Brady Tkachuk’s hit on Jordan Martinook leaves Senators with bigger problem
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Daniel Lucente
Apr 24, 2026 (9:15)
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Photo credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Brady Tkachuk clipped Jordan Martinook high, and the Ottawa Senators now face a leadership crisis against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The review gave Tkachuk two minutes for interference, not a major.
Tkachuk is stuck at 0-0-0 through three playoff games.
For a captain who posted 22-37-59 in the regular season, that silence screams.
The clip shows Tkachuk arriving late and catching Martinook up high, the exact kind of hit that turns a series nasty.
Ottawa is now down 3-0 after a 2-1 loss in Game 3.
That is where discipline stops being a talking point and starts deciding a season.
Brady Tkachuk Leaves Ottawa Senators Searching
Fans are right to be furious, because this looked less like edge and more like a star losing the mental battle.
Carolina has dragged Ottawa into its preferred game.
Jordan Staal sets the tone, Jordan Martinook irritates, and Frederik Andersen shuts the door between the pipes.
The second clip tells the same story, with Tkachuk's frustration boiling over while the points still refuse to come.
Ottawa finished 44-27-11, good enough to earn belief, not enough to survive self-inflicted damage.
Carolina finished 53-22-7 and plays like a team that knows every emotional trap.
The tactical issue is simple.
Tkachuk needs net-front presence, quick low-slot touches, and power-play chaos.
Instead, Carolina keeps him outside the dangerous ice and makes him chase contact.
That ripple effect hits the whole top-six.
If Tkachuk keeps taking the bait, Ottawa's best forwards inherit harder matchups and fewer clean entries.
The next milestone is Game 4, where Tkachuk must lead with production, not another viral moment.
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