Senators coach Green: ‘We got what we deserved’ in 7-1 win over Golden Knights

OTTAWA — Encouraged by the long-awaited return of goaltender Linus Ullmark to the lineup, the Ottawa Senators whipped the Vegas Golden Knights 7-1 on Sunday.

Ullmark drew into Sunday’s lineup for the first time since Dec. 27 to back up Mads Sogaard against the Golden Knights.

Ullmark — the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner — was out of the Senators lineup for personal reasons. After rumours spread online, he publicly addressed his leave of absence in an interview, revealing it was for mental health purposes.

For Ottawa, struggling to draw themselves back into the playoff picture from the bottom of the Atlantic Division, Sunday’s win was also great news.

“We’ve been playing a lot of good hockey and we haven’t won,” said Dylan Cozens, who scored twice against Vegas. “At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how many good games you play, you gotta win.”

Against the Golden Knights, that “good hockey” finally produced the desired result.

“It hasn’t gone the way we wanted all year long,” Ottawa head coach Travis Green said. “We played a real good game and got what we deserved.”

Still, the Senators sit at the bottom of a competitive Atlantic Division, meaning it’s crunch time for the remainder of the season if they want any hope of a playoff berth.

“They’re desperate in the standings,” Vegas forward Mark Stone said. “There’s 30-odd games left and they’ve got to jump some teams.”

Sogaard was tested early, staring down Vegas star forward Mitch Marner for a penalty shot two minutes into the game.

“I was obviously more nervous than normal, given the situation,” Sogaard said. “But I thought that was a great way to get into a game.”

Sogaard successfully outwaited Marner’s patience on the attempt, as the star forward overskated the net and missed his shot.

The Senators struck first when forward Fabian Zetterlund sent a pass in from behind the Vegas cage, off Vegas defender Kaeden Korczak’s leg and past Adin Hill.

Ottawa’s penalty kill came up big seconds into the second period, killing off a Vegas 5-on-3 to start the middle frame. That momentum continued and six minutes later, Ottawa’s offence was rolling.

In what was arguably the best game of his career, Stephen Halliday posted two goals and an assist, before leaving the game with an injury halfway through the third period after Vegas forward Tomas Hertl bodied him into the stanchion.

Having spent time with Halliday with the Belleville Senators in the AHL, Sogaard’s seen the young forward’s offensive capabilities before.

“Not surprised, he’s a hell of a player,” Sogaard said. “He’s going to be here for a long time.”

Although Halliday left the game early, captain Brady Tkachuk — who had three assists — said he spoke to the youngster after the game, and said he “feels good, feels OK, so hopefully it’s nothing too severe. Every single game he plays he just keeps getting better and better.”

Defender Rasmus Andersson’s first goal as a Golden Knight late in the game barely made a dent.

“It looked like an NHL team versus a junior team,” Stone said. “It wasn’t what we are.”

For Vegas, who were 8-2-0 heading into the loss, it’s a moment that calls for a serious look in the mirror if the team wants to contend for another Stanley Cup.

“I didn’t like our battle level at all,” Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Typically the team will have pushback, but we didn’t really have that either.”

The Senators host the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2026.