The early NHL game of the season arguably took place on Wednesday night as the Ottawa Senators took on the Florida Panthers at Canadian Tire Center. The big storyline of this matchup was the return of former Senators captain Brady Tkachuk to his old home. Tkachuk was welcomed back to Ottawa as expected after requesting a trade from the organization this past summer. He was met with a raucous crowd of boos all night as his Panthers team was convincingly defeated 5-1.
Brady Tkachuk Embraced the Noise
Tkachuk did not appear greatly affected by the negative reception throughout the game. To be fair, this hostility should not have come as any surprise to him. Leaving the team he had spent eight seasons with, including five as captain, to join his brother Matthew Tkachuk in Florida created one of the biggest stories of the offseason. The Ottawa fanbase was understandably upset with Tkachuk’s decision, especially with it coming after a winless playoff performance by the club. The captain opted to abandon ship for their division rival in Florida, a team that has won two Stanley Cups in the last three years.
Insider Elliotte Friedman discussed how he felt Tkachuk handled the experience of playing against his former team for the first time: “They lost, but I love the way that Tkachuk handled the booing during the video and I love the way that he handled the postgame. They were ruthless. When I look at these things, it’s like never let them see you sweat. I don’t think the booing during the video would bother Brady, but the result sure did.”
Despite the noise during the game, Tkachuk was able to block out the crowd. He got the Panthers lone goal of the game on the power play during the first period. The rest of the game would not go his way as the Senators went on to score five unanswered goals and win the first of many future Tkachuk battle’s.
Rivalry Developing Between Senators and Panthers
This was surely a satisfying win for this Senators team to achieve. The Tkachuk exit certainly left a bitter taste in this team’s mouth and they responded with a strong performance against their former teammate. Ottawa has gotten off to a hot start this year, having posted a 7-3 record through ten games thus far. The team has shown they can still find success in life after Tkachuk.
This defeat will not be taken well in Florida. While it is just one blip in what has otherwise been a good season to this point for the club, the team will be disappointed not to bring home a better result for Brady. That was an important game for him and the group came up short.
This was just one of three more regular season matchups to come between these rival teams. Perhaps, there could be even more than that in the future. A postseason matchup between these squads could provide must-watch hockey, with last night’s game showcasing a playoff atmosphere. However, there is a long way to go before that could become a reality. What is clear is it will be fun to watch as tensions continue to rise with these teams.
Insider Comments on How Brady Tkachuk Handled Hostile Return to Ottawa