Senators Score Five Unanswered to Beat Panthers in Tkachuk’s Return

Brady Tkachuk scored a power-play goal in his return to Ottawa, but the Senators responded with five straight goals to secure a 5-1 victory.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Wednesday night, overcoming an early deficit by scoring five unanswered goals. Florida forward Brady Tkachuk opened the scoring with a power-play goal halfway through the first period on the Panthers' first shot of the game. Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle tied the match 1-1 with a power-play strike before the end of the opening 20 minutes.

Tkachuk, the former Senators captain, faced significant hostility in his first game at Ottawa since being traded in June. Fans greeted him with boos during warmups, the starting lineup announcements, and a video tribute held during the first television timeout. The crowd also directed chants of "Brady sucks" and "We don't need you" at the winger, who had two years remaining on a $57.5 million contract when he requested a trade following Ottawa's first-round playoff sweep by the Carolina Hurricanes.

During the contest, Tkachuk served a roughing penalty following an altercation with former teammate Nick Cousins. While Tkachuk had pledged to donate any jerseys thrown onto the ice to the Boys and Girls Club, few items were tossed during the game. Tkachuk stated he waived his no-movement clause for personal and professional reasons, noting he was not influenced by his father Keith or brother Matthew in making the decision to leave the franchise.