They did it. They ACTUALLY did it.
That’s all I could think of in the seconds and now hours after a 3-1 playoff-clinching win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
From 14 points down, the Ottawa Senators have come all the way back to lock up a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs next week. Writing those words, I can still hardly believe it’s real.
I could sit here and try to write about why it happened but the fact is, I don’t know. The change to Dave Cameron’s up-tempo style obviously helped. Injuries led to increased responsibility for some young players. The best players played. Erik Karlsson got his game back with Marc Methot by his side. Mark Stone turned into one of the league’s best forwards. Andrew Hammond came out of nowhere to go on one of the most incredible goaltending runs in the history of the league. General Manager Bryan Murray was patient and believed this team was capable of great things. At the same time, he along with Assistant Coach Mark Reeds became an inspiration for the team, showing incredible strength in their own personal fights away from the rink.
All those things helped but the fact is it’s damn near impossible to explain exactly how this Ottawa Senators team was able to force their way into the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
I get a kick out of listening to the so-called experts attempt to explain “how” the Senators were able to pull it off. They all seem to end up at that same conclusion- “I’m not really sure how they did it.” or “No, I didn’t think they could do it”. And that’s part of what makes this so special. Nobody thought it was possible.
This is right up there with the 2007 Stanley Cup run. Right now, I think it’s better. I say that because this miraculous playoff push ended in success. No matter what happens over the next couple weeks (or months), this year’s team has accomplished something this fan base and this city won’t soon forget. The entire hockey world has been looking on in awe at our Ottawa Senators.
And like that 2007 run, the city has rallied behind this team in a big way. Whether it was the 12,000 strong that showed up to watch the game at the Canadian Tire Centre or the thousands that were there to greet the team at the airport when they arrived home from Philly this evening, the entire city is showing their appreciation for this hockey team.
And rightfully so.
We’ll never see another run like this one. No hockey team and quite possibly no team in any sport will accomplish what the Ottawa Senators did this season. As fans of this team, we are so incredibly lucky to have experienced this incredible month and a half of hockey.
And the crazy part? It’s only going to get better.
Playoffs start next week!
GO SENS GO!
