How the game was decided
Yakemchuk broke the tie with a power-play goal with seven minutes remaining in regulation. It was the difference in a tight, low-scoring game.
Nick Cousins had opened the scoring for Ottawa at even strength, tipping a Tyler Kleven shot past Philadelphia goaltender Joseph Woll. Philadelphia's Matvei Michkov was the lone Flyer to beat Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark, which is what levelled the game before Yakemchuk's goal.
Woll stopped 24 shots for Philadelphia in the loss.
A scare for Ottawa
The night was not entirely smooth for the Senators. Forward William Eklund left the game in the first period after being hit against the boards by Philadelphia's Simon Benoit. The report on the game did not say how serious the injury is or whether he will be available for the next game. Nothing has been announced yet, and we will update when there is word.
Debuts on both sides
Two players made their debuts on Thursday. Ottawa defenceman Hoyt Stanley played his first NHL game. On the other bench, Michael Bunting made his Flyers debut, after signing with the team on Tuesday.
Ullmark in net
Ullmark was between the pipes for Ottawa, which is notable given the past few days. As ottown reported earlier this week, he left Monday's 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins after two periods for what coach Travis Green called precautionary reasons, and he was listed with an undisclosed injury for Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings. The game report did not address his health. He was the goaltender who faced the Flyers, and only Michkov got one past him.
You can read more in ottown's earlier report on his injury listing, and in ottown's earlier report on the Bruins win. Ottawa also welcomed the family of former Senators goaltender Ray Emery for the home opener this week, as covered in ottown's earlier report.
What's next
Ottawa hosts the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Flyers, meanwhile, travel to Boston to take on the Bruins that same day.
For Senators fans, the questions heading into the weekend are straightforward: how Eklund is doing after the first-period hit, and whether the power play that delivered on Thursday can do it again against Nashville. The team has not announced anything on Eklund as of this report.
Sources: Canadian Press via paNOW
