Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube makes honest admission about Senators' power forward ahead of Ottawa matchup

Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators are in Toronto to take on Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs on Saturday night in the Battle of Ontario. This will be the third and final meeting between the two rivals this season. Ottawa won the previous two games, 2-1 and 3-0.

On a five-game winning streak, the Senators will visit Toronto, led by captain Tkachuk, who has five points (three goals, two assists) during that stretch.

Leafs coach Craig Berube was asked to share his thoughts about the Senators captain in his pre-game media availability.

"Yeah, he's a typical power forward," Berube said (3:00). "Very good at it, obviously, and has a lot of gamesmanship. You know, he's a strong player, very good player, real strong down low around the net. Like I said, he’s a very good power forward."

Brady Tkachuk has produced 52 points (27 goals, 25 assists) through 63 games in his fourth season with the Senators. He's looking to drag his team into the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

They hold the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with a 35-25-5 record and 75 points. The recent winning streak has put them just six points behind the Maple Leafs (81 points), adding to the importance of Saturday night's game.

Brady Tkachuk is good to go against the Maple Leafs

Despite an injury concern, Brady Tkachuk will be available for Saturday night's game in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.

The 25-year-old didn't play much in the third period of Thursday's 6-3 win over Boston, with what coach Travis Green said was a tweaked hip. It appears the issue is nothing serious as Tkachuk will play in Saturday's rivalry game.

This could be the same nagging injury he suffered crashing into the net at the 4 Nations Face-Off, which forced him to miss the first two games back from the tournament. Ottawa fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their captain is capable of battling through the ailment.

Tkachuk and the Senators will look to extend their winning streak to six on Saturday night in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at Scotiabank Arena.