Game Day – Sens @ Hurricanes – Oct 11, 2023

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Decades long mystery around 1st NHL regular season goal finally solved

For many decades, ever since the National Hockey League’s first opening night, no experts had been able to say with certainty where the very first NHL puck drop took place or who recorded the league’s first goal.

Two host cities were scheduled to play on the same evening of December 19, 1917. In Ottawa, the  Ottawa Hockey Club vs. the Montreal Canadiens and in Montreal, the Montreal Wanderers vs. the Toronto Hockey Club. The Ottawa game was scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m., but the official start time of the other game had remained unknown until new evidence surfaced in 2017.

A  long-overlooked Montreal newspaper had finally provided details where the first-ever NHL puck-drop took place and the league’s first goal scorer. While most Montreal newspapers didn’t report the scheduled start time, the digitized French-language daily “Le Canada” published an advertisement promoting the opening face-off at 8:15 p.m. This confirms Montreal (which was already known as the birthplace of hockey) is also where NHL players went head to head for the very first time and the first recorded goal was scored.

The NHL’s inaugural scorer? A Wanderers defenceman named Dave Ritchie, who ended the 1917-18 season playing for Ottawa after the Wanderers’ rink burned down and the team folded.

Read Full Article

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GAME DAY REPORT

Senators Opening Day Record: 15-8-3-5 (W-L-OTL-T)
Senators All-Time Record vs. Hurricanes: 44-53-8-8 – Away: 15-32-4-4

The Ottawa Senators have never played an opening game against the Carolina Hurricanes, making this a franchise first.

They did however battle Carolina on this very day in Ottawa, 16 years ago in 2007, but were defeated 5-3. The 2007-08 Ottawa Senators included incredible talent including; Jason Speeza, Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, Antoine Vermette, Mike Fisher, Wade Redden, Chris Kelly, Chris Neil, Chris Philips, Nick Foligno, Martin Gerber and Ray Emery, to name a few.

Projected Lineup

Brady Tkachuk-Tim Stutzle-Claude Giroux
Mathieu Joseph – Ridly Greig – Drake Batherson
Dominik Kubalik – Rourke Chartier – Vladimir Tarasenko
Parker Kelly – Mark Kastelic

Jakob Chychrun – Thomas Chabot
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Erik Brannstrom – Travis Hamonic

Source: Bruce Garrioch @SunGarrioch

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Pre Season Recap

The Ottawa Senators played 8 preseason games between Sep 24 and Oct 7 recording 6 victories and 2 defeats. The Sens outscored the opposition 25 goals to 16 against.

Here is a quick recap:

• Sep 24 – Sens defeat Maple Leafs 3-2
  • Tim Stutzle recorded 2 goals while Jake Sanderson grabbed a pair of assists.
  • Brady Tkatchuk scored 1 goal and 1 assist, Giroux and Smekjal each had an assist.
  • Anton Forsberg recorded the win facing 38 shots.
• Sep 25 – Sens beat Leafs again, this time in OT 4-3
  • Jakob Chychrun scores 2 goals, Dominik Kubalik registers 1 goal and 1 assist.
  • Chabot, Greig, Joseph, and Tarasenko each record an assist.
  • Mads Soggard captures the win after making 36 saves.
• Sep 27 – Sens loses first preseason game to Montreal 4-3
  • Mathieu Joseph scores 2 goals and Dominik Kublik scores a goal.
  • Smekjal, Heatherington, Bernard-Docker, and Bailey receive assists.
  • Joonas Korpisalo takes the lose after 17 saves.
• Oct 1 – Sens rebounds and beat Panthers 4-2
  • Batherson, Jarventie, Smekjal and Kelly all register goals.
  • Batherson picks up 3 assists while Jarventie, Smekjal, Baily and Kelly each score assists.
  • Anton Forsberg picked up his second preseason win with 33 saves.
• Oct 2 – Sens blank out Penguins 3-0
  • Stutzle, Greig and Tkachuk scores all three goals.
  • Stutzle, Batherson, Giroux, and Tarasenko pick up assists.
  • Joonas Korpisalo registers his first preseason win and shutout facing 40 shots.
• Oct 5 – Sens do it again, they blank out Winnipeg 3-0
  • Bailey, Chychrun and Giroux score goals.
  • Sanderson picks up 2 assists while Bailey, Chychrun and Tkachuk earn an apple each.
  • Anton Forsberg recorded his 3rd win and 1st shutout making 21 saves.
• Oct 7 – Sens drop the last game to Canadiens 6-4
  • Greig, Jarventie, Kelly and Kubalik score goals.
  • Bailey, Brannstrom, and Hamonic record assists.
  • Mads Soogard takes the loss after making 32 saves.

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PLAYER profile – brady tkachuk #7

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AROUND THE RINK

• Senators re-claim Lassi Thomson off waivers from Ducks
• Ottawa Senators appoints Steve Staios as president of hockey operations
• Former Senators 1st rounder Lassi Thompson claimed off waivers by Anaheim
• Jacob Bernard-Docker and Egor Sokolov clear waivers and head to Belleville
• Senators send 8 to Belleville including Jarventie, Smejkal, Soggard and Guenette
• Josh Bailey released from his Professional Tryout Offer

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