The Ottawa Senators will begin their 2024-25 season against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at Canadian Tire Centre on Oct. 10. The franchise will be relying on their young superstar duo of Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle to lead the Senators back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017. Trading for 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark also adds more excitement for the fans and team.
However, despite the optimism among the fan base and team, the grind to reach the playoffs will be tough for Ottawa. The Atlantic Division has four elite teams in it, with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. All four teams had at least 98 points last season, so cracking the top three in the Atlantic will be tough for Ottawa.
The Senators will have a challenging season ahead of them. The hardest part of the schedule is a nine-game road trip less than halfway through the season starting on Dec. 17 against the Seattle Kraken. However, even with a daunting nine-game road trip and playing in a tough division, the Senators' schedule could be in their favor once April arrives.
The Senators have eight of their final nine games at home
When April 1 arrives, the Senators will have nine games remaining, but eight of the games will be at Canadian Tire Centre. Having that late stretch of playing at home can benefit them tremendously.
Ottawa's final nine games:
April 1 vs Buffalo Sabres
April 3 vs Tampa Bay Lightning
April 5 vs Florida Panthers
April 6 vs Columbus Blue Jackets
April 8 @ Columbus Blue Jackets
April 11 vs Montreal Canadiens
April 13 vs Philadelphia Flyers
April 15 vs Chicago Blackhawks
April 17 vs Carolina Hurricanes
The fact that Ottawa will only have one road game and one back-to-back helps them. Sure, there is one back-to-back, but both games are at home. The only road game is against the Blue Jackets who finished in the bottom of the league last season. The Senators also host the Blue Jackets, so the Senators might find themselves playing a bad team from last season at the right time.
Being at home at this time could help Ottawa clinch a potential playoff spot early if things go well. It also could help them climb up in the standings if the team is not out of playoff contention when April begins. April is a very important month for teams to start playing their best hockey before the playoffs start.
What also helps in the final nine games is that three playoff teams from 2024 will be on the schedule. In the final game against the Hurricanes, it could be possible that they will be playing for nothing if they have the Metropolitan Division clinched or their playoff spot secured. The possibility of Ottawa needing to win the final game against the Hurricanes is also a thought. If the Hurricanes are playing for nothing, they could rest some starters.
April will be an important month for the Senators. If the Senators are in playoff contention when April arrives, playing eight of the final nine games at home gives the Senators a great chance to win games.