The Senators came out of Las Vegas with the kind of result that leaves a bad taste even when there were encouraging pieces mixed in: a 4-1 loss to the Golden Knights on the opening night of a difficult road trip.
Ottawa was already dealing with a thin setup, missing its captain and its No. 1 goalie, and then got an extra break from the other side when Vegas had a late change in net after Carter Hart was injured in practice. Even with that wrinkle, the start was cautious on both ends. Ottawa didn’t get its first shot until seven minutes in, but the first period still tilted their way as the Sens steadily found their legs and pushed the pace.
The problem was simple enough: they couldn’t cash in.
Ottawa had chances in bunches, including a near-lock for Zetterlund, but the puck just wouldn’t cooperate. The Senators even finished the opening frame with a power play and tried to squeeze out one more chance by pulling the goalie for the final three seconds.
That didn’t pay off, either. Still, the visitors owned the shot count after one, leading 11-4.
The second period brought more of the same early on. Ottawa kept some control, kept blocking lanes, and did enough defensively to make Vegas work for everything.
Johansson wasn’t under constant siege, but he handled what came his way and the Senators were still in the game because of it. Then fatigue and the travel started showing, and the Golden Knights began taking advantage of the little cracks.
Ottawa was not getting overwhelmed, but it gave Vegas just enough room, and that was all the Knights needed to strike first on a goal that looked about as straightforward as it gets.
The Senators answered at the start of the third period. Shane Pinto tied the game on the early power play, giving Ottawa exactly the kind of response it needed after a second period in which Vegas outshot them 15-7.
From there, though, the game slipped back out of reach.
Vegas restored the lead when Johansson was left scrambling around a messy crease, and Ottawa never quite recovered. The Sens kept pressing, but Hill kept turning away good looks while Ottawa struggled to get pucks through and felt the burden of protecting Johansson at the other end.
The night got uglier when Warren Foegele took a knee from Jeremy Lauzon and stayed down in clear pain. After a lengthy review that lasted more than four minutes, the officials settled on a minor. Ottawa still had a chance to swing the game on a power play, but the moment passed without a goal, and that proved costly.
Any realistic late push ended when Travis Green pulled the goalie with the Senators still not fully set up in the offensive zone. Jack Eichel then added the second empty-netter to seal it.
There were positives buried inside the loss. Ottawa played a solid road game overall, and Johansson made enough saves to keep the Senators from losing control entirely, even if both goals he allowed were frustrating ones. The bigger issue was elsewhere: the offense needed more help, especially on the power play, and it didn’t get it.
Shane Pinto and Ridly Grieg continued to stand out, with Pinto making an impact even beyond the goal and Grieg once again drawing penalties. Carter Yakemchuk, meanwhile, still has plenty to clean up, even if Ottawa’s hand is a little forced by its current options.
The Senators also have to hope Foegele isn’t out long, and they’d love to get Chabot and Ullmark back soon.
For all the frustration, one thing was clear: Ottawa had one of the toughest games on the trip right out of the gate, and while the result was disappointing, the performance showed a team that can hang in there. The scoring touch just wasn’t there.
At least they didn’t allow a shorthanded goal.
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