Remembering the Longest Game in Ottawa Senators’ History

After Florida's marathon victory over Carolina Thursday night, we look back at the longest game in Ottawa Senators' history.

With all the extreme firepower atop the Atlantic Division this season, Senator fans are probably still trying to adjust to the fact that it's the Florida Panthers who’ve managed to come out of their division to advance to the 2023 Eastern Conference Final.

For those of us who stayed up for the marathon in Game One, now we’re all just trying to adjust to a lack of sleep.

The Panthers have drawn first blood in the series with a 3-2 win over Carolina Thursday night, a game that went almost four full overtimes. Matthew Tkachuk’s top-shelf wrister was the difference in the game.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G8UzKD5bAM[/embed]

If your hockey game actually has a “seventh-period stretch,” you know you’ve had a long night.

For some Sens fans, it probably brought back memories of the longest game in Ottawa Senators’ history. It happened on April 22nd, 2010, in Game 5 of the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Senators trailed in the series 3-1 and obviously needed a victory to stay alive and force a Game 6 back home.

However, by the third period, the Penguins had taken the game over. The Sens had blown an early 2-0 lead and now trailed the Penguins 3-2 in the final frame. But when Jason Spezza hit Peter Regin with a long, gorgeous, one-touch pass and Regin absolutely hammered it past Marc-Andre Fleury, the Sens had life again.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMy9x2kun1g[/embed]

From there, the game eventually drifted into overtime. And then another. And then another. 

And if Regin seemed like the unlikeliest possible hero to you, Matt Carkner basically stepped up and said, "Hold my beer."

Carkner grew up in Winchester, just outside Ottawa. At the time, he was a big, 29-year-old rookie defenceman who had more than paid his dues, toiling for 8 years in the American Hockey League. He was a ferocious fighter, strong as an ox, and remains one of the friendliest people in the game. 

"Big Country" never got the most ice time, but by period number six of any hockey game, you're leaning on everyone.

So, at 7:06 of the third overtime period, Sens' captain Daniel Alfredsson danced down the left wing into the Pittsburgh zone, put the brakes on and found defenseman Matt Carkner coming late down the middle. Carkner let loose with a slap shot that deflected off Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke (couldn’t happen to a nicer guy) and past Fleury for the game-winner.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okNQ48Sjxew[/embed]

“To be honest with you, we were all exhausted," Carkner remembers. "I was just trying to get through the shift. Alfie decided to feed me a puck. Uh, he probably was hoping someone else was open [laughs], but I was open and I took the shot and yeah, it was great. 

"A kid like me, blue collar, just worked my way all the way up and getting to have that type of experience and opportunity. Honestly, I think I should have scored maybe 2 or 3 goals that game. I was up the ice all night. I don’t know what was going on, but I just felt good that night."

Carkner's big night still stands today as the longest game in the Ottawa Senators’ 31 year history.