At this point in the season, even if the Ottawa Senators do make the playoffs, the fans are already beyond exhausted. After playing some of the best hockey they’ve played all season, the Sens still find themselves in the same position they were weeks ago. Yes, they’re closer but it just seems like it’s never close enough.

The Sens are now 5 points behind the Detroit Red Wings with a game in hand, but then there’s also the Columbus Blue Jackets, who remain a thorn in every side. A few days ago, it seemed things might be moving with an almost 60% chance of making the playoffs, only to see it go down to 39.3% with one frustrating loss and a series of unfortunate out-of-town scores.

The Islanders are not a team we’re directly chasing, but they can be if the Blue Jackets catch up to them. That being said, it doesn’t even matter who the opponent is; tonight is a must-win if only to give the team the momentum for Saturday’s game. At this point, we should stop hoping for any help from the put of town scoreboard, but there are some big impact games tonight, including the Montreal- Detroit game.

Jake Sandesron is almost back skating, but he’s not quite there yet. I think the team has done fine so far, although having him back will surely be the boost that could have maybe helped last night on the power play.

Head-To-Head Stats

#Sens 🆚 Isles by the numbers 📊#GoSensGo | @betwaycanada pic.twitter.com/NldMr8c7jH

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 19, 2026
Projected Lineup

Drake Batherson – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux

Brady Tkachuk – Dylan Cozens – Ridly Greig

Nick Cousins — Shane Pinto — Michael Amadio

Warren Foegele — Lars Eller — Fabian Zetterlund

Thomas Chabot — Artem Zub

Tyler Kleven — Jordan Spence

Dennis Gilbert — Nikolas Matinpalo

James Reimer

Linus Ullmark

Game NotesI keep harping on special teams, but last night, it literally is what cost us the game and could potentially cost us the season. They need a new system or strategy because they look lost half the time. Tim Stützle has been playing on another level of hockey; it’s frustrating to see that not many of his teammates are catching up.I am not saying that Brady Tkachuk doesn’t care about the Sens’ recent run, but I am saying he is not making an effort; the team Captain should. He’s almost invisible in most games, and his impact has only come in small waves. This needs to change if the Sens are going to fight through to the end.It looks like the Sens are going with James Reimer tonight, not a fan of the decision but also not a fan of burning out Linus Ullmark. This is why the Sens needed to find a better backup option, but let’s hope the Sens can find some offensive magic tonight to help offset any goaltending mishaps. Sanderson is missed, but the Sens need to find a way to stay afloat without him. He does a lot to drive the scoring from the back and immensely helps special teams, but this team is more than capable of pulling through.You can catch the game tonight at 7PM on TSN5, RDS or listen live at TSN1200.