Sens' Tkachuk on crucial games against his brother: 'big games for both teams'
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The Ottawa Senators, who have 75 points through 73 games and are a long shot to qualify for the playoffs, play two of their nine remaining games against the division-rival Florida Panthers.
Those games are crucial for the team, as they trail Florida in the standings, but a bigger personal motivation exists for Sens captain Brady Tkachuk – his brother, Matthew, is the Panthers' leading scorer.
"It's crucial, these games, playing against a divisional opponent," said Brady on Monday morning. "We're playing them twice, so it could be a four-point swing ... these are big games for both teams and it should be an exciting one tonight."
Brady, 23, scored in the only meeting between the brothers earlier this season. In 16 career games against his brother, Brady has five goals and nine points.
Matthew, the older of the two at 25, has consistently gotten the better of his younger brother, with six goals and 18 points in their matchups.
"He's been playing great... yeah, you've just gotta play hard on him. Can't give him much, gotta be above him," said Brady of slowing down his brother. "He's going to make plays when he has time and space but if we're above him and we're hard on him we've just gotta make life tough for their whole team."
While Brady has always battled to one-up his brother, there's no love lost between the two when they get to compete.
"It's always fun to see him, it's almost an excuse for our whole family to come and watch and support us," he said.
"For Matthew and I, we wouldn't be in our position without the support of family and friends. We're always looking forward to and excited when everyone's coming to watch us play."
As of Monday, the Senators sit seven points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, they need to surpass four teams (Pittsburgh, Florida, Buffalo and Washington) to claim that spot.
While it is almost an impossible task to qualify for the playoffs at this point, Brady is trying to keep things focused on the best result possible, saying "these are huge games, it's above just seeing him and playing him, it's big points for both our teams so it's all business from here on out, just doing whatever it takes to win."
In a crushing 5-3 defeat to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, Brady took a five-minute major penalty for fighting with Devils forward Miles Wood. Jack Hughes scored during the ensuing power play to tie the game for New Jersey.
"I really don't care, with those situations, it's a lot of heat of the moment, a lot of battles," said Brady. "For me, I just feel like I pride myself on playing hard and I'm not backing down from anybody, so when those situations arise it happens and I'm confident in myself that I'm able to protect myself and be able to handle any situation."
The Senators have earned points in just four of their past 10 games. It will take a miracle for the team to qualify for the playoffs at this point, and it will have to start with Brady earning two victories against his older brother down the stretch.