{"id":542224,"date":"2026-04-05T15:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T15:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/542224\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T15:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T15:08:14","slug":"senators-week-ahead-schedule-storylines-must-win-week-bouncing-back-and-more-the-hockey-writers-ottawa-senators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/542224\/","title":{"rendered":"Senators Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – Must-Win Week, Bouncing Back and More – The Hockey Writers – Ottawa Senators"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are the key storylines surrounding the Ottawa Senators and their upcoming schedule for the week of April 5-12, 2026.<\/p>\n

The Wild Card Push<\/p>\n

The biggest overarching story is the playoff race. The Senators currently hold a 39-27-10 record<\/a> (88 points), sitting 5th in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. <\/p>\n

They are precariously sitting in the second wild card spot, but with the regular season ending on April 16, every single game this week is a must-win to secure it.<\/p>\n

Fan Appreciation Week<\/p>\n

As the season winds down, Canadian Tire Centre is hosting Fan Appreciation Week<\/a>. Starting today, April 5, the plaza outside Gate 1 is opening early for pre-game festivities featuring live music (including Ottawa Valley country act Rainwater Whiskey), inflatables, and food specials. The week is slated to wrap up with a Fan Appreciation Skate on April 12.<\/p>\n

Bouncing Back<\/p>\n

After a tough 4-1 loss<\/a> to the Minnesota Wild yesterday (April 4), head coach Travis Green and captain Brady Tkachuk are under pressure to rally the locker room and string together some critical late-season wins.<\/p>\n

Senators Upcoming Schedule<\/p>\n

The Senators are staring down a brutal, make-or-break stretch. They play five games in the next seven days, and all of them are against Eastern Conference foes.<\/p>\n

They kick off the week with a three-game homestand against absolute powerhouses \u2014 Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers. If they survive that stretch, they immediately pack their bags for a grueling weekend back-to-back on the road against the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils. Managing goaltender fatigue between Linus Ullmark and James Reimer will be vital during this condensed run.<\/p>\n

DateTime (ET)OpponentLocationSun, April 55:00 p.m.vs. Carolina HurricanesCanadian Tire CentreTue, April 77:00 p.m.vs. Tampa Bay LightningCanadian Tire CentreThu, April 97:00 p.m.vs. Florida PanthersCanadian Tire CentreSat, April 111:00 p.m.@ New York IslandersUBS ArenaSun, April 127:00 p.m.@ New Jersey DevilsPrudential Center<\/p>\n

AI tools were used to support the creation or distribution of this content, however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of The Hockey Writers editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

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