from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet,

These Ottawa Senators were not a team of destiny.

They were something much, much greater than that.

There was nothing mystical or magical behind an improbable run that captured imaginations in the nation’s capital. No, this was simply about sacrifice and togetherness and belief — qualities they should be commended for despite a six-game loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“I’m extremely proud of this group,” Senators coach Dave Cameron said after Sunday’s 2-0 heartbreaker. “You look at not just the results, but you look at the commitment and you look at the blocked shots and you look at the compete level and you look at the professionalism, you look at how they handled the day-to-day stuff. …

“I think when we get over the (disappointment) and look back we’ll feel pretty good about what we accomplished here.”

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