Thomas Chabot’s injury only deepened a frustrating night for the Senators, who watched the Flyers collect their first win of the 2026-27 season with a 3-1 result in Philadelphia.
Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone both finished with a goal and an assist as the Flyers moved to 1-6-3, getting the sort of push that had eluded them through their first nine games. For Ottawa, it was a game that went sideways in more ways than one: the Senators dropped to 6-3-0, managed just four regulation goals across their last three outings, and lost another key defender to injury.
Chabot appeared to injure his right arm or wrist area, the same area that has bothered him at different points over the last four or five years. In a span of nine games, Ottawa’s blue line has already been hammered by injuries, with Chabot joining Jake Sanderson, Artem Zub, Nikolas Matinpalo, and Cam Crotty on the list of defensemen who have missed time.
Linus Ullmark absorbed the first loss of his season, stopping 26 shots to fall to 6-1-0. Dan Vladar made 25 saves for Philadelphia.
The Senators struck first after a quiet opening period, breaking through at 5:55 of the second. Claude Giroux set up Drake Batherson with a perfect cross-ice feed on a two-on-one, and Batherson buried the one-timer for his fourth goal of the season. Tim Stützle earned the secondary assist.
Philadelphia answered at 9:03, and the sequence started with trouble in Ottawa’s end. Chabot turned the puck over in his own zone and then lost track of Martone in front, allowing Martone to redirect a Michkov shot past Ullmark and even the score.
The Flyers then took control late in the period. With 1:27 left, Michkov buried a rebound on the power play in front of the net for his fourth goal of the year, with Martone and David Jiricek picking up the assists. That gave Philadelphia a 2-1 lead heading into the third.
Ottawa pushed after the intermission. Roughly five minutes into the final period, Warren Foegele clanged one off the iron for the second straight game. Later, Tyson Foerster sent the puck over the glass to put the Senators back on the power play, and after the first unit came up short, Travis Green finished the man advantage with Warren Foegele, Ridly Greig, and Fabian Zetterlund up front.
The Senators pulled Ullmark and pressed for the tying goal, but Trevor Zegras sealed it with an empty-netter.
The night had the feel of a team playing with nothing to lose, and the Flyers looked like the group carrying that urgency. Ottawa, meanwhile, heads to Wednesday’s home game against Brady Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers with more questions than answers. It will be interesting to see if the current captain will be healthy enough to face the old one.
In Other News...
Senators Loss Suddenly Feels Secondary To A Growing Blue Line Concern
The Senators had more than enough reason to lament a 3-1 loss in Philadelphia, where the Flyers snapped a nine-game winless skid, but the result quickly became secondary once Thomas Chabot headed to the dressing room before the third period. Ottawas captain left with an upper-body injury, leaving the team to finish the night without one of its most important blue-line anchors while Linus Ullmarks six-game winning streak came to an end despite another strong outing.
Travis Green confirmed the injury afterward and pointed to the way the game unfolded as part of Ottawas frustration, but the bigger concern for the Senators may be what Chabots absence means in the short term. This group has already had to lean on a rotating cast on defense, and losing a top-four fixture like Chabot only adds another layer of uncertainty to a season where the blue line has rarely been settled. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Blue Line Could Finally Get A Huge Boost
Ottawas blue line has been waiting for a lift since Jake Sanderson left the season opener early with a lower-body injury, and it sounds like help is finally close. The Senators' top defensive piece has missed several contests, but head coach Travis Green said Sanderson has now been cleared for contact, putting him on track to rejoin the lineup after the early setback.
The timing matters for a team that wants its best pair back together and more stability in front of its goaltenders. Ottawa has had to manage without one of its most important defenders, but the next test against the Florida Panthers could bring a much-needed boost if Sanderson is able to slot right back in. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Face An Early Test As Lineup Questions Keep Building
The Senators are heading into their matchup with Philadelphia carrying more than just the usual early-season questions. Ottawa has had to manage injuries while trying to steady its form, and with the Flyers stuck in a nine-game skid, this feels like the kind of game that can say plenty about where both clubs are right now. Goaltending and a few key contributors will shape the night, but the bigger picture in Ottawa is still about getting the lineup settled and finding the right rhythm.
Jake Sandersons status is one of the details worth watching, especially with the young blue line still in flux. Travis Green is still working through his combinations, and that includes whether Sanderson can drop back in beside Jordan Spence once he is cleared to play. For a team trying to build traction early, those are the sort of decisions that can affect not only one game but the way Ottawa looks over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]