The Vegas Golden Knights "shut Ottawa's ass", 3-2

A wise man once told Linus Ullmark, "Keep your ass shut." His name? Ilya Samsonov and he's the second goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Such a motivational quote was used on Thursday as the Golden Knights defeated the Ottawa Senators, 3-2. Samsonov helped "keep Ullmark's ass shut," stopping 38 of 40 shots. He was also helped by Jack Eichel (one goal, four shots), Brett Howden (his eighth goal of the season), and Pavel Dorofeyev (his 10th goal). Noah Hanifin added two assists to the cause, returning to form for Vegas.

But what about Ullmark, you might ask? Well, the former Vezina Trophy winner had a good game, stopping 29 of 32 shots. However, he was outperformed by his former adversary, who led the Golden Knights to another road victory. You better not eat that five-layer burrito from Taco Bell tonight, Ullmark.

Jokes aside, the Golden Knights got two crucial points on the road, improving their record to 12-6-2 (26 points). It was a nice rebound after being shut out by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, 3-0. Meanwhile, the Senators fell to 8-10-1, falling further behind in the Atlantic Division. Currently, they're one point ahead of the Montreal Canadiens from last place in the division.

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame adversity in the highest form on Thursday

You're reading the headline above and have some questions. You might be wondering what type of hurdles the Golden Knights overcame in their 3-2 victory over the Senators on Thursday.

"Ottawa's been a bad team for years now. How can they be a problem to Vegas?"

You might ask that question, considering the Senators have been at the bottom of the Atlantic Division since, well, forever. While that is valid, the Senators aren't the object of adversity here. It's the Golden Knights.

The team has dealt with countless injuries in the past month, losing players like Mark Stone and Nicolas Hague (lower-body injuries). In fact, Alex Pietrangelo was inactive for Thursday's matchup with an upper-body injury, labeled as day-to-day.

Fans will remember the previous East Coast trip as a total nightmare. The Golden Knights blew six leads throughout the swing. They only mustered one point as a result, leaving fans worried about a potential leak. That almost happened on Thursday, with the Senators coming within a goal on tallies from Drake Batherson and Adam Gaudette.

However, Samsonov held the fort down, stopping key shots when needed. That included this late stop to seal two points for the Golden Knights.

Sometimes, it's good to have the last laugh in life, whether you're a head coach winning the Stanley Cup or a goaltender shutting your rival's ass. Sticking it to your hated adversary is always good, especially when you've had that date marked on your calendar.

Ilya Samsonov won't forget this night, helping the Vegas Golden Knights edge the Ottawa Senators in a good contest. If he plays like he's coming after the rear end of Linus Ullmark every night, that will help his team's goaltender situation immensely.