2007 First Round vs Pittsburgh 3-0 Comeback

Lore & Background

The mid-2000s Senators were not the flashiest team in the league, but they were a team that played with a collective ferocity that resonated deeply with Ottawa's fan base. Dany Heatley, acquired in the 2006 offseason, brought a scoring touch and a willingness to drop the gloves that made him an instant folk hero. Wade Belak, the rugged blueliner, embodied the physical identity of the squad, and the backchecking, two-way forward corps around Jason Spezza and Al Iafrate gave the team a structured, hard-to-punish offensive system under coach Darcy Tucker.

Pittsburgh, by contrast, was a team on the cusp of a new era. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were emerging as a generational duo, and Marc-Andre Fleury was solidifying himself as an elite goaltender. The Penguins carried the aura of inevitability, and the early games of the series reflected that dominance. But Ottawa's coaching staff had prepared a game plan rooted in forechecking pressure, physical engagement at the boards, and a willingness to trade blows in the corners. As the series progressed, that preparation began to show.

The emotional weight of the comeback cannot be overstated. Ottawa had been a team that had endured years of mediocrity and heartbreak in the early 2000s. To see them push a top-seeded, star-laden Pittsburgh team to the brink and ultimately eliminate them felt like vindication for every fan who had stayed through the lean years. The Corel Centre roared through the final games with a sustained, almost physical energy that opponents noted in post-game interviews.

In Their Own Story

The Corel Centre smelled of cold air and hot popcorn, the kind of thick, humid atmosphere that only a playoff building can produce. The ice was a pale blue-white under the arena lights, and the boards were already scuffed from the first period's battles along the wall. A Senators forward, helmet tucked low, skated hard through the neutral zone, his stick dragging a thin line of snow across the ice. The crowd noise was a low, constant hum—two thousand voices breathing together, waiting. Then the puck dropped, and the hum became a roar. Somewhere in the third period, a puck would find the back of the net, and the building would erupt in a sound that felt less like cheering and more like a single, collective exhale of relief. That was the night Ottawa stopped being the underdog and started being the story.

Reader's Guide

The series opened with Pittsburgh asserting early control. The Penguins' speed and Crosby's vision made the first two games feel one-sided, and the Ottawa bench sat quiet between periods, the Corel Centre crowd subdued but not yet defeated.

Game three marked the turning point. Ottawa's forechecking pressure intensified, and Belak's physical presence in the corners began to disrupt Pittsburgh's rhythm. Heatley found a way to create separation and put the puck in the net, and the building's energy shifted from anxious to electric.

Games four through six became a war of attrition. Ottawa's structure under Tucker held firm: tight defensive zone coverage, aggressive neutral-zone battles, and a willingness to absorb hits to protect the net. The Senators' forwards skated with a purpose that felt almost personal, and the crowd's sustained volume became a tangible sixth factor. Each Ottawa goal was met with a wave of sound that shook the glass.

The final game carried the weight of the entire series. Ottawa played with a calm, focused intensity, and when the decisive goal finally fell, the Corel Centre erupted in a celebration that lasted long after the final horn. The players embraced at center ice, helmets off, and the fans sang. For that night, the Senators were not the underdog. They were the story.

Did You Know?

• Dany Heatley had been traded to Ottawa in the 2006 offseason and quickly became the emotional and scoring heart of the team, a connection that made his playoff performances feel personal to the fan base.
• Wade Belak was widely regarded as one of the most physically imposing and selfless defensemen in the league during this era, and his willingness to absorb contact in the corners was a hallmark of Ottawa's defensive ident
• The 2007 Senators were coached by Darcy Tucker, who emphasized structured, two-way hockey and a forechecking system that made the team difficult to sustain against in extended playoff games.
• The Corel Centre (later Canadian Tire Centre) was known for its intense playoff atmosphere, and the 2007 series against Pittsburgh is frequently cited by fans as one of the most electric home-stand experiences of the mid