2005-2006 Ottawa Senators: CASH Line

2005-2006 Ottawa Senators: CASH Line

2005-2006 Ottawa Senators: CASH Line

The Ottawa Senators had quietly become one of the better teams in the National Hockey League in the middle of the 2000’s, and one part of the team’s improvement came with a blockbuster trade that would mold their team into something that was both dangerous and admirable to watch on the ice. On August 23, 2005 the Senators sent right winger Marian Hossa and defenseman Greg de Vries to the Atlanta Thrashers in a trade where they would get back left winger Dany Heatley, an efficient goal scoring threat.

In the 2005-2006 NHL season the Ottawa Senators went 52-21-9, finishing 3 points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres to win the Northeast Division. The Senators went 29-9-3 on their home ice of the Corel Centre while going 23-12-6 on the road. Throughout the course of the regular season the Senators were solid for most months as they went 8-2 in October, 11-1 in November, 8-3-3 in December, 7-5-1 in January and 12-2-2 in March. In head-to-head play the Senators went 7-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-1-2 against the Buffalo Sabres, 4-0 against the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3-1 against the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 against the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, 2-1-1 against the Florida Panthers and 2-2 against the Atlanta Thrashers and Carolina Hurricanes.

Dany Heatley had 50 goals and 53 assists for 103 points with 23 power play goals, 20 power play assists and 7 game-winning goals off 300 shots. Right winger Daniel Alfredsson was the Captain of the Senators and had 43 goals and 60 assists for 103 points with 16 power play goals, 32 power play assists, 5 short-handed goals and 8 game-winning goals off 249 shots. Center Jason Spezza had 19 goals and 71 assists for 90 points with 34 power play assists and 5 game-winning goals off 156 shots. Alfredsson, Heatley and Spezza would make up a line that would become popularly known as the “CASH Line” due to Alfredsson’s Captain status and his last name, Spezza’s last name and Heatley’s last name.

Left winger Peter Schaefer had 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 points with 4 short-handed goals off 137 shots. Defenseman Wade Redden had 10 goals and 40 assists for 50 points with 8 power play goals, 22 power play assists and 4 game-winning goals off 153 shots. Center Brian Smolinski had 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points with 12 power play assists and 5 game-winning goals off 178 shots. Center Mike Fisher had 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points with 4 short-handed goals off 150 shots.

Defenseman Zdeno Chara had 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points with 10 power play goals and 12 power play assists off 212 shots. Defenseman Andrej Meszaros had 10 goals and 29 assists with 19 power play assists off 137 shots. Defenseman Brian Pothier had 5 goals and 30 assists with 14 power play assists off 133 shots. Center Antoine Vermette had 21 goals and 12 assists with 6 short-handed goals and 4 game-winning goals off 123 shots.

The Senators acquired goaltender Dominik Hasek to provide a boost to the rest of the team, and the man who was nicknamed “The Dominator” would provide a good boost. Hasek went 28-10-4, allowing 90 goals off 1202 shots in 2584 minutes, recording 1112 saves, a .925 save percentage, a 2.09 goals against average and 5 shutouts. Giving Hasek occasional breaks to protect the net himself, goaltender Ray Emery also came through as he went 23-11-4, allowing 102 goals off 1045 shots in 2168 minutes, recording 943 saves, a .902 save percentage, a 2.82 goals against average and 3 shutouts.

When it came to individual awards only a couple Senators would receive accolades. Daniel Alfredsson won be awarded the Molson Cup and he would be named to the NHL 2nd All-Star Team along with Dany Heatley and Zdeno Chara. Wade Redden would win the NHL Plus-Minus Award.

The Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning appeared to be an intriguing pairing of teams, but only one team would be convincing as the Senators eliminated the Lightning 4 games to 1. In Game 1 on April 21 at the Corel Centre the Senators beat the Lightning 4-1. 19:00 minutes into the 1st period Tampa Bay struck first with a goal scored by center Vincent Lecavalier. In the 3rd period right winger Martin Havlat scored a power play goal for Ottawa at 5:06 in. Jason Spezza followed with a power play goal of his own at 6:13 in. Mike Fisher then scored a short-handed goal at 9:37 in, and then finally Daniel Alfredsson put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal at 18:58 in.

The Lightning would get their only win of the series in Game 2 on April 3 by the score of 4-3. In Game 3 on April 25 at the St. Pete Times Forum the Senators beat the Lightning 8-4. At 5:20 into the 1st period Havlat scored for Ottawa, and then Wade Redden scored a power play goal at 8:40 in. At 12:56 in right winger Scott Eaves scored for Ottawa, and then Tampa Bay got on the board at 18:38 in with a power play goal scored by star right winger Martin St. Louis.

At 2:17 into the 2nd period Havlat scored again, and at 9:11 in Antoine Vermette scored an Ottawa goal. Just 0:20 into the 3rd period was when Tampa Bay defenseman Paul Ranger scored a power play goal, and then at 6:12 in Dany Heatley scored his own power play goal. Zdeno Chara scored his own power play goal at 10:28 in, and then Ranger again scored for Tampa Bay at 11:26 in. At 13:25 in defenseman Pavel Kubina scored a power play goal for Tampa Bay, but then Vermette scored an Ottawa goal at 16:18 in.

In Game 4 on April 27 the Senators won 5-2. At 6:13 into the 1st period Spezza scored a goal, but then the Lightning struck back with goals by St. Louis and center Brad Richards at 11:10 and 16:15 in respectively. At 5:59 into the 2nd period defenseman Chris Phillips scored for Ottawa, Heatley scored a power play goal at 17:30 in, and Havlat scored at 17:50 in. At 1:24 in right winger Chris Neil scored a goal.

The Senators put the Lightning away with a 3-2 win at the Corel Centre in Game 5 on April 29. Peter Schaefer scored a goal at 12:53 into the 1st period and then Andrej Meszaros scored a goal at 15:44 in. The Lightning got on the board with a goal scored by right winger Evgeny Artyukhin at 1:37 into the 2nd period, but Havlat secured victory with a power play goal at 15:02 in. A goal by Richards at 18:15 in didn’t change the outcome.

The Eastern Conference Semifinals would not be a continuation of success for the Senators as they would be eliminated by the Buffalo Sabres 4 games to 1. The only game of the series the Senators won would be Game 4 on May 11 by the score of 2-1. Brian Pothier scored first at 4:56 into the 1st period. At 16:18 into the 2nd period Buffalo center Daniel Briere scored a goal to tie the game. Wade Redden would break the tie with a power play goal at 2:52 into the 3rd period.

Though they fell short in 2005-2006 it wouldn’t take long for the Ottawa Senators to realize just how good they could have been as they would reach uncharted territory in the history of their franchise just one year later.