Losing is a tough pill to swallow.
Hockey fans across Canada are left disappointed, after the likeable Ottawa Senators were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs on Thursday night.
When the playoffs started, Western Canada watched the Flames and Oilers.
The rest of the nation’s attention went to the Leafs and Canadiens. The Senators weren’t exactly top of mind outside of Ottawa.
As the Senators eliminated both the Bruins and the Rangers, fans got to know a team that overcame some major challenges.
Senators goalie Craig Anderson was spectacular for the most part in a season in which his wife Nicholle battled cancer. His two months away from the team was, no doubt, far more stressful then the chase for a Stanley Cup.
Lloydminster’s Clarke MacArthur made an emotional return to the ice after missing most of the season with a concussion.
The ultimate goal is always the Stanley Cup. The Senators came up short. That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a great deal of satisfaction in what was accomplished in 2017.