The Vegas Golden Knights face the Ottawa Senators with both teams heading in opposite directions to start the season. The Golden Knights have a 9-2 record and with a five-game winning streak have the best record in the Pacific Division. The Senators meanwhile have a 4-5 record and with three losses in a row have fallen to last place in the Atlantic Division. The Golden Knights are looking to continue their strong start in the Western Conference while the Senators are desperate to rebound in a competitive Atlantic Division, making the upcoming game a crucial one for both teams.
The Golden Knights are having a great season with their offense scoring 3.18 goals per game. Jack Eichel and Chandler Stephenson have scored nine goals and 12 assists combined to lead the top line but the rest of the offense has also stepped up. Jonathan Marchessault, Mark Stone, and William Karlsson have combined for 12 goals and 12 assists while defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore have added three goals and 14 assists from the point to put the offense over the top.
The offense has played well to start the season but the defense has carried the Golden Knights, allowing only 1.73 goals per game including only six goals in their last five games. Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb have combined for 2.4 defensive point shares and 42 blocked shots to lead the top two pairings but the rest of the unit has also been great with Alex Pietrangelo, Alex Martinez, and Nicolas Hague combining for 2.3 de fensive point shares to give the Golden Knights depth throughout the defense. Additionally, goaltender Logan Thompson has stepped up in the net with a .938 save percentage and a 1.73 goals-against average on 195 shots.