Golden Knights Gameday 21: Hockey Fights Cancer: Lines and Notes vs Senators

T-Mobile Arena will play host to Hockey Fights Cancer Knight Wednesday as the Vegas Golden Knights (15-4-1, 31 points) take on the Ottawa Senators (6-11-1, 13 points) at 7:00 p.m.

An annual tradition for all 32 NHL Teams, Hockey Fights Cancer night is recognized in the month of November throughout the league. The Golden Knights will participate by wearing special purple jerseys during warmups, which will then be auctioned off.

Cancer patients and survivors will be honored, and fans can go to sections 9 and 10 during the game to pick up an “I fight for sign.” Additionally, tonight’s game is being broadcasted exclusively by TNT.

The Golden Knights are returning home for a three-game homestand after going 0-1-1 in their two-game Canadian swing against the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. They still sit atop the Pacific Division in points and the overall Western Conference as well.

The Senators enter tonight’s game in a bit of an identity crisis. With a potential sale of the team on the horizon, the Sens are off to a sluggish start, despite having what many considered to be a strong offseason bringing in the likes of Cam Talbot, Claude Giroux, and Alex DeBrincat.

What to Watch For

Puck Cancer

With tonight being Hockey Fights Cancer Knight, our attention naturally turns towards the two members of the Golden Knights who are cancer survivors; Phil Kessel and Shea Theodore.

Both are known for scoring big goals in fitting games, such as Theodore scoring on seemingly every trip to the Pacific Northwest or Kessel scoring in his Ironman Milestone games.

It would be fitting to see them on the scoresheet Wednesday night against the Senators.

Checking Line Woes

In the team’s win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, head coach Bruce Cassidy sat the third line of Phil Kessel, Paul Cotter, and Jake Leschyshyn in the third period. The Golden Knights are still looking for a consistent checking line and so far have not been getting the results.

With Nicolas Roy still out with a lower-body injury, Michael Amadio was seen centering the Golden Knight’s third line during morning skate on Wednesday, taking Leschyshyn out of the rotation.

Being Thankful

Amidst everything, the Vegas Golden Knights are in a great spot after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. Sitting first in the Pacific and in the West with a healthy team, a win against the Senators would be a fitting way to usher in American Thanksgiving, which will be celebrated on Thursday.

Projected Vegas Golden Knights Line Combinations

Chandler Stephenson- Jack Eichel– Mark Stone (c)

Jonathan Marchessault- William Karlsson– Reilly Smith

Paul Cotter- Michael Amadio- Phil Kessel

William Carrier- Brett Howden- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Logan Thompson/Adin Hill

Vegas Golden Knights Special Teams

PP1: Stone, Eichel, Stephenson, Marchessault, Pietrangelo

PP2: Howden, Karlsson, Smith, Kessel, Theodore

PK1: Karlsson, Smith, McNabb, Pietrangelo

PK2: Stephenson, Stone, Martinez, Whitecloud

IR/Scratches

Nicolas Roy/Jake Leschyshyn, Ben Hutton

Projected Senators Line Combinations

Brady Tkachuk (c)- Tim Stutzle- Drake Batherson

Alex DeBrincat- Shane Pinto- Claude Giroux

Tyler Motte- Derick Brassard- Mathieu Joseph

Parker Kelly- Dylan Gambrell- Austin Watson

Thomas Chabot- Artem Zub

Jake Sanderson- Travis Hamonic

Erik Brannstrom- Nick Holden

Cam Talbot/Anton Forsberg

Senators Special Teams

PP1- Tkachuk, Stutzle, Batherson, DeBrincat, Chabot

PP2- Brassard, Pinto, Joseph, Giroux, Sanderson

PK1- Stutzle, Joseph, Holden, Zub

PK2- Motte, Watson, Sanderson, Hamonic

IR/Scratches

Josh Norris, Jacob Bernard-Docker/Mark Kastelic, Lassi Thompson, Nikita Zaitsev

How to Watch/Listen

7:00 p.m. on TNT and Fox Sports 98.9 FM Radio.