Senators beat Panthers 5–1 as Tkachuk scores in emotional return to Ottawa
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa's former captain, was heavily booed and had jerseys thrown on ice as the Senators dominated their ex-leader's Florida team Wednesday night at Canadian Tire Centre.
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The Ottawa Senators dominated Brady Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers 5–1 Wednesday night at Canadian Tire Centre, with the crowd making clear how they felt about the franchise's former eight-year captain leaving this past spring.
Tkachuk scored a power-play goal midway through the first period, assisted by his brother Matthew, but the goal did little to quiet the boos. Fans chanted "We don't need you!" throughout the night, threw Tkachuk jerseys onto the ice, and the arena was packed with a sellout crowd intent on sending a message.
The Senators answered quickly. Tim Stutzle tied it 1–1 just over four minutes later with an assist from Jake Sanderson. Claude Giroux scored midway through the second to make it 2–1, then Shane Pinto extended the lead to 3–1 late in the period.
Warren Foegele added a goal early in the third on an assist from Dylan Cozens to make it 4–1, and Stephen Halliday capped the scoring with an assist from Stutzle. The emotions boiled over late in the third: Tkachuk, his brother Matthew, and Sam Bennett got into an altercation in front of the Ottawa bench, while Tkachuk and Dylan Cozens had a heated exchange. Earlier in the period, Ridly Greig and Bennett had fought.
The NHL fined or disciplined Nick Cousins and Matthew Tkachuk following the altercation. Goaltender Linus Ullmark left the game early in the third period after a lower-body strain, having allowed just one goal on 22 shots. Sam Ersson entered in relief and faced one shot. Akira Schmid made 26 saves for Florida.
The win improved Ottawa's record in their first 10 games, while the Panthers' three-game winning streak ended.
The facts
What was the final score of the Senators vs. Panthers game?
The Ottawa Senators defeated the Florida Panthers 5–1 on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at Canadian Tire Centre.
Who scored for the Panthers?
Brady Tkachuk scored a power-play goal for the Florida Panthers midway through the first period, assisted by his brother Matthew.
How many shots did Linus Ullmark face before leaving the game?
Linus Ullmark faced 22 shots before leaving the game early in the third period with a lower-body strain.
