Senators look to put loss to Avalanche behind them, snap skid with playoffs near

Colorado Avalanche defenceman Keaton Middleton, right, pressures Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk, centre, as he swings for the puck in front of goaltender Scott Wedgewood during third period NHL action, Thursday, March 20, 2025 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk fully expects his squad to rebound after a tough loss Thursday night.

Ottawa fell 5-1 to the Colorado Avalanche, losing its second in a row after a six-game winning streak. The Senators (36-27-5) are desperate to put an end to a seven-year playoff drought and can ill afford too many off nights with just 14 games remaining.

“Nothing but positivity, belief, trust in this group,” said Tkachuk. “And, you know, (things) like this happen. It’s just all about responding and bouncing back next opportunity we have.”

The Senators, who currently hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, got some help from the out-of-town scoreboard on Thursday.

The Montreal Canadiens’ 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders keeps them three points back in the final wild-card spot, while the New York Rangers, trailing by five points, lost 4-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Islanders are also five points back of Ottawa.

Linus Ullmark, who surrendered four goals on 13 shots in Thursday’s loss, has now dropped his last two starts.

Senators head coach Travis Green pulled Ullmark late in the first period, believing it was the right move and an opportunity to get Anton Forsberg some ice time. Despite the change, Green remains confident in his starting goaltender.

“I think there’s probably a couple goals that he’d like to have back,” Green said. “He’s played a lot of hockey for us. He’s going to be great for us again.”

The Senators, who are back in action Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils, will look to avoid allowing their two-game skid to build any further.

“This is where you get to a slippery slope,” said Tkachuk. “If you think that we’re going into Saturday and we’re going to lose, it’s just not the case.

“You’ve got to put it behind us. It’s a fresh game, new game, new opportunity and an opportunity for us to make an impact on the game and get back to our winning ways.”

Despite falling behind early, Tkachuk spoke of the team’s ability to remain positive and supportive of one another, something their head coach believes is crucial at this time of year.

“You’ve also got to be able to, at this time of year, move on from games as well but also learn from them,” Green said. “And you know, we will tomorrow. We’ll talk to our group after we watch the game but it does sting when you lose.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2025.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press