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Senators’ Brady Tkachuk left in tears after getting mercilessly swept by Hurricanes
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- Senators’ Brady Tkachuk left in tears after getting mercilessly swept by Hurricanes
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Senators’ Brady Tkachuk left in tears after getting mercilessly swept by Hurricanes appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Ottawa Senators ’ season has come to an end. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Senators 4-2 on Saturday to complete the sweep in their first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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After the loss, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk spoke about the season ending , per ESPN.
“It’s heartbreaking. You come in, you just want to win a Stanley Cup,” the captain said as he teared up. “Everyone believed that in here. For it to be this tight of a series and not go our way in every game, it’s really tough.”
It was an overall tight series for the Senators. They lost the first game 2-0, then lost in double overtime in Game 2 . They would then fall 2-1 in Game 3, before the 4-2 loss in the final game. While the defense kept the series tight, the Sens struggled to beat Frederik Andersen . Andersen would finish the series with a 1.10 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage, plus the one shutout. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour knows how good Andersen was in the series.
“You can’t understate that, especially when you consider how well the other guy was playing in their end,” Brind’Amour said of Andersen. “It was a goalie matchup, and they were going save for save. And we needed it, right? Otherwise, this thing could look a lot different. Freddie, it’s probably the best hockey he’s played for us since being a Hurricane.”
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The offense struggled overall. Drake Batherson was the top player, with three goals and an assist. The only other player who scored in the series was Dylan Cozens , with two goals. Tkachuk did not earn a point in the series, and ended with 13 penalty minutes in the series and a minus-four plus/minus rating. While the offense struggled, Senators coach Travis Green was happy with the performance of his team.
“We probably played a lot better than last year, and even though we lost four in a row, it’s a different series,” Green said. “I think we’ve taken a lot of steps this year to really having a lot of belief that we’re a lot closer than we were.”
The Senators have made the playoffs in back-to-back years after missing the playoffs for seven straight seasons. They will look to make it three seasons in a row in playoffs in 2027.
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