NHL Predictions: Ottawa Senators vs Philadelphia Flyers, October 8th

Last Word On Hockey previews the Ottawa Senators hosting the Philadelphia Flyers in their 2026-27 home opener at the Canadian Tire Centre. The article predicts an Ottawa victory, citing the energy of the home crowd and the Flyers' difficult 0-2-2 start to the season. The matchup also features veteran forward Claude Giroux facing his former team, against whom Ottawa has won nine of the last 12 meetings.

Ottawa enters the contest at 2-1, led offensively by Tim Stutzle's six points in three games alongside Drake Batherson and Michael Amadio. Meanwhile, Philadelphia recently signed forward Michael Bunting to address early-season scoring struggles, while goaltending questions linger for both squads amid injuries to Daniel Vladar and Linus Ullmark.