The best moments from the Air Canada Centre era
By Austin Owens
#5: 2004 NHL Playoffs, Game 7 – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators
Game seven in the 2013 playoffs is still a sore spot for many of the Leafs faithful. But go back to 2004 and you can see a game seven where the blue and white came out on top, and against the rival Ottawa Senators to boot.
The 2004 iteration of the Leafs was a powerhouse. Before the era of the hard salary cap, the Buds made it common practice to buy stars at the deadline to push for a Stanley Cup.
The team consisted of stars like Joe Nieuwendyk, Owen Nolan, Ron Francis, Brian Leetch, and Ed Belfour, as well as regulars in Mats Sundin, Tie Domi, Darcy Tucker and Tomas Kaberle.
This classic series solidified Daniel Alfredsson as public enemy number one in Toronto after the Sens captain mocked fellow Swede — and Leafs Captain — Mats Sundin after a stick throwing incident earlier in the season.
The Leafs would get the last laugh, however, as they took game seven over their rivals on home ice by a score of 4-1. Chad Kilgour and Bryan McCabe each had a goal, while Nieuwendyk scored both the game-winner and the insurance goal.
The atmosphere in the Air Canada Centre was deafening and exactly what you’d expect from a playoff matchup.
The team would eventually be eliminated from the playoffs by Jeremy Roenick and the Philadelphia Flyers, but this moment would go down as one of the most memorable playoff moments in the then short history of the ACC.