Travis Green Benches Brady Tkachuk Late, Trusts Nick Cousins Instead
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Nick Cousins saw heavier usage than Brady Tkachuk under Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green as the bench tightened late.
That deployment raised eyebrows right away. Cousins isn't part of the top six, yet he was out there in key stretches while Ottawa chased the game.
Through two periods, the Senators trailed 2-0. The bench started to look different.
Brady Tkachuk logged 13:08, while Drake Batherson sat at 11:32. Both are expected drivers, especially when trailing.
Meanwhile, Cousins checked in at 11:28 and kept getting shifts in defensive situations. That's a clear signal from the staff.
Shane Pinto (13:23) and Ridly Greig (13:40) also stayed heavily involved. That trio became the go-to group in tougher minutes.
Coach doubles down on shutdown usage
Green leaned into a shutdown look instead of loading up offensively. That decision shaped Ottawa's third period push.
The Senators actually led in shots 27-20, but the finishing touch never showed up. Volume didn't turn into goals.
Faceoffs told another story. Ottawa controlled 69.2% of draws, yet couldn't translate possession into clean looks in the slot.
Tkachuk finished with 2 shots. Batherson had just 1. Not nearly enough from your top guns when you're down.
Cousins, on the other hand, was used in penalty situations and defensive zone starts. That's trust, plain and simple.
But it also comes with a trade-off. When your best scorers aren't on the ice late, your comeback odds shrink.
Tim Stützle logged 13:36 and went minus-1. Even he didn't see a late surge in usage.
Ottawa pushed, but the structure stayed conservative. Green didn't chase offense at the expense of coverage.
That's the story here. Not the scoreline, but who the coach trusted when it mattered.
And right now, that trust isn't fully landing on the Senators' top dogs.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 18|52 ANSWERS Travis Green Benches Brady Tkachuk Late, Trusts Nick Cousins Instead Should Travis Green give Brady Tkachuk more ice time late in games ? | ||
| Yes | 30 | 57.7 % |
| No | 22 | 42.3 % |
| List of polls | ||