Finally
For most of this season, the Ottawa Senators have been quietly
preparing for the playoffs. They got on track early and a mid-
season winning streak helped them to an early playoff birth. For
the first time in team history they did not have to fight their
way into the playoffs. The last month has been spent trying to
clinch the Northeast Division, working to stay on top of the
Eastern conference, and trying to get their specialty team
goings.
The season ends with the team at 103 points and their best record
ever. The Senators end the season third overall. Defensively,
they ranked third in the league, and fifth in goals scored.
If it wasn't for their play over the last few weeks, one would
think that the team is ready to roll over it's first round
opponents. Let's not be so quick. The Senators ended the season
with just one win in their last seven games and are mumbling
"finally" as they go about preparations to start a series with
the defensive Buffalo Sabres, a team they tied in 4 of 5
matchups this season.
Defensively, a number of defensive zone lapses this period seemed
to result in the team not forechecking or pressing in the
offensive zone as much as they did for much of the season.
Despite their recent difficulties, if they are not intimidated
during the playoffs, the Senators should be able to bounce back
from their recent slump and make a solid run for the Cup.
This-a-that-a
* The team tied 15 times this season. If all the ties had have
turned to losses, the Senators would now be golfing - an 88-point
season.
* Final 1998-99 Molson Cup standings for the season had Alexei
Yashin nudging Ron Tugnutt with 100 points to Tugger's 95. The
Molson Cup rewards the players for most selections as on of the
three stars of a game. Both players were selected as the first
star of the game 10 times.
* Ron Tugnutt lead the league with a 1.79 GAA.
Perreault Perreault Perreault and Perreault
Leaf goals by Yanic Perreault - his first career four-goal game -
resulted in Toronto's 4-2 victory over the division rival Ottawa
Senators. Toronto outshot Ottawa 31-29 as Ottawa capitalized on
just one of seven power-play attempts.
* The Senators had a seven-game road unbeaten streak (5-0-2)
stopped as well as a six-game unbeaten stretch (3-0-3).
Northeast Division Champions
In the home portion of the home-and-home series against the
Leafs, third-period goals from Daniel Alfredsson and Sami Salo
and the strong goaltending of Ron Tugnutt resulted in a 3-1 Sens
victory. The win clinched the Northeast Division championship.
Alfredsson's goal came off a nice cross-ice pass from rookie
Marian Hossa, snapping the 1-1 tie.
More Ties Than a Businessman
A defensive battle with the Buffalo Sabres featured only 30
combined shots on goal and resulted in a 1-1 tie. Damian Rhodes
stopped just 11 shots while Dominik Hasek didn't do much more
work in making 17 saves.
* The two clubs became the first teams to push every game of a
season series to overtime since the league began using the
five-minute extra period in 1983-84.
* Igor Kravchuk scored a power-play goal for the Senators late in
the first period.
More Shots But Less Goals
The Senators outshot Florida 39-11 but still lost 2-0 to the
Panthers. The Panthers increased their record this season
against the Senators to 3-1.
* The shutout was Kirk McLean's 22nd of his career. He stopped
19 shots in the first period. McLean stopped Ted Donato on a
penalty shot.
* Florida's 11 shots matched a team record for lowest number of
shots in a game.
* Florida snapped a season-high seven-game losing streak and an
eight-game winless skid.
* Ottawa went 0-7 on the power play.
A Night to Remember
Wayne Gretzky's final NHL appearance in Canada was probably the
most memorable event in Corel Centre history. The game meant
nothing to the Rangers and was a difficult game for the Senators
to get up for, what with the Blueshirts having been eliminated
from postseason play and the Sens already having clinched a
playoff birth and the Northeast title.
In the days leading up to the game, Wayne Gretzky had made it
well known that he was likely to retire at the end of the season.
Tickets for the sellout game became hot properties as seeing the
greatest player ever play in his last NHL game on Canadian ground
was something special.
During the pregame warmup, Gretzky was awarded an ovation and the
game continued with the Great One love-in. Even the Senator
players got involved, congratulating Gretzky as the game ended.
* During a 17-minute ovation at the end of the game, fans refused
to leave the building, even after Gretzky made several curtain
calls.
* After the game, Senators newsgroup page and internet auction
listings had ticket stubs and game programs selling for $25 each.
* Late in the third period fans began chanting, "One More Year,
One More Year".
* In a break from tradition, the three stars were not awarded at
the game's end. Gretzky was named the "STAR of the game".
* Fans got their money's worth with an extra five minutes as the
game ended in a 2-2 tie. Nelson Emerson and Marian Hossa scored
for the Senators.
* Everyone wanted a souvenir. Camera's flashed and even the
players got into the action. Senators' winger Daniel Alfredsson:
"With two minutes left, I'm going to try to check him in the
corner and get his stick". Alfie had to get in line, Igor
Kravchuk got it first. Kravchuk, a big Gretzky fan, had asked
him for a stick on numerous previous occasions only to be
informed that they had already been promised elsewhere.
* The game was special for many players on the ice including 21-
year-old Wade Redden who grew up in Llyodminster, Sask. cheering
for the Oilers and Gretzky. Lance Pitlick on shaking hands with
Gretzky: "You don't have the chance to be close to someone of
that stature too often and I wasn't going to let that moment go
by". Pitlick is also quoted as saying that Gretzky had given him
plenty of sore necks, zipping pucks past the Ottawa defensemen.
* Gretzky's wife Janet, daughter Paulina and sons Ty and Trevor
were at the game along with his parents and close friends. NHL
commissioner Gary Bettman also flew in for the game.
* Gretzky held a postgame news conference that was broadcast live
on many local and national stations. In typical Gretzky fashion,
his class showed through as he apologized for bringing the hoopla
of his impending retirement to Ottawa while the Senators battle
to win the Eastern Conference.
* Speaking of Kravchuk. Both Rangers goals could be attributed
to errors made by the Russian blueliner. Kravchuk, who has been
playing injured of late, has not been great and this partially
explains the overall play of the team. Catcalls after the
Rangers' second goal included "Hey Gretzky, take Kravchuk with
you".
* Alfredsson came back to see more action after being viciously
beaten into the ice by Ranger defenseman Mathieu Schneider late
in the third period. The Senators did not retaliate.
Quiz Time
Who holds the league record for most career penalty minutes?
Hint: it is not Wayne Gretzky.
Another Tie
Goalies Ron Tugnutt and Arturs Irbe battled to a 1-1 tie as the
Senators made their way to Carolina to face the Southeast
Division champion Hurricanes. Irbe kept it tied in the third
period with a pair of point-blank saves on Alexei Yashin and
Marian Hossa.
* Senators went 1-4 on the power play in the game.
Playoff Preview
The Sabres seem to like low scoring games and have matched up very well against
the Senators over the last few seasons. Two years ago, Buffalo
beat the Senators in overtime of the seventh game of their first
round playoff series.
How well do the Senators and Sabres match up this season? The two
teams played to 1-1 ties in their last three regular-season
meetings. The other two meetings also went to overtime with
Ottawa able to win one of the games (3-2 on December 30) and the
other ending in a 2-2 tie. Results: five games, four ties.
Look for this playoff series to be long. Long defensive games
and most likely lots of them. Long games could also mean rough
games. The turning point of the series could be how well the
Senators do after mixing it up with the Sabres. The Senators
have generally backed down and let the other teams take the
penalties. The two referee system may play well for the
Senators in the series.
* The Senators moved offsite to the Chateau Montebello for a two
day pre-playoff retreat. Coach Martin is quoted as saying that
this will help the team get their focus together.
Luck of the Buzz?
Shawn McEachern started it, and now at least six Senators
including Chris Phillips, Wade Redden and Radek Bonk are sporting
new buzzcut haircuts.
Quiz Answer
With 3966 minutes, Dave "Tiger" Williams holds the record. He
played in 962 games for Toronto, Vancouver, Detroit, L.A., and
Hartford., over 14 seasons. Rounding out the top five are
Dale Hunter (3446 in 1345 games), Marty McSorley (3218 in 888
games), Tim Hunter (3146 in 815 games) and Chris Nilan (3043 in
688 games). The Nosebleeders can't imagine what it would have
been like to play shinny in the Hunter household.
The Nosebleeders would like to thank Wayne Gretzky for offering
us some great memories. He has been a professional athlete that
always puts the team and the game ahead of himself. Wayne, you
will definitely be missed...we definitely understand and wish you
all the best in your next career but still "one more year" would
have been nice.
