Overview
- Ottawa erased a 3-1 deficit and won 5-4 in Tampa Bay, starting 2025–26 at 1-0-0.
- Shane Pinto posted two goals and an assist, tying the game on a breakaway and scoring the decisive rebound with 1:47 remaining.
- Jake Sanderson delivered two assists with notable two-way play, and Artem Zub added a goal plus two assists, including the stretch pass that sprung Pinto.
- Brady Tkachuk recorded three assists, Dylan Cozens scored on the power play, and Claude Giroux tacked on an empty-net goal.
- Jordan Spence was a healthy scratch as coaches favored more established pairings on defense, a move observers tied to an early blue-line logjam.