Biggest Game in Franchise History: Senators Edition

[LastWordArmy]

Welcome back to the Last Word on Hockey’s summer series where we look at the biggest game in team history. Each day we will be back with a new team to look at. Looking at things like the lead-up, what happened, followed, and why it makes it the biggest game. The biggest game does not automatically mean a win, either. Sometimes, it can be a loss that set the franchise back massively. Sit back and enjoy as we break down all 31 team’s most important game. This is the Ottawa Senators biggest game in franchise history. The full series is found here.

Ottawa Senators Biggest Game In Franchise History - Last Word on Hockey

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[PoutineSp00nZ]

So the Senators biggest game in franchise history was a loss to the Leafs in the second round?

What about the game that sent them to the Stanley Cup final? Or the game 3 win in the finals that put them back in contention? Maybe the win in game 82 in 97 that sent them to playoffs for the first time in modern franchise history.

Bad article is bad.

 

[18Hossa]

Or the double OT loss that has led us to where we are now.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Maybe not the biggest game, but the game everyone wanted to forget about. (And now it is back into my memory)

Definitely my favorite games and series was the 2013 Habs vs Sens.

....

 

[Senscore]

Or the double OT loss that has led us to where we are now.

Man if we had gone on to win the Cup, I'd probably be pretty chill about the dumpster fire we've become.

 

[bert]

Welcome back to the Last Word on Hockey’s summer series where we look at the biggest game in team history. Each day we will be back with a new team to look at. Looking at things like the lead-up, what happened, followed, and why it makes it the biggest game. The biggest game does not automatically mean a win, either. Sometimes, it can be a loss that set the franchise back massively. Sit back and enjoy as we break down all 31 team’s most important game. This is the Ottawa Senators biggest game in franchise history. The full series is found here.

Ottawa Senators Biggest Game In Franchise History - Last Word on Hockey

Man leaf fans just cant get out of their own way. This is such an embarassment.

This one isnt even in the top 20, get over yourself toronto. Right off the top of my head I can tell you every single SCF game they played was bigger. Every single ECF game they have played was bigger. The game that got them in in 1997 was bigger. The game that got them to the 2nd round in 1998 was bigger.

'The aftermath the sens filed for Bankruptcy the following season'. Like its because they lost to the leafs? My goodness Torontos hockey ego shows no bounds. Hey Toronto the sens have played atleast 5 more important games than Toronto has ever played in franchise history. Toronto has NEVER won 3 consecutive playoff series in franchise history. Maybe you were confused that this game was Torontos biggest game? It got them as far as they ever got in franchise history beating its biggest rival in game 7. Did you get the teams mixed up?

 

[Back in Black]

2007 Stanley Cup Final was their biggest game, Barr none!

 

[Micklebot]

If you are going to use a loss to the leafs as a teams biggest game i would have gone with the 04 game 7 loss that resulted in Martin losing his job, and Lalime being pitched to the curb. That had some lasting impact on the direction of the franchise.

 

[Caeldan]

Yeah I would say personally that the game 7 loss to the devils was the most painful.
There was a buzz in the arena that even though it was tied, we had that game if we made it to overtime.
Then with about 2 minutes left, the arena went silent and you could hear the puck hit the ice of the ensuing faceoff drop from the 300 level.
And postseason, a shakeup of the team began.

Another painful loss was the one in Ottawa against the Habs where we got shutout for the first time all season, despite the fact that Pageau actually scored a goal. Except for the fact that a ref seemingly blew it dead way too early when it was a loose puck. Oh, and Montreal scored off an obvious handpass, and there was that time where the linesman convinced the ref to call a phantom high sticking penalty against Ottawa after the fact.

 

[coladin]

This guy sucks. I think him and their buddies pulled their pins into the same toilet bowl after reading this article.

 

[Deku]

Yeah I would say personally that the game 7 loss to the devils was the most painful.
There was a buzz in the arena that even though it was tied, we had that game if we made it to overtime.
Then with about 2 minutes left, the arena went silent and you could hear the puck hit the ice of the ensuing faceoff drop from the 300 level.
And postseason, a shakeup of the team began.

Another painful loss was the one in Ottawa against the Habs where we got shutout for the first time all season, despite the fact that Pageau actually scored a goal. Except for the fact that a ref seemingly blew it dead way too early when it was a loose puck. Oh, and Montreal scored off an obvious handpass, and there was that time where the linesman convinced the ref to call a phantom high sticking penalty against Ottawa after the fact.

I was at that montreal game and I'm still angry

 

[18Hossa]

Another painful loss was the one in Ottawa against the Habs where we got shutout for the first time all season, despite the fact that Pageau actually scored a goal. Except for the fact that a ref seemingly blew it dead way too early when it was a loose puck. Oh, and Montreal scored off an obvious handpass, and there was that time where the linesman convinced the ref to call a phantom high sticking penalty against Ottawa after the fact.

Thanks for reminding me about that...

I was at that montreal game and I'm still angry

Same. I was there with friends, and one friend's younger brother. The look on his face....

 

[KnuckChuckinTkachuk]

Yeah I would say personally that the game 7 loss to the devils was the most painful.
There was a buzz in the arena that even though it was tied, we had that game if we made it to overtime.
Then with about 2 minutes left, the arena went silent and you could hear the puck hit the ice of the ensuing faceoff drop from the 300 level.
And postseason, a shakeup of the team began.

Another painful loss was the one in Ottawa against the Habs where we got shutout for the first time all season, despite the fact that Pageau actually scored a goal. Except for the fact that a ref seemingly blew it dead way too early when it was a loose puck. Oh, and Montreal scored off an obvious handpass, and there was that time where the linesman convinced the ref to call a phantom high sticking penalty against Ottawa after the fact.

Yeah but we had the famous Zibby soccer kick goal that went our way too. For those types of calls its ya win some, ya lose some..

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

I was at that montreal game and I'm still angry

Was also at that game. The amount of French Ottawa fans I was sitting near was quite surprising

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Probably game 7 in 2003 or 2017. We would have had a much better chance of winning than we did in 2007.

 

[Icelevel]

Biggest game is always the next one.

 

[BUCKLE UP]

Biggest game is always the next one.

We won’t have a next one at this rate.

 

[tardigrade81]

Ya I don’t get that at all. Game 5 against Buffalo was pretty big in 07 because it sent us to the Cup. Or game 7 against the Pens a couple years back. But hey. Just one mans opinion.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

LOL. This isn't even close to the biggest game in franchise history. It was the '03 ECG against the Devils. Ottawa wins that game and they would have absolutely throttled the Ducks.

It's such a shame. I was at that game and the interference on Marian Hossa was ridiculous. Without hooking and holding that Devils team just couldn't handle him (all series really). And the refs let it happen because .. derp.. playoff hockey...derp.. game management.

 

[swiftwin]

Another painful loss was the one in Ottawa against the Habs where we got shutout for the first time all season, despite the fact that Pageau actually scored a goal. Except for the fact that a ref seemingly blew it dead way too early when it was a loose puck. Oh, and Montreal scored off an obvious handpass, and there was that time where the linesman convinced the ref to call a phantom high sticking penalty against Ottawa after the fact.

That game/series was ridiculous. Had we won that game, a reverse sweep of the Habs could have been a real possibility.

The reffing that series was atrocious. I've never forget the fact that they called a 2 min faceoff violation penalty against us. Who the f*** calls a faceoff violation in the playoffs?

 

[swiftwin]

If you are going to use a loss to the leafs as a teams biggest game i would have gone with the 04 game 7 loss that resulted in Martin losing his job, and Lalime being pitched to the curb. That had some lasting impact on the direction of the franchise.

No doubt.

Heck, even the '02 game 6 against the Leafs could have been considered bigger since we were winning that game, well on our way to finally beat the Leafs until Persson, playing in his first game of those playoffs, took that 5 min major.

 

[Micklebot]

No doubt.

Heck, even the '02 game 6 against the Leafs could have been considered bigger since we were winning that game, well on our way to finally beat the Leafs until Persson, playing in his first game of those playoffs, took that 5 min major.

Domi admitted to diving head first into the dasher. Persson doesn't deserve the blame for that, if it wasn't him it just would have been someone else

 

[swiftwin]

IMO, top 5 biggest games in franchise history:

#1: Game 5 vs Sabres, 2007: Obvious. First time they went to the cup finals. They beat a rival who had beat them the previous year. A rival they also had a huge line brawl with earlier that season. Also, Alfie scored the goal, for redemption for the bad series goal he let in the previous season. That game, and that playoff run elevated Alfie from being a playoff choker to being the patron saint of the franchise.

#2: Game 7 vs Devils, 2003: Closest they've come to winning the cup in many people's opinion. They had a solid shot a beating the Ducks in the finals. They were an amazing team top to bottom. Presidents trophy winner. IIRC, Nieuendyk said it was the toughest team/series he ever played against.

#3: Game 7 vs Penguins, 2017: Tough loss against a borderline dynasty. One of the few 2OT game 7's in NHL history. It marked the start of the end for that core of players, and the beginning of the current shit era.

#4: 8-0 win vs Leafs, Oct. 29, 2005: This game was a huge turning point for the franchise. At that point, the young Sens franchise were forever under the thumb of the Leafs, who would often lose to the Sens in the regular season, but would beat the Sens in the playoffs because "they were tougher" and the Sens were "too soft". The Sens not only demolished the Leafs 8-0, but they beat the shit out of them too. McGrattan TKOed Tie Domi, something the Sens were never able to do. IMO, this marked the beginning of the Bryan Murray "take no shits" era, the end of the Jacques Martin "soft" era. It also marked the beginning of the Pizza line, and the end of the Battle of Ontario (it was never the same after that). The Sens also went of to crush the Leafs 8-2 a couple weeks later just to cement things further.

#5: 1-0 win vs Sabres, April 12, 1997: Last game of the season versus the top team in the division. Duchene goal. Sens clinch the playoffs for the first time.

 

[tardigrade81]

IMO, top 5 biggest games in franchise history:

#1: Game 5 vs Sabres, 2007: Obvious. First time they went to the cup finals. They beat a rival who had beat them the previous year. A rival they also had a huge line brawl with earlier that season. Also, Alfie scored the goal, for redemption for the bad series goal he let in the previous season. That game, and that playoff run elevated Alfie from being a playoff choker to being the patron saint of the franchise.

#2: Game 7 vs Devils, 2003: Closest they've come to winning the cup in many people's opinion. They had a solid shot a beating the Ducks in the finals. They were an amazing team top to bottom. Presidents trophy winner. IIRC, Nieuendyk said it was the toughest team/series he ever played against.

#3: Game 7 vs Penguins, 2017: Tough loss against a borderline dynasty. One of the few 2OT game 7's in NHL history. It marked the start of the end for that core of players, and the beginning of the current **** era.

#4: 8-0 win vs Leafs, Oct. 29, 2005: This game was a huge turning point for the franchise. At that point, the young Sens franchise were forever under the thumb of the Leafs, who would often lose to the Sens in the regular season, but would beat the Sens in the playoffs because "they were tougher" and the Sens were "too soft". The Sens not only demolished the Leafs 8-0, but they beat the **** out of them too. McGrattan TKOed Tie Domi, something the Sens were never able to do. IMO, this marked the beginning of the Bryan Murray "take no ****s" era, the end of the Jacques Martin "soft" era. It also marked the beginning of the Pizza line, and the end of the Battle of Ontario (it was never the same after that). The Sens also went of to crush the Leafs 8-2 a couple weeks later just to cement things further.

#5: 1-0 win vs Sabres, April 12, 1997: Last game of the season versus the top team in the division. Duchene goal. Sens clinch the playoffs for the first time.

Well said.

 

[GrantLemons]

IMO, top 5 biggest games in franchise history:

#1: Game 5 vs Sabres, 2007: Obvious. First time they went to the cup finals. They beat a rival who had beat them the previous year. A rival they also had a huge line brawl with earlier that season. Also, Alfie scored the goal, for redemption for the bad series goal he let in the previous season. That game, and that playoff run elevated Alfie from being a playoff choker to being the patron saint of the franchise.

#2: Game 7 vs Devils, 2003: Closest they've come to winning the cup in many people's opinion. They had a solid shot a beating the Ducks in the finals. They were an amazing team top to bottom. Presidents trophy winner. IIRC, Nieuendyk said it was the toughest team/series he ever played against.

#3: Game 7 vs Penguins, 2017: Tough loss against a borderline dynasty. One of the few 2OT game 7's in NHL history. It marked the start of the end for that core of players, and the beginning of the current **** era.

#4: 8-0 win vs Leafs, Oct. 29, 2005: This game was a huge turning point for the franchise. At that point, the young Sens franchise were forever under the thumb of the Leafs, who would often lose to the Sens in the regular season, but would beat the Sens in the playoffs because "they were tougher" and the Sens were "too soft". The Sens not only demolished the Leafs 8-0, but they beat the **** out of them too. McGrattan TKOed Tie Domi, something the Sens were never able to do. IMO, this marked the beginning of the Bryan Murray "take no ****s" era, the end of the Jacques Martin "soft" era. It also marked the beginning of the Pizza line, and the end of the Battle of Ontario (it was never the same after that). The Sens also went of to crush the Leafs 8-2 a couple weeks later just to cement things further.

#5: 1-0 win vs Sabres, April 12, 1997: Last game of the season versus the top team in the division. Duchene goal. Sens clinch the playoffs for the first time.

Honourable mention for Game 1 vs Buffalo in '06. The powerhouse team surrendered their lead 5 times and it culminated in a back breaking OT loss, which featured numerous soft goals allowed by Ray Emery (RIP). I really feel that game took the wind out of their sails, and they never had full confidence playing in front of Emery vs Hasek. I remember watching this game and being unbelievably deflated afterwards, I can't even imagine what the players felt like.

It was only a game 1, and it's a stretch to say for sure, but if they win this game, I feel that series would have been totally different. If they got by the Sabres that year, who knows what could have happened. It was as tough a loss for a non-deciding playoff game that I can remember in my life.