Senators assistant Mike Yeo takes over penalty-killing duties

The Ottawa Senators will have a new voice leading their penalty-kill efforts.

Assistant coach Mike Yeo will oversee the short-handed units, replacing fellow assistant Nolan Baumgartner, head coach Travis Green told reporters on Saturday.

“A new voice might give a spark,” Green said.

The Senators own the second-worst penalty kill in the NHL at 71.7 per cent, leading only the Vancouver Canucks (70.6 per cent).

Most recently, they coughed up a pair of power-play goals in a 5-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Friday, blowing a 3-0 lead in the process.

For the season, the Senators’ .791 save percentage while short-handed would mark the worst of any team since the stat was first tracked in 1999-2000, per Sportsnet Stats.

The 52-year-old Yeo has previously served stints as head coach of the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers.

Yeo’s new-look penalty kill will get its first test Saturday as the Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes on Hockey Night in Canada. Live coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.