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The Ottawa Senators, established in 1990 as a revival expansion team, are a professional ice hockey franchise that are part of the Eastern Conference of the NHL. Current members of the Northeast Division, the Senators play their home games at Scotiabank Place located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Originally the first use of the Senators moniker was by the original team in 1883, making the current franchise the second team to use the title. The current incarnation of the Senators, who are not a continuation of the original hockey team, began play in 1992. The Northeast Division team played its first game against the Montreal Canadiens winning 5-2. Regrettably the team�s first win would be the highlight of the season. While the Senators may have disappointed their new fan base and possibly dinged Ottawa Senators tickets sales, the team�s losing strategy was actually part of a grander scheme to assist the team in securing high draft picks in the near future.
Beginning in 1996, following a succession of management turnover, the Senators demonstrated a higher level of play that ushered the NHL team into the playoffs on several occasions. The team was stopped short of victory by the likes of the Buffalo Sabres and provincial rival Toronto Maple Leafs. While the team earned division championship titles and even tucked a Presidents' Trophy under their belt, it wouldn�t be until 2007 that the Senators would make their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Senators played hard but ultimately fell to the Anaheim Ducks in game five of the series. The team�s dedicated fan base, lovingly called the Sens Army, cheer the Ottawa Senators on towards their next attempt at the coveted Stanley Cup victory.
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