What started as a fairytale return to the playoffs after 8 years has turned into a depressing narrative for the Senators. 3 games done and 3-0 down in the 1st-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

That means no more room for fatal slipups in this best-of-7 series. For the team from Ottawa, it’s ‘all or nothing.’ It’s do or die. Some may even say it’s already improbable to dream of a comeback. But Brady Tkachuk ain’t entertaining exit talks. Especially when he has found the perfect real-life story to get inspired from.

Game 3 had just finished with a heart-sinking 3-2 overtime defeat for Ottawa. Yes, Brady Tkachuk knows the reality. But instead of going through the motions, he is out here giving top-tier pep talks. Talking to the reporters on April 25, his message is simple: “Back-to-back games, it’s a one-shot game, yeah. I mean, this obviously isn’t the situation we drew up, but make it the hardest challenge of ’em all.”

Yes, it’s daunting. But champions like Tkachuk don’t run away from a challenge. In fact, he is telling people he is thinking of coming out of this series a winner. “So, I mean been saying this a lot – it’s not too long ago I watched the Red Sox versus Yankees documentary when they came back from 0 and 3, so it’s been done before and I have the belief that it can happen again.”

Not just any comeback. The Senator forward is talking about one of the greatest reversals sports has ever witnessed. Heck, it’s so rare in MLB that it hasn’t been repeated yet. Yes, the Houston Astros tried to match it in 2020, but nobody has matched the Red Sox’s feat yet in the MLB. And Brady Tkachuk is thinking, what if the Senators do it in the NHL? After all, a reverse sweep, while rare, is not as uncommon as it is in the MLB. In NHL playoff history, 4 out of 211 teams have overcome a 3-0 series deficit, with the most recent being the Los Angeles Sharks beating the San Jose Sharks in the first round in 2014. And if anyone needs a refresher, LA went on to win the Stanley Cup that year.

So Tkachuk’s positivity isn’t exactly unfounded, and obviously it’s the kind of thing you want to hear from your captain. But he isn’t just giving lip service. Anybody who knows Brady Tkachuk knows he wears his heart on his sleeve. He can do it with finesse as much as he can brawl it out on the ice. He will be fighting it out, trying to find some weakness in the Maple Leafs’ gameplay: “There’s always adversity, always challenges in life, and it’s all about finding a way, and you’re never out of it.”

And he knows his team will rally behind him. “At the end of the day, you’re never out of it. So, that’s a belief we have.” Even talking about what he has learned from the recent loss, the 25-year-old Senators captain spoke about the fighting spirit of the team. “I mean (we) came back again, that there’s always fight in this group.”

True, the Senators have not rolled over in this series. Yes, they have been challenged. But they have shown heart. Going 2-0 down in the 2nd game, they tied in normal time. Again, in the 3rd game, they went 2-1 down until Tkachuk himself tied it in the 3rd period. But on both occasions, it was overtime disappointment, and now, here we are. A scenario right out of a movie where it looks done and dusted for the protagonist. Only that it’s not.

So, come April 26, the Ottawa Senators enter the Canadian Tire Centre with one purpose. It’s all in now. And there’s no point in thinking about the bad stuff. “You know the lesson is (it) takes one shot. I mean the two games – it’s hasn’t gone our way, but I don’t know. Game four can go our way, and things can change.”

It is a gloomy situation for Senators. Everyone in the Senators camp—the players, the staff, the fans, everyone—is probably doubting their chances. But they also know if Brady Tkachuk is saying it’s possible, they are following his lead without a second thought.

Can Brady Tkachuk do a David Ortiz for the Senators?

What is Brady Tkachuk to the Senators? Ask Jack Sanderson: “He’ll do whatever it is for his country, for his team … he’s the heart and soul of our team.”  But now they need him more than ever. The Red Sox documentary is playing on his mind right now. But can he drag his team out of this ditch?

Like David Ortiz did against the New York Yankees 21 years ago. The designated hitter went God-mode for his team. Down 0-3 and almost done, the DH would hit a walk-off 2-run home run in the 12th inning of Game 4 to make it 3-1.

In the 5th game, Ortiz kept going, hitting the game-winning run batted in (RBI) single. In total, the Hall of Famer hit 3 homers and 11 RBIs to bring the Red Sox home. And for it, he was named the MVP of the series. Everyone in the Senators camp is sure hoping Brady Tkachuk will become their David Ortiz come April 26. The left-winger is the team’s leading goal scorer this season, with 31 goals. He is their talisman. He has been their heartbeat since he joined them in 2019.

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But now, when the Senators are praying for a miracle, the image of Brady Tkachuk comes up at the back of their minds, like the subconscious telling them who has been their messiah. Can he save his team again? Obviously, he will need all the help he can get.