Ottawa @ Vegas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 8, 2018 ) Vegas 5, Ottawa 3

Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone has made himself at home in Sin City, however, the two-way forward will see a familiar team pay a visit on Thursday when the Ottawa Senators come calling to T-Mobile Arena. Vegas won the bidding war in February for Stone, who then cashed in on an eight-year contract extension that carries an average annual value of $9.5 million.

Stone boosted his team-best point total to 10 with his co-leading fifth goal on Tuesday, but Vegas dropped a 5-2 decision to Nashville. The 27-year-old's power-play goal was his third in seven games this season, which is halfway to his career-best total set over 61 contests in 2016-17. While the Golden Knights have answered a decisive home-and-home season-opening sweep of San Jose with three losses in their last five games, the Senators find themselves exiting Ontario for the first time with losses in four of five outings. "They know the way they have to play," Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said ahead of his team's three-game road trip. "Vegas, arguably it's one of the most intimidating buildings (and) they've got a big, strong team, one of the best teams in the league. ... We're going to have go out there and play the right way to come back here with some points."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN-Plus, TSN5, RDS (Ottawa), AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains (Las Vegas)

ABOUT THE SENATORS (1-4-0): One doesn't have to remind Bobby Ryan that Ottawa has failed on all 17 of its opportunities on the power play and is one of three NHL teams yet to convert with the man advantage entering Wednesday's action. "We know (the numbers) as well as everybody else so I think when you're a power-play guy, you kind of put it on your shoulders and take it a little too personally at times," the 32-year-old Ryan said, per the Ottawa Sun. "You over-grip the stick, you over-analyze every pass and sometimes you just have to forget that stuff and just kind of play." Ryan scored a power-play goal versus Vegas in a 4-3 overtime loss on Oct. 28.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (4-3-0): Reilly Smith has stepped up his offense with goals in back-to-back games and five in his first seven this season after mustering 19 tallies in 74 contests in 2018-19. Jonathan Marchessault, who scored in overtime of a 4-3 win versus Ottawa on Oct. 28, has sputtered out of the blocks with just one goal in the first seven games after erupting for 82 tallies and 185 points over his last three seasons. "In hockey, the biggest adversity you face is consistency," the 28-year-old Marchessault said. "It's hard to show up every night. It's something as a hockey player you struggle with a little bit, so it's on us to be able to perform every night, and we weren't performing (Tuesday)."

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa C Vladislav Namestnikov shares the team lead in goals (two) and points (four) despite playing in just three games since being acquired from the New York Rangers.

2. Vegas rookie C Cody Glass, who was the sixth overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, has four points (one goal, three assists) in his last five games.

3. Senators C Artem Anisimov is expected to return from a one-game absence due to a lower-body injury, per Smith.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 5, Senators 2