SAN JOSE — Macklin Celebrini's lower-body injury headlined Monday's four-game NHL slate as the San Jose Sharks were beaten 5-0 by the Dallas Stars, the Ottawa Senators beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1.
The Sharks made late adjustments to their forward lines after Celebrini was ruled out with what the team described as a lower-body injury. The 20-year-old was a full participant in the morning skate and suited up for warm-ups before eventually being held out. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky said afterwards that Celebrini was being evaluated further, with his timeline for return still up in the air. Any absence would be a major blow to San Jose's competitive hopes, and that was evident in the heavy defeat to Dallas.
In Ottawa, Tim Stutzle reinforced his ability to drive play without long-time linemate Brady Tkachuk, who was traded to the Florida Panthers in the off-season. The German pivot scored twice and finished with three points as the Senators saw off Boston. Ottawa did not leave the victory without concern, however, as Linus Ullmark did not suit up for the third period for what head coach Travis Green described as "precautionary" reasons. Ullmark, who missed significant time last season, has allowed only two goals in two starts to begin the campaign.
The Flyers' difficult start continued in Tampa, where their struggles with the man advantage were again exposed. Philadelphia went 0-for-3 on the power play to fall to 0-for-11 to start the season. The drought follows a familiar pattern for the Flyers, who have finished last in the NHL on the power play in four of the last five years, and if their offence does not click soon, their early-season slide could quickly spiral.