The Vegas Golden Knights head to the Canadian Tire Centre today, January 25, 2026, to face the Ottawa Senators. While Vegas enters as the statistical favorite, they are currently battling a significant injury bug that could level the playing field for an Ottawa team looking to snap a losing streak.
Game Information
- Time: 5:00 PM EST / 2:00 PM PST
- Venue: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
- Coverage: ESPN+, SCRIPPS, TSN5, RDS2
- Moneyline Odds: Vegas (-140) / Ottawa (+116)
Key Matchup Narratives
1. The Depth Test for Vegas
Vegas is currently without several core pieces. Alex Pietrangelo, William Karlsson, and Brayden McNabb are all on IR. Despite this, the Knights’ top line remains lethal; Jack Eichel (57 pts) and Mark Stone (48 pts) are both coming off productive games in their recent 6-3 win over Toronto. The mid-season acquisition of Mitch Marner has also added a new dimension to their top six.
2. Ottawa’s Offensive Pressure
The Senators spend the second-most time in the offensive zone in the NHL (43.8%). Players like Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk are experts at cycling the puck, which will test a Vegas defensive corps that is missing its primary “shutdown” pair. Ottawa will look to exploit this by forcing the play into the dirty areas in front of the net.
3. The Goaltending Duel
- Vegas: Adin Hill is expected to start. He has been the steady hand for Vegas, though the team’s overall save percentage has dipped slightly during this recent stretch of defensive injuries.
- Ottawa: With Linus Ullmark only just returning to the bench as a backup, Mads Sogaard is the expected starter. Sogaard will need to be sharp against a Vegas power play that ranks 5th in the league.
Projected Lineups
| Vegas Golden Knights | Ottawa Senators |
| Barbashev – Eichel – Stone | Batherson – Stützle – Giroux |
| Dorofeyev – Marner – Hertl | Tkachuk – Cozens – Greig |
| Rondbjerg – R. Smith – Kolesar | Amadio – Pinto – Zetterlund |
| Bowman – Laczynski – Holtz | Halliday – Eller – Cousins |
| D: Lauzon – Theodore | D: Sanderson – Zub |
The Verdict
Vegas has historically dominated this matchup with a 12-1-2 all-time record against Ottawa. However, the Senators won the last meeting in November (a 4-3 shootout). If Ottawa can capitalize on the missing veteran presence in the Vegas defensive zone, they have a real shot at an upset. If Eichel and Stone dictate the pace early, the Knights should cruise.
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