Ottawa Senators Already Playing Pretty Perfect Playoff Hockey

The Ottawa Senators secured a huge two points last night versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they inch ever closer to their ultimate goal. Last year, the Ottawa Senators got their first taste of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey in eight seasons. There are some specific reasons for it, and they are hoping it comes to light again in 2025-26. Let’s discuss what playoff hockey means, and why the Sens do indeed play the right way.

The Ottawa Senators are Playing Playoff Hockey

Whether the Sens make the 2026 playoffs or not, they have earned the respect of their peers. Their opposition from around the NHL recognize they play the right way. Ottawa seems to have an uncanny ability to mitigate the opposition’s opportunities. They play with excellent team defensive structure. It also helps they have the depth at forward to win the matchup game against so many teams.

Last night on the Sens TSN broadcast, Mike Kelly of SportLogiq stopped by. He referenced an off-season project he had done studying the difference between regular season and playoff-style hockey. Therefore, when it comes to the analytics of the gameplay, he knows what he’s talking about.

He was a cheerleader for the idea that the 2025-26 Ottawa Senators are built to win in the playoffs. Kelly believes that head coach Travis Green instills the habits and strategies for what it takes to get the job done come springtime hockey. Moreover, Kelly made the comparison of the Sens to the 2023 Florida Panthers. That was an number-eight seed that ultimately went on the lose the Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Understanding the Key Differences between Regular Season and Playoff Styles

So, what about some of the specifics, from an analytic standpoint of what makes playoffs different than the plain old regular season? First of all, there are fewer chances off the rush. Time and space is limited out there, and when rush chances do come in the playoffs, they are usually more tightly contested. Often times it leads to teams dumping the puck in at a higher frequency. In addition, there are more puck battles. Being able to win those board battles can make the difference between playoff triumphs and failures.

Statistically, the Sens rank in the top three in three of these key offensive metrics. These categories include dump-in rate, puck battle win percentage, and forecheck goals. Three very important categories when it comes to playoff success. They dump the puck in and are able to recover it better than their opposition. Then, they are able to capitalize on those possessions more often than most, as well.

Moreover, they do it right on the other side of the puck. Those stats include preventing zone possession, slot chances, and 5v5 expected goals. Once they add the element of consistent, goaltending, an ingredient essential to playoff squccess, they might just be…unstoppable.

Of course, any fan of hockey is aware that the intensity of playoff hockey is just heightened. From finishing body checks or blocking shots, the players take pride in being known to play through injuries. It seems as though the Sens will have an easy transition to this type of hockey.

As for their actual chances to qualification for the playoffs, let’s figure that out. From SportLogiq’s numbers, a regulation loss versus a win yesterday produced a huge swing. The Sens playoff probability ranged between 64 and 89%, depending if they lost in regulation, or as they did win. Now, results from the Wild Card race teams weren’t totally favourable for the Sens. Opening play today, their odds sit at 82.7%. Pretty decent considering they sat around 30% back in January.