The Ottawa Senators may have dropped a 4-1 decision to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, but the night still ended with their playoff hopes very much alive.
Despite getting battered, Ottawa benefited from favorable results around the Eastern Conference, allowing them to hold onto their playoffs spot.
Ottawa Senators’ Playoff Outlook
Led by captain Brady Tkachuk, the Senators entered the night clinging to a narrow lead for the final Wild Card spot. Although they couldn’t secure points at home, the out-of-town scoreboard worked in their favor.
The Columbus Blue Jackets fell 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets, and the New York Islanders dropped a 4-3 game to the Carolina Hurricanes. As a result, Ottawa remained in the second Wild Card position with 88 points. With games in hand over both Columbus and New York, the Senators still control their own destiny. Win out, and they’re in.
Game Recap: Wild 4, Senators 1
On the ice, Minnesota dictated the pace. Jonas Brodin opened the scoring midway through the first period when his shot deflected off Linus Ullmark and then off Nikolas Matinpalo’s skate. Ryan Hartman made it 2-0 later in the period, finishing a rush created by a turnover from Jordan Spence, with Mats Zuccarello providing the assist.
Hartman struck again in the second period off another Zuccarello feed to extend the lead to 3-0. Jake Middleton added a fourth goal early in the third, beating Ullmark with a wrist shot from the left circle. Drake Batherson finally got Ottawa on the board late, redirecting a shot from Lassi Thomson while falling, making it 4-1.
Tkachuk led Ottawa’s push with a game-high seven shots on goal but couldn’t spark a comeback.
Head coach Travis Green felt the score didn’t fully reflect his team’s early effort.
“It was kind of a weird game,” Green said. “I thought we did some really good things in the first period; it was unfortunate that we came out of it down two. Gotta give their team credit, they played well. That’s a good hockey team over there.”
Adding to the atmosphere at Canadian Tire Centre was the presence of Mark Carney, who was spotted in attendance supporting the home side.
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Despite the defeat, Ottawa’s playoff path remains clear. The Senators will now quickly turn their attention to a key matchup against the Hurricanes. Every point from here on out could determine their postseason fate. With help from elsewhere and games in hand, the opportunity is still firmly within reach.
