3 takeaways from Senators' opening night win against Panthers
2024's opening night at Canadian Tire Centre for the Ottawa Senators was one of the most anticipated opening nights in franchise history. With Linus Ullmark making his Senators debut, it added more excitement for the game.
The Senators had a tough opponent to begin the 2024-25 season against by facing the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, but it didn't bother the Senators one bit.
The Senators defeated the Panthers 3-1 at Canadian Tire Centre to start 1-0-0 in the 2024-25 season. The Panthers were riding high entering the game with a 6-4 win on Tuesday night, but the Senators had other ideas. The Senators also snapped their five-game losing streak against the Panthers.
Pressure and excitement was all around the Senators, but they earned themselves an impressive victory against one of the elite teams in the NHL.
3. The energy and excitement from Senator fans felt different inside
The Senators have struggled with attendance and creating a tough home ice advantage by having a seven-year playoff drought at Canadian Tire Centre. However, the energy inside for the 2024 opening night was a different feeling than years past.
The Sens faithful got loud when Tim Stutzle scored 5:52 to open up the scoring on the powerplay, and the arena wouldn't stop buzzing all night. Fans were loud watching Ullmark make his Senators debut.
The first goal of the Senators' season belongs to Tim Stutzle on the power play! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/KzumacXCZq
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 10, 2024
The Senator fans were loud chanting for the captain Brady Tkachuk, and even chanted "Brady's better" at Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, Brady's brother before the game. Matthew laughed it off at the bench.
Energy inside the Canadian Tire Centre has been missing for years, but tonight was a different feeling. If the Sens faithful is loud every game, it offers the team to feed off the energy and create a dominant home ice advantage. The Senators struggled last season with a 21-18-2 record at home, but starting off with a home win against the defending champion is a great opening statement.
2. Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto are destined for big seasons
If the Senators are going to have success this season, they are going to need to have their top offensive talented players produce goals. Tonight, two players scored goals, but the Senators need them to keep scoring.
Tim Stutzle opened the scoring just 5:52 into the game, and Shane Pinto scored his first goal of the season in the first period as well. Stutzle only recorded one powerplay goal last season after scoring 10 in the 2022-23 season. To have Stutzle score in the first game of the season on the powerplay is a great sign. Stutzle scored the empty netter for his second goal of the game to ice the game.
PInto is destined for a big step this season after recording 27 points in 41 games last season. Pinto got the arena buzzing less than five minutes after Stutzle scored the first goal of the game. Pinto did the work himself on the goal by firing a beautiful wrist shot past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. For Pinto to record the game winning goal the first game of the season is a step in the right direction for a big season.
Shane Pinto gives the Sens an early 2-0 lead over the Panthers. 👀 pic.twitter.com/KRZLw9rtLF
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 10, 2024
Both Stutzle and Pinto will be relied on heavily by head coach Travis Green to help win games. With both of them being really young, the sky can be the limit for them this season.
1. The hype around the new starting goaltender in town was legit
For the past seven seasons, goaltending has been a key issue for the Senators in order to make the playoffs. The Senators made a trade to acquire 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins in June.
The Senators traded Joonas Korpisalo in order to get Ullmark. After the Panthers scored six goals against Korpisalo and the Bruins on Tuesday night, more pressure was placed on Ullmark to not have the Panthers replicate how elite their offense can be.
In his Senators debut, Ullmark sparkled by recording 30 saves to earn the win. For Ullmark to allow just one goal to earn his first win in a Senators jersey made opening night more special.
The Panthers entered the third period with momentum by cutting the Senators lead down to 2-1 in the final minutes of the second period. Ullmark didn't let the Panthers offense faze him and made 16 saves in the third period to seal the game.
Big save by Ullmark on Tkachuk. #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/Z9vVSDCUIp
— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) October 11, 2024
On the day before opening night, the Senators gave Ullmark a four-year extension. After the first game of the season, Ullmark showed why he earned the extension, and made the Senators stick it to the Bruins more for trading away Ullmark to the Senators.
The Senators will be back in action on Saturday night as the team hits the road for the first time this season to take on the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The Canadiens are 1-1-0 so far this season. The Senators struggled on the road last season finishing with a 16-23-2 record, but defeated the Canadiens in all three meetings last season.