The Ottawa Senators stayed alive once again on Tuesday night, shutting out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 in Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena and sending their first-round series back to Canada's capital for Game 6 on Thursday night.

And captain Brady Tkachuk is not too surprised with the result after he shared a simple message with fans at the conclusion of Game 4: “We'll be back.”

The Senators looked down and out after falling into a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 series hole on home ice in Game 3. But after back-to-back victories — an overtime win in Game 4 and then Tuesday night's convincing 4-0 final — there's hope Ottawa can get a win at home and force a Game 7.

Tkachuk led the way, scoring a goal and adding two assists in the triumph. Tim Stutzle also scored and managed two helpers of his own. But, as Tkachuk said, Ottawa's MVP on this night was its goaltender.

“It took everybody,” Tkachuk said afterwards, per NHL.com's Dave McCarthy. “Our best player tonight was Linus, who made some huge saves for us, but it took everybody on the bench, everybody in our room. Everybody wanted to win. Our will to win was high and I think it paid off.”

Linus Ullmark looking rock solid between the pipes for Senators

Ullmark was excellent for the Sens at Scotiabank Arena, making 29 saves on 29 shots and stymying the Leafs' high-flying offense time and time again.

Related Ottawa Senators NewsArticle continues below
3 early predictions for Senators offseason after Maple Leafs series loss
3 early predictions for Senators offseason after Maple Leafs series loss
3 Senators trade targets after Maple Leafs series loss
3 Senators trade targets after Maple Leafs series loss
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Max Pacioretty (67) battles for the puck with Ottawa Senators defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo (33) in the third period during game five of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena.
Senators sign reliable defenseman to two-year extension

He looks like a completely different goaltender compared to earlier in the series; he allowed 12 goals on 65 shots through the first three games of the series, and just three on 63 over the past two.

“It doesn’t really matter in a playoff series how you’re doing, you can lose 1-0, you can lose 6-2, it’s still a loss,” Ullmark said afterwards, per McCarthy. “My job is to stop pucks and every night it’s all about battling it out with the other goalie on the other team, try to make more saves than the other guy and come out victorious. Sometimes I’d say it comes down to lady luck when it comes down to certain different areas of the game, but you have to earn it.”

It was Ullmark's first shutout in his 15th career Stanley Cup Playoff start, and he outdueled Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz once again.

“Not surprising,” said Senators head coach Travis Green of Ullmark’s play, per McCarthy. “I feel like I’ve been talking about Linus a lot this series and we’ve got a lot of confidence in him and rightfully so. He was sharp again tonight.”

Stolarz ended up making 15 saves in a losing effort, while no one on Toronto was able to get a puck past Ullmark in Game 5. The series now shifts back to Ottawa on Thursday night, and the Senators will have a chance to get a third consecutive win on home ice in front of a raucous Canadian Tire Centre crowd.

Puck is set to drop on Game 6 between the two Atlantic Division rivals just past 7:00 p.m. ET as the Battle of Ontario continues.