Senators' fan base tested but remained loyal to end
The Ottawa Senators have played their final home game for what's been a huge disappointment of a season. They will finish well outside a wild-card entry into the NHL playoffs.
It's a huge kick to the gut for a team that thought it was there, that thought it could not only play in the post-season, but do some damage.
It's been a season that's seen the firing of a general manager (Pierre Dorion) and a head coach (D.J. Smith) and inconsistent, immature play from a group of players who should be far enough along to take a step ahead.
It was a nice adieu Saturday, with white-gloved Lyndon Slewidge O Canada-ing another big crowd into the game. Ottawa won 5-4 in a shootout.
The turnout got a big nudge from the legion of fans supporting the visiting team, the Montreal Canadiens (cue up a big cheer for Mike Matheson, who scored the game's opening goal, short-handed, less than 10 minutes in). But Senators fans made their presence felt with a bigger cheer when their captain, Brady Tkachuk, scored on the power play with a bit less than seven minutes left in the first period. Oh, and it got even louder when Montreal unsuccessfully challenged there was goaltender interference on the goal.
Through everything, you can't blame the fans. The team averaged more than 17,785 per game, a jump of more than 1,000 from a year ago. With 19 sellouts, they're four ahead of last season.
Sens Army has cheered the good and booed the bad.
“I appreciate the fans, I respect the fans,” said Jacques Martin, whose role as interim head coach will soon end. “Fans pay a premier dollar to be entertained; that's what they want.”
“The fans have been behind us, even though it didn't go the way we wanted it to go,” defenceman Thomas Chabot said.
“When things are tough, the fans have been there for us,” Tkachuk said earlier this week, a couple of days after the home fans chanted his name. “It's been a disappointing season. For the fans to do that, it's pretty amazing. (I've got) a lot of love (for them), I very much appreciate the support.”
The fan pushback against divisive, litigious owner Eugene Melnyk is a thing of the past; there's a breath of fresh air that goes with Michael Andlauer, who bought the team last summer.
While there's a sting that goes with another losing season, there are at least positive vibes. The Senators are making big strides in the community.
The Senators wrap up their season with a pair of road games — Monday in New York and Tuesday in Boston.
“You have to keep playing as hard as you can,” Martin said. “I'm encouraged by the road trip we just came off (3-2 wins over Washington and Tampa
Bay sandwiching a 2-0 loss to Florida). We had three excellent games, we gave up just six goals, two per game with a lineup that's limited.”
What has to happen next to end the Senators' painful playoff drought going back to 2017?
“There needs to be mindset changes in your preparation and the way you go about your summer, getting ready for the next season,” said Chabot. “We all love playing in Ottawa and want to have success here. The fans, the city, everybody deserves that. This year really made us learn a lot more about how hard it is and what it takes to win. It's going to be a big summer for all of us.”