2000-2001 Ottawa Senators: The Last of Yashin

2000-2001 Ottawa Senators: The Last of Yashin

2000-2001 Ottawa Senators: The Last of Yashin

Beginning as an expansion franchise in the 1992-1993 NHL season, the Ottawa Senators were a welcome addition to the league as they brought more representation for the country of Canada, a country that loved its hockey. The early 2000’s appeared to be a period where the Senators would be winning games in bunches as they appeared to have rosters that were set to go on deep playoff runs. The early 2000’s, however, proved that more needed to be done than to just have pure talent on the roster.

In the 2000-2001 NHL season the Ottawa Senators went 48-21-9-4 with 109 points, winning the Northeast division by 11 points over the Buffalo Sabres. The Senators went 26-7-5-3 on their home ice called the Corel Centre and went 22-14-4-1 on the road. In head-to-head play the Senators went 5-0 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-0 against the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1 against the Montreal Canadiens, 3-1-1 against the Boston Bruins, 3-1 against the Florida Panthers, 2-0 against the Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, 2-1-1 against the Atlanta Flames and Philadelphia Flyers, and 2-2 against the New York Rangers.

Center Alexei Yashin was the former Captain of the Senators, and while he continued to play like a Captain, he wouldn’t regain his status of Captain on the team. This was one factor that led to Yashin being traded in the following offseason to the New York Islanders. Yashin had 40 goals and 48 assists for 88 points with 13 power play goals, 17 power play assists and 10 game-winning goals off 263 shots. Right winger Marian Hossa had 32 goals and 43 assists for 75 points with 11 power play goals, 12 power play assists and 7 game-winning goals off 249 shots. Left winger Shawn McEachern had 32 goals and 40 assists for 72 points with 9 power play goals and 10 power play assists off 231 shots.

The Captain of the Senators in 2000-2001 was right winger Daniel Alfredsson, and he did produce like a team leader as he had 24 goals and 46 assists for 70 points with 10 power play goals, 15 power play assists and 3 game-winning goals off 206 shots. Center Radek Bonk had 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points with 12 power play assists and 3 game-winning goals off 139 shots. Right winger Martin Havlat had 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points with 7 power play goals and 5 game-winning goals off 133 shots.

Left winger Rob Zamuner had 19 goals and 18 assists with 4 game-winning goals off 123 shots. Left winger Magnus Arvedson had 17 goals and 16 assists with 4 game-winning goals in 51 games. Right winger Andreas Dackell had 13 goals and 18 assists with 3 game-winning goals. Defenseman Wade Redden had 10 goals and 37 assists for 47 points with 18 power play assists off 159 shots.

Goaltender Patrick Lalime went 36-19-5, allowing 141 goals off 1640 shots in 3607 minutes, recording 1499 saves, a .914 save percentage, a 2.35 goals against average and 7 shutouts. Lalime went on to win the Molson Cup, an award that is given to the most valuable player of each Canadian team in the NHL. The Molson Cup is sponsored by Molson Breweries. Jani Hurme went 12-5-4, allowing 54 goals off 563 shots in 1296 minutes, recording a .904 save percentage, a 2.50 goals against average and 2 shutouts.

There were 2 good stretches that defined the regular season for the Senators. To begin the regular season the Senators jumped out to a 9-1-4-0 start, which began with a 4-4 tie against the Boston Bruins on October 5, and it ended ended with a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on November 6. Their second best stretch occurred toward the end of the regular season, which saw the Senators go 7-1-1-0. This stretch began with an 8-1 pounding of the Atlanta Thrashers on March 14, and it ended with a 5-4 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins on March 30.

The 8-1 blowout victory over the Thrashers proved to be one of Ottawa’s best regular season wins. The only Atlanta goal was scored by left winger Hnat Domenichelli. The onslaught of Ottawa goals was led by Martin Havlat who scored 3 goals along with 1 assist. The combination of Daniel Alfredsson, Radek Bonk and center Mike Sillinger all had 1 goal and 1 assist each. Shawn McEachern and Andreas Dackell both scored 1 goal each. Defenseman Sami Salo had 3 assists.

While they appeared prepared to go far in the playoffs, it wasn’t meant to be for the Senators as they would be swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to none in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Senators would only score 3 goals for the entire series as they were shut down by Toronto goaltender Curtis Joseph. It would take the Senators 6 more years to finally experience a deep playoff run.