Character epitomizes a remarkable Sens story

What a finish. The Ottawa Senators showed their fighting spirit till the very end of their 2016-17 season, taking the reigning Stanley Cup champions to double overtime in Game 7 of a thrilling Eastern Conference final.

Admittedly it wasn’t the outcome that we — or the city, or the Senators — would have wanted, but it was an effort of which the team and its fans can be proud.

Now — with our grudging congratulations — the Pittsburgh Penguins will head to the Stanley Cup finals to face the Nashville Predators. Yet, the Sens were the team everyone wanted to see win the Stanley Cup, some grumpy Toronto and Montreal diehards notwithstanding.

It was a team and a season filled with grit, perseverance and character. It was a playoff run that made this city fall in love with its hockey team all over again.

There was Craig Anderson, who took time off this season to be with his wife, Nicholle, as she battled throat cancer, then returned to lead his team with nightly on-ice heroics.

There was Erik Karlsson, the indomitable captain, playing marathon minutes with fractures in his foot. That mix of toughness and grace is why we watch hockey in the first place.

There was Clarke MacArthur, recovered from concussions that nearly ended his career.

There was Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s four-goal game. And there was more — much more, and not just from the players.

The coaching staff; the trainers; the staff at the Canadian Tire Centre; the wait staff who slung pints and chicken wings; and the final element of a successful hockey team — the fans.

Hockey teams cannot — will not — succeed without fans. And for all the guff the team got about sellouts, during the regular season and in the playoffs, the Sens Army was strong as ever.

On Thursday night, when power lines went down on Cartier Street, just off Elgin, the power fizzled out at The Lieutenant’s Pump, one of the largest and most popular bars on Elgin Street.

Ottawa firefighters saved the day, showing up with a generator that powered a single television in the bar. Forty fans stayed in a room to watch the game. That’s dedication; that’s community spirit. “I feel, myself, lucky to be part of that team. We’ve gone through so much in the season, and in the playoffs, too. It’s just a great group of guys. I think that was our main strength this year, the character we had in this room,” Pageau said. We, Sens fans, feel the same. We can hardly wait for next season.