Ottawa Senators Best of the Decade: Most Gruelling Moments
How much time do you have?
Welcome back to part three of the Best of the Decade series! With the end of the year being a time of reflection, the Silver Seven writers have gathered together to share their highs and lows of Sens hockey in the 2010s. This time around, we’re getting dark.
Today’s question: In the past decade, which moment was the most gruelling as a Sens fan?
nkb: There’s, unfortunately, a wide array of crushing moments to choose from here but the Randy Lee saga hurt me the most as a Sens fan. Losing games isn’t fun, trading beloved players isn’t fun, and existing at the whims of a curmudgeonly penny-pincher isn’t fun, but the situation with Lee was beyond hockey and left me with a very sour taste in my mouth. It was a low point for me, as a fan of the team.
Ross: The Karlsson trade. Once that happened, I knew Stone would follow. It’s one thing to hear rumours about trading the greatest talent in franchise history, it’s another thing to actually see it happen.
Brandon: Ugh, take your pick. While I was temped to pick Alfie or Karlsson, I’ll have to go with the Stone trade. That was the moment where it seemed like all hope was gone, and I had no idea where things were going to go from there. That was the wasteland.
thedaigle1: August 12th, 2017 — the passing of Bryan Murray. Murray lived against all odds with stage four cancer for almost three years and it still hit our community with grave devastation when we learned of his death. People on both sides of the Ottawa river have so much admiration and respect for the generous, honest, and humourous personality Murray maintained even in the most challenging of circumstances. He gave so much to the community and we will always feel his absence.
Shaan: This one’s a bit out of left field, and not just because it’s an on-ice moment. I’ve mentioned the Hamburglar run and the Canadiens already, and this for me was the moment the Habs ended that run. Down 0-2 already, Ottawa desperately needed a win on home ice in Game 3 and Craig Anderson was up to the task. He battled with Carey Price for over 60 minutes in one of the greatest goaltending duels I’ve ever seen...and then Dale Weise attempts a plain shot from the circle and it ends up in the net. In the blink of an eye, my soul was crushed.
Spencer: The Karlsson trade was the catalyst for everything. If you can ditch a guy like Karlsson, nobody is safe. That was the moment when I realized the team I thought was a few pieces away from being something special was going to get torn apart.
Ary: Tie between July 5th, 2013, and September 13th, 2018. The passing of the franchise from Daniel Alfredsson to Erik Karlsson was written like a fairytale, and to lose both of the team’s best players ever — and two who will end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame — is agonizing for fans, the players, and the city.
As a writer, having to cover the 2017-18 season was a nightmare. Between watching a roster that made a surprise run get completely dismantled and the off-ice stories with Eugene Melnyk, Randy Lee, Mike Hoffman, I forgot what optimism was. Even in our comments section, the general blogosphere, and Sens Twitter — activity dropped and everything became less fun. Ugh.
N_Dew: Nothing will compare to Alfie signing with the Red Wings. Nothing.
Colin: July 1st, 2015, Erik Condra signs with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Joking aside, I second Shaan’s choice with the Habs ending the Hamburglar run in the 2015 playoffs. The Karlsson and Stone trades were gruelling due to their longevity, so much so that when the day finally came it felt relieving that the speculation was over. This moment, meanwhile, made my blood boil more than any other sports event. The early whistle on Pageau’s goal will forever be etched into my memory, and I wish I could erase it.
What moment from this decade was the most painful for Sens fans? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments! We’ll be back on Monday with the fourth of five installments.