After starting a five-game road trip with a shutout loss, the Vegas Golden Knights will aim to avoid a third straight defeat on Thursday when they play the Ottawa Senators.
The 3-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday dropped Vegas’ road record to 3-4-2 this season. It was also the first time the Golden Knights were shut out since last season’s game at Colorado on January 10.
This loss came after a 5-2 defeat to the Washington Capitals on Sunday. The Golden Knights also lost to the Capitals on October 15, which started a three-game losing streak (0-2-1).
Before Wednesday’s loss, Vegas had the best road power-play percentage in the NHL, converting on 35% of opportunities, but they went 0-for-3 with the extra man in Toronto.
“Yeah, frustrating,” said forward Jack Eichel, whose six-game point streak was snapped by the shutout. “Obviously, we had some power-play chances, and our power play has helped us a lot this year, but we weren’t able to score tonight. I think that was the difference. It’s frustrating. We need to find ways to score goals.”
When asked if the Golden Knights could benefit from a quick turnaround, Eichel responded, “Yeah, obviously we’re playing in like 20 hours. Just learn from the game, but we need to be better. It’s frustrating.
You lose a few in a row, and you don’t want this to keep going. We need to find a way to get two points. It’s as simple as that. We have a competitive group here, and we’ll respond well.”
Vegas will face an Ottawa team that has also struggled with a couple of heavy defeats. The Senators followed a 5-4 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last Thursday with a 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday and a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at home on Tuesday.
Ottawa fell behind 3-1 in the first period to the Oilers after two goals from superstar Connor McDavid. They trailed 5-1 midway through the third period, but Josh Norris scored with 2:24 left to make it 5-2.
“Flat,” said Ottawa coach Travis Green about his team’s performance. “Not a lot of energy. Not sharp with our execution. We looked flat tonight. It’s frustrating for sure.”
“I think as a group, and I think myself as well, the first two periods were probably the worst two periods I’ve played,” said Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot. “You’ve got to take some ownership. Fortunately, in hockey, you get a chance to go at it again soon.”
Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk said he expects his team to bounce back with a strong performance against Vegas.
“No more (expletive) excuses,” Tkachuk said. “Right now every game is a must-win. These are the moments, the games that could turn a season around. We know we’re a good team.”
“We know it’s going to be a tough game against Vegas,” forward Drake Batherson added. “They know how to win. Obviously, they won a Stanley Cup a few years ago, so it will be a good one. We just have to be ready to grind it out.”
