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The Ottawa Senators have not been one of the last eight teams standing in the Eastern Conference since 2016-17. But nearly a decade after the franchise came within one victory of a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, captain Brady Tkachuk is leading his club back to the postseason.
“I need to make sure I'm ready physically, because mentally I've been waiting for this moment,” Tkachuk said on Thursday, per NHL.com's Callum Fraser. “But I'm not worried about that. I don't think I'd ever miss an opportunity to play in the playoffs, but I'm not looking too far in advance. I'm looking forward to skating tomorrow, feeling good and going from there.”
Tkachuk has been out of the lineup since sustaining an upper-body injury in a 1-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 30. He plans to skate on Friday and looks poised to suit up before the end of the regular-season. The 25-year-old has missed each of Ottawa's last five games.
“Feeling good, yeah, progressing day in and day out,” Tkachuk continued. “My focus is feeling good today. I think I'm starting to skate tomorrow, so I'm excited about that. Just going to continue to get better every single day. Obviously, I want to play.
“I don't like watching. The guys have really helped me out the last bunch of games, putting us in the position that we're in. For me, it's about continuing to get better. I'm just going to continue to repeat that. Feeling good, feeling better, excited to skate tomorrow.”
Canada's capital hasn't been treated to a playoff game since Ottawa lost in Game 7 of the East Final to the Pittsburgh Penguins in May of 2017. Sidney Crosby set up Chris Kunitz for the game-winner in double overtime, and the Pens went on to beat the Nashville Predators and win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Eight seasons later, Ottawa will officially treat its fans to postseason puck after clinching a playoff berth on Tuesday.
Senators trying to hold off Canadiens in wildcard race
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Despite losing 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 — and that was enough for the Sens to officially punch their ticket.
“It was great. I wish I could've been with the guys there to enjoy that moment, but it made today that much better to share it with those guys, talk with these guys,” Tkachuk said of the moment the Senators officially earned their spot, per Fraser. “It was a pretty awesome feeling and just knowing that there's a lot more to come. It's one thing to be happy and feel that relief, but I don't feel like there's any sort of complacency in this room, and we want more.”
Currently 42-30-6 with four games left in the regular-season, Ottawa is currently three points ahead of Montreal, who have also played 78 games.
If the standings hold, it'll be a Battle of Ontario, with the Senators playing the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1. That would be a salivating prospect for fans of both franchises; the teams haven't met in the postseason since 2004.
Regardless of who Ottawa plays, it will be Tkachuk's first taste of playoff hockey after being selected fourth overall by the franchise in the 2018 NHL Draft. After seven straight missed postseasons, the Senators are back in the dance.
