The pressure is mounting in Ottawa, and the Senators are feeling it. With just over 30 games left in the regular season, their playoff hopes are slipping further out of reach-and Saturday’s loss didn’t help the cause.
Let’s be clear: this one wasn’t close.
Ottawa managed just a single goal, courtesy of Tim Stützle, while veteran netminder James Reimer struggled between the pipes, giving up four goals on just 19 shots. That’s not the kind of performance you can afford when you're trying to claw your way back into postseason contention-especially not against a team like Carolina, one of the league’s most complete and consistent squads.
Still, the message from inside the locker room remains defiant.
“There are still 30-plus games; anything can happen. I don’t think that faith and belief has ever wandered,” said captain Brady Tkachuk, who continues to wear his heart on his sleeve. “We’ve just got to find a way, and I know we will.”
It’s the kind of leadership you expect from Tkachuk, but the Senators are going to need more than belief to turn this around. They need timely goals.
They need saves. And right now, they’re not getting either.
The offense has gone cold at the wrong time, and the goaltending-whether it’s Reimer or anyone else-hasn’t been able to bail them out. That’s a tough combination, especially in the stretch run when every point matters and the margin for error shrinks by the day.
There’s still time, technically. But the runway is getting shorter, and unless Ottawa finds a spark soon, a second straight spring without playoff hockey is looking more and more like a reality.