1998 ECQF New Jersey vs Ottawa

[Filthy Dangles]

How big of an upset was this series victory for Ottawa? Is this perhaps the biggest playoff series upset in recent memory? Great call by Dean Brown when Ottawa sealed it at home in 6. You could see how dejected New Jersey was and how rockin' Ottawa was.

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[streitz]

1998 was probably the only year Yashin was good in the playoffs. I remember Ottawa outplaying the Caps in round 2 aswell but Kolzig stealing the show. I think game 2 or 3 the sens outshot the caps like 45-12 and lost.



Looking apparently he had 7 pts in 02 aswell, don't remember him much in that series though.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I completely forgot that Kravchuk played for the Sens. But from what I remember, the Sens beat the Devils 1-0 or something like that to even make the playoffs that year. Might have been the very last game of the year too.

EDIT: nevermind. I'm thinking of 1997.

 

[frontsfan2005]

Over the course of the five game series, the Senators outshot Washington 168-88.

The great goaltending of Kolzig (4-1, 1.40 GAA, .958 save %), as well as the very poor goaltending from the Senators tandem of Rhodes (1-3, 2.70 GAA, .841 save %) and Tugnutt (0-1, 4.86 GAA, .760 save %) was the story of the series. Overall, Ottawa had a .818 save % between the two goaltenders.

Daniel Alfredsson scored four of the Senators seven goals of the series, including a hat trick in game 3. Yashin had two goals, and Dackell had one goal.

Of note, Shawn McEachern, who was a top goal scorer with the Sens during his time with the team, scored a total of 4 goals in 44 playoff games with the team. He was a no-show in this series (0G-1A). Bonk was another player who struggled badly during this era (I think he had something like no goals and one assist in his first 25 playoff games?).

The Capitals had much more depth than Ottawa. If the Sens were to take this series, they would've needed the goaltending to match Kolzig and have some players step up in this round, much like how Rhodes was able to do this against Brodeur in round one.

 

[DitchMarner]

The Senators were a team on the rise at that point. The following season they would finish second in the EC (and they would do the same in 2001). They would win the President's Trophy in 2003.

I was 12 when that series happened, but I did follow it and I cheered for OTT since TOR wasn't in the playoffs. The Sens basically beat the Devils at their own game and Yashin actually showed up and produced in that series. It was a big upset, but there have been bigger ones in the last 25 years or so.

For whatever reason, NJ had some struggles in the playoffs from '97-'99 despite finishing first in the East every during that period. In '97 they lost in five to the Rangers. In '98 they lost to OTT in round one. In '99 they lost to PIT in round one. IIRC, Bobby f'n Holik was NJ's top scoring in the 1997-1998 season - he wasn't really the type of player you'd want leading your team in scoring. I think Gilmour scored five goals in the OTT series.

 

[DitchMarner]

I completely forgot that Kravchuk played for the Sens. But from what I remember, the Sens beat the Devils 1-0 or something like that to even make the playoffs that year. Might have been the very last game of the year too.

EDIT: nevermind. I'm thinking of 1997.

In 1996 they beat NJ in NJ's last game of the season to prevent the Devils (who were the defending Champions) from making the playoffs.

In 1997 they beat BUF 1-0 in their last game of the season to clinch a playoff spot.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

How big of an upset was this series victory for Ottawa? Is this perhaps the biggest playoff series upset in recent memory? Great call by Dean Brown when Ottawa sealed it at home in 6. You could see how dejected New Jersey was and how rockin' Ottawa was.

It was a huge upset. The Devils were the favorites to win the series. NJ owned the 3rd best record in the NHL, the number 1 seed in the East and was the favorite in some circles to come out of the East. Ottawa was a young, improving team that just completed their first ever winning season in franchise history.

 

[streitz]

For whatever reason, NJ had some struggles in the playoffs from '97-'99 despite finishing first in the East every during that period. In '97 they lost in five to the Rangers. In '98 they lost to OTT in round one. In '99 they lost to PIT in round one. IIRC, Bobby f'n Holik was NJ's top scoring in the 1997-1998 season - he wasn't really the type of player you'd want leading your team in scoring. I think Gilmour scored five goals in the OTT series.

What do you think the devils weakness was during those seasons ?

 

[mrhockey193195]

What do you think the devils weakness was during those seasons ?

A true first line that could eat up minutes and dominate in the offensive zone. Everything started to change when the Elias & Sykora started developing into star players and the A-Line was put together.

 

[tony d]

It was pretty big. The Sens seemed to do the upset game pretty good even back then. It's when they got the higher seed is when things started going bad in the playoffs for them.

 

[LuckyPierre]

Alfredsson had a hat trick in both series that year, and as was stated, Yashin was dynamic.