Senators in tough to repeat last season’s run to Eastern Conference final
OTTAWA — Last season the Ottawa Senators surprised much of the NHL with a deep playoff run to the Eastern Conference final that ended with a double overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The sting of the loss lingered and served as motivation this summer, but the Senators know they’ll likely need to be even better this season to find themselves in the playoff picture again.
At one time the Senators advancing to the post-season was almost a guarantee, with 11 straight appearances from 1997-2008.
But things have been very different lately. Ottawa hasn’t had back-to-back playoff appearances since 2012-13.