- Flyers beat the Senators 3-1 for their first win of the season
- Philadelphia’s franchise-record nine-game losing streak is over
- Read below for Michkov and Martone’s big night and Zegras’ empty-netter
The Flyers have a win.
Philadelphia beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 on Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, ending a franchise-record nine-game losing streak to open the season. Dan Vladar made 25 saves, and the Flyers (1-6-3) avoided becoming the 11th team in NHL history to lose its first 10 games, according to NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman.
Watch Trevor Zegras seal it with the empty-netter:
Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Red Wings was the ninth straight to start the year, and the offense was the problem all along. Philadelphia had scored just 11 goals in those nine games.
Drake Batherson put Ottawa ahead 1-0 at 5:55 of the second period, finishing a 2-on-1 with former Flyer Claude Giroux.
Porter Martone tied it at 9:03. He poked the puck away from Thomas Chabot in the Ottawa zone, and Matvei Michkov’s shot-pass off Martone’s stick slid past Linus Ullmark.
Michkov put the Flyers in front on the power play at 18:33, cashing in the rebound of a Martone shot. Check out the goal:
That was Michkov’s fourth of the season and the 50th goal of his career in 171 games. He’s the fastest Flyer to reach 50 since Matt Read in 2014. Martone and Michkov each finished with a goal and an assist.
Zegras added the empty-netter with 14 seconds left, and the Flyers scored three goals in a game for the first time all season.
Ullmark took his first loss of the year after winning his first six starts, which had tied Ray Emery for the most by an Ottawa goalie to begin a season. Owen Tippett sat out for Philadelphia with an upper-body injury.
The Flyers get a quick test Monday when the Colorado Avalanche come to town.
