One of Ilya Samsonov's best games of the season couldn't have come at a better time. In fact, he promised Senators goalie Linus Ullmark he'd win Thursday's game back in August.

"November 21, keep your butt shut ) or are you hurt again?" Samsonov commented on an Instagram post back in August, highlighting Ullmark as the No. 10 goalie in the NHL.

Their "feud" dates back to the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs when Samsonov was in Toronto and Ullmark was in Boston. The two faced each other in the first round, and Ullmark publicly criticized Toronto for continuing to play Samsonov.

In December, Toronto put Samsonov on waivers due to his poor performance, and the Vegas Golden Knights eventually picked him up in July.

On Thursday, the Samsonov met Ullmark for the first time since the 2023 playoffs, when the Ottawa Senators hosted the Golden Knights.

Samsonov got his lick back, making 39 saves on 41 shots in a 3-2 Golden Knights win.

"This was probably a hard one (game) for us because we had back to games," Samsonov said. "I just tried to make some more saves and do my best job."

Outside of all the drama, this was a big game for Samsonov, who was trying to regain his confidence after being injured.

He returned against the Washington Capitals after being injured for six games, but it was a rough first outing. Samsonov said the game was "too fast" for him as he allowed five goals on 25 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Capitals.

With all the outside pressure leading up to Thursday's game, Samsonov had a performance that showed he was more than readjusted to the NHL pace.

The third period was huge for him as he made 16 saves and held off an Ottawa comeback.

"I haven't played in two weeks, and I didn't see the puck well. The first game (Washington) was too fast for me," Samsonov said. I'm more prepared, and I understand I need to move better. I feel good today because I'm continuing to work."

Samsonov's teammates understand the win's overall significance. His performance early on allowed the Golden Knights to jump out to one of their best starts of the season.

In the first period, they outshot Ottawa, 15-14, and took a 1-0 lead.

"He (Samsonov) had a tough bounce the last game he played against Washington, but he was just outstanding today for us," Ivan Barbashev said. "He made a lot of saves against a really skilled team, and he obviously kept us in the game."

"He was just really good for us today."

It's unknown if feelings between Samsonov and Ullmark are water under the bridge, The two wouldn't face each other again unless the Golden Knights were to face the Senators in the Stanley Cup Finals or if one of the two were traded.

Samsonov's performance against the Senators was big, even to those who were unaware of all the commotion off the ice.

"I heard somewhere there was a tweet earlier. My nephew actually told me that," Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said on Samsonov's Instagram comment. "They don't have a history of playing together, so are they like pals?"

"I guess they (Samsonov and Ullmark) had a little dual going. I thought they were both good tonight."