Thanks for the Memories

Well, it's over, the Sens lost the Stanley Cup final after coming into the series ever so confident. I can't say that I'm shocked that we lost last night's game and consequently the series. You knew something was up after we got manhandled in the first two games of the series. We managed to squeeze out a win in Game 3 even though the team (Emery especially) really didn't play all that well. Game 4 was even worse. The Sens played their best period of the series in the first, scored a late goal to gain all the momentum going into the second, only to fizzle out in the remainder of the game. So that's why I say I wasn't shocked at last nights outcome. If we had fought hard all series and then lost in game seven by one goal scored late in the third (see New Jersey vs. Ottawa Eastern Conference Final 2003) then I would be shocked. I would be so devastated that I would probably have to go lie down.

But last night was not shocking. It was simply the end of a series that was never going the Sens' way. So now we have to go through the excruciating motions of deciding "what went wrong" "who was to blame" and "What we need to change" but I'm not going to get into that because it makes me sick to think about it. Instead, I'm going to tell myself that the 9-day break between the Conference final and the Cup final was what did it, and maybe if that excuse falters I'll remember that the Ducks had more experience in the finals and a few more Canadians. Yeah, that'll do.

We could always just blame the drug habits of several key players on the Senators for the collapse. You see over the years, many of the top Sens have taken a liking to "riding the white dragon"as the kids say, and, as you can imagine, it has never helped their on-ice performance. I'm no weatherman or anything, but I'm sure there was a snowstorm in Anaheim last night in the Sens hotel. . .

But enough "jokes". Let's get serious.

I know alot of people say that making it to the Finals is nothing unless you win it all, but I think that's a load of hooey. Making it to the Cup finals was always the one thing we couldn't achieve in years past, but this year we did it. And it was almost a feeling of relief in Ottawa when we did. (recall two Saturdays ago?) With their huge break between series and the Canadian media tooting the Sens horn all week, maybe the Sens got a bit too over-confident going into the Finals. We forgot what needed to be done to win.

But we did have an amazing run. The past three months have been the most exciting time this city has ever seen . I've said it once and I'll say it again: There is nothing that unites a city like a championship team. Everyone has something to talk about with one another, everyone has something to cheer about and hope for. Whether you're a jock or a goth, a business man or a hobo, an indie kid or a construction worker, we all had something to cheer about these last few months. We all had something that brought us together. . .And I think was what the best thing about the Cup run.

That and being able to casually drink 10 beers each and every game night and not be called a lush. That was also good.

But anyway, thats my two cents. Thanks for the memories, Sens. You gave this sleepy town something to cheer about. . .And though you may not have earned a place on the Stanley Cup, you've definately earned a place in all of our hearts.