2003–04 Ottawa Senators season

NHLTeamSeason
Season=2003–04
Team=Ottawa Senators
Conference=Eastern
ConferenceRank=5
Division=Northeast
DivisionRank=3
Record=43–29–10
HomeRecord=23–8–5–5
RoadRecord=20–15–5–1
GoalsFor=262
GoalsAgainst=189
GeneralManager=John Muckler
Coach=Jacques Martin
Captain=Daniel Alfredsson
AltCaptain=Zdeno Chara
Curtis Leschyshyn
Wade Redden
Arena=Corel Centre
GoalsLeader=Marian Hossa (36)
AssistsLeader=Daniel Alfredsson (48)
PointsLeader=Marian Hossa (82)
PlusMinusLeader=Zdeno Chara (+33)
PIMLeader=Chris Neil (194)
WinsLeader=Patrick Lalime (25)
GAALeader=Martin Prusek (2.12)
DivisionWin=

The 2003–04 Ottawa Senators season would see the Senators again finish with over 100 points, finishing with 102, but this was good for only third in the tightly-contested division, as the Bruins would have 104 and the Leafs 103. Marian Hossa lead the club in scoring with 82 points, good enough for sixth overall in the league, which had become low-scoring.

In the off-season, Eugene Melnyk would purchase the club to bring financial stability. Another change was in the General Manager position. Marshall Johnston resigned and was replaced by John Muckler on June 3, 2003. Muckler had been a candidate for the positions of Ottawa coach or GM back in 1992, but had chosen to sign on with the Buffalo Sabres instead.

On June 21, 2003, assistant coach Roger Neilson died after four years of battling cancer. The Senators would wear a patch on their jerseys with an illustration of his signature and a necktie. Mr. Neilson would often wear distinctive neckties and the necktie became associated with him, and also became the symbol for "Roger's House", a residence for the use of families with a family member fighting cancer while in hospital, established by him and the Senators.

In the first round of the 2004 playoffs, the Senators would lose again to the Maple Leafs for the fourth straight time. By now, Ottawa had developed a strong rivalry with their Ontario cousins and there was a great deal of pressure on the team to finally defeat the Leafs. Two days after the Senators' loss, coach Jacques Martin was fired, and goaltender Patrick Lalime was later traded to the St. Louis Blues.

Mr. Martin had been coach of the Senators for eight and a half years. He was well respected, earned a 341–255–96 regular season record with the Senators, had led the team to eight consecutive playoff appearances, and was widely credited with changing the team into a league leader. He also won the Jack Adams Trophy in 1999. However, after losing eight of twelve playoff series, including all four series in five years versus the Leafs, team management felt that a new coach was required for playoff success.

On June 8, 2004, Bryan Murray of nearby town Shawville, Quebec, became the team's fifth head coach, leaving the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim where he had been general manager.

Regular season

Highlights

On February 5, 2004, the Senators were playing the Toronto Maple Leafs and were leading 4–0 in the second period. The flu started affecting players on the Senators leading the team to be down to only 15 skaters by the end of the game. The Maple Leafs took full advantage and won the game 5–4 in overtime. [Citation |newspaper=National Post |date=February 6, 2004 |title=Senators sick over loss |last=Panzeri |first=Allen |pages=pg. S1]

On March 5, 2004, in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, a record was set for the most penalty minutes in a game by both teams at 419 minutes. Five brawls broke out in the last two minutes of the game. It took the officials until 90 minutes after the game was over to sort out the penalties. By the end of the game Philadelphia had 213 penalty minutes and seven men left on the bench, while Ottawa finished with 203 penalty minutes and six men left.

Division standings