The Ottawa Senators have clinched a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. And performances like the one we saw on Sunday night are part of the reason why. Tim Stutzle and the Senators fell behind the Philadelphia Flyers. However, they stormed back to claim a massive 4-3 win at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Sunday.

Stutzle led the charge for Ottawa against Philadelphia. He had two goals and an assist on the night. His second goal came in overtime, giving his team two points and added momentum heading into the postseason.

It was certainly an impressive performance from the Senators star. But it's a performance his coaches knew he had in him. Head coach Travis Green believes this is only the beginning for Stutzle in his young career.

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“Like a lot of our guys, he’s matured a lot,” Green said of the 23-year-old forward, via NHL.com's Callum Fraser. “And he’s a little bit different, they’re all a little bit different, but he’s a highly offensive player and he’s still very young. So, he’s still learning what his offensive capabilities are and still getting checked hard from other teams. We’re just scratching the surface; I don’t think guys reach their peak until probably 25, 26, 27, somewhere in there. And that’s exciting for not only him, but for a few other guys as well.”

The win did not improve Ottawa's postseason standing. The Senators are locked into the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. As a result, they will face whoever wins the Atlantic Division in the first round. This is likely to be either the Toronto Maple Leafs or Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Senators still have a couple of regular season games left, however. Ottawa closes out its season at home. They take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday before welcoming the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

“We want to win them all,” Stutzle said of the remaining games, via Fraser. “I think that’s the most important [part]; we want to build on this. I think if you play bad right before playoffs, it’s hard to go in and play your best right away, so we want to keep building and keep trying to play the best hockey we can.”

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