If it wasn't meant to be, and the Senators weren't destined to re-write the history books once again by coming back from a 3-0 deficit, I am almost glad they lost the series on home ice. At least the fan base got to give a proper send-off to the team that had given them so much to cheer about, especially over the last 2 months plus a week or so.
If they had won game 6 it would certainly have been loud for sure, but it wouldn't have been the same level of appreciation. And if they went on to lose game 7 in Montreal there wouldn't have been the same level of closure to the season. Like a relationship that ends, that closure will make the summer just a bit easier, although it doesn't sting any less right now.
You have to tip your hat to the Montreal Canadiens for a series where the better team, if even by just an eyelash, won.
I said yesterday that "it doesn't matter" what happened leading up to the game, and all that really mattered was who had one digit higher on the scoreboard at the 60 minute mark. Call it lucky, call it a moment of incredible skill, but the difference in the series was hockey's version of a bicycle kick. Just the way I am sure they practiced it, Brendan Gallagher took a shot to the chest, turned around and batted it out of midair in a remarkable feat of hand-eye coordination, and that was the only goal of the game until the empty netter with .3 second left in the game.
Sure, you can point at referee Chris Lee's quick whistle that waved off an apparent goal from Jean-Gabriell Pageau, but the whistle went nonetheless. Although frustrating he made a split-second call and obviously knew he made a mistake immediately. He looked like he was going to throw up after making the call, knowing how big it was, but there was no way to turn back the clock ten seconds and do it differently.
It sucks for the Senators, but the bottom line is they had their chances and simply couldn't get it past Price, who became the first goalie all season to shut out the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa never trailed by more than 1 goal until the 59:59.7 mark of game 6. The were in it until the end, and that might make it sting even worse.
The Senators went 0-for-4 with the man advantage in game 6, and whether it was their lack of willingness the get in front of Price, or the Canadiens doing a better job of not allowing it to happen (and probably a bit of both), Price was able to see a vast majority of the 43 shots fired his way, unlike game 5 where the Senators had their most success. We all know if Price can see it, he is going to stop it 95% of the time. On this night it was 100%, with an asterisk on the quick whistle.
I was raked over the coals for my pre-series statement that I though the goaltending matchup was pretty even heading into this series. Price was the better goalie, but the run Hammond was on combined with the depth Anderson provided could be the difference. If Hammond faltered, Anderson was a pretty good plan B, and that made it pretty even in my eyes. And I was called all sorts of names for that opinion. Well, I think that prediction stacked up pretty well, thank you very much. Ottawa's GAA in the series was 1.78 while Price's was 1.94. Ottawa's duo stopped 94.8% of the shots fired their way, Price stopped 93.9%. Not much to chose between them at all, it basically came down to a couple of bad OT goals against. Ottawa's numbers were better, but Price was more timely, having just one off-game. Price might have been the difference and was clutch in the end, so you have to tip your hat to him, but Hammond and Anderson gave their team a chance to win every game of the series, and you can't ask for anything more.
But overall they couldn't have been more even, and Ottawa's goaltending performance would have been enough to win 9 out of 10 playoff series. Ottawa lost basically 4 1-goal games, with two of those in overtime - the thinnest of margins. While you can point to a couple of bad goals against, the Senators goalies can't hang their heads over that performance. Give the edge to Price in the end, but Ottawa goalies were named stars of the game 4 times (1st twice and 3rd twice) and Price was named a game star twice (1st in game 6 and a 3rd).
Hammond did falter, and Dave Cameron stated after the series that he considered turning to Anderson after the Game 1 loss, but basically gave Hammond the "yellow card" and thought he deserved another chance. Did that decision cost the Senators the series? We will never know, but if he did make the move and the same thing happened to Anderson in game 2, it could have been a very different series (and not in a good way) with more questions than answers.
The bottom line is, Montreal was one goal better 4 times and Ottawa just twice. Nothing else matters, and the Senators gave it their all for 9 straight weeks, and you can't ask for much more.
Whether you are cheering for Montreal as the playoffs continue or can't bring yourself to root for that particular club, they earned it every bit as much as the Senators might have deserved it.
Personally, I won't be cheering for them, but I can do nothing but tip my hat to them and wish them luck.