Tim Stutzl’s “aggressive” review of Senators’ comeback win over Stars

The The Ottawa Senators are fighting for the playoffs for the 2024-25 season after the team suffered a brutal start. Tim Stucl and Ottawa are finally seeing the results they were hoping for a year ago. And big wins over teams like the Dallas Stars bring them closer to their ultimate goal: the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Stutzl scored in the second period to help Ottawa’s effort. His goal gave the Senators the lead, and they never looked back. Ottawa defeated the Stars 3-2 on Sunday night to improve to 21-18-3 on the season. The win also ended Dallas’ six-game winning streak entering the game. The Detroit Red Wings have the longest active winning streak in the league as a result.

After the game, Stutzl talked about his team’s big win. Ottawa has won two games in a row after a difficult stretch of four straight losses. Part of the turnaround for Ottawa, in Stutzle’s eyes, is their style of play on the ice.

“I think we’re just playing the way we want to play,” Stutzle said, via NHL.com. “We’re playing physical, we’re driving the puck deep, we’re playing behind them and right now we’re just playing smart.” And I think our ‘D’ did a great job of falling behind early and crushing games. We play aggressively. I think that’s our style.”

The Senators are closing in on the Wild Card after the Stars’ win

Tim Stutzle and the Senators needed a win over a team like the Stars. Dallas has advanced to the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons. The Stars failed to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals in both trips. But they are doing what Ottawa hopes. He is constantly fighting for the Stanley Cup and going for deep playoff runs.

The Senators clinched an important position in the Wild Card race after their victory. Ottawa is now one point behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Wild Card spot in the East. The Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins trail the Senators by a point after recent results.

The Senators are on the verge of their first playoff appearance since 2017. Every point is vital for a team in their position as the season progresses. Ottawa knows this and they’re not just content to be in the running. They are already preparing to play the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

“It’s a huge win,” Senators forward Matthew Highmore said, via NHL.com. “Credit to the boys for being resilient after finishing early and really fighting back and playing the right way.” So a massive two points on the table and we’ll rest and get back to it on Tuesday.”