Brady Tkachuk's Senators Shouldn't Be As Rattled After Hurricanes Sweep Flyers The Same Way
Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators should feel a bit better about themselves after what the Carolina Hurricanes did to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Hurricanes remain undefeated after two rounds in the 2026 playoffs, and they swept the Flyers in nearly the same way they did against the Senators two weeks beforehand – by being so strong on defense that those teams and some of their star players were left with embarrassing stats.
"Still having a tough time wrapping my head around it and still, let's be honest, a little rattled about it," Tkachuk said in last Wednesday's episode of Wingmen.
Carolina didn't score very much, but the penalty kill, defense and goaltending seemed to get under the skin of its opponents more than anything.
'This Year Just Feels Different': Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall, Frederik Andersen, Logan Stankoven, Sean Walker, Jaccob Slavin, Rod Brind'Amour On Sweep
Jackson Blake's overtime heroics propelled Carolina to yet another sweep. Rod Brind'Amour and his players break down the relentless consistency fueling their surge toward the Cup.
That elite penalty-killing is just one part of the squad's overall effective defense, as is the goaltending from Frederik Andersen, who has a .950 save percentage and 1.12 goals-against average through eight games.
Just like the team did in the regular season, Carolina's averaging the fewest shots against of any squad still in the playoffs. Philadelphia did average the fifth-fewest shots-for during the regular season, but Ottawa had the ninth-most, so it's not all about those teams simply making the Hurricanes and Andersen look good.
"I know it seems like it's coming to us pretty easy, but it's not," left winger Taylor Hall told Sportsnet's Shawn McKenzie after the Game 4 overtime win that swept Philadelphia. "Our PK has been amazing. Freddie (Andersen) in net has been dynamite."
The Hurricanes ultimately limited Trevor Zegras and Porter Martone to two points each, Tim Stutzle, Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier to one point each, and Tkachuk to zero.
Keep in mind that Tkachuk had 22 goals and 59 points in 60 regular-season games despite missing time due to injury, and he recorded five points in six games at the Olympics, so he's still an elite power forward and an important leader for the Senators.
"I think I've showed it in the past that those are the games that I show up in and play well and leave an impact, and I don't think anybody's more frustrated with how everything went than me," Tkachuk told reporters on April 29. "At the end of the day, didn't play good enough, and (I) tried doing everything in my power to get my game going, make an impact, and just felt like nothing was going in, nothing was going my way."
The Senators and Flyers recalled rueing some missed chances throughout the series, such as Stutzle and Flyers youngster Alex Bump not capitalizing on Grade-A chances in the low slot, and Tkachuk and Konecny not scoring on breakaways.
Tkachuk Frustrated By "The Noise," But Holds The Power To Silence It
Tkachuk addressed the media on Wednesday and expressed frustration over the constant questions and speculation about his NHL future.
But in last Wednesday's episode of Wingmen with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, the Senators captain gave Carolina massive praise after looking at their series against Philadelphia.
"They just don't give you much," Tkachuk said. "Carolina, I just feel like they're all buzzing right now. That second line's playing great. I mean, just every line's a threat in their own way. The top line, so much skill. The second line, they're still producing. Third line is one of the hardest lines to play against in the league. They're just always above you… fourth line, same thing."
Tkachuk then said the Hurricanes' defensemen have the best sticks he's ever seen in terms of knocking pucks loose and blocking lanes. Jaccob Slavin, in particular, probably has the best in the league, he said.
"I remember I had two grade-As, hits a stick, it's in the netting," Tkachuk said. "I'm like, 'How on earth is that not in the back of the net?' "
Whether the Hurricanes make their next opponent – or opponents – in these playoffs wondering what on earth happened, remains to be seen. But we have seen a team that is relentlessly determined to prevent chances and do what's needed to get over the finish line, as well as two opposing teams that look shocked by what happened.
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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 11:13 AM.