In a tantalizing playoff game that put everyone’s nerves to the test, the Carolina Hurricanes ultimately emerged victorious 3-2 over the Ottawa Senators in a double overtime game on Monday night, which will go down as the third-longest playoff game in Sens history.
The defeat stings all the more because Brady Tkachuk virtually set the stage for the Hurricanes to score a power-play goal, thanks to the Ottawa captain getting penalized for roughing up Sebastian Aho. Tkachuk was on the receiving end of significant backlash for his conduct on the ice during a critical playoff game.
Social Media Responds to Brady Tkachuk Penalty After Canes’ Win
For a big part of the season, the Senators were forced to play without their captain as he recuperated from his injury. Tkachuk only returned to the lineup in late November, but since then, questions have arisen about his leadership, and he has been frequently criticized for taking one too many penalties.
In the Monday night showdown against the Hurricanes, Tkachuk was penalized for two minutes for roughing Sebastian Aho at 5:14 of the first period. Subsequently, power play ensued, and Logan Stankoven scored at 6:31. The Sens captain’s action triggered widespread backlash from journalists and commentators.
“You love to see stupid play being punished,” journalist Adam Gretz shared on X.
You love to see stupid play being punished. https://t.co/uhgJKLpI0F
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) April 21, 2026
Many in the Senators community believe that Tkachuk’s action did not warrant a penalty at all, especially in a playoff game. But from a neutral standpoint, the winger should have seen it coming. “Sens fans saying this isn’t a penalty,” Mike Veenie stated.
Over the two playoff games the Senators have played against the Hurricanes, Tkachuk has already spent seven minutes in the penalty box. While he contributions towards the team aren’t up for question, to truly lead and make a difference, he needs to be on the ice, not in the penalty box.
“When we talk about a selfishness penalty, it looks like this. That’s not strong coming from the captain,” Kevin Lefrancois wrote, claiming that the standout winger’s action surely took a toll on the Senators’ chances against the Hurricanes.
Quand on parle d’une pénalité d’égoïsme, ça ressemble à ça. C’est pas fort venant du capitaine. 🤦♂️ https://t.co/rBysnLd5CP
— Kevin Lefrançois (@KevinLefrancois) April 21, 2026
Mike Commito took a dig at the Senators captain by sharing a visual of Tkachuk with the caption, “Its dumb, dumb.”
Tkachuk’s physical play brings a sense of urgency to the Senators, but the need of the hour is to adopt a more balanced approach to Carolina. The Hurricanes are seasoned playoff performers who are desperate to lift the Stanley Cup after getting real close to the finale seven times on the bounce.
Consequently, Nikolaj Ehlers and company maintained their momentum throughout Game 2, even as it stretched into double overtime, ultimately taking the win. All things considered, the Senators still have a good chance of turning things around in the next showdown, provided they avoid making hasty, ill-considered moves.
But to do that, Brady Tkachuk will need to maintain some composure with Ottawa 0-2 in the series.
DON’T MISS: Hall of Fame D-Man Still Putting Faith in Brady Tkachuk’s Senators Despite Lame Game 1 Loss to Carolina
