If they knew what was good for them, the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres would pray that the Ottawa Senators somehow miss out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Senators (42-27-10) are in a solid spot to nab one of two wild cards in the Eastern Conference. That would mean a date with the winner of either the Atlantic or Metropolitan Division.
If the Sens clinch a post-season berth in the coming days, the only clear advantage their Round 1 opponent will have in a seven-game series is home ice.
Ottawa, currently on a three-game winning streak after defeating the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Thursday, has been on a torrid pace most of 2026.
On Jan. 24, the Senators were second-last in the East, nine points behind the Boston Bruins for the final playoff position. The next day, they set off on a 19-6-3 run (and counting) to rocket up the standings.
Contenders roll four lines in the post-season, overwhelming opponents with a physical forecheck and dizzying O zone cycle, wave after wave.
Against the Panthers on Thursday, it was Ottawa’s bottom trio, led by Fabian Zetterlund, doing exactly that.
Zetterlund scored twice, drew a tripping penalty that resulted in Ottawa’s first goal, and had two blocks and a plus-2 rating in 11:48 of ice time.
His linemates were no slouches. Lars Eller did all of the hard work ahead of Zetterlund’s 2-0 goal, twice spinning off of checks along the wall before feeding his teammate in the slot. Warren Foegele, as per usual, was first in on dump-ins and a force in puck battles.
“I thought they were probably our best line tonight,” coach Travis Green said. “Spent a lot more time in the offensive zone. I thought Z had a great game, won a lot of puck battles, played on his toes, played a heavy game, and you get rewarded.”
Senators getting healthy at right time
After a barrage of injuries to the defence corps threatened to cut their Cinderella story short in March, the Senators are getting healthier by the day, key players re-entering the lineup just in time for the final push.
Jake Sanderson has five points (two goals, three assists) in four games since returning from an apparent shoulder injury and has looked every bit of the Norris Trophy-calibre defenceman he was before going down.
Medical marvel Thomas Chabot gained confidence with each shift in his return from a broken forearm against the Panthers, just two weeks after having surgery.
There is no update on Tyler Kleven, still yet to practice with the team after taking a puck to the face last Thursday against the Sabres, but who knows how quickly he could make a comeback if he gets on Chabot’s healing regimen.
What is the scariest thing about facing the Senators?
The scariest thing about the Senators is simply how they approach the game.
There are zero dissenters to Green’s structure and strategy — the stars, defensive specialists and depth guys have each bought in — and very few passengers on a nightly basis.
The Sens grind teams down with relentless puck pursuit and a tenacity in board battles seldom matched by their opponents.
And whereas goaltending nearly tanked their season in the first half, it has become a strength in these past couple months.
Since returning from a leave of absence for mental health reasons on Jan. 31, Linus Ullmark is tied for the most wins in the NHL with a record of 13-4-3. His .900 save percentage is several points above league average.
After a controversial decision to rest and dress as the backup in a must-win game two weeks ago, Ullmark is now proving he can handle a heavy workload, making six consecutive starts, including back-to-back games last weekend.
Perhaps what has held it all together this season, especially during the dark days of December and January, is the group’s unity.
‘We’re 25 best friends’
Moments after his two-goal performance in a 6-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, Sanderson spoke about the team’s collective desire in an on-ice interview with TSN’s Claire Hanna.
“We’re 25 best friends in the locker room there,” Sanderson said. “And the best fans in the league, too, to get us fired up every single night. It’s pretty special here.”
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Forty-eight hours later, Zetterlund echoed that sentiment.
“I heard Sandy say it last game,” he told the crowd. “Twenty-five best friends in there and that’s what it is all about.”
While the Senators remain well in the fight for the post-season, three points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders for the second wild card, those who have already clinched are beginning to rest their top players.
The Hurricanes announced “undisclosed” injuries for seven players ahead of their most recent game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Sens may not have much time to rest and recuperate if they are to make the dance next week, but the transition into the most gruelling games of the season will be seamless.
Green was asked Thursday morning how long the team has been in playoff mode for.
“A while, yeah, months,” he said with a chuckle. “More than a few.”