Senators’ captain Brady Tkachuk calls this season ‘tough and frustrating’
‘We expected to be in a different spot than we are. I’m not going to lie to you, I’m disappointed’
The way this season has played out is tough for Brady Tkachuk to swallow.
But, now it’s not about how the Ottawa Senators arrived at the destination that will have them miss the playoffs for the seventh straight year, it’s about how they finish what’s left of this season.
With 20 games remaining, the Senators woke up Monday 18 points behind the New York Islanders for the final wildcard spot in the East after seeing their winless skid extended to seven straight after a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks Saturday.
As they prepare to host the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Canadian Tire Centre Tuesday night, the Senators are a long way from the club everybody expected would push for a playoff spot this spring.
I asked Tkachuk after the club’s skate Monday at the Bell Sensplex if this is the most disappointment he’s felt since he arrived in Ottawa six years ago with where the Senators are right now?
“Absolutely. It’s been tough and it’s been frustrating,” Tkachuk said. “Of course, we expected to be in a different spot than we are. I’m not going to lie to you, I’m disappointed, I don’t know if that’s the right word because there’s a lot of words to describe what we’re in right now.
“But, like I said, it’s going to show character and who you are right down to the core for these last 20 games. We have to show the effort and represent this amazing city that I love playing for.”
The Senators haven’t won since a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights Feb. 24 at home and have gone through a difficult stretch here. The loss to the Sharks Saturday stretched the club’s record outside the Eastern time zone this season to 0-13-1.
The club didn’t look good against the Sharks after picking up a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings Thursday. There’s too much time left in the season for the Senators to just wave the white towel and let the year completely slip away just the club can get a better draft pick.
Tkachuk said the approach has to be the same every night and the Senators have got to give a consistent effort. What does the attitude have to be?
“Positivity. You can’t do anything about what’s already happened,” said Tkachuk. “It’s over and done with. These are moments you have to learn from. It’s going to show how we play for the logo, the pride that we have and what we’ve preached the last few years about never giving up no matter what the outcome of the game.
“These last 20 games are going to show that.”
Tkachuk is right. As stated in this space Monday, the way the Senators finish this season will give Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, and owner Michael Andlauer a good idea of exactly what type of character the club has in its dressing room.
“I think we’ve out-chanced our opponents the last two games and we’re getting opportunities but maybe we have to be better getting second and third opportunities,” said interim coach Jacques Martin. “We have to simplify our game. We’ve got to look at our roles on the team and play within that role on the team.”
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