Ottawa Senators Best of the Decade: Memorable Play-off Games
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Welcome back to the Best of the Decade series! This week at Silver Seven has been reserved for reflection, looking back at the best and worst moments of the last ten years. The writers have gathered together to share their thoughts.
Today’s question: In the past decade, what was your most memorable playoff game?
nkb: The consensus here might be Game 3 of the Sens-Habs series from 2013 but I’m going with Game 2 of the Sens - Rangers Series in 2017 when Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored 4 (!!) goals to secure a double OT win over the Rangers. The Sens never led and were down by two goals for most of it. Kyle Turris had to pull a puck off the goal line in overtime after a Craig Anderson giveaway and Ottawa of course would go on to win the Series.
Ross: The obvious answer here is Game 7 of the ECF, but that’s a sad memory. I’m going with Game 3 against the Penguins, back in 2013. Sens down one with a minute to go, also on the PK, Alfie doesn’t care and ties it up anyway. Then Colin Greening won it in double OT. It ended up being a blip in an otherwise disappointing series, but it felt fantastic in the moment.
Brandon: Could pick quite a few from the ‘17 run, but I’ll go with Game 5 against the Rangers. My dad and I made the trip down, and it was an awesome back and forth game. It was funny watching the old Bruins fan cheer for the Sens and chant “Andy” with the rest of us. The best part was going into overtime, when he asked me who I had picked to score. I responded “Turris” and when he asked me who from the Rangers, I said “Only Turris”. One of the best days of my life.
thedaigle1: May 23rd, 2017: Pittsburgh at Ottawa for Game 6 of the eastern conference finals. I came so close to selling my ticket to this game and it would have probably ended up my all-time biggest sports fandom regret. I couldn’t have known at the time how quickly the door would slam shut on this iteration of the Ottawa Senators. Nonetheless, I knew enough about the ephemeral nature of success to catch the Karlsson-Stone-Anderson era Senators, expenses be damned. It’s going to be a long time before I experience another sports moment in Ottawa to compete with the elation when Mike Hoffman scored in the third period to take the lead in this one and eventually tie the series at three games apiece.
Shaan: The first playoff game I ever saw live featured a line brawl in which the Sens dominated, a hat-trick by a fourth round pick two years prior, and a thrashing of a division rival which no doubt caused them to suffer an identity crisis. I’m blessed to have been present at Scotiabank Place for that one.
Spencer: My most memorable playoff game was probably double OT, game 7 of the eastern conference final. I remember sitting in my tiny basement apartment in Toronto, watching the game by myself, and all I could think for three straight hours was “wow, if they win this...”. It was obviously a heartbreaking finish but that has to be the most memorable playoff game for me this decade.
Ary: Going back to the very start of the decade with this one: April 2010, the first of four playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins over the next 10 years.
Matt Carkner (!) led Cory Clouston’s (!!) Senators to a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh in triple overtime (!!!!) to force a game six back in Ottawa. Pascal Leclaire made 55 (!!!!!!!) saves in his first playoff start.
N_Dew: I’ll echo nkb and say Game 2 of the 2017 series against the Rangers. I made the last-minute decision to go to the Rangers game. The only tickets left were a pair on the glass, but J-G Pageau made it worth every single penny. As a bonus we sat beside a mother and daughter who drove from New York to watch their precious Rangers get Pageau’d. Parmesan chicken for life.
Colin: It’s incredible to think how many great moments there are to choose from for a team that’s had mediocre success this decade, although maybe that speaks to the incredible nature of NHL playoff hockey. My personal favourite (aside from the two Pageau games) was Game 6 in the 2017 first round against the Boston Bruins. Clarke MacArthur’s overtime winner after making a miracle comeback from injury was a sight to behold.
What was your most memorable playoff game? Leave a comment below!