Senators start rolling as healthy Tkachuk adds spark

OTTAWA — Just over a week ago Travis Green was asked what more his team could do after losing three straight games.

At the time the Ottawa Senators coach felt other than score more goals his team was playing fairly well and just needed to keep doing the same things. Fast forward and now the Senators (17-13-4) are on a three-game winning streak and the coach is sticking to his message.

The streak marks the first time since Oct. 27 that Ottawa’s been able to win three in a row.

With two games remaining before the Christmas break the Senators would love nothing more than to add four more points to work their way backup the highly contested Eastern Conference standings.

“We just need to keep playing our game, and good things will happen,” said Green. “And at the end of the night, if you play, if we play the way we can we’ll win more than we lose.”

The Senators are also benefiting from some of their key players finding their way back into form.

After missing 20 games due to hand surgery, Brady Tkachuk seems to have regained his rhythm and that not only benefits the captain but his linemates.

Tkachuk now has four goals and one assist in his last five games, and five goals and six assists in the 10 games since his return.

In Tkachuk’s absence there was no doubt Tim Stutzle felt the pressure to do more, but in the end the young centre just wasn’t playing his own game. With Tkachuk back on his wing the duo have been difficult to contain.

In Saturday afternoon’s 6-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa’s top line of Tkachuk, Stutzle and Fabian Zetterlund generated 16 shots. Tkachuk had nine.

Stutzle is playing with confidence and being rewarded. He’s riding a six-game point streak, with five goals and eight assists.

“I felt like we just kept it simple, pulling pucks behind and didn’t really turn over anything,” Stutzle said. “Hunting pucks. (Tkachuk) did a great job just keeping the puck down low, and you make them tired like that. So, I think I really liked our game so far.”

The Senators have been doing a better job of winning the battles that can ultimately be the difference after 60 minutes.

“I mean, obviously, (Tkachuk) is really good at it so having him on my line helps a lot and he just protects the puck so well,” added Stutzle. “So, it’s easy for me to try and get open.”

While a number of teams have also been dealing with injuries the Senators have been without some key players since the first week of the season. First, they lost Tkachuk, then Thomas Chabot went down and missed 12 games and they remain without Shane Pinto and now Tyler Kleven could be added to the list after leaving the game against Chicago with a lower-body injury.

Chabot returned to the lineup against Chicago and had an immediate impact, setting up Tkachuk with a great pass in the high slot that led to a goal.

“I mean, no better feeling than playing hockey,” said Chabot, who played 26:37 in his return after the Senators found themselves with just five defencemen. “Honestly, it was a long 28 days, or I guess 27 days, but I’m happy to be back. I’m happy to be playing hockey.”

Being injured Chabot had the chance to observe the team’s play and has liked what he’s seen and feels the players just need to keep doing more of the same.

“It’s just about trusting and playing our game as consistently as we can,” Chabot said. “And when we play a game like we did (against Chicago) or anybody else, I have the trust in our group, and I’ll put our game up against anybody.”

The Senators face the Boston Bruins Sunday, who will also be playing the back half of a back-to-back, and are ahead of Ottawa in the standings, and then host the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 23 before they enjoy the holiday break.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2025.