FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Senators - Game 57

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Senators – Game 57

Franchise Sports Media

Golden Knights (32-21-4)  | Ottawa Senators (19-31-5)

Jack Eichel scored on the powerplay with 5.2 seconds left in the game and gave the Golden Knights a 2-1 win over the Senators.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Ottawa Senators 2-1 in a hard-fought battle on Sunday. The Golden Knights had to battle to stay in the game and got some help from Robin Lehner. Jack Eichel ripped home the game-winner on the power play with 5.2 seconds left in regulation. The power play had been on an 0-17 stretch before the game-winning wrist shot from the star center.

Lehner was in net against the Senators and was busy early as the Golden Knights gave up 15 shots in the first period. The Golden Knights hadn’t allowed more than ten shots in the first period at home in 19-straight opening periods. Lehner compiled a great night with 1.22 goals saved above expected and kept the Golden Knights in the game during a dreadful first half of the third period as the Senators outshot Vegas 13-2. Lehner made 39 saves on 40 shots in the contest.

Lehner made huge stops on Zach Sanford and Colin White in the third period to keep the game tied. The Senators were outshooting the Golden Knights 13-2 halfway through the third period and led in scoring chances 10-0. Vegas was also out to a hot start, as the Golden Knights recorded 17 shots in the first period and were just shy of an expected goal at 0.98 in the first. In the first, Vegas had four high-danger chances compared to the Senators two, but neither team could get on the board.

Early in the second, Jonathan Marchessault got on the board on a breakaway and broke the scoreless tie.

Shortly after, Ottawa capitalized on a power play. Lehner made the original stop on Brady Tkachuk, but the puck got by as he went to cover for the whistle. Late in the period, the Golden Knights got a power-play opportunity but could not capitalize, and the goalless drought on the man-advantage bubbled to 17.

Early in the third period, Lehner continued to add to his solid night with a big-time glove save on Zach Sanford. Vegas had a dreadful third until the game-winner, as the Senators generated 1.09 expected goals in the period compared to the Golden Knights‘ 0.35.

With the Golden Knight’s offense struggling, head coach Peter DeBoer shuffled up his lines. He tried out Dadonov on the third line and Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson on the first line, with Eichel and Pacioretty.

The offense wasn’t there for the Golden Knights in the third period, but luckily for them, they got a late-game powerplay with Michael Amadio drawing a tripping call on Thomas Chabot. With the Senators’ best defenseman in the box, the Golden Knights scored on the powerplay with just 5.2 seconds left.

After Pacioretty’s shot was blocked, Eichel threw one towards the net, which slipped past Forsberg to seal the game. It was a dramatic finish to an entertaining game Sunday night at The Fortress.

The Vegas Golden Knights begin a five-game road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. They drop the puck at 4:00 pm and can be seen on AT&T Sports Net.