Ottawa Senators 2025 Playoff Run

On December 22, 2024, I published my 2025 predictions here: https://shailpaliwal.wixsite.com/website/post/2025-predictions-december-22-2024  among which was that the Ottawa Senators would make the NHL playoffs, which they did. 

Ok, it wasn’t really a playoff “run” in that the Ottawa Senators were eliminated after the first round of the 2025 playoffs, but this season did mark a return to the playoffs after an eight year absence.  The excitement surrounding the team was palpable and that’s worth writing about.  

The city was abuzz with excitement in the weeks leading up to the playoffs, as the team had clinched a playoff spot early on.  And then the playoff match-ups were set and the Senators would face the Toronto Maple Leafs in that first round; a rematch of the epic playoff battles between Ottawa and Toronto in the early 2000s, where they met in the playoffs four times in five seasons. Toronto had beaten Ottawa in each of those four series and so you can imagine that Sens Nation had a deep dislike for the Leafs. Fans were looking forward to the 2025 series, as the Senators had beaten the Leafs all three times during the 2024-25 regular season.  There was also excitement because it was the playoff debut for many of the Senators young core of stars like team captain Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle; and the team now had goaltender Linus Ullmark. Ullmark, a former Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s best goalie from a few years back, was the best goalie Ottawa had on the roster in many seasons.  The Senators also had veteran Claude Giroux, who as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers had many epic playoff battles against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins over his career.  The Senators fans were particularly excited about seeing the debut of “playoff Brady Tkachuk”. Tkachuk’s style of play was suited for playoff hockey and he was expected to be a difference maker.  

The Toronto Maple Leafs had been to the playoffs four years in a row with the same core of players, led by Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.  These Leafs’ teams had disappointed their fans by not advancing deep into the playoffs in any of those four previous seasons.  Nothing would make Senators’ fans more happy than sending the Leafs home early from the playoffs, yet again.  

The Leafs were the higher seed for the playoffs and so the first two games in the series would be in Toronto.  Game One was a disappointment for Senators’ fans, as the Leafs won handily, 6-2, and were clearly the better team.  The Senators looked nervous and you could tell many players on the team were playing in their first playoff game.  Game Two was a much closer match; the Senators carried much of the play, and we saw the Senators team that had dominated the Leafs in the regular season.  Despite their strong play in Game Two, the Senators lost the game in overtime.  

Games Three and Four were held in Ottawa and I was fortunate to attend both games. The Canadian Tire Centre, where the Senators play their home games, was absolutely electric as the fans were excited to see their first home playoff game in eight seasons.  The team did a great job with the game production and that helped excite the crowd.  Video clips of past matches between the Senators and the Leafs were shown throughout the evening, and on the television broadcasts, and that got the fans fired up. The Senators played well and the game was entertaining, but the home fans went home disappointed as the Leafs won Game Three in overtime.  The Sens were now down 3-0 in the Best of Seven series, and at that point the Senators were one game away from being eliminated.  Despite the dire situation, the players, coaches and fans remained optimistic. The team had played well in Games Two and Three and could have easily won both of those games.  Everyone preached "one game at a time", and that's the approach the Senators had to take.

Game Four had even more excitement than Game Three - it was pure electricity!  The Senators got out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Leafs scored a goal late in the first period to cut the lead to one goal.  The Leafs then tied it the second; the Senators took the lead again in the third period, only to have the Leafs tie up the game again.  The game was a rollercoaster ride for all, to this point. Game Four went to overtime, for the second game in a row, but Senators fans went home happy as defenseman Jake Sanderson scored late in the first overtime period to win it for the Senators.  With that win, the series stood at three games to one for the Leafs.  Game Five was to be played in Toronto.  Senators’ captain Brady Tkachuk was one of the stars of Game Four and when he came out to acknowledge his game star he motioned to the crowd, “we’ll be back, we’ll be back”, effectively promising the fans at the Canadian Tire Centre that the Senators were going to win Game Five in Toronto.  

Game Five in Toronto was the Senators’ best game of the series.  They dominated play throughout the game and won handily 4-0.  Even though the series stood at three games to two for the Leafs, optimism ran high in Sens Nation because of the team’s play in Game Five. And, Brady Tkachuk had kept his promise to bring the series back to Ottawa for a Game Six.  While optimism was high in Sens Nation, the naysayers were out in full force in Leafs nation. The Leafs had just lost at home and did not look good in that game.  Leafs’ fans were worried about a first round exit from the playoffs. 

I was fortunate to attend Game Six in Ottawa. The atmosphere was again electric.  We got to the arena early and participated in the pre-game festivities in the Senators’ “Red Zone” outside the arena.  The fans were enjoying inexpensive beer and hot dogs in the Red Zone, enthusiastic about the Senators chances in Game Six.  Everyone was still excited about the Senators emphatic win in Toronto in Game Five, and with Game Six at home, the Senators had to win, right?  Game Six started out rough for the Senators as the Leafs scored late in the first period and again early in the second period, putting the Senators down 2-0. But then later in the second period Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, bringing the crowd to life.  The building exploded in the third period as David Perron scored to tie the game.  Those sitting around me all agreed the Senators were going to win this game and force a Game Seven.  But two minutes later the Leafs scored, to go up 3-2. They added an empty-netter and sealed the Game Six victory for the Leafs, and in the process eliminated the Senators from the playoffs.  

It was no doubt a disappointing end to the season, but none of the fans left the game early. The arena remained full as the final buzzer signalled the end of the game and the end of the Senators' season. There were chants of “Brady, Brady, Brady” after the game. The players all gathered at centre ice to salute the fans and the fans cheered enthusiastically, thanking the players for a great season.  It was a fitting way to end the season, in which the Senators returned to playoff hockey. By contrast, about two weeks later the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the next round of the playoffs, marking the fifth season in a row that the Leafs exited the playoffs earlier than expected.  I watched that final game of the Leafs’ season on television.  Leafs’ fans left the final game early, once the outcome of the game in favour of the Panthers was pretty much settled.  As the game ended the Leafs fan that remained in the arena boo-ed the players during the post-game handshake.  Leaf jerseys were thrown on the ice in frustration.  It was diametrically opposite to the reaction the Senators fans had when the Senators were eliminated from the playoffs.  The Leafs fans were disgusted with their team while the Senators fans showed their appreciation.  It’s no wonder a player like Mitch Marner, who’s from Toronto, left the Leafs and signed with another team.  It’s a terrible, classless way for the fans to treat their team.  The Senators players will remember the class their fans showed when their season ended.  Now, if the Senators team expectations become as high as those for the Leafs, and the Senators also have some premature exits, we’ll see if class still exudes from Sens Nation.  I have a feeling it will, as expectations were high in the early 2000s when the Senators kept getting eliminated from the playoffs by the hated Leafs.  There was no booing the players then.  The team rewarded fan loyalty by reaching the Stanley Cup finals in the 2006-07 season, and again in 2016-17 when the Senators came within double overtime of reaching the Stanley Cup finals in that season.  The 2025 playoff brought excitement back to Sens Nation, and the team and fans knew it.