2. Todd White – 2003 Round 1, Game 3 vs. New York Islanders (2OT)
White’s goal at 0:34
Importance: While it was only Game 3 of a first-round series they would win in five, after the President’s Trophy winners dropped Game 1 to the 8-seed, going down 2-1 could have done some serious psychological damage to the fanbase and the team’s core. 6/10
Quality: This may be the ugliest goal on the list, as a nothing shot with weak deflection squeaks over the line. White, for his part, was a key member of the early 2000s teams but doesn’t quite reach the levels of admiration in the eyes of fans as some of the other core pieces of the era. 4/10
The next step: This goal helped propel the team into the next round where they dispatched the Flyers in six. With the Wild and Mighty Ducks playing in the Western Finals, the showdown between the Sens and Devils felt like the de facto Finals, which the team lost in heartbreaking fashion with the series going the full seven games. 7/10
Final Score: This goal served as a huge confidence boost for a team that was slowly gaining the reputation as playoff chokers, and it helped launch what was at that point the longest postseason run in franchise history. 17/30