Ottawa Senators dominate the Brady Tkachuk bowl: four takeaways from Wednesday's game

The Ottawa Senators went into Wednesday’s game with the intensity of a playoff matchup, as they were facing their former captain Brady Tkachuk for the first time since his departure. To say the atmosphere in the arena was electric would be an understatement; it seemed as if it was the most talked-about hockey game in years, given how much social media engagement it had. The Senators came out on top against the Florida Panthers, 5-1, in a stellar overall team performance from Ottawa. Here are some of the key takeaways from last night’s victory.

If Senators fans don’t like you, you’ll know

Right from the moment Tkachuk took the ice with the Panthers in warmup last night, boos rained down upon him. He was a part of the starting lineup, so boos happened then too. Then, things got much more creative, with ten-plus chants being used throughout the game; some to do with his podcast, being overrated, being a sellout, and many more. Not only did fans of the team get their money’s worth, but it seemed as though many fanbases around the league enjoyed it too, with many on social media coming together to enjoy the drubbing Brady took on the ice and from the fans.

Linus Ullmark leaves the game with an injury

After the first goal, Linus Ullmark was able to settle into the game and do what he’s been doing very well all season: stop pucks. Then, four minutes into the third period, Ullmark stretched out to make a routine save and went down in some discomfort. To the untrained eye, it looked like he tweaked his groin and, because of that, needed to be helped off the ice by teammates, as he wasn’t able to put weight on it. As of this morning, there has been no roster move to call up goaltender Jonas Johansson, but with the Senators playing the San Jose Sharks Thursday evening, it wouldn’t come as a surprise.

The return of Jake Sanderson

Jake Sanderson played his first game since he suffered an injury in the first game of the season, and he didn’t look like he missed a step. Sanderson is the linchpin of the Senators’ offence, as he is able to drive play from the backend and move the puck with ease. With two assists in his return, Ottawa’s mediocre level of play in his absence makes a lot more sense. On the defensive side of the puck, Sanderson was as good as fans would expect him to be, winning board battles, successfully boxing out in front of the net, and successfully transitioning pucks out. The Senators are a far better team when Sanderson is on the ice, and last night, it was apparent.

Dylan Cozens starting to put it together

Dylan Cozens has struggled to produce on the scoresheet recently, coming into Wednesday’s game with only two points. Last night was the best game Cozens has played all season, as he looked like the player fans have become accustomed to. He was engaged in the physical side, skated hard, and was able to get on the scoresheet with a beautiful assist on Warren Foegele’s goal. It’s a long season, and Cozens has a lot of runway to bounce back; if he plays like he did last night, he’ll be scoring in bunches very soon.

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