The Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers meet again Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, nine days after Ottawa edged Philadelphia 2-1 in their first matchup this season. The Senators enter at 6-2-0 and leading the Atlantic Division, while the Flyers remain the only winless team in the Eastern Conference at 0-6-3. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
ET, with the game available on ESPN+ and NBC Sports Philadelphia. The biggest question heading into the rematch is whether Philadelphia can find any offensive traction against a Senators team that has outscored opponents during its winning stretch.
Senators Vs Flyers Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Season series: Ottawa leads 1-0
Can The Flyers Snap Their Winless Start?
Philadelphia has yet to win a game through nine outings this season, sitting at 0-6-3 and last in the Metropolitan Division with three points. The Flyers’ only meaningful traction came in the first meeting with Ottawa, a 2-1 loss that Yahoo Sports described as the team’s best game of the season. Since then, Philadelphia has dropped four straight, including a 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins in which the Flyers managed just 15 shots on goal and were outscored 3-1 in the third period.
The power play has been part of the problem. Philadelphia converted just 1 of 15 power-play chances through its first five games, according to NHL.com, and has allowed a shorthanded goal against on top of five power-play goals surrendered on 20 penalty-kill chances. Philadelphia’s home record stands at 0-2-2, and the Flyers are 0-4-2 when taking more penalty minutes than their opponent, a split that puts extra weight on special teams discipline Saturday.
How Banged Up Are Both Rosters?
Philadelphia is without forward Travis Konecny, who is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and forward Nikita Grebenkin, also on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen remains on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, while defenseman Cam York is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to FOX Sports.
Ottawa has its own absences. Forward William Eklund is out after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ankle tendon, an injury Senators coach Travis Green said will keep the 23-year-old out 10 to 12 weeks, according to ESPN. Eklund was hurt last week on a hit from Flyers defenseman Simon Benoit and had one goal and an assist in four games this season. He arrived in Ottawa in a June trade that sent the ninth pick in the 2026 NHL draft to the San Jose Sharks, as detailed in Senators’ Eklund Out Extended Time With Ankle Injury.
Defenseman Jake Sanderson is day-to-day with a lower-body injury for Ottawa, while forward Ridly Greig is day-to-day with a strain. Defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo and forward Kurtis MacDermid are both out with upper-body injuries. More on Ottawa’s blue-line situation is available in Senators Without Sanderson, Zub on Defense.
Who Are The Probable Starting Goalies?
Linus Ullmark is the probable starting goalie for Ottawa, while Dan Vladar is the probable starter for Philadelphia, according to official data. Both designations remain projections until the lineups are finalized before puck drop.
Key Matchup: Ottawa’s Offense Against A Struggling Flyers Defense
Ottawa’s offense, led by Tim Stutzle’s five goals and six assists for 11 points, has scored 21 goals through eight games while Philadelphia has allowed 32 against in nine. The Flyers have surrendered an average of 3.56 goals per game, the product of a defense that has already lost two blueliners in York and Ristolainen to injury. Ottawa’s road record of 3-1-0 suggests the Senators have carried their offensive form away from home, a trend that will be tested against a Flyers penalty kill that has already allowed five power-play goals on 20 chances.
What To Watch
Ottawa has won five straight games since an opening loss, a run that includes victories over the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators and New York Islanders sandwiched around a 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues, detailed in Blues rout Senators 7-2. The Flyers, meanwhile, are trying to avoid becoming the last team in the league without a win as the season moves into its third week.
Philadelphia’s top scorers, Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras, have combined for modest totals so far, with Michkov’s three goals leading the team. How Philadelphia’s power play performs against Ottawa’s penalty kill could decide whether the Flyers can build on what they called their best outing of the season in the first meeting between these two clubs.
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