Golden Knights Gameday
Golden Knights Gameday 12: Deadpool: Lines and Notes vs Senators
Riding a five-game winning streak, the Vegas Golden Knights (9-2-0, 18 points) enter Ontario for game two of their current five-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators (4-5-0, 8 points) for a 4:00 p.m. game. No lineup changes are expected for the Golden Knights, who are coming off a win in Washington.
The Senators enter this game, having lost three straight. With the offseason additions of Alex DeBrincat, Cam Talbot, and Claude Giroux, many people predicted the Senators to improve this season. But almost ten games in, and the Sens find themselves last in the Atlantic Division with a losing record.
What to Watch For
Senators Sale?
With the Senators’ struggles, the need for a new arena, and the tragic passing of owner Eugene Melnyk last season, the Senators are reportedly for sale. Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds has come out of left field as a potential new owner of the Senators and reportedly has a “real and genuine interest” in purchasing the team. Reynolds is already the owner of the Welsh soccer club Wrexham FC.
Cam Talbot says he would “have to” put Deadpool on his mask if this happens.
All jokes asides, the Senators team themselves, while in the bit of a strange position, are just focused on the game of hockey.
“That’s interesting. You hear all the stuff come out, but for us, as a group, we just want to win hockey games… I don’t watch Deadpool,” said Senators head coach DJ Smith.
There are some weapons on this team, such as DeBrincat, Giroux, Brady Tkachuk, and Shane Pinto, who is off to a great start, and the Golden Knights are going to have to be ready for them.
“I think they are good off the rush, so we have to be good through the neutral zone, not lose numbers on the forecheck, and they have got some D that will certainly get involved as well. For us, it’s always our puck management,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy on the Senators.
All-Star Eichel
The last time the Golden Knights played the Senators, Jack Eichel scored a buzz-beater goal with five seconds left to win the game in regulation. Eichel now enters Ottawa having two prime-time plays that have set up the Golden Knight’s last two wins in overtime. Look for him to remain hot against OTT.
“I’ve seen lately he’s got more confidence. Usually, the skill guys, when they score and make plays, that is what happens… I think when the team is winning, and you’re one of the top-end players, and you are making plays to help win, you are naturally just going to become more confident,” said Bruce Cassidy.
Lil Jon’s Wisdom
It goes without saying, but the Golden Knights need to execute the game plan of new coach Lil Jon. Gotta get those shots, shots, shots, and turn down for what in the defensive zone.
Alex Formenton?
One more random thing I want to mention regarding the Ottawa Senators is that they still have not signed RFA forward Alex Formenton. The Sens are going through the same thing the Golden Knights went through with Nic Hague but have not been able to sign the 22-year-old forward.
From Darren Dreger– “This has been a real quiet stalemate between Formenton and the Ottawa Senators. Obviously, the Senators have reasons for slow-playing this situation… the clock is clearly ticking. Two options here: you either sign Alex Formenton and keep him with the Ottawa Senators, or you trade him to get him back in the NHL. Some believe a trade is more likely and I suppose Europe, long-term, could be an option as well.”
The deadline to sign RFAs so that they are eligible to play for the year is December 1st.
Projected Vegas Golden Knights Line Combinations
Chandler Stephenson- Jack Eichel- Mark Stone (c)
Jonathan Marchessault- William Karlsson– Reilly Smith
Michael Amadio- Brett Howden- Phil Kessel
William Carrier- Nicolas Roy- Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud
Logan Thompson/Adin Hill
Vegas Golden Knights Special Teams
PP1: Stone, Eichel, Stephenson, Marchessault, Pietrangelo
PP2: Roy, Karlsson, Smith, Kessel, Theodore
PK1: Roy, Stephenson, McNabb, Pietrangelo
PK2: Karlsson, Stone, Martinez, Whitecloud
IR/Scratches
Laurent Brossoit, Keegan Kolesar/Paul Cotter, Ben Hutton
Projected Senators Line Combinations
Brady Tkachuk (c)- Shane Pinto- Drake Batherson
Alex DeBrincat- Tim Stutzle- Claude Giroux
Tyler Motte- Mark Kastelic- Mathieu Joseph
Derick Brassard- Dylan Gambrell- Austin Watson
Thomas Chabot- Erik Brannstrom
Jake Sanderson- Travis Hamonic
Nick Holden- Nikita Zaitsev
Anton Forsberg/Magnus Hellberg
Senators Special Teams
PP1- Tkachuk, Stutzle, Batherson, DeBrincat, Chabot
PP2- Joseph, Pinto, Giroux, DeBrincat, Sanderson
PK1- Brassard, Joseph, Holden, Hamonic
PK2- Kastelic, Motte, Sanderson, Zaitsev
IR/Scratches
Cam Talbot, Josh Norris, Artem Zub/Parker Kelly
How to Watch/Listen
4:00 p.m. on AT&T Sportsnet, ESPN+, and Fox Sports 98.9 FM Radio.