Ottawa Senators start post-Brady Tkachuk era with 2-0 start after wins over Maple Leafs and Bruins

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

The Ottawa Senators are staking early claims in their first season since the departure of captain Brady Tkachuk, with the team entering their next slate in strong form after extending their unbeaten run to 2-0-0. According to NHL communications, Ottawa has opened the season by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and following that result with a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday at TD Garden.

In the early stretch of the post-Tkachuk period, the Senators have recorded seven goals while allowing three, establishing an immediate response to questions about how Ottawa could sustain its upward trajectory after losing a player who, over eight seasons with the franchise, produced 463 points in 572 games. The NHL account frames the fast start as an early answer to doubt about whether the team could keep progressing once Tkachuk was no longer in the lineup.

Senators forward Drake Batherson, as quoted in the NHL release, pointed to the team-first approach in its current rotation. “The belief’s always been there for us in this locker room, no matter who is in the lineup each night,” Batherson said, adding that Ottawa plays for each other and that the group becomes difficult to beat when that standard is met.

The NHL context also underscores that Ottawa’s early-season performance has not always matched its later form. The Senators began last season 2-4-1 through their first seven games, and the season before that they were 6-7-0 through their first 13 games, per the same NHL report—details that help explain why a quick start has become a focal point for the organization’s current planning.

Center Tim Stützle also addressed the need to build on early results rather than treating two games as a seasonal guarantee. “We didn’t like the way we started the last couple years,” Stützle said in the NHL release. “We always had to dig each other out of a hole… it was really important for us to have a good start,” while emphasizing that the team still needs to keep producing “team efforts” and maintain the right approach to keep winning.

While Ottawa’s record remains unblemished heading into its next contest, the Monday win over Boston came with a notable moment for goaltending. The NHL report states that goalie Linus Ullmark was taken out after the second period following a collision with JJ Peterka in the crease. Coach Travis Green characterized the decision as precautionary, saying it was “precautionary,” as quoted in the NHL coverage.

Green also linked the Senators’ early-season structure to work done during the offseason and into training camp, as presented in the NHL release. He said the team “revisited how we thought we played last year,” describing a shift back toward the style that made Ottawa successful during the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season, and added that Ottawa still has to “go out and play and play the right way.”

In Monday’s 4-1 victory at TD Garden, Stützle factored directly into Ottawa’s separation early. The NHL release details that Stützle scored his first two goals of the season in rapid succession: first a short-handed goal at 7:39 of the first period that began after a turnover by David Pastrnak led to a 2-on-1 with Michael Amadio, and then a second goal on another turnover that began with Stützle carrying the puck down the ice. The NHL account notes the puck crossed the line three seconds after the Bruins’ power play ended.

The timing of those goals was also highlighted. The NHL report says the two scores were the fastest pair by a Senator since Tkachuk accomplished the feat in 0:48 on Feb. 13, 2024. Stützle’s contributions continued as the NHL release credits him with three points overall, including an assist on Batherson’s goal at 1:06 of the second period.

Stützle’s performance carries franchise and career markers as well. The NHL release states that his three-point showing marked his 33rd career game with at least three points, which tied Tkachuk for fourth most in franchise history, while also noting that the total passed Erik Karlsson. Batherson, in the NHL account, praised Stützle’s skill set, describing him as “such a dynamic, skilled player that can skate,” and highlighting his agility and hockey “IQ.”

Looking ahead, Ottawa has one more road game scheduled before returning to its home rink. The NHL report says the Senators will play at Little Caesars Arena against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, with broadcast listings noted as DSN, TSN5, and RDS2. It then identifies Ottawa’s home opener as Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre.

The NHL release adds that the Senators do not have a guarantee of carrying the undefeated start into those games, while also noting Detroit is 0-2-0 to begin its season. Even so, Stützle, in the NHL report, projected confidence based on consistency, saying: “We’re really confident and if we keep playing the same way, like we ended last year, I think we have a good chance to win every night,” while stressing that Ottawa must keep playing as “a whole team.”