Days after a heartbreaking defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Ottawa Senators are cleaning out their lockers. Players, including team captain Brady Tkachuk, spoke to the media about their playoff experience and their hopes for next season. “Obviously, this year has been way different in what we’ve been able to accomplish,” Tkachuk said. “I’m still not over it to be honest. I still wish we were playing Game 7 tonight.” It’s been a long road for many players, with this being the first time the team made the playoffs since 2017 While it was a successful season, the team is looking back on what could have been. Veteran forward Claude Giroux joined the team in 2022, missing the playoff his first two years. The 37-year-old is a pending free agent but says he loves the team and the city. He hopes to be back next season and push for another post-season berth. “When we tied it up in the third in Game 6, I thought we weren’t going to lose that game,” Giroux said. “We’re sitting here right now a little frustrated and disappointed, but we’re still proud of what we did. Giroux was one of only a handful of players with playoff experience. Notable players on the team like Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, Drake Batherson and Tim Stützle all got their first taste this season. Stützle says he had to adjust his game to help the team aside from just putting the puck in the net. “Everybody was willing to do anything for the team and that was myself included,” Stützle said. “I think nobody cared who was going to score and nobody cared who’s going to get a point, it was just everything for the team. The team also notes that a big part of their success this season came from their fans. “There’s a big change and you get to feel like there’s an excitement, there’s some hope about the playoffs,” Ullmark said. “You get to see the playoffs and get to feel how much louder it was here compared to Toronto, for example. It was an awesome thing to hear and see.” Defenceman Thomas Chabot added that the fans are a big reason why they made it to the first round in the first place. “It was fun to see, obviously, the supports there all season and everything, but it took such a big step for the playoffs,” he said. The NHL’s offseason begins on July 1, as fans hope to add some talent to an already playoff-proven roster. With the team a taste of playoff hockey, Tkachuk says he’s eager to get back next season with that experience under their belt. “I know we’re going to get better internally and we’re just going to get better overall so that when that time comes next year, we’re not just happy to be in the playoffs – we want more.”
