Lagace makes 24 saves in first NHL win to help Golden Knights beat Senators 5-4

OTTAWA – Maxime Lagace made 24 saves to pick up his first career NHL victory Saturday afternoon as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4.

Erik Haula scored twice an added an assist for the Golden Knights (9-4-0), while Alex Tuch, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault also scored. Marchessault added two assists as Vegas snapped its three-game losing streak.

Mark Stone, Alex Burrows, Ryan Dzingel and Erik Karlsson scored for Ottawa (6-3-5), while Craig Anderson stopped 29 shots.

This was the Senators’ final home game before heading out Monday for a week-long trip overseas to Sweden where they will play two games against the Colorado Avalanche.

Leading 3-2 to start the third, the Golden Knights created some breathing room as William Karlsson scored a wraparound goal and Haula scored on the power play to make it 5-2 by the six-minute mark.

Dzingel’s fifth of the season for Ottawa made if 5-3. Erik Karlsson scored his first of the season in the final minute of play to make it 5-4, but Ottawa was unable to complete the comeback.

Trailing 1-0 the Senators tied the game 1-1 in the opening seconds of the second as Stone re-directed a Mike Hoffman shot for his team-leading ninth goal of the season.

Vegas regained the lead as Haula took advantage of a juicy rebound, but Ottawa tied things back up at the seven-minute mark as Burrows, with his 400th career point, beat Lagace from in close.

Penalties killed the Senatorsas the Golden Knights made it 3-2 late in the second with the second of three power-play goals of the game.

Vegas led 1-0 after the first scoring on the power play as Tuch did a great job digging the puck out of the corner, snuck behind Fredrik Claesson before scoring shortside.

Notes: News reports Saturday morning had a three-way deal between the Senators, Nashville and Colorado breaking down. The deal would have included Ottawa C Kyle Turris being traded to Nashville and the Senators acquiring Matt Duchene from Colorado. Turris is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and so far the Senators and Turris have been unable to reach a contract extension. Ottawa D Mark Borowiecki missed his third straight game due to illness. D Ben Harpur was a healthy scratch. Vegas D Jon Merrill, D Brad Hunt and LW Brendan Leipsic were a healthy scratch.