Ottawa Senators clinch 2026 playoff spot after win over Islanders

The Ottawa Senators secured a berth in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 3-0 victory over the New York Islanders, and Detroit's 5-3 loss to New Jersey confirmed the result.

The Ottawa Senators clinched a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs after a 3-0 win over the New York Islanders, and a later Detroit loss to the New Jersey Devils completed the combination of results they needed. This marks Ottawa's second straight postseason under head coach Travis Green. The team reversed a difficult January stretch and improved in goaltending and special teams as the season progressed. Several players remain sidelined or left the clinching game, so some roster questions persist. Key facts: - Ottawa beat the New York Islanders 3-0; goaltender Linus Ullmark made 23 saves and recorded his third shutout of the season. - The Senators’ clinch was confirmed when the Detroit Red Wings lost 5-3 to the New Jersey Devils later that evening. - Ottawa has gone 23-8-5 since Jan. 12, a run that moved them from near the bottom of the standings into playoff position. - The team’s penalty kill improved after assistant coach Mike Yeo took over Jan. 24 and operated at about an 83.1% rate; it was a perfect 5-for-5 against the Islanders. - Captain Brady Tkachuk left the game partway through and did not finish; Tyler Kleven and Nick Jensen are also out with injuries. Summary: Clinching a playoff spot caps a significant turnaround for Ottawa after a poor January stretch and places them in the first wild-card position in the Eastern Conference, tied on points with the Boston Bruins while holding the tiebreaker via regulation wins. If the playoffs started today, they would be set to play the Buffalo Sabres in the first round. The team’s immediate focus includes addressing current injuries, and specific roster updates are undetermined at this time.