“Sens are learning what playoffs are about”: Brady Tkachuk calls 6-2 loss to Toronto Maple Leafs first-game jitters

The Ottawa Senators last played in the playoffs during the 2016-2017 NHL season against the Boston Bruins. The Senators won six games in Round 1 against the Boston Bruins. After eight years, the Senators entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 2024-2025 NHL season. An X user rightly wrote, “Sens are learning what playoffs are about. Learn and bounce back.” So did the Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk share with the media in the post-game conference, “I think everybody’s first game jitters, nerves, whatever you want to call it, now that that’s passed, yeah, that doesn’t change the mindset, obviously frustrated. But at the end of the day, it’s a new game.”


Brady Tkachuk admits his team, the Ottawa Senators, gave away too many penalties , and that’s why the Toronto Maple Leafs scored too many goals

"It's clear as day what the issue is. We took too many penalties, they scored on it, and that's the game."

Brady Tkachuk shares his thoughts on the Senators' Game 1 loss. pic.twitter.com/1JzuQRqoM3

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 21, 2025

“It’s clear as day what the issue was. We took too many penalties. They scored on it, and that’s the game. So, that’s on us. We got to be more disciplined.” Brady Tkachuk shared that the Toronto Maple Leafs could score 6 goals because they had a power-play advantage. Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Travis Green shared in the post-game conference with NHL.com, “I thought there were a couple of calls that they did a good job selling. It’s tough on the refs. We can’t take that many penalties, for sure.”

Reset for game two on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/gKmqyQshga

— X - Ottawa Senators (@Senators) April 21, 2025

A fan reacted to the penalties given to the Ottawa Senators, “Feck just too many penalties. Please, NHL, do not try to swing this the TO way by giving Ottawa extra, stupid, penalties. #nhl”

Another fan mentioned the partiality Toronto Maple Leafs get from the NHL referees , “Need to stay out of the box. Refs love giving the leafs a call any chance they get. Sens 5v5 were the better team. PP sucks. Specials teams is gonna be the difference.”


Fans react to the 6-2 loss of the Ottawa Senators against the Toronto Maple Leafs

Final stats from tonight's game against Toronto pic.twitter.com/AN4GR5WVit

— X - Ottawa Senators (@Senators) April 21, 2025

One X user wrote, “Not a big stat guy, but those face-off and power play numbers aren’t good. And that final score? Gotta fix that the rest of the series.”

Another fan wrote, “Not sure what I’m more embarrassed about. Our fans crying about the refs or nobody fighting anyone at the end of the game.”

A third X user looking forward to the next matches wrote, “Long series. Battle of ONTARIO far from over.”



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