The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are days away. The excitement for the Ottawa Senators and their fans are at an all-time high.
The Senators are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. In the first round, the Senators will be matched up with their most hated rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sometimes it's hard to not look ahead at future playoff opponents before the playoffs start. Teams and their fans will want to know who could be potential playoff opponents down the road. For the Senators, one potential second round opponent is something hockey fans have been wanting to see happen for years.
Tkachuk brothers facing off in playoffs is something fans want to see
Keith Tkachuk left a strong impact in the NHL. In 1,201 career games, Keith totaled for 1,065 points. Today, his two sons Matthew and Brady are two of the NHL's most popular players.
Fans want to see the Tkachuk brothers face off against each other in the Stanley Cup Playoffs at some point for the first time ever. It could potentially happen in the second round of the 2025 playoffs.
Brady will have a tough task dealing with the Maple Leafs in the first round. However, the Senators have won all three meetings against the Maple Leafs this season. Over the past two years, the Senators have won six of the last seven meetings against the Maple Leafs.
For Matthew, his Florida Panthers will attempt to win back-to-back Stanley Cups for the first time since the Tampa Bay Lightning did it in 2020 and 2021. Ironically, the Panthers will play the Lightning in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.
In a twist for the first round, Brady has the Battle of Ontario and Matthew has the Battle of Florida. Some might say that's a coincidence for the Tkachuk brothers in the playoffs.
If the Senators defeat the Maple Leafs and the Panthers defeat the Lightning in the first round, it would then lead to the Tkachuk brothers facing off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in their careers.
This season, the Senators won two of the three meetings against the Panthers this season. But, if the Tkachuk brothers were to play in round two, the Panthers would have home ice advantage. In the only meeting in Florida between the Senators and Panthers, the Panthers scored five unanswered goals to win 5-1 on Feb. 8.
The 2025 playoffs will be full with buzz and anticipation. A series between the Tkachuk brothers is something fans have been wanting to see, but both Tkachuk brothers will need to win their first round series to set up the playoff series in round two.