Takeaways: Ottawa Senators have no regrets after gutsy OT win in Battle of Ontario

Adam Gaudette #81 of the Ottawa Senators battles for position with Chris Tanev #8 and Anthony Stolarz #41 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Canadian Tire Centre on April 26, 2025 in Ottawa. Photo by Chris Tanouye /Freestyle Photography/Getty ImagesArticle content

Travis Green had a simple message with the Ottawa Senators sitting on the brink of elimination.

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“We talked about playing with no regrets,” the club’s head coach said after a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.

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The Senators are wearing wide smiles this morning because they’ll head to Toronto on Tuesday night for Game 5 as they avoided being swept and closed the gap on the series lead to 3-1 for the Leafs.

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This was the third straight OT game of the series.

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“Your team kind of grows in front of your eyes,” Green said after Jake Sanderson’s winner. “A lot of times, overtime is ended with a shot like tonight. Be around the net, if you can be around the paint, but don’t get a shot blocked.

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“You don’t want to have regrets when you look back, whether you win it all or end up losing. Play with confidence. That was the message we said to our team tonight.”

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) pokes the puck off the stick of Ottawa Senators’ Nick Cousins (21) during second period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Photo by Justin Tang /THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content

LINUS SAVES THE DAY

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There was some discussion regarding Linus Ullmark with Green after Saturday’s optional skate.

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He went into this game ranked No. 14 in the NHL with a 3.91 goals-against average and an .815 save percentage. Ullmark had lost his last six playoff starts and was looking for his first post-season win with the Senators.

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Ullmark hasn’t been getting a lot of support offensively, and that trend has to change consistently. He had allowed 12 goals on 53 shots coming into this one.

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Green wouldn’t point the finger at his goalie before this, and he couldn’t have been happier for Ullmark after he made 31 stops in the win. He was big with the season on the line.

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“I’m really happy for him,” Green said. “We came out and played really well in the first period. Like good teams do, they pushed back and they pushed hard. I thought Linus really showed what he’s all about tonight.

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“There has been a lot of talk about him in the series, a lot of doubters, and man, he looked like a guy who has won a Vezina, and you can win with. The pressure was not a big deal for him. He stood very tall for us.”

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Toronto Maple Leafs’ Simon Benoit (2) collides with Ottawa Senators’ Nick Cousins (21) along the boards during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Photo by Adrian Wyld /THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content

FORWARD PROGRESS

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Brady Tkachuk isn’t 100 percent, but nobody is at this time of year.

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You can’t teach experience, you have to learn it with age. Forwards Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens and Shane Pinto haven’t been at their best with any consistency in this series.