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Senators' Brady Tkachuk Sends 'Tough' Message After NHL Playoffs Elimination
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- Senators' Brady Tkachuk Sends 'Tough' Message After NHL Playoffs Elimination
The Ottawa Senators entered their second consecutive postseason looking to build on a late-season push that secured their place in the Eastern Conference field and aiming to improve last year's six-game elimination outcome.
Instead, the Senators' playoff run ended even quicker than in 2025, this time against the Carolina Hurricanes , continuing a trend that has now carried into back-to-back seasons.
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Ottawa was eliminated from contention on Saturday following a 4-2 loss in Game 4, completing a four-game sweep in the first-round series against the Canes.
Although the Senators kept the games tight and never lost by more than two goals, Ottawa was unable to break through, and a glaring lack of goal-scoring prowess—the Senators scored five goals in four games, never more than two—doomed them.
Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) during a stoppage of play.Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The disappointing outcome left Senators captain Brady Tkachuk facing questions immediately after the final horn, with the forward discussing the elimination during his postgame media availability.
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"I didn't want our season to be over," Tkachuk said. "It's just really tough, just didn't want it to be over."
Added Tkachuk: "It's kind of the same (as last year). It's heartbreaking. You just come in, you want to just win a Stanley Cup, and everyone believes that in here, and for it to be this tight of a series and not go away every game, it's really tough."
Ottawa pushed Game 2 into double overtime and dropped Game 3 by a single goal, but could not turn any of those efforts into wins.
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"Really tight series," Tkachuk said. "Give credit to them. They're a great team, play hard, don't give you much. I think everybody in this room gave absolutely everything they had to try to extend the series, and it's tough."
Last year, Ottawa fell behind 3-0 against the Toronto Maple Leafs before eventually losing in six games. This time, the series did not extend beyond four.
Related: Sidney Crosby Sends Encouraging Message After Penguins' Game 4 Win
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Related: Stars Announce Nils Lundkvist News After 'Deep' Facial Cut in Game 4
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
