All of Canada was alive to witness the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays' run to the World Series. The Blue Jays were up 3-2 in the series with a chance to clinch the World Series back home in Canada.
After a crushing end in Game 6, the Blue Jays still had Game 7 to win it all. The Blue Jays were two outs away from winning it all, to then having the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers' Miguel Rojas tie the game in the ninth inning.
The Dodgers eventually won Game 7 by a final of 5-4 in 11 innings to crush Canadian hearts. If there is one thing the Ottawa Senators can say, is that they know the feeling of losing Game 7's in painful fashion.
Game 7 history doesn't fare well with Ottawa
The Blue Jays' Game 7 loss in the 2025 World Series will go down in sports history. It also brings back the bad memories the Senators have in their franchise history in Game 7's.
In franchise history, the Senators are 0-6 in Game 7's. Each one is different and painful in their own ways.
The first one was back in the first round of the 1997 playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres. Like the Blue Jays, the Senators were up 3-2 in the series. The Senators lost Game 6 at home to set up Game 7 back in Buffalo. The Senators led 2-1 in the third period after Wade Redden scored 45 seconds into the period. Then, Derek Plante tied the game in regulation, then scored the overtime winner to end the series. Yeah, that's heartbreak.
2002 was the next Game 7 loss. This time to the hated Toronto Maple Leafs. Just like in 1997, the Senators led 3-2 in the series heading home for Game 6. The Senators lost Game 6 to then force a Game 7 back in Toronto behind a huge goal from Alexander Mogilny. To add more pain, Mogilny scored two goals in Game 7 to help the Maple Leafs win the game by a final of 3-0.
2003 was a special year for the Senators with winning the President's Trophy for the first time. Despite being the President's Trophy winners, the Senators found themselves trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the New Jersey Devils. The Senators forced a Game 7 back in Ottawa.
In Game 7, the Senators scored an early goal in the third period to tie Game 7 at two. Then, Jeff Friesen cemented himself to a Senators villain when he scored the go-ahead goal in the third period with 2:14 remaining in regulation to end the series.
A third consecutive Game 7 loss can't be possible for the third consecutive year, right? Well, it happened again in 2004. Once again, to the Maple Leafs, but this time in the first round. Ottawa won Game 6 in overtime to set up Game 7 back in Toronto with a chance at revenge from 2002.
Then, Patrick Lalime's first period meltdown went down in Senators history. Lalime allowed in three goals in the first period, and was bench for Martin Prusek. The Senators fell 4-1 in Game 7.
2012 was the next Game 7 loss, which was against the Eastern Conference's top seed in the first round of the playoffs, the New York Rangers. The Senators had the Rangers on their heels after taking a 3-2 series lead heading home to Ottawa for Game 6. The Senators lost by one goal in Game 6, then lost by one goal again in Game 7.
2017 was another infamous Game 7 loss. This time, agaisnt the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Conference Finals. The Penguins were the defending Stanley Cup champions. Game 7 was needed after the Senators won Game 6 at home.
Ryan Dzingel tied Game 7 for the Senators 2-2 when he scored with 5:19 remaining in regulation. Overtime was needed. Then a second overtime. Then, heartbreak happened when Chris Kunitz scored the game-winning goal to send the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Game 7 losses are forever painful. The Blue Jays' Game 7 loss to the Dodgers will forever be talked about, but the Senators have six brutal ones from their experience that they can relate to well.