No Matter What Happens Tonight, Cheer On The Senators

The Ottawa Senators are down 0-3 in the series to the Montreal Canadiens. Everyone knows that. Only four teams in NHL history have come back from 0-3 to win four straight, however it can happen again. Two teams have done it in the past six years alone, and the Stanley Cup Champions did it last year. Is it likely that Ottawa comes all the way back? No, but that doesn’t mean the fans and (especially) the players should just give up.

If the players had given up earlier, they wouldn’t even be close to the playoffs. In February their chances of making the playoffs sat at just over 2%. Now they’re in a similar situation, with the Canadiens odds of winning over 97%. But we have come this far, so why stop now?

During their magical run, this team seemed like a team of destiny as they could hardly ever lose for two months straight. Now that the run seems close to ending, I don’t think the Senators will just quietly go down without a fight. Heck, watch the first period from game three and you’ll see what I mean. They played fantastic, and were well on their way to a comfortable win. Then of course they sit back, which has always been their Achilles heal.

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It’s not as if this has been a blowout series, as all three games have been decided by one goal, and two of those went to overtime. Ottawa just needs to take it one game at a time, and if they win tonight there’s still a sliver of hope left. They have proven that they can beat the Canadiens, and they can do it again.

I urge all Ottawa fans to watch the game tonight, and cheer on your team. Even if they do get swept, they have a valiant effort for two months now and they deserve tons of credit. They have already made history, and that’s something to be proud of. If you are at the CTC tonight, stay the whole game. The troops deserve one last standing ovation from their home fans, win or lose.

Having said that, losing shouldn’t be expected tonight. The Senators could and should win this game, because by now I would bet that Montreal will be sitting on their heals knowing that it’s almost assured they have won the series. If they win, then that’s even more reason to cheer as loud as you can. After all, this could be the last home game this year for Ottawa, even if they do win.

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t have much faith in this team a few months ago, nor did I after the loss Sunday night. However that doesn’t mean I have given up, and if you have, here’s a motivational video that will surely get you amped for game four (and beyond). Jack posted it today in Around the Web, but I just had to show it again.

Are the odds in our favour? Of course not. But we have nothing to lose right now, and even with a loss we can say that Montreal was expected to win anyways. If the Senators lose by one goal again, I can assure you that this series was the closest sweep in NHL history.

Plus, if we do come all the way back, how sweet would that be to rub it in Montreal’s faces? The rivalry between the two teams has become one of the best in the league, and personally I’d rather see the Maple Leafs win right now over the Canadiens. It’s a fierce rivalry, and coming all the way back would be the best way possible to win.

Being realistic though, it’s most likely that Ottawa loses in five games. If that does happen, then it’s not the end of the world. Ottawa was supposed to be a top-10 draft lottery team, not a playoff threat. But don’t think for a second that the team is going to give up, because I don’t think they know what that means. No matter what happens tonight Ottawa fans, hold your heads up high knowing that this team is special and always will be.

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