Travis Green labeled his top stars 'average' as the Ottawa Senators face a must-win Game 4 against Carolina. Neither Brady Tkachuk nor Tim Stützle has scored a goal while trailing 0-3 in the opening round.

"They need to play better to be above average," he said, adding that they must step up more for the team.

Green explained that tight playoff games reduce space, so players must work harder to create scoring chances and stand out.

"There are a lot of players in this series that are probably average," said Green. "Both teams can make players look average at times in a series. There's not a lot of space out there. You've got to fight for space," he said.

If we look closely, the performance of these two players has not even been average in the first round of the playoffs. Brady Tkachuk, the captain of the team, was expected to lead the team from the front. 

They are trailing 0-3 in the series, and Tkachuk has no points in three games. Meanwhile, Tim Stützle had led the team this season with 83 points, but neither player has scored a single goal in the playoffs so far.

Travis Green Wants Hard Work and More Scoring Areas From the Players

Travis Green said the team is improving offensively, but success will depend on hard work and getting the puck to scoring areas.

"Our offensive game has improved in the last two games. It's not going to be wide-open hockey. It's going to be just a lot of call it 'hard-working hockey', where we've got to find a way to get the puck to the net, where our skilled players can make a play.”

The coach expressed confidence that his team will keep fighting and stay determined despite being close to elimination in the series.

"I don't expect us to quit," said Green.

Time is running out for the Ottawa Senators. They are already 0-3 down in the series. And if they lost Game 4 as well, it will be a sweep (4-0) and series loss. The Senators will play the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 on April 25, 2026. 

If Tkachuk and Stützle can rediscover their scoring touch, the team may still have a chance to extend the series.

What do you think? Will the Senators extend the series? Or will the Hurricanes clinch the series in Game 4 only? Comment down below.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason