This might not be the match-up they desired but nonetheless, it’s the match-up they get.
The Ottawa Senators land the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round of the playoffs, which will likely start this coming Saturday in Raleigh, NC.
On paper it appears to be a mismatch – the Eastern Conference’s top seed, in Carolina, facing the No. 8 seed, in Ottawa.
“If you don’t play a contending team in the first round, you might have to face them in another round, if you’re going to win the cup,” Drake Batherson said to Postmedia. “No matter who we play, it’s going to be a tough series.”
Good point.
But in reality, is Ottawa necessarily much of a ‘dog?’
The Senators enter the post-season with a couple of edges rolling their way: One, they are one of the NHL’s top performing clubs since the calendar turn back in January, and two, this is a team that gained valuable experience last season at this time when they were ousted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round.
No bunnies in the headlights in 2026.
“I like how we match up against them. No matter who we play, we’re looking forward to it,” Batherson added.
And when you think about it, just making it to this point is a major triumph for the Senators. Wasn’t it back after the Christmas break where most (if not all, including here) were slotting Ottawa into the another-season-lost class? The team was slogging along well back of the contenders and thoughts of the post-season were tagged as being ridiculous.
In late January, Ottawa sat as far back as nine-freakin’ points of a playoff rung.
Well then, welcome to ridiculous.
Now we could further roll on at this juncture into a 1,000- or 2,000-word playout describing and breaking down how and who and what this Canes-Sens set-to would eventually become, but we’ll leave that to the highly paid analytics experts to sort out.
Instead?
It would be a crime not to recognize and credit what has already occurred here in the nation’s capital. And what exactly has occurred here is a Jack Adams (coach of the year, folks) season for head coach Travis Green.
And isn’t it ironic, Alanis Morissette, that Green’s had the type of year his opposite number across the pond has grown accustomed to?
Travis Green meet Rod Brind’Amour.
The coaching-style similarities between the two are striking.
The manner in which the two teams play appropriately reflect the hammer-and-tong approach of their respective coaches: Structure, tempo, defensive awareness, puck possession and determination.
When you watch Carolina-Ottawa you’re likely to see those similarities in real time, and that’s due to the way they’re coached.
With Carolina, they’ve been playing this way for years. That’s why they’ve made it to the post-season in eight consecutive seasons.
With Ottawa?
I’m not about to throw former head coach D.J. Smith under the bus here but check out the difference in structure between the Senators now, and the Senators then.
Night and day.
“I mean, he’s taught us how to play the right way,” blueliner Jake Sanderson said this past week. “I think a few years ago, if we were in a situation like we were this year, we probably wouldn’t have gotten in. Just the maturity of every single guy. I think, with a lot of D-men hurt, give credit to the guys that stepped up, but honestly, our forwards shut things down, they didn’t give up much, they played tight-checking hockey, and they gave us a chance to win every single night.”
Coach?
“There’s a lot of components that go into our game, and it’s playing like a team,” Green said. “It’s not one line, it’s not (Pinto’s) line, it’s not Timmy (Stutzle’s) line, it’s not (Dylan) Cozens,’ we’ve got a really good fourth. Like, I think we win and lose as a team. And that’s probably why our team is as close as they are. They understand that as well, and there’s no egos in the room.”
The forward groupings had to pick up the pace, defensively, given the plague of injuries the defence has gone through, and is still going through, this year. Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Tyler Kleven and Nick Jensen – and that’s just the regular cast – have all been sidelined.
But that old team concept of team defence stood tall.
Credit to the coaching staff.
It would be a major surprise if the former Maple Leaf agitator (remember those days Ottawa?) actually won the Jack Adams, but he is certainly deserving of a Top-3 nod, at the very least.
My three nominees would be Green, old Scarborough friend Rick Tocchet in Philly and Lindy Ruff in Buffalo. Honorable mentions to Dan Muse (Pittsburgh) and the great Jon Cooper (Tampa).
thegrossgame@yahoo.com
Photo: Courtesy Post Media
