Carter Yakemchuk scored the go-ahead goal with a power-play one-timer at 13:01 of the third period, and the Ottawa Senators beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in their home opener at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. Linus Ullmark stopped 28 of 26 shots for Ottawa.
Nick Cousins opened the scoring in the first period by tipping a Tyler Kleven point shot past goalie Joseph Woll, and that 1-0 lead held until Matvei Michkov tied it in the second. Yakemchuk’s power-play strike in the third period proved the difference as the Flyers dropped to 0-3-2 to open the season.
Key Moments In The Ottawa Senators Win
Cousins put Ottawa ahead 10:14 into the first period, converting a Kleven shot from the point with assists going to Kleven and Warren Foegele. The Senators carried that lead into the second period before the Flyers’ power play struck back.
Michkov tied it 1-1 at 7:46 of the second period on the man advantage, tapping in a loose puck on the backhand after a Trevor Zegras shot trickled through Ullmark. Travis Konecny and Zegras picked up assists on the equalizer.
The deciding goal came in the third period. Yakemchuk one-timed a shot from the point past Woll at 13:01, also on the power play, with Claude Giroux and Shane Pinto assisting. Ottawa’s special teams finished 1-for-5, while Philadelphia went 1-for-4.
Top Performers From Both Teams
Ullmark turned aside 28 saves on 26 shots for Ottawa, while Woll made 24 saves on 29 shots for Philadelphia. Cousins led the Senators with a goal and led the team in points, with Foegele credited as Ottawa’s top assist man. For Philadelphia, Michkov led the way with the lone goal and finished as the game’s points leader, with Konecny tallying the Flyers’ top assist total.
Ottawa also won the possession battles that mattered, blocking 20 shots to Philadelphia’s 11 and winning 52.8% of faceoffs compared to the Flyers’ 47.2%.
What It Means For Ottawa And Philadelphia
The win pushed Ottawa to 3-1-0 and 6 points, tied atop a crowded Atlantic Division alongside Tampa Bay and Boston. The Senators also hold a 1-0 lead in the season series against Philadelphia.
The loss extended Philadelphia’s winless start to 0-3-2, leaving the Flyers at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division with 2 points. Ottawa’s home opener win came with a cost, though. Senators forward William Eklund left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury after a hit from Flyers defenseman Simon Benoit sent him awkwardly into the boards. Eklund could not put weight on his left leg and did not return.
What’s Next
Ottawa will look to build on its 3-1-0 start, while Philadelphia will try to end its winless streak after opening 0-3-2.
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