‘Sometimes you gotta get punched right in the face’: Senators’ Chabot on team getting swept
There’s an empty feeling in the nation’s capital, with an extra bit of disappointment scattered throughout the locker room.
The Ottawa Senators are just two days removed from their 2025-26 season coming to an abrupt end, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in a four-game sweep in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
When speaking to the media during the team’s end-of-season media availability, Senators defenseman was very blunt about his thoughts looking back at how things ended.
“Sometimes you gotta get punched right in the face,” Chabot said. “That’s kind of what we did this year. It hurts, it should hurt, and it will hurt for many more weeks.”
"Sometimes you gotta get punched right in the face. And that's kind of what we did this year," said Chabot. "It hurts, it should hurt, and it will hurt for many more weeks." #Sens
While the Senators were pitted against the top-seeded Hurricanes, few expected the team to be ousted so quickly. With the toughness and grit that pushed the Toronto Maple Leafs to six games last postseason, some believed Ottawa had the ability to give Carolina a run for its money. Yet, the Sens, scored just five goals in the series, but goaltender Linus Ullmark gave the team his best to keep things close, especially in the double-overtime loss in Game 2, where he made 43 saves.
Chabot stated how much he appreciates the effort the team gave during the season, climbing out of the bottom of the East after a rough start to qualify for the postseason for the second year in a row. That said, he recognizes that there’s work to be done.
“I’m proud of the guys. It’s a tight group. These are guys that want to succeed…everybody cares so much. I know coming back next year, this will be a good reminder to us.”
Chabot also opened up about his injury woes throughout the campaign. He suffered a broken forearm late in March after taking a slash from New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller. He was expected to be out anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks, but returned after missing just eight games. Chabot stated that the bone still hasn’t fully healed, as plates and screws were what held him together.
The 29-year-old ended up appearing in just 57 games during the regular season, scoring seven goals and 24 assists for 31 points. He failed to register a point in the four games against the Canes.