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Senators Visit Winless Flyers Saturday Night, Hoping To Avoid Another Ottawa Sports Twist

The Ottawa Senators arrive in Philadelphia on Saturday night aiming to avoid a repeat of Friday’s dramatic twist in their own city, where the Ottawa Redblacks ended their 16-game winless streak with a thrilling 40-39 victory over the Toronto Argonauts. The Senators now face the NHL’s Flyers, who are mired in a franchise-record 10-game winless start (0-6-3) and desperate for their first win of the season.

Head coach Rick Tocchet, last year’s NHL Coach of the Year, is under mounting pressure after guiding Philadelphia to the playoffs in 2023, but his team’s offensive struggles—just 11 goals in nine games—have made victories nearly impossible to come by. The Flyers’ recent form includes a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, compounding their early-season woes, while the Senators enter the game on a two-game winning streak, including a 2-1 shootout victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner for Ottawa, while goaltender Linus Ullmark extended his perfect start to 6-0-0. Meanwhile, Ottawa’s defense has seen key absences, with Artem Zub returning from injury and Nikolas Matinpalo back from an upper-body issue, though Jake Sanderson remains sidelined after reinjuring himself twice already this season.

Philadelphia’s lineup is also thin, with forwards Owen Tippett, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Cam York likely out, while Ottawa’s Oliver Bonk—son of former Senator Radek Bonk—will make his fifth NHL appearance, paired with Canadian Olympian Travis Sanheim.

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