Alan Greenberg, FHN Sr. Writer
For three straight seasons, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk watched his brother Matthew go to the Stanley Cup Final with the Florida Panthers.
He even traveled to watch the Panthers in the Finals, and was on the ice celebrating with his big brother after Florida won it all the past two summers.
This postseason, it will be Matthew returning the favor by cheering on Brady — assuming the Senators can maintain their slim two-point lead over Columbus and three-point lead over both Detroit and the New York Islanders.
Hockey players are a unique breed and are programmed to win no matter what the collateral damage might be.
Matthew Tkachuk is back in South Florida for the birth of his first child.
If he was playing tonight, he would be in the unenviable position of trying to knock his brother out of a playoff spot.
The blessed event prevents a major family confrontation — one Matthew played through just last week in Sunrise when the Panthers held on for a 6-3 win.
Ottawa fans have suffered in recent years.
The improvement of their team was long in the making.
Last year was the Senators first playoff appearance after a seven-year drought.
They made it as the first wild-card in the Eastern Conference, but were quickly eliminated by the Atlantic Division champion Maple Leafs in six games.
Ottawa’s 97 points was its highest total since 2016-17 when the Senators had 98 points and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference final before being eliminated by the New York Rangers.
Former Panthers goalie Craig Anderson was a workhorse in net for Ottawa that season.
The Senators have had five coaches since then. Current coach Travis Green is in his second full season.
Ottawa comes into tonight following two consecutive impressive victories. The Senators beat both Tampa Bay and Carolina, the leaders of the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions respectively.
The Senators are getting hot at the right time — and they are for real.
Five Ottawa players have 20 or more goals. Tim Stützle is the leader at 34 goals and 82 points.
Drake Batherson is having his best season ever with 31 goals and 68 points.
Brady Tkachuk is on a mini-heater. He registered four assists against Tampa Bay and, in the prior game against Carolina, he had two goals.
A spirited Ottawa team will be at home to face the decimated Panthers.
The Senators have momentum from their past two games and would like to keep it going to nail down a playoff spot.
The Panthers are 3-0 against Ottawa this season, outscoring the Sens 15-7.
But, you just do not know what the Panthers will have to offer tonight.
Green ripped into his team after last week’s loss in Sunrise, but has had nothing but praise for them after wins against the Lightning and Hurricanes.
“You’re going to have to play with the spotlight on you. You are going to have to play in pressure moments and really enjoy those moments,’’ Green said. “Look forward to and want those moments and embrace them. There’s a certain style of game that we play – that we think is conducive to winning hockey. Our team buys in. They are a fun group to coach.”
The Panthers, meanwhile, have lost three straight.
After getting blown out in a weekend set against the host Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida is coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens in which they held a 3-2 lead before Nick Suzuki tied it with 20.1 seconds left.
“Great energy on the bench. I’ve got no complaints with the way we played tonight,’’ Paul Maurice said.
Yet, it was another game, and another big injury.
Dmitry Kulikov, who had missed time this season to shoulder surgery and then a broken nose that he played the past two games with, left early with a broken finger.
Kulikov’s season, like many other Panthers before him, is done.
The Senators, however, would like to keep going.
“Just a standard injury here now,” Maurice said about Kulikov.
“It’s just unbelievable what these guys have been through.”
ON DECK: GAME No. 79
FLORIDA PANTHERS at OTTAWA SENATORS
- When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Canada Tire Center, Ottawa
- Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
- Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
- Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
- Last Season: Senators won 2-1
- This Season (Panthers Lead 3-0) — At Ottawa: Panthers 3, Senators 2 (Jan. 10); Thursday. At Florida: Panthers 6, Senators 2 (Oct. 11); Panthers 6, Senators 3 (March 31)
- All-time Regular Season Series: Ottawa leads 59-51-5, 3 ties
- Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7