Senators' Brady Tkachuk Sends 'Frustrating' Message After Game 3 Loss
The Ottawa Senators find themselves on the brink of elimination after a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.
Carolina took control early once again, with Logan Stankoven scoring the opening goal for the third straight game just over five minutes into the game.
Jackson Blake restored the Hurricanes' lead late in the second period after Ottawa responded with a second-period goal from Drake Batherson, but struggled to generate consistent offense, particularly on special teams.
The win puts Carolina in clear command of the series and facing a four-game stretch, at most, in which just one victory would be enough for the Hurricanes to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Senators, on the other hand, are once again facing an early first-round exit, as it already happened to them last season when they went down 3-0 and forced Game 6 but still fell short then and there.
After Thursday's loss, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk acknowledged the frustration inside the locker room as missed chances continued to pile up for Ottawa, although he refused to give up.
"Not out of it," Brady said. "The hardest one to win is the fourth one. We were in this position last year, so for us it's do or die, just give absolutely everything we have, which we always do.
But no, I mean, it's frustrating now, but (the) fourth one's the hardest to win, and I believe in this group, so it's going to make a hell of a story."
Watch Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, Tim Stützle, and Head Coach Travis Green's media availability following Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes
— x - Ottawa Senators (@Senators) April 24, 2026
Ottawa has now scored just three goals across three games in the series while allowing Carolina to score at least two goals on them in all three matches.
Things got even worse for the Senators and their postseason outlook on Thursday, as top defenseman Jake Sanderson exited the game after receiving a hit to the head from Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall, thinning the team's blue line going forward.
The Senators now face a must-win Game 4 at home on Saturday, with puck drop set for 1 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 8:57 AM.