It's a Thursday night in the Steel City at PPG Paints Arena. The date is May 25, 2017. It's a sold out and raucous crowd for Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals between the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ryan Dzingel has just tied Game 7 at two with 5:19 remaining in the third period for the Senators. Overtime was then needed for the Senators and Penguins to determine a winner. Which ever team won in overtime was headed to the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals to face the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators.
These are the type of games you dream about as a kid. Scoring the game-winning goal in sudden death overtime in Game 7 to send your team to the Stanley Cup Finals to edge your name in hockey history. The unfortunate part though, is not every dream gets to be realized.
You don't have to remind the Senators and their fans about the pain, torture, suffering and all other words to describe the last seven years after Chris Kunitz ripped the hearts out of Ottawa with his double overtime goal.
Since the 2017-18 season, the Senators have had a dark cloud hang above them. From moments that set the franchise back, to seeing other teams have success, would only ache the pain more from that Game 7 loss. Sometimes, the hard truth about getting back to the big stage is it's harder than it looks.
Penguins win 2017 Stanley Cup after defeating Senators in ECF
Matt Duchene trade backfires
The captain Erik Karlsson gets traded in 2018
2018's infamous Uber ride
Karlsson wins Norris Trophy twice after being traded
Mark Stone gets traded to Vegas Golden Knights in 2019
Mika Zibanejad's game rises after being traded to the New York Rangers
Atlantic Division foe Tampa Bay Lightning go to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. Win back-to-back in 2020 and 2021
Montreal Canadiens advance to 2021 Stanley Cup Final
The forever hated Toronto Maple Leafs win a playoff series for the first time in 19 years in 2023
Golden Knights win 2023 Stanley Cup with Stone as captain
Evgenii Dadonov trade forces Ottawa to forfeit a future first-round draft pick
Ex-Senator Vladimir Tarasenko wins Stanley Cup in 2024 after being traded to Florida Panthers
But, who said that the 2024-25 season couldn't be special in Ottawa?
Where did it start this season?
Was it the hire of Travis Green eager to prove his doubters wrong and become a successful head coach after not returning as full-time head coach of the New Jersey Devils?
Was it the trade for former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins?
Was it the rise of Jake Sanderson and getting a huge improving season from Thomas Chabot?
Was it captain Brady Tkachuk's desire to bring success back to Ottawa after dealing with six consecutive losing seasons into his Senators tenure?
Was it Tim Stutzle breaking records in Senators history?
Or was it that insane Winter surge from Leevi Merilainen?
Well, all those things can add up to it. The Senators appeared to be in for another losing season after their shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 1 to fall to 10-12-2. Then, that iconic Pizza Line reunion on Dec. 5 helped begin a December surge.
The Senators had confidence drop in February losing their final five games of the month, and headed into March with a 29-25-4 record. Questions began if this team was a serious playoff contender in March.
Then, 2015 hero Andrew Hammond returned on March 1. If the Pizza Line reunion started a December surge, it only made sense for a March surge to happen with Hammond returning, right? It did.
In 15 games in March, the Senators went 10-3-2. One of those 10 wins was against the Chicago Blackhawks on the road. The Senators had not beaten the Blackhawks on the road since the 2016-17 season, which was the last time the Senators made the playoffs. Did beating the Blackhawks in Chicago lead to irony for the Senators? Well, maybe it did.
Because for the first time since 2017, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are returning to Canada's capital.