OTTAWA – It has taken longer than anticipated, however the Ottawa Senators are within the NHL playoffs for the primary time in eight years.
The Senators, who claimed the primary wild-card berth within the Japanese Convention, will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday within the opening spherical of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It’s been an extended, typically difficult and irritating journey for the Senators to succeed in this level.
Captain Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot have each performed 512 profession video games and Sunday shall be their first style of playoff motion.
“I imply, it’s simply moulded us into who we’re and to who we’re as, you already know, a bunch, and as people,” stated Tkachuk. “There’s been loads of adversity, loads of robust occasions, and to sort of come out of that, it seems like we’re all sort of new folks and, you already know, our greatest selves.”
Tkachuk admitted that when he began his skilled profession, he by no means anticipated it taking seven years to succeed in the playoffs.
In contrast to others, Tkachuk has had a front-row seat of what it takes to not solely make the playoffs however win a Stanley Cup. Final spring Tkachuk was by his older brother’s (Matthew) facet as he raised the Stanley Cup after the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven video games.
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Tkachuk stated he’s lucky to have his brother as a mentor and a cheerleader and might solely hope to share comparable success.
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The playoffs shall be a primary for most of the Senators together with Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson.
Batherson stated he’s by no means even seen a stay playoff sport and is pumped for his first expertise to be a part of one.
“I feel the environment, the depth, how a lot you already know each little play issues, clearly, it’s all our first time so we’re going to have plenty of nervous vitality however pleasure and confidence in our group on the identical time,” stated Batherson. “So, actually excited to get in there and simply, yeah, most likely the primary shift be nervous, however we’ll settle in after that.”
Whereas the Senators core group had proven flashes of brilliance through the years, they by no means appeared to place every part collectively. This yr, with new head coach Travis Inexperienced on the helm, the group appeared to discover a new confidence and maturity and possibly extra importantly consistency.
This season once they misplaced a sport, they bounced again. When challenges mounted, they leaned on their expertise, and on one another.
“I feel, you already know, we’ve had our justifiable share of adversity, however clearly you’ve bought to undergo that to sort of simply sort of develop up and sort of mature,” stated Pinto. “And I feel we’ve performed that this yr, and I feel that confirmed in our consistency. I feel that’s what we struggled with in prior years.”
Stutzle, now one of the crucial dynamic playmakers within the league, emphasised the worth of the teachings discovered.
“For us, the aim was to get in, and I really feel like within the playoffs something can occur,” Stutzle stated. “So, like I stated, we’re very assured in our group. There have been plenty of classes discovered, however we haven’t performed the playoffs, or most of us haven’t, so we’ll see our objectives, and we’ll at all times give 100 per cent effort and we’re actually assured in our group.”
Simply as necessary because the maturing of the younger core was the additions basic supervisor Stave Staios made in the course of the low season. Including veteran voices reminiscent of David Perron, Nick Cousins and Nick Jensen have supplied steerage and management and so they’re excited to see what their younger teammates can do within the playoffs.
“The message is to get pleasure from it and to allow them to stay their very own expertise,” stated Perron, a Stanley Cup champion in 2019. “I feel us older guys, and there’s a couple of of us, we’ll attempt to assist them navigate the roller-coaster of feelings it doesn’t matter what performs out. You need to keep in mind it’s nonetheless the identical hockey.”
“It’s been a very long time coming,” Pinto stated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed April 19, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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