputation has only gotten worse as the team continues to struggle.
Related: Senators Firing D.J. Smith Won’t Solve Team’s Problems
The Senators are last in the Atlantic Division with an 11-15-0 record, and while firing their coach likely won’t be the best solution, it’s unfortunately become the most common decision for organizations that are looking for a quick fix. This is Smith’s fifth season coaching the Senators, where he’s put together a 131-154-32 record for a 45% win percentage.
Here are a few notes from last night’s contest.
Adin Hill Exits Early
Adin Hill’s night ended very early after the Senators scored a power-play goal just over six minutes into the game. Hill was unable to even enter the butterfly position on Josh Norris’ play, and the puck easily bounced off of his pad and in. He went to the bench in visible pain and then headed to the dressing room, with Logan Thompson taking over for the rest of the night.
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This was Hill’s return to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 30 against the Vancouver Canucks, when he suffered a lower-body injury that kept him out for seven games. There’s no indication if he re-aggravated the same injury or if it’s something new, and we’ll likely get a clearer timeline for his recovery in the next few days.
It was a tough situation to jump into, letting in the 2-1 goal from Ridly Greig on the Senators’ second power-play goal of the game, which came on just the fourth shot Thompson faced. He settled in after that, stopping 20 of the next 21 shots and finishing with a .909 save percentage (SV%).
Golden Knights’ Offense Stays Hot
It has been a great month for the Golden Knights. This was their fifth win in six games, and they’ve scored five or more goals in each of those victories. They’ve now scored the most goals of any team in December, with 34, and are a top-ten team on the power play and the penalty kill.
Jack Eichel extended his point streak to ten games after he scored just 1:37 into the first period, which is the longest streak in Golden Knights history. The previous leader was William Karlsson, who had a nine-game point streak earlier this season. Eichel could’ve easily had a hat trick in the first period alone, generating a ton of high-danger chances, and was the focal point of the Golden Knights’ offense throughout the night.
Mark Stone also finished with three assists and now has 11 points in his last six games, for 32 points in 32 games this season. This was Stone’s first full game on a line with Ivan Barbashev and Eichel, and they seem to complement each other’s playing styles very nicely.
The Senators have allowed the most second-period goals of any team this season, being outscored 44-28. The Golden Knights happen to be third in the league in goals scored in the second period with 40 – so it was no surprise to see them dominate the middle frame.
After Jonathan Marchessault tied the game 2-2 in the closing minutes of the first period, the Golden Knights scored three goals in less than ten minutes in the second and outshot the Senators 15-5 in the period. With five unanswered goals from five different players, which included two on the power play and one shorthanded, this was a statement game for the Golden Knights’ offense and proved that their depth is still the best in the league.
Struggling Senators
The Senators are tenth in the league in goals-for per game, but allow the seventh-most goals-against per game. It’s a lot easier for such a young team to find ways to generate offense rather than play a more structured defensive game like the Golden Knights do, which is exactly where their problems lie this season.
They also have the disadvantage of playing in the Atlantic, which is stacked to the brim with talent, making it even harder for them to make up any ground in the standings. There will likely be some big changes coming to the organization in the coming months, and they’ll be worth following throughout the season.
The Golden Knights will begin a tough four-game road trip against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday (Dec. 19), followed by two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. Their trip will finish off in Anaheim as they look to get revenge against the Ducks after their 4-2 loss in early November.
