OTTAWA – With the NHL playoff race tightening, the Ottawa Senators can’t afford to let crucial points slip away.
With just eight games remaining in the regular season, the Senators (39-29-6) need to make the most of a favourable schedule and lock up their playoff spot as soon as possible.
The Senators, who hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, control their destiny for the most part, but with three teams all within reach Ottawa needs to seize its opportunity.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender James Reimer (47) watches the puck as Ottawa Senators centre Dylan Cozens (24) tries to glove it down, during third period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Montreal (35-30-9), Columbus (34-30-9) and the New York Rangers (35-32-7) are all fighting for the second wild-card, but are within reach of the Senators.
In the past week they’ve given up four points to the basement-dwelling Buffalo Sabres, who owned Ottawa this year by sweeping the season series 4-0.
“I mean, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who you play,” said Ottawa veteran Claude Giroux. “You want to play the right way and give yourself a chance to win. Any time you left some points on the table it’s definitely disappointing.”
Ottawa plays seven of its last eight games at Canadian Tire Centre, the most favourable schedule of all four teams vying for the wild-card spots, which includes a home-and home with Columbus and a matchup with Montreal where points will be huge.
The Senators know what’s at stake and with games against Tampa on Thursday, and Florida on Saturday, they know they can ill afford to let up.
“I just feel like you’ve got to respect every team in the league, you know,” said Jake Sanderson, after the Senators lost 5-2 to Buffalo.
“A team like that, they’re out of the playoffs, but they’re going to come out hard every single night. They have pride playing hockey, playing the game, so, you know, it’s on us to do the same and, you know, get the job done.”
Ottawa’s power play could also use a spark having gone 2-for-13 through its last five games. The Senators have struggled to generate momentum with the man advantage of late and need to find a way to capitalize.
The Senators played Tuesday without captain Brady Tkachuk, who is sidelined with an upper-body injury as a result of a hit by Pittsburgh’s Ryan Graves.
Senators coach Travis Green said he’s hopeful that Tkachuk would only miss one game. The captain provides an energy and passion that the Senators could definitely use at this time.
“He’s the heart and soul to our team,” said Sanderson. “And he brings a lot of energy and physicality, you know, to our team so we miss him a lot.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2025.
