Ottawa Senators (1992-Present)

Historical Moments:
1992/93: After a 58-year absence the NHL returned to Ottawa as the Senators were resurrected as an expansion team. On October 8th playing at the old Ottawa Civic Centre the Senators made their return a successful one as they beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3, scoring the first goal early in the second period was Neil Brady. However, despite the auspicious debut against the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Senators would play awful hockey all season winning just 10 games as they finished dead last with a terrible record of 10-70-4.

1993/94: The Senators continued to suffer expansion pains as they continued to be the worst team in the NHL posting a horrible record of 14-61-9, which was a full 20 points worse then the team with second worst record. Providing hope for the future would be Alexei Yashin who had a successful rookie season leading the Sens in scoring with 30 goals and 49 assists.

1994/95: Alexei Yashin continued to shine leading the Senators in scoring for the second year in a row with 21 goals and 23 assists in just 48 games as the NHL season is cut in half by a 4-month lockout. However, the Senators continued to be the worst team in the NHL, despite winning 4 of their last 5 games as they posted a 9-34-5 record.

1995/96: The Senators began to show signs things were turning around as they started the season with a 6-5 record. However they would play terrible hockey in November and December, posting only 5 points as Coach Rick Bowness is fired. Eventually Bowness would be replaced by Jacques Martin as the Senators finally moved into the state of the art Palladium in the suburban Ottawa town of Kanata, Ontario on January 17th. The Senators would go on to finish with the worst record in the league again with a record of 18-59-5, but their season ending win over the New Jersey Devils had to put the league on notice as they knocked the defending Stanley Cup Champions out of the playoffs. Also showing the future was bright was Daniel Alfredsson, who led all rookies in most statistical categories on the way to collecting the Calder Trophy.

1996/97: In their first full season in their new arena which was now called the Corel Centre the Senators got off to a strong start posting 32 points in the first half which was just 9 points shy of their best season total. In the second half the Senators were even stronger as they made a late run to grab the 7th playoff seed with a record of 31-36-15. Leading the way for the young Senators was Alexei Yashin and Daniel Alfredsson who each topped 70 points. In the playoffs the Senators would throw a scare into the Northeast Division Champion Buffalo Sabres as they fought hard all the way to a 7th game before bowing out.

1997/98: The Senators continued to improve as they posted their first winning season since being resurrected at 34-33-15 to qualify for the playoffs as the 8th seed. In the playoffs the Senators would stun the New Jersey Devils by jumping out to a 3-1 series lead before beating the top seeded Devils in 6 games. However, in the second round the Senators would come up short in a battle of Capital cities as they are beaten by the Washington Capitals in 5 games.

1998/99: The rise of the Senators continues as Alexei Yanshin dishes out 50 assists and scores 44 goals as the Senators reach the 100-point plateau for the first time in franchise history, winning the Northeast Division with an impressive record of 44-23-15. However in the playoffs the Senators would experience a major letdown as they are swept in 4 straight by the Buffalo Sabres.

1999/00: Despite a season long holdout by Alexei Yashin the Senators remain one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference posting a solid record of 41-30-11-2 as they finished in 2nd place. Helping to pick up the slack for Yashin are Radek Bonk, Daniel Alfredsson, Marian Hossa, Vaclav Prospal, and Shawn McEachern, who all topped the 50-point mark in scoring. However, once again there would be a playoff letdown as the Senators are buried by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 6 games.

2000/01: Alexei Yashin returns and puts up a solid 88-point season to lead the Senators despite being booed at home every time he touched the puck. Along with Yanshin 3 other Senators Marian Hossa, Shawn McEachern, and Daniel Alfredsson also topped 70 points as the Senators won their 2nd division title in 3 years with a record of 48-21-9-4. However, in the playoffs the Senators would disappoint their fans again by being swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 4 straight. Following the season the Senators would trade Alexei Yashin to the New York Islanders for Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt, and the 2nd overall pick in the draft, which they used on Jason Spezza.

2001/02: Despite trading away Alexei Yashin the Senators remained one of the top scoring teams in the NHL finishing 5th overall and second in the Eastern Conference as Daniel Alfredsson, Radek Bonk, Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat, and Todd White all scored at least 50 points to lead the Senators to another solid 37-27-9-7 record which earned them their 6th straight playoff berth. As the season wound down, the Senators paid tribute to assistant coach Roger Neilson by having him coach the final 2 games of the season to reach the 1,000-game milestone. After letdowns in the first round the last 3 years the Senators played solidly on the road against the Philadelphia Flyers but had nothing to show for it as the lost in overtime 1-0. However, Senators goalie Patrick Lalime was just getting started, as he didn't not allow a goal over the next 3 games as the Senators took a 3-1 series lead. Lalime would finally allow another goal in Game 5 in Philadelphia. However, he would allow just 1 as the Senators completed the upset on Martin Havlat goal in OT. Beating the Flyers set up a playoff showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 3rd year in a row. Things looked good right away as Lalime blanked the Leafs 5-0 in Toronto in Game 1. However, with a chance to grab a 2-o series lead the Senators were tripped up in triple overtime on a goal by Gary Roberts. After splitting the next 2 games in Ottawa, the Senators appeared to be on their way to the Conference Finals after taking Game 5 in Toronto 4-2. However, with a chance to burry the Leafs at home the Senators dropped Game 6, and then were shutout in Game 7 on the road 3-0 as they were eliminated by the rival Maple Leafs for the 3rd year in a row.

2002/03: Marian Hossa, Daniel Alfredsson, Todd White, Martin Havlat, and Radek Bonk all scored more then 50 points again as Patrick Lalime posted a solid 2.16 GAA as the Senators won the President's Trophy with a solid 52-21-8-1 record. However, the road to the top overall record in the NHL was not an easy one as the team was forced to declare bankruptcy in January after the Canadian Government failed to come up with a bailout for the team's debts. In the playoffs the Senators would have a slip up right away as they dropped Game 1 to the New York Islanders 3-0, with Alexei Yashin scoring a goal in the 2nd period. However, the Senators would rebound and would win the next 4 games to win the series in 5 games. The key to the comeback was Game 3 in New York when Todd White scored in overtime to give the Senators a 3-2 win. In the second round the Senators were matched up against the Philadelphia Flyers. Through the first 4 games the series was even at 2 games apiece as the Senators were shutout twice. After a frustrating shutout loss in Game 4 the Senators would explode for 10 goals in the next 2 games as they won the series in 6 games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. In the Conference Finals the Senators got off to a promising start as they won Game 1 at home in overtime on a goal by Shaun Van Allen. However, the Devils would come roaring back to win the next 3 games and take a 3-1 series lead. Facing elimination at home in Game 5 the Senators called up Jason Spezza who provided an instant spark in his playoff debut scoring a goal and an assist as the Senators stayed alive with a 3-1 win. In Game 6 the Senators would rise to the occasion again beating the Devils in New Jersey 2-1 on a dramatic overtime goal by Chris Phillips. However, in Game 7 at home the Senators let an early 1-0 lead slip away as the Devils scored with 2:14 left in regulation to win 3-2 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Following the season the Senators were sold to Canadian pharmaceutical executive Eugene Melnyk, who also purchased the Corel Centre.

2003/04: Coming off their heartbreaking loss to the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals the Senators struggled early posting a mediocre 9-8-2-3 record through the end of November. However as December began the Senators began to play the type of hockey that led them to the President's Trophy a year earlier, losing just twice. The Senators would continue to play well until March when they where they lost 7 of 11 games. The Senators struggles would cost them the number 1 seed and home ice as they finished 3rd in the Northeast Division with a record of 43-23-10-6. In the playoffs the Senators matched up against their top foe the Toronto Maple Leafs taking Game 1 on the road 4-2. However the Leafs rebounded to win each of the next two games 2-0. After evening the series with a 4-1 win in Game 4 the Senators were shut out 2-0 again in Game 5. Trailing 1-0 in the 3rd period of Game 6 while facing elimination, the Senators rallied for a dramatic win in overtime on a goal by Mike Fisher. However in Game 7 Patrick Lalime would play poorly as the Maple Leafs scored 3 goals on the first 11 shots before Lalime was removed. The move would come too late as the Senators would go on to lose 4-1. Following the game the Senators made major changes firing long time Coach Jacques Martin and replacing him with Bryan Murray, while Lalime was made the scapegoat and traded to the St. Louis Blues, after the Senators acquired Dominik Hasek from the Detroit Red Wings.

2004/05: Season Cancelled Due to Lock Out

2005/06: Coming out of the Lock Out the Senators were consider a Stanley Cup favorite as they had future Hall of Fame Goalie Dominick Hasek, while landing young budding superstar Dany Heatley in a blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Thrashers. The Senators would not disappoint as they came out of the gates like a ball of fire, winning the season opener 3-2 in the first shootout in NHL history as Daniel Alfredsson and Heatley beat Ed Belfour of the Toronto Maple Leafs. That win would be the catalyst for a terrific start as the Senators won their first 6 games on the way to 21 wins in their first 25 games. The Senators would stay hot until the start of the New Year as they ended December with a NHL best 27-6-3 record, as Dany Heatley set a franchise record with a point in 22 straight games on the way to a 103 point season which was tied with Daniel Alfredsson for the team best. At the Olympic break the Senators were still near the top of the league at 37-14-5, but in Torino disaster would strike as Dominick Hasek sustained a season ending groin injury playing for his native Czech Republic. After the break the Senators still managed to play well in March, as they won 12 of 16 with back up Ray Emery. However, in April Emery struggled and the Senators nearly lost their grip on first place as they won just 3 of their last 10 games. Despite the season ending slump the Senators still managed to post a franchise best 52-21-9 record as they held the top spot in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs the Senators quickly shook off their season ending funk and easily dispatched the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. However, in the second round Ray Emery would have a nightmarish Game 1 to the Buffalo Sabres as the Senators lost a high scoring affair in overtime 7-6, with Tim Connolly tying the game with 11 seconds left and Chris Drury winning it in just 18 seconds in to overtime. Game 2 the Senators would play much better, allowing just 17 shots but the Senators still lost 2-1. After another overtime loss in Game 3, Emery played his best game of the series as the Senators avoided the sweep with a 2-1 win. However, a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 5 would see the Senators season come to a disappointing end in the second round again.

2006/07: Coming off their disappointing second round exit the Senators were clearly experiencing a hangover as they below .500 at 17-18-1 on December 21st. As 2006 came to end the Senators began to show signs of improvement winning their last four games in December. In January the Senators began to make their move, posting a 9-3-1 record to get back into the playoff picture. February would be a big month for the Senators as they stayed hot, and sent a message to the first place Buffalo Sabres, as Chris Neil laid out Chris Drury in February 22nd game, igniting a series of fights including a battle between goalies Ray Emery and Ryan Miller. Emery with a boxing background displayed proudly on his mask won the fight, but the Sabres won the game on a shoot out 6-5. However, it helped established a rivalry between the two top teams in the Northeast Division. The Senators would go on to finish in second place with a 48-25-9 record, but unlike previous seasons, they seemed to be heading into the playoffs with a head of steam. In the playoffs against the young Pittsburgh Penguins, the Senators got off to a fast start, as they jumped out to a 6-1 lead in Game 1 on the way to an easy 6-3 win. After losing Game 2 at home 4-3 the Senators dominated the next two games in Pittsburgh effectively shutting down Sidney Crosby to take a 3-1 series lead back to Ottawa, where the Senators closed out the series with a 3-0 win in Game 5. In the second round the Senators faced the veteran New Jersey Devils, with a Stanley Cup pedigree. However, it was the Senators that looked like the battle tested winners in Game 1 as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period. The Devils would fight back to 4-3 entering the 3rd Period, but a power play goal by Wade Redden again gave the Sens a two goal lead, which was able to stand up until the final minute when the Devils scored with 30 seconds left, as the Senators won the opener 5-4. In Game 2 it was the Devils who jumped out to an early lead scoring twice in the first period. The lead would stand almost the entire game until Danny Heatley forced overtime with 27 seconds remaining. After nobody broke through in the first overtime the Devils evened the series on a goal by Jamie Langenbrunner. Despite losing the game the Senators had all the confidence and momentum heading home for the next two games. In Game 3 it would be a battle of goalies as the game was scoreless after the two periods. Finally the Senators broke through on a goal by Tom Preissing, as the Senators took control of the series with a 2-0 win. Ray Emery would have another strong game two nights later as the Senators took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 3-2 win. With a chance to close the series out the Senators used three unanswered goals in the second period to eliminate the Devils 3-2. Facing the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference Finals the Senators, drew back on the brawl filled game back in February where the Senators established their toughness as they took Game 1 behind three unanswered goals in the 3rd period to beat the Sabres on the road 5-2. With a chance to take both games in Buffalo the Sabres lead 3-2 in the closing moments of Game 2. However, the Sabres were able to force overtime on a goal by Daniel Briere with six seconds remaining. After a scoreless first overtime the Senators would get their 2-0 lead as Joe Corvo beat Ryan Miller at 4:58 of the 2nd OT. As the series shifted to Ottawa, the Senators defense took over limiting the Sabres to 15 shots, as they took a commanding 3-0 series lead with a 1-0 win. With a chance to sweep the series, the Senators got off to a slow start in Game 4 trailing 3-0 midway through the second period. The Senators would score twice in two minutes, but it would not be enough as the Sabres held on to win 3-2. Back in Buffalo for Game 5, the Senators again found themselves in overtime, when Daniel Alfredsson scored at 9:32 to give the Senators a 3-2 win and their first ever trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Winning the Eastern Conference Finals in five games would lead to a nine day break before the start of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Anaheim Ducks. This would blunt the Sens momentum as they allowed two third period goals losing 3-2. In Game 2 the Senators continued to struggle as they managed just 16 shots on goal in a frustrating 1-0 loss. As the series shifted to Ottawa the Senators seemed rejuvenated by the home crowd as they beat the Ducks 5-2 in Game 3. However, the Ducks would rebound to win Game 4 as they went on to win the series in five games.