Senators book 1st playoff berth since 2017

The Ottawa Senators clinched a playoff spot on Tuesday night for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets convincingly defeated the Senators, but the latter qualified for the postseason because the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Montreal Canadiens.

"After a game like that, it doesn't feel as good, but we've been through some shit here, and I'm just proud of the guys," Senators forward Tim Stutzle said, per Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.

"Some of us have been at it seven, eight years without a playoff game," added Drake Batherson, according to The Athletic's Julian McKenzie.

The Senators' position in the playoff field is far from decided with four games remaining. Ottawa holds the top wild-card seed in the Eastern Conference, three points up on the Montreal Canadiens and four points back of the Florida Panthers for third in the Atlantic Division.

Ottawa and Montreal play each other Friday in what stands to be a pivotal contest as the season winds down.

The Senators' playoff hopes looked bleak after a five-game losing streak at the end of February, but Ottawa flipped its fortunes with a 13-5-2 run since March 1.

The Sens reached overtime of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final during their last playoff run. They underwent a lengthy rebuild afterward, drafting core talents Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, and Stutzle.

This is Ottawa's first season under head coach Travis Green and its first full campaign under general manager Steve Staios, who took over for Pierre Dorion in November 2023.