'It's surreal': The wait is finally over for Tkachuk, Senators

The Maple Leafs (optional) and Ottawa Senators skated at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday. 

Brady Tkachuk has waited a long time for this.

"Waking up today, I can’t believe today’s the day," the 25-year-old Ottawa Senators captain said. "I slept great. It was one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a long time."

Tkachuk, the fourth-overall pick in the 2018 draft, will make his Stanley Cup playoffs debut on Sunday night when the Senators take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their first-round series. 

"It’s been a long time coming," Tkachuk said. "All those times in the driveway, mini sticks, you think of scoring the game winner in the Stanley Cup playoffs and in a big game and to finally be here, it’s surreal."

After watching big brother Matthew lift the Stanley Cup last year with the Florida Panthers, it's time for the younger Tkachuk sibling to finally get his turn in the spotlight. The left winger got a taste for high-leverage hockey at the 4 Nations Face-Off and learned a lot. 

"Just love the big games," said Tkachuk, who scored three goals in four games with Team USA. "Love the intensity. Honestly, got addicted to that feeling of playing in those big games."

Tkachuk's blend of size, skill and spunk makes him a focal point in a series that is expected to be physical. 

"We know he’s a big body and he’s going to be at the net and he’s going to play physical," said Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev. "We need to match his intensity and stay disciplined. You see how many penalties were called last night and there were a lot of power-play goals."

Tkachuk drew the third-most penalties in the NHL during the regular season. He led the Senators with 29 goals, including 14 on the power play. 

Any path to a Senators series win likely starts with Tkachuk, who also led the team in hits despite missing 10 games. 

"We have guys that can bring momentum in different ways," said Senators forward David Perron. "It starts with our captain Brady. When he brings his physical aspect, he can really impose his will out there. We just feed off that."

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But even if Tkachuk plays well, it may not be enough. The Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division for a reason and, unlike the Senators, have plenty of playoff experience. 

"From what I’ve been seeing, everybody’s got the Leafs so it’s important for us to be [embracing] an underdog role," Tkachuk said. "I think that’s when we thrive at our best is [when] a lot of people are counting us out. But the belief, trust and faith we have in each other, it’s something special. This is an opportunity for us to grow together and enjoy the experience."

The Senators are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Leafs are making their ninth straight trip to the postseason. 

Is Travis Green playing the us-against-the-world card with his players? 

"We don’t talk about it a lot in our locker room," the Senators head coach said. "With the way media is today you don’t have to. It’s no secret most of you probably picked Toronto in this room but, in saying that, we have a lot of inner belief and, you know, still gotta play the games."

And the Leafs have struggled to live up to expectations during this era. Toronto has advanced just once in nine series since drafting Auston Matthews first overall in 2016. The Leafs have been the higher seed in five of those series, including the one they won in 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

"There’s pressure," said Green, who played for the Leafs from 2001 to 2003 and was part of a playoff series win over the Senators in that time. "I think, especially in this series, there’s outside pressure, there’s outside noise. I remember it from playing here how much pressure there is. That’s the exciting part, though. I know for our group it’s exciting."

Ottawa won all three regular season games against Toronto, including two at Scotiabank Arena. 

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After missing the final four games of the regular season with an upper-body injury, defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson skated on Sunday morning and is expected to suit up in Game 1. 

"He's been a really good all-around defenceman for us, in my opinion, all situations," said Leafs coach Craig Berube. "He's the type of guy that's very versatile moving around with different partners, playing the right side, power play, penalty kill, you know, he's kind of a guy that we really count on in different situations and in different roles more than anything."

Defenceman Jake McCabe will also return from injury on Sunday. Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis will be healthy scratches. 

At the Senators skate, Matthew Highmore replaced Nick Cousins on the fourth line. 

"He’s a big part of our penalty kill," Green said of Highmore. "He’s fast. We can move him up and down the lineup. Especially on the road when they have last change, it’s important to have guys that can move around a little bit."

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The Senators only have eight players with previous Stanley Cup experience. 

"The biggest thing is the intensity level goes up in all areas of the game," Green said. "And, yeah, we got a bunch of guys that are new to playoff hockey, but that’s the exciting part of it."

"Write your own story," advised Perron, who lifted the Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. "This whole story about all these guys not playing yet, but you gotta play eventually, and we have the type of group that’s built to play in the playoffs. We can win in different ways and we can create our own momentum with our physicality, and we’re going to try and establish that."

The Leafs downplayed the experience factor on Sunday morning. 

"They’re going to be ready to go and they’re going to be working extremely hard," said Tanev." I don’t think experience is going to matter too much tonight. I know their coach well and I know they’ll be ready to play and ready to check and play extremely hard."

Perron is returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. 

"You play your whole life for this," the 36-year-old said. "The old saying,  'You’re not in the NHL until you play in the playoffs,' and that’s why it’s exciting even for me. I haven’t been around for a couple years in the playoffs and I’m really excited about it." 

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The Leafs are hoping to benefit from having a Stanley Cup champion coach behind the bench. Berube guided the 2019 Blues to an unexpected title, ending that franchise's lengthy drought. 

"It definitely helps," Berube said of that experience. "[Knowing] what to expect and how to keep your team composed and calm and talk about the things that come up in games and series, shift to shift, all that stuff. You know, it's important to have composure. There’s a lot of ups and downs, a lot of things go wrong, things go right and discipline is very important."

"I have a lot of respect for him," said Perron. "A lot of hard conversations with him throughout the time when he coached me. Not always pleasant but I would always leave the room or the meeting excited about what’s ahead. He’s the type of coach who prepares the team well."

Berube has coached in 51 NHL playoff games, all with the Blues, winning 24. 

"He knows what it takes to get the job done," Tanev noted. "It’s a long grind. It’s shift by shift. So many emotions just throughout periods and games let alone series. We’ll do our best to stay composed and stick to the process that’s got us to where we are right now."

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Leafs projected Game 1 lineup:

Knies - Matthews - Marner
Domi - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Holmberg - Robertson
Lorentz - Laughton - Jarnkrok

McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Carlo
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson

Stolarz starts
Woll

Leafs lineup in Game 1 last year: 

Bertuzzi - Matthews- Domi
Knies - Tavares - Marner
Robertson - Holmberg - Jarnkrok
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves

Rielly - Lyubushkin
Benoit - McCabe
Edmundson - Liljegren

Samsonov starts  
Woll 

Note: Nylander, McMann missed game due to health/injury

Senators lines at Sunday's skate: 

Tkachuk - Stützle - Giroux
Perron - Cozens - Batherson
Greig - Pinto - Amadio
Highmore - Gaudette - Zetterlund
Cousins

Sanderson - Zub
Chabot - Jensen
Kleven - Matinpalo
Gilbert - Hamonic
 
Ullmark starts 
Forsberg