The Vegas Golden Knights snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators, fueled by an energetic performance from goaltender Adin Hill and a milestone night for forward Raphael Lavoie.
Hill’s Bold Play Sparks Opening Goal
The game’s pivotal moment arrived during the second period when Hill rushed out of his crease to clear a puck and break up an Ottawa shorthanded breakaway, colliding with Senators forward Ridly Greig in the process. Just 12 seconds later, Braeden Bowman capitalized on the power play to score the opening goal for Vegas.
Ottawa spent much of the night putting heavy pressure on Vegas, outshooting the Golden Knights 14-4 at one point midway through the second period. Hill stood tall under the barrage, turning aside 25 shots overall. His most notable save came early in the second frame when he made a desperation stop on Tim Stützle following a double back-door play on a mini three-on-two rush.
Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig noted that Hill’s aggressive play delivered a major spark to the team’s bench during a hard-fought contest. Reflecting on his collision outside the net, Hill joked after the game, “I think I’ve maybe been further from my net, but that’s the first flying butterfly I’ve done.”
Lavoie Steps Up After Surprise Call-Up
The Senators tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal just 34 seconds into the third period. However, Vegas responded at the 8:01 mark when its fourth line generated the go-ahead strike.
The play started in the defensive zone with a hit by Marc Gatcomb on Ottawa’s Andre Burakovsky. Lavoie carried the puck into the offensive zone and dropped it to Nic Dowd, who set up Ville Heinola for a wrist shot. Senators goaltender Jonas Johansson made the initial save, but Lavoie crashed the net and buried the rebound for the game-winning goal.
The goal represented three distinct accomplishments: Lavoie’s first goal in the NHL, Dowd’s 200th career NHL point, and Heinola’s first point since joining the Golden Knights. Talking about his first league goal, Lavoie said, “It means a lot. It’s been a long time coming, I think, and it feels really good.”
Lavoie was not originally slotted to play in the contest. During morning line rushes, Jonas Røndbjerg held Lavoie’s spot on the line chart. However, netminder Carter Hart left the morning skate early with an injury, prompting Vegas to recall a backup goaltender from their American Hockey League affiliate in Henderson. To remain cap compliant for the roster move, the team assigned Røndbjerg down, making room for Lavoie to step into the lineup shortly before puck drop.
Vegas added late insurance goals to finish out the 4-1 victory over Ottawa.
