Carter Yakemchuk gave the Senators exactly the kind of finish they needed on a messy night at Canadian Tire Centre.
The rookie defenceman broke a 1-1 tie late in the third period and sent Ottawa to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night in front of a sellout crowd of 17,501. Yakemchuk, 21, hammered home a point shot with 6:59 left to give the Senators their third victory in four games to open the season.
It was a timely answer for a team that didn’t look sharp for long stretches. Ottawa’s power play had already spent much of the night looking out of sync, but Yakemchuk’s blast delivered when the Senators needed it most.
The win came with a heavy price, though. Ottawa finished the game with only 11 forwards after winger William Eklund, the club’s biggest off-season acquisition, left in the first period with a leg or ankle injury and did not return.
Eklund’s exit added another layer of concern to a lineup already missing top defencemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub. Rookie blueliner Hoyt Stanley was recalled Thursday morning, made his NHL debut, took his rookie lap before the game and stepped in after Cameron Crotty was under the weather.
The Senators were far from clean in the opening 40 minutes. They went eight minutes without a shot in the second period and struggled to build sustained pressure on Philadelphia. Linus Ullmark had to be sharp to keep Ottawa afloat.
Still, the Flyers found a way to tie it. Matvei Michkov made it 1-1 at 7:46 of the second period when a puck slipped through Ullmark. Referee Chris Rooney had initially blown the play dead with a quick whistle, but the goal stood after review.
Ottawa had plenty of chances to create more separation early. The Senators got four straight power plays in the first period, but led only 1-0 after 20 minutes and were outshot 11-8. Their man advantage never really settled in, and the puck wasn’t getting through traffic often enough.
Nick Cousins supplied Ottawa’s first goal of the season just as that opening power play expired, redirecting a Tyler Kleven point shot at 10:14.
The Senators are now 2-for-17 on the power play this season, a number that clearly needs to move in the right direction.
Eklund’s injury was the other major storyline of the night. He appeared to catch his left leg or ankle in a rut while chasing a puck in the corner of Philadelphia’s zone before being hit by Simon Benoit. He writhed in pain and had to be helped off the ice without putting weight on his left leg.
“You never want to see a teammate go down like that. He’s been playing great for us,” Cousins told TSN during the first intermission.
“It’s super sad to see. Guys are going to have to step up collectively to fill his shoes.”
Thursday’s game was the 34th home opener in franchise history, and Ottawa came in with a 19-9-3-2 record in those games. The Senators had won four of their previous five home openers, and this was only the second time in franchise history they hosted the Flyers in one.
Thomas Chabot, now the longest-serving Senator, skated in front of the home crowd for the first time with the captain’s “C” on his jersey and got a warm reception. Fans chanted, “Chabby, Chabby.”
“It feels like it took a week before we played our first game, let alone be at home,” Chabot said. “It’s exciting.
The energy was great this morning. We’re fired up to get back in front of our fans.”
In Other News...
Senators Win Came With A New Injury Concern Fans Will Hate
The Senators kept the good feeling rolling in their home opener, edging the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 to move to 3-1-0 on the season. Carter Yakemchuk provided the decisive moment with the power-play goal in the third period, and Linus Ullmark was steady in net with 28 saves as Ottawa protected a one-goal lead down the stretch.
Still, the win came with a new worry for a team trying to build early momentum. Newcomer William Eklund went down in the first period with a lower-body injury after taking a clean hit from Simon Benoit and did not return, leaving Ottawa to wait and see how serious the issue might be. For a club that already has a lot to like in the standings, the health check on Eklund is the part fans will be watching next. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Home Opener Will Honor A Beloved Figure Fans Never Forgot
The Senators will open their home schedule Thursday night by pausing to recognize a name that still means plenty in Ottawa. Ray Emery, the fiery goaltender who backstopped the club during its 2006-07 run to the Stanley Cup Final, will be honored before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers, giving fans a chance to remember one of the key figures from that era.
Emery died eight years ago, but his connection to the franchise has never really faded for supporters who watched that playoff run unfold. His family will take part in the ceremonial bell ringing before puck drop, a fitting touch for a night that is as much about memory as it is about the start of a new season at home. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Lose Key New Top-Line Winger In Home Opener
William Eklunds first few games in a Senators sweater had already given Ottawa a glimpse of why he was slotted onto the top line, but his night in the home opener ended almost as soon as it began. Playing in front of the Canadian Tire Centre crowd after Ottawas 2-1-0 start, the recent San Jose Sharks acquisition left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury after a hit from Flyers defenseman Simon Benoit.
The timing is the part Ottawa will worry about most. Eklund had already collected two points in three games and was giving the Senators another skill option up front, which is exactly why his early exit stood out in a building that was just getting its first real jolt of the season. His absence leaves a gap on a line the Senators were clearly counting on, and the team will now have to wait for more clarity on how long it might be without him. [Read more 🡒]