OTTAWA — Carter Yakemchuk isn’t known for showing a lot of emotion but the Ottawa Senators defenceman had plenty to celebrate on Thursday night.
He fired a heavy one-timer through traffic for the power-play game-winner in the Senators' 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
“I was just trying to get one through from the point,” Yakemchuk said. “(Claude Giroux) made a nice pass and I just whacked one and lucky it went in.”
Yakemchuk, 21, is looking to become a lineup regular and knows he needs to prove to head coach Travis Green that he’s ready.
Green was happy to see Yakemchuk get the goal but admitted he hadn’t been thrilled with his overall game.
“He fumbled the puck a few times on the power play,” Green said. “Probably wasn’t quite at his best but sometimes you’ve just got to stick with those guys a little bit and they’re going to have some nights where they’re going really good and they’re going to have some nights when they’re not great.”
Despite the struggles, Ottawa's coaching staff continued to put Yakemchuk out there and Green credited coach assistant coach Ben Sexton for sticking with him.
“Good players find ways to come up with key moments in a game, and he definitely did," Green said.
The Senators are hopeful Yakemchuk will gain confidence with each game he plays. With Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub still dealing with injuries, Ottawa needs its depth players to step up.
Yakemchuk played four regular-season games and one playoff game last season.
“He looks a little more comfortable, he’s gotten a little better,” admitted Green. “He’s worked hard over the summer. He’s still young. He’s still going to have nights where he might not be at his best.
"That’s just a young guy trying to make the league.”
Yakemchuk wasn’t the only one wanting to make a good impression.
Hoyt Stanley made his NHL debut Thursday after getting the call-up from AHL Belleville.
“I felt good, obviously pretty nervous,” Stanley said. “Like the first two shifts, the coaches kind of came up to me and said, ‘Play your game, play hard, simple, don’t be too nervous.' Easier said than done."
The injury woes continued for the Senators. Already missing Sanderson, Zub and Andre Burakovsky, Ottawa could now be adding William Eklund to the list.
Eklund left the game early in the first period after taking a hit from Flyers defenceman Simon Benoit. Eklund needed assistance to leave the ice and was unable to put weight on his left leg.
Green did not have an update on Eklund’s status following the game.
The Senators have high expectations for the left-winger, who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks during the off-season. He started the game on the top line alongside Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson.
Takeaways
Senators: The Senators continue to struggle with the man advantage, making Jake Sanderson’s absence even more apparent.
Flyers: After allowing at least 36 shots in their previous four games, the Flyers held Ottawa to just 26 shots.
Key Stat
Ottawa finished the game 1-for-5 on the power play and are now 2-for-18 on the season.
Key Moment
Kleven blocked two shots in the final minute to help salvage the win.
Up next
Senators: Ottawa will host the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Flyers: The Flyers will travel to Boston to take on the Bruins on Saturday.
