The Maple Leafs (optional) and Ottawa Senators skated at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday.

Brady Tkachuk has waited a long time for this.

"Waking up today, I can’t believe today’s the day," the 25-year-old Ottawa Senators captain said. "I slept great. It was one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a long time."

Tkachuk, the fourth-overall pick in the 2018 draft, will make his Stanley Cup playoffs debut on Sunday night when the Senators take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their first-round series.

"It’s been a long time coming," Tkachuk said. "All those times in the driveway, mini sticks, you think of scoring the game winner in the Stanley Cup playoffs and in a big game and to finally be here, it’s surreal."

After watching big brother Matthew lift the Stanley Cup last year with the Florida Panthers, it's time for the younger Tkachuk sibling to finally get his turn in the spotlight. The left winger got a taste for high-leverage hockey at the 4 Nations Face-Off and learned a lot.

"Just love the big games," said Tkachuk, who scored three goals in four games with Team USA. "Love the intensity. Honestly, got addicted to that feeling of playing in those big games."

Tkachuk's blend of size, skill and spunk makes him a focal point in a series that is expected to be physical.

"We know he’s a big body and he’s going to be at the net and he’s going to play physical," said Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev. "We need to match his intensity and stay disciplined. You see how many penalties were called last night and there were a lot of power-play goals."

Tkachuk drew the third-most penalties in the NHL during the regular season. He led the Senators with 29 goals, including 14 on the power play.

Any path to a Senators series win likely starts with Tkachuk, who also led the team in hits despite missing 10 games.

"We have guys that can bring momentum in different ways," said Senators forward David........

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