The Ottawa Senators will look to snap a frustrating seven-game losing streak when they battle the host Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon.
Especially maddening was the Senators’ 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. New Jersey captain Nico Hischier scored with 32.1 seconds remaining in overtime for the game winner.
Shane Pinto scored two goals and Travis Hamonic added one for Ottawa.
“Personally, I had two good looks to end the game and I need to step up and I didn’t find a way,” Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said.
Ottawa’s seven-game losing streak is its longest since Dec. 29, 2019-Jan. 16, 2020, when it went nine games (0-5-4) without a victory.
On Thursday, Ottawa goaltender Anton Forsberg made 37 saves, with 20 of those in the second period, and it still wasn’t enough.
“Every loss hurts,” Forsberg said.
The Senators have been particularly listless on the road, going 0-4-1 thus far.
“Clearly you are the underdog,” Senators head coach D.J. Smith said. “People are kind of stepping on us and pushing us when we’re down. That’s the perfect time to stick together to get a win and grind one out against a real good team.”
This matchup will be a homecoming for Claude Giroux, who spent 15 years with the Flyers before being traded to the Florida Panthers last season. Giroux, who signed with the Senators in the offseason, is expected to be honored before the game.
The Flyers will be looking to rebound following a 5-2 loss on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.
Philadelphia fell behind 3-0, closed within 3-2 and then allowed a pair of empty-net goals in the deceiving three-goal loss.
Still, the Flyers have continued to play hard under first-year head coach John Tortorella, who opted not to speak with reporters following the loss. It was an emotional night for Tortorella, who was given a scoreboard tribute for his six seasons as Blue Jackets coach.
The Blue Jackets snapped a five-game losing streak.
Defensemen Tony DeAngelo and Ivan Provorov scored for the Flyers while goaltender Carter Hart (6-1-2) returned from a brief illness with 24 saves yet lost in regulation for the first time all season.
“They’re a good transition team. They waited for us,” DeAngelo said. “They made some good reads.”
Like they have all season, the Flyers refused to wilt once they fell behind by three goals.
This particular loss wasn’t about effort. It was about execution.
“The lesson for a lot of our guys is we don’t have to work harder,” said Flyers associate head coach Brad Shaw, who spoke to the media in place of Tortorella. “We have to work smarter, be a little but smarter with the puck.”
The Blue Jackets’ goals were partially caused by turnovers.
“I thought our checking was pretty good,” Shaw said. “We mismanaged the pucks a few times and they took advantage.”
Philadelphia’s Cam Atkinson, second on the team with 23 goals last season, participated in the morning skate but isn’t expected to play anytime soon following an injury in training camp.
–Field Level Media