OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have 23 regular-season games remaining but Brady Tkachuk is taking a playoff mindset now.
The Senators captain is itching to get his first taste of NHL post-season action and after seven years his team is finally within reach of the playoffs.
Ottawa (30-25-4) sits two points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card berth in the East and Tkachuk is determined to get his Senators back in contention.
After missing the last two games, Tkachuk returned to the lineup and played a key role in Ottawa’s 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
The win allowed Ottawa to snap a five-game losing skid before heading out for two on the road.
The Senators got off to a slow start but finished strong.
“I mean, those are going to be positions that we're going to sometimes maybe get used to and be confident and being down going into the third, and just still find a way to get the job done,” said Tkachuk.
“Just a big two points. I mean, playoff hockey starts now, so, you’ve got to win these games to get into the dance.”
The Sharks (15-37-9), who are mired in an eight-game losing streak, dominated the first half of the first period, but it was the Senators who came out leading 1-0.
The Sharks fumbled the puck on the power play leading to Ridley Greig feeding Shane Pinto who made no mistake scoring his 12th of the season.
The Sharks went on to take a 2-1 lead in the second off a pair of power-play goals from Tyler Toffoli and Timothy Liljegren, but couldn’t shut things down in the third.
“We’re a young team, right?” said Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky. “We kind of knew it was going to come. I think they’re a team that are playing for their playoff lives and we knew there was going to be some desperation from that side, but again, there are things that we can definitely do better.”
Ottawa made the most of a two-man advantage early in the third with Tkachuk scoring on the power-play to tie it 2-2.
Tim Stutzle scored 94 seconds later when a bad bounce led to a wide-open net. Stutzle is riding an 11-game point streak with 16 points (four goals, 12 assists.)
“We had a lot of faith in us,” said Stutzle, of Ottawa’s ability to come back. “We had chances, I think, on the power play especially, and we just couldn't capitalize. But yeah, faith in it, and Ulli was great to keep us in the game.”
Linus Ullmark made 34 saves to pick up his first win since Dec. 19.
David Perron made it a two-goal game midway through the third, beating Vitek Vanecek who made 27 saves.
Will Smith scored a power-play goal with 1:27 remaining to make it close, but Michael Amadio scored into an empty net to seal the win.
“I almost felt like we were a little casual in the first 10 minutes and then found our game and got back to how we need to play,” said Senators coach Travis Green. “I liked our second half but we’re going to have to play that way on the road here for 60 minutes.”
There was some concern regarding Jake Sanderson following the end of the game. Toffoli cross-checked Sanderson in the back of the neck and forced him down to the ice in the final minute.
Green didn’t have an update, but was disgusted with the play.
“I don’t know how that’s not a penalty,” said Green. “Cross-checked right in the back of the net and forced down to the ice. It was tough to watch.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2025.
Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press
