2000-2001 Ottawa Senators Season Recap

2000-2001 Ottawa Senators Season Recap

2000-2001 Ottawa Senators: The Last of Yashin

The Ottawa Senators joined the NHL as an expansion franchise in the 1992-1993 season. They were a welcome addition to the league because they gave more representation to Canada, a country that loves its hockey. In the early 2000s, the Senators looked like a team that would win games in bunches, with rosters that seemed built for deep playoff runs. Those years proved, however, that it takes more than pure talent on the roster to win in the postseason.

A Division-Winning Regular Season

The 2000-2001 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 at the Corel Centre and 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 Thrashers and Philadelphia Flyers; and 2-2 against the New York Rangers.

The Skaters Who Powered Ottawa

Alexei Yashin Leads the Way

Center Alexei Yashin was the former captain of the Senators. He continued to play like a captain, but he never regained the title. That was one factor that led to Yashin being traded to the New York Islanders the following offseason. Yashin had 40 goals and 48 assists for 88 points, with 13 power-play goals, 17 power-play assists, and 10 game-winning goals on 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 on 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 on 231 shots.

Captain Daniel Alfredsson and the Supporting Cast

The captain of the Senators in 2000-2001 was right winger Daniel Alfredsson, and he produced like a team leader, with 24 goals and 46 assists for 70 points, 10 power-play goals, 15 power-play assists, and 3 game-winning goals on 206 shots. Center Radek Bonk had 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points, with 12 power-play assists and 3 game-winning goals on 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 on 133 shots.

Left winger Rob Zamuner had 19 goals and 18 assists, with 4 game-winning goals on 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 on 159 shots.

Patrick Lalime in Goal

Goaltender Patrick Lalime went 36-19-5, allowing 141 goals on 1,640 shots in 3,607 minutes. He recorded 1,499 saves, a .914 save percentage, a 2.35 goals-against average, and 7 shutouts. Lalime went on to win the Molson Cup, an award given to the most valuable player on each Canadian team in the NHL. The Molson Cup is sponsored by Molson Breweries. Jani Hurme went 12-5-4, allowing 54 goals on 563 shots in 1,296 minutes, with a .904 save percentage, a 2.50 goals-against average, and 2 shutouts.

Defining Stretches of the Season

A Hot Start and a Late Surge

Two strong stretches defined the regular season for the Senators. Ottawa opened the year with a 9-1-4-0 run, which began with a 4-4 tie against the Boston Bruins on October 5 and ended with a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on November 6. Their second-best stretch came late in the regular season, when the Senators went 7-1-1-0. That run began with an 8-1 pounding of the Atlanta Thrashers on March 14 and ended with a 5-4 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins on March 30.

An 8-1 Rout of the Thrashers

The 8-1 blowout 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. Martin Havlat led the Ottawa onslaught with 3 goals and 1 assist. Daniel Alfredsson, Radek Bonk, and center Mike Sillinger each had 1 goal and 1 assist. Shawn McEachern and Andreas Dackell scored 1 goal each, and defenseman Sami Salo added 3 assists.

A Quick Playoff Exit

Although they appeared ready to go far in the playoffs, it wasn’t meant to be for the 2000-2001 Ottawa Senators. They were swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs four games to none in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Senators scored only 3 goals in the entire series, as they were shut down by Toronto goaltender Curtis Joseph. It would take the Senators six more years to finally make a deep playoff run.