The Ottawa Senators are battling for every point as they chase a Wild Card spot, but Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t help their cause.
The defeat left Ottawa just one point outside the playoff line, and the game also featured a moment that quickly grabbed attention across the NHL.
Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk Caught Off Guard
During the second period of Tampa Bay’s comeback win, Brady Tkachuk found himself in an unusual exchange with Lightning forward Yanni Gourde.
The sequence unfolded when Gourde tried to elevate the puck near the crease, but Senators goaltender James Reimer caught it in his glove. As play stopped, Tkachuk came in from behind and gave Gourde a shove.
While the officials stepped in to separate them, Gourde responded by delivering a quick slap to Tkachuk’s face, a moment that immediately sparked reactions from fans watching on national television.
Yanni Gourde just straight up open-hand slapped Brady Tkachuk? 😭🖐️ pic.twitter.com/ZWjxwkulnz
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 28, 2026
The incident became one of the most talked-about moments of the game, though the action on the ice ultimately told the bigger story. The Lightning later erased a two-goal deficit, turning the game around in the second period before securing the win in the third.
Ottawa jumped out to an early lead when Dylan Cozens scored just 18 seconds in, and Jordan Spence made it 2-0 minutes later.
Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel cut the deficit in the second. Charles-Édouard D’Astous tied the game off a pass from Gourde. The Lightning completed the comeback in the third. Emil Lilleberg gave them the lead, and Jake Guentzel added an insurance goal set up by Corey Perry.
Senators head coach Travis Green pointed to missed opportunities after the game. “Back-and-forth game. I really liked our first period. I thought we had a lot of jump in our game. I thought they pushed in the second, and we came up on the short side in the third,” Green said.
He added, “We pride ourselves on playing 60 minutes…. I didn’t like giving up that third goal. I thought we didn’t manage the puck that well in the offensive zone a few times and it stung us.”
Despite the loss, Ottawa has engineered one of the league’s better turnarounds. After sitting near the bottom of the Atlantic Division in early February, the Senators have gone 15-3-2 in their last 20 games, keeping pace in a tight Wild Card race in the East.
They’ll now look to bounce back when they face the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
ALSO READ: Ex-Blues D-Man Defends Matthew and Brady Tkachuk’s Divisive Cash-For-Autographs Event
