The Ottawa Senators did not go into this playoff series looking very optimistic. Their captain, Brady Tkachuk, had just returned from an injury, and in game 1, they seemed to rely on only physical play with little to no physical prowess, losing many penalty minutes and goals in this way. In fact, during game one, when Auston Matthews broke Ridly Greig’s stick, it almost seemed warranted. But then game 4 came along and Jake Sanderson turned everything around for the Senators by scoring that OT goal, thereby bagging his team their first playoff win in 8 years! Still, no one was expecting what would happen in game 5.

For a team that began the stadium with heckling chants echoing through the stadium and three consecutive playoff losses, these past two games have been a welcome surprise. Especially game 5, where the Senators beat the Leafs 4-0 and saw within that win all the weaknesses the Leafs had managed to cover up till then. This huge turn of events is not lost on Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, who spoke about his team’s changing expectations after that big win.

In a recent post-game interview, Brady Tkachuk said that he is, “Expecting big things, I mean, like I said, this is not just about our team, it’s about our city. You can feel the excitement and we’re gonna need it tonight.” Tkachuk went on to praise his fans some more, saying, “The amount of energy, pride we get from our fans, this city, it’s something that I don’t really think they know, the impact they have on our team.” Tkachuk went on to talk about game 6 that is fast approaching, “I’ve been looking forward to this game, right when game 5 ended, that this was gonna be exciting, of course it’s a big one, season’s on the line again after tonight. So it’s gonna be fun.” 

Is Brady Tkachuk too hopeful heading into game 6, considering Auston Matthews and the Leafs’ playoff track record?

Game 6 is going to be held at Ottawa’s very own Canadian Tire Centre, so maybe the statement made by Brady Tkachuk can also be read as a call to the fans to come out and support the Senators with all they can. Surely it’ll be a relief playing on home ice for this crucial game. But what are the chances this series will actually go into 7 games?

The truth is the Leafs haven’t lost a playoff series when they’ve been up 3-0 in franchise history. Well, now they’re just up 3-2, but still, they have a way better track record than the Senators, who have just recorded the first two playoff wins in eight years. Either way, if it was indeed the fans in game 4 that caused that first turn around and the Sanderson goal, then who’s to say it can’t happen in game 6?

Further, the Leafs performed abysmally in game 5. To think that Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly didn’t score a single goal in that game is shocking. To add to that, the fact that Captain Matthews made two critical mistakes that led to the Senators scoring two goals is even more mind-boggling. For game 6, the pressure is certainly on the Leafs, while the crowd is on the side of Brady Tkachuk and the Senators, so it will be interesting to see which force is stronger.