National Hockey League
Philadelphia 5, Ottawa 4
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 21, 2019
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
Referees: Kevin Pollock, Chris Schlenker
Linesmen: Ryan Daisy, Brad Kovachik
Attendance: 11203

Philadelphia's Sean Couturier scored the only goal in the shootout as the Flyers beat the host Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Saturday night.

Couturier went wide to the right, cut across and flipped a forehand shot over Marcus Hogberg's blocker in the top of the third round.

Goalie Brian Elliott, who made 30 saves, denied Tyler Ennis, Anthony Duclair and Vladislav Namestnikov to move to 6-0-2 against Ottawa, who selected him in the 2003 draft.

James van Riemsdyk notched two goals, Jakub Voracek collected a goal and an assist, and Kevin Hayes scored for the Flyers, who have won nine of 13.

Ennis collected two goals and an assist, and Duclair and Mark Borowiecki each contributed a marker and an assist for Ottawa, which played its third straight overtime game (1-0-2).

Hogberg recorded 34 saves, including four spectacular ones and seven total in overtime, to force the shootout.

With Philadelphia on the game's first power play, Elliott stopped a great shorthanded chance by denying Chris Tierney's short breakaway after a steal. Voracek quickly sent the puck up the ice on a long diagonal pass to a streaking Hayes.

The big forward, acquired by the Flyers in June before free agency opened, leaned in on rookie defenseman Erik Brannstrom and slipped in his ninth goal at 3:16. Voracek earned the primary assist while Elliott was credited with the secondary helper.

Philadelphia scored early again in the second when van Riemsdyk notched his 11th just 63 seconds into the period by sending a backhanded pass into the crease. The puck bounced off the skate of Ottawa defenseman Cody Goloubef and through Hogberg's pads for a 2-0 lead.

The Senators knotted it 2-2 with a pair only 25 seconds apart.

Ennis grabbed a rebound, deftly maneuvered the puck around a sprawling Elliott and potted a marker at the six-minute mark, then Borowiecki floated in his fourth through traffic.

Duclair snared a loose puck and rang home his 13th goal in 16 Ottawa home games while on the power play, establishing a career-high 21 goals for the 24-year-old forward.

But Voracek tucked in the tying tally at 19:12 as the period ended in a 3-3 tie.

Van Riemsdyk broke the tie on a breakaway by sliding the puck past Hogberg 1:10 into the third. The marker was his eighth in his last 11 games.

Ennis tied the game 4-4 by potting his 10th marker at 10:17.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Philadelphia   Ottawa
James van Riemsdyk 2 Points Tyler Ennis 3
James van Riemsdyk 2 Goals Tyler Ennis 2
Jakub Voracek 1 Assists Tyler Ennis 1
Kevin Hayes 1 Power Play Goals Anthony Duclair 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Brian Elliott .882 Save Percentage Marcus Hogberg .895
Brian Elliott 30 Saves Marcus Hogberg 34
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Philadelphia 38 5 1-5 3-4 8 36
Ottawa 34 4 1-4 4-5 10 27
Upcoming Games
  • Ottawa will play their next game at home against Buffalo. The Senators have a W/L % of .267 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Philadelphia will play their next game at home against NY Rangers. The Flyers have a W/L % of .632 after a win and .471 after a loss.