Senators chase opening-night scoring record in Toronto
Ottawa begins its season Saturday night against the Maple Leafs, chasing a first-period scoring streak that would tie an NHL mark.
The Ottawa Senators can match an NHL opening-night scoring record when they begin their season at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, Oct. 3. Puck drop is 7 p.m. ET.
Ottawa has scored in the first period of 11 consecutive regular-season openers, dating to 2015-16. According to NHL Stats, as cited by the Senators, a first-period goal in Toronto would tie the league record of 12, shared by the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins.
Coach Travis Green also reaches a milestone: Saturday will be his 500th game behind an NHL bench, making him the 81st head coach to reach that total.
"I'm obviously a lot different coach today than I was 500 games ago," Green said.
Tim Stützle described the wait for Ottawa's opener as "brutal," but said the additional preparation helped the team sharpen its play after a short preseason. He centred Drake Batherson and Warren Foegele at morning skate.
"Really exciting, obviously. Got to bring some energy, and yeah, I think the mindset is just the way we've worked all camp, really detailed, and just got to bring our game tonight," Stützle said.
Jake Sanderson and Foegele will play, NHL.com reported. Sanderson returned to practice Friday after leaving a Sept. 26 preseason game for precautionary reasons.
Thomas Chabot is set to play his ninth regular-season opener for Ottawa, moving into a tie for fifth in franchise history. The Senators are opening against Toronto for the ninth time. The Maple Leafs enter 1-1-0 after a 3-2 loss to Montreal and a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders.
