NHL Playoffs 2012: Should the Ottawa Senators Even Be Disappointed?

Entering the 2011-12 season, many were predicting the Ottawa Senators to be one of the worst teams in the league. 

With the help of Norris candidate Erik Karlsson, the newfound touch of Jason Spezza and the newfound health of Daniel Alfredsson, the team defied all odds and made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs.   

At first, they were simply finding end-of-game offense that got them back into a game, but it wouldn't last. Yet, the pattern kept up. The Senators kept trailing by one, two or three goals and winning games.  

As the season went on, the Senators kept on picking up points, and eventually they actually started leading games from the start.  

Once the All-Star game came around, the team was no longer having a lucky season; they were a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.  

Down the final stretch, Ottawa ranked as high as fourth, but fell into eighth place on the last day of the season, paving the way for a first-round matchup against the East-leading New York Rangers.  

Once again, the Senators surprised the hockey world as they took a 3-2 series lead. After wins in Games 6 and 7, the Rangers prevailed.  

It's hard to imagine the feeling in the locker room after being eliminated from the playoffs. But in the case of the Ottawa Senators, that feeling is not necessary.  

This is a team right in the middle of a rebuild who managed to become the fourth-highest scoring team in the league and reach the Stanley Cup playoffs. A team that was supposed to be one of the worst in the league putting the Eastern Conference regular-season champions on the brink of an upset. 

Instead of the disappointment of a playoff loss, this team should be proud that they gave themselves a shot. They should be proud that they helped a 21-year-old lead all defenders in points by 25 and earn a Norris Trophy nomination. They should be proud they gave one of the classiest players in the league, Daniel Alfredsson, one last postseason (at least). 

Despite the earlier-than-liked playoff exit, the Ottawa Senators have been one of the most impressive and inspirational teams in the NHL in some time. And rather than look at this season as a failure, the team should look at it as a means of gaining valuable playoff experience for a young team that will find themselves in the postseason year after year into the future.