The Ottawa Senators were dumped out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a 4-2 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference First Round series at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday. The higher-seeded Canes inflicted a sweep on the Senators.
Despite the Senators always chasing the scoreline, they didn’t lose more than two goals in any game. In Game 1, the Hurricanes won 2-0 with their second goal coming with 12:45 left on the clock. The Senators pushed Game 2 to double overtime and lost another closely fought Game 3 with a 2-1 scoreline.
On Saturday, the Canes scored two empty net goals, on either side of a Dylan Cozens goal at 18:09 in the third period, to earn the win. For Ottawa’s players, especially captain Brady Tkachuk, the series seemed a lot closer on paper.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “Really tight series. Give credit to them, they are a really (good) team and play hard. Everybody in this room gave everything they had to try to extend the series. It’s tough.”
However, fans on X trolled the forward for his comments, highlighting his own lack of form that also contributed to the Senators’ losses.
Here are a few reactions:
“Least inspiring captain of all time,” a fan said.
“Man has never made a difference in his life! Trash Captain who focused on cheap shots rather than scoring. Only regret is he did not get run,” a fan wrote.
“Maybe try actually playing hockey next time. Thuggery did not work well,” a fan stated.
““This tight of a series” when the Sens didn’t have a single lead,” a fan questioned Tkachuk’s statement.
“Most overrated player in the league. Should be a 3rd liner,” a fan opined.
“I despise that family, and take sincere pleasure in their disappointment,” a fan added.
Tkachuk was scoreless in all four games and finished with a minus-4 rating. While he retained the physical aspect of his gameplay, generating hits and chasing for pucks in the corners, his lack of production dampened their chances.
Brady Tkachuk reiterates “heartbreaking” sentiment postgame
Brady Tkachuk was certainly overcome with a lot of emotions for the entirety of his interview. He couldn’t piece together different words to express his sentiment, as he kept going back to describe the feeling as “heartbreaking.”
“We knew it was going to be an absolute grind of a series and I think every game showed there wasn’t much room,” Tkachuk said when asked if the Senators ruing missed chances. “Sometimes you don’t get the luck with some of the posts and some of the chances that don’t go in. It’s just heartbreaking.”
The Senators’ power play heavily underperformed throughout the series. They scored their first goal on the man advantage on Saturday through Logan Stankoven, taking their record to 1-for-21 in four games. They also had two 5-on-3 attempts in Game 4, which they were unable to convert.
Any professional knows that to be a Stanley Cup contender, a team has to have a better conversion rate.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Tkachuk said. “You come in and you just want to win a Stanley Cup, and everyone believed that in here.”
The season hasn’t entirely been smooth sailing for Tkachuk, as trade rumors have surrounded him since his gold medal-winning Olympics campaign with Team USA. His interactions with his brother Matthew and father Keith on their Wingmen podcast have only added fuel to the fire.
Edited by R. Nikhil Parshy
