Ullmark makes 22 saves, Senators edge Flyers

OTTAWA -- Linus Ullmark made 22 saves for the Ottawa Senators in a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.

“We had to work hard for this win and sometimes it’s going to be like that,” Ottawa forward Claude Giroux said. “We had everybody playing hard. We were able to get the lead and keep it. I think, in the third, Linus made some big saves for us.”

Michael Amadio and Olle Lycksell scored for the Senators (3-4-1), who were 0-1-1 in their previous two games.

“This is closer to our identity as a team, what we saw tonight,” Ottawa forward Lars Eller said. “We faced a little bit of adversity early on, but we were able to find a way back and we were comfortable playing in a tight game.”

The Senators allowed fewer than three goals for the first time this season.

“I think we’ve checked better,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said of his team’s recent progress. “We’ve been above the puck better, not as high risk. We haven’t turned over as many pucks in the neutral zone. I think there were spurts that we did that in the five, six games before, but I just thought we had more of a team commitment [Thursday] to do it and do it for the whole game.”

Tyson Foerster scored, and Dan Vladar made 31 saves for the Flyers (3-3-1), who had won two straight.

“We wasted a good night from ‘Vlady,’” Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet said. “I thought he did a nice job in net for us.”

The Flyers were held to seven shots in the third period.

“We didn’t have an interior game tonight. That was a major factor,” Tocchet said. “A lot of guys didn’t want to commit to going to the net.”

The Senators' penalty kill, which entered the game last in the NHL at 57.7 percent, was 3-for-3. The Flyers were 5-for-5.

“I thought [Vladar] played great again; he’s been a rock back there for us,” Philadelphia defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “Not ideal when you have that many penalty kills and you’re giving up looks and he’s coming up big for us and keeping us in the game.”

Foerster gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead 29 seconds into the first period when he took a centering pass from Travis Konecny and beat Ullmark blocker side with a wrist shot from the middle of the slot.

“I think it was tough. I think they played pretty well in their D-zone,” Foerster said. “I think we’ve got to get more shots to the net, more traffic in front of their goalie. We’ve got to be better.”

Amadio scored his first goal of the season to tie it 1-1 at 7:57. He accepted a seam pass from Giroux, skated in on a partial break and beat Vladar with a wrist shot short side.

Eller fed Lycksell with a between-the-legs pass for a tap-in at the edge of the crease to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead at 3:05 of the second period.

It was Lycksell’s second NHL goal and his first with the Senators. He scored his first NHL goal in 2023-24 with the Flyers.

“It was a big relief,” Lycksell said. “It was a special moment. I have some of my family over from Sweden. ... A great play by Eller to find me there. A great heads-up play.”

The depth scoring from Amadio and Lycksell was a boost for a Senators team that is missing captain Brady Tkachuk, who is sidelined with a torn ligament in his right thumb.

“You need it,” Green said of the depth scoring. “In today’s NHL, especially with our team, Brady being out, we’re going to need contributions throughout our lineup. And we got it tonight from a couple guys who hadn’t scored yet this year.”

NOTES: Forward Sean Couturier, who had an assist on Foerster’s goal, has eight points (two goals, six assists) in his past five games. … Giroux has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 12 games against his former team.