January 25, 2013; Tampa FL, USA; Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot (3) and center Kyle Turris (7) are congratulated by teammates after they scored a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Tampa Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The last time the Ottawa Senators missed the playoffs, there was a huge silver lining. As the big club was rebuilding in the 2010-11 season, the Binghamton Senators salvaged a bit of hope as they made a tremendous run and captured the first championship in the organization’s history, the Calder Cup.
It was a strong development tool that saw many players from that championship squad advance to become regulars with the big club.
This season, there will be no such silver lining.
The Binghamton Senators 5-1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins on Friday night eliminated the B Sens and made it a long summer for the entire organization.
It was the second straight year the Penguins beat the Senators in the first round, with the Senators doing 1 game better, bowing out in 4 games instead of 3 in the best of 5 opening round.
And to top it all off, fans can’t even look forward (at this point at least) to a first round pick for their troubles in missing the playoffs, as Anahiem currently holds that pick.
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So for now, Senators fans must look elsewhere for silver linings. There are a few to keep your eye on:
- Kyle Turris and Marc Methot will represent Team Canada at this month’s World Championships in Belarus.
- 2013 first round pick Curtis Lazar is having an MVP caliber playoffs and leads the Edmonton Oil Kings into the Western Hockey League final that begins tonight against the Portland Winter Hawks
- Defenseman Ben Harpur is playing in the OHL championship series as his Guelph Storm face off against the North Bay Battalion
- If you want to look at former Senators with a chance to take the Stanley Cup, you can watch and cheer for (or against as the case may be) Marian Hossa (Chicago), Jakub Silfverberg (Anaheim), Zdeno Chara, the oft scratched Andrej Meszaros and the injured Chris Kelly in Boston, the much reviled Dany Heatley in Minnesota.