OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Mark Stone scored a goal and picked up an assist in his return to Ottawa, leading Vegas to a 4-2 victory over the Senators on Thursday night in Peter DeBoer’s debut as the Golden Knights’ coach.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Knights, who fired Gerard Gallant on Wednesday. Peter Stastny, Chandler Stephenson and Ryan Reaves also scored for Vegas.
Stone, playing his first game in the city where he spent most of his first eight NHL seasons, was traded to Vegas last February. Stone received a video tribute during the first TV timeout, with Senators fans giving him a standing ovation. Stone took to the ice to thank the fans and gave them a thumbs up.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 33 shots for Vegas, tying the New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist for fifth place on the NHL’s career list with 458 wins.
Craig Anderson made 39 saves in his first game since Jan. 7, but the Senators extended their losing streak to nine games (0-5-4). Ottawa has scored just 19 goals through the winless drought. Vladislav Namestnikov and Connor Brown scored for the Senators.
Vegas led 1-0 before Stone scored late in the second period on a wraparound effort.
Vegas made it 3-0 early in the third as Stephenson scored a short-handed after Thomas Chabot had a giveaway.
Ottawa got on the board one minute later when Chris Tierney found Namestnikov down low for a one-timer.
Vegas made it 4-1 after Anderson was caught behind the net and couldn’t get back in time to stop Reaves from picking up his sixth of the season.
The Senators cut the lead in half as Brown scored on the power play.
Vegas opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the game when Stastny and Stone had a little give-and-go with Stastny beating Anderson for his 13th of the season.
NOTES: Jean-Gabriel Pageau was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury. ... Brown played his 300th career game. ... Scott Sabourin returned to the Senators’ lineup after being a healthy scratch the last five games. ... Vegas will be without William Karlsson who is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
—-
More AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/NHL and https://www.twitter.com/AP_Sports