Claude Giroux spoke with the media after the Senators held one final practice at Bell Sensplex before taking off to Raleigh for game one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The veteran forward was one of four Ottawa players who met reporters after the session, alongside Tim Stützle, Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk.
The practice marked Ottawa’s last on-ice work before the trip, with Travis Green also speaking with the media ahead of game one. The team is moving from its final local skate into playoff mode, and the timing leaves no room for a long ramp-up once it arrives in Raleigh.
That Friday session followed a page centered on Ottawa’s playoff build and its game against the Leafs, with Jackson Starr recapping that matchup and Green, Drake Batherson and Warren Foegele also speaking afterward. The setup ties the Senators’ recent steps together: the Leafs game, the final practice at Bell Sensplex and the shift toward the opening round.
What stands out is how little time remains between the last public skate and the first puck drop. Ottawa has already moved through the media availability and the final practice, and now the only thing left is the game itself.