Brady Tkachuk returned to the Senators lineup after an eight-game absence due to an upper-body injury but exited early in the regular-season finale against Carolina as a precaution after taking a stick to the face. He confirmed he will be ready for the playoff opener against Toronto, expressing the importance of getting game time to regain timing and touch before the postseason, where the Senators are making their first appearance in eight years. Tkachuk, who led the team with 29 goals this season, is set to make his playoff debut, noting it has been “seven long years.”
