2009 – 10 Ottawa Senators season The 2009 – 10 Ottawa Senators season was the 17th season in the modern Senators ' history . After missing the post - season in 2008 – 09 for the first time since the 1995 - 96 season , the team qualified for the playoffs with four games to play with a win against the Carolina Hurricanes on April 1 , 2010 . The Senators drew the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round and lost the series 4 – 2 . Off - season . In early June , left winger Dany Heatley notified GM Bryan Murray that he wanted a trade out of Ottawa . According to reports , Heatley was dissatisfied with his role and ice time under new coach Cory Clouston . On June 15 , it was announced that team president Roy Mlakar ' s contract would not be renewed . Cyril Leeder , one of the principals in the ' Bring Back The Sens ' drive in 1990 was named as team president . He had previously been president and chief operating officer of Scotiabank Place and the related Senators Sports and Entertainment Corporation . The team announced its first - ever exhibition game in Regina , Saskatchewan to be held on September 21 against the Tampa Bay Lightning . It will be the first NHL game in Regina in 19 years . At the NHL Entry Draft , the team chose defenceman Jared Cowen as their first - round pick , ninth over - all . Cowan had been projected as a top - five pick , but had suffered a knee injury during the 2008 – 09 season . Cowen is tall and is expected to play a ' shut - down ' role in the future with the Senators . In the days leading up to the July 1 free agency period , a prospective trade emerged for Dany Heatley with the Edmonton Oilers . Reportedly , the Oilers offered Andrew Cogliano , Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid . Heatley met with the Edmonton management and turned down the trade using a ' no - movement ' clause in his contract . On July 1 , the Senators were required to make a $ 4 million payment in advance of Heatley ' s 2009 - 10 salary , and the Senators had hoped to move Heatley before the payment . According to Slam ! Sports , the Oilers were not on a list of teams acceptable to Heatley , the list of teams including the Rangers , Bruins , Canucks , Sharks , Kings , Red Wings , Flames and Blackhawks . According to GM Murray , teams were " sour " on Heatley and there were few offers . The Senators made a major free - agent signing on July 6 when they signed former Montreal Canadiens forward Alexei Kovalev to a two - year contract . Kovalev ' s salary put the Senators at the salary cap limit . The Senators partially addressed this by trading goaltender Alex Auld to the Dallas Stars for a draft pick . By the date of Kovalev ' s formal introduction press conference on July 21 , Heatley had not yet been traded and Kovalev expressed the wish that Heatley would return . By the opening of training camp on September 12 , Heatley had not been traded . Heatley reported and participated in camp activities . Heatley met with Clouston and Murray who hoped to persuade Heatley to drop his trade demand , which he did not . After the meeting , Murray became convinced that Heatley could not stay and had to be moved immediately . Heatley was traded later that day to the San Jose Sharks for wingers Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo and an exchange of draft picks . On November 3 , it was confirmed that Senators owner Eugene Melnyk filed a grievance to demand that Heatley return a $ 4 million dollar bonus the Senators paid Heatley on July 1 , part of his contract . Regular season . The Senators started the season with several changes from the previous season . Heatley was traded , Christoph Schubert was demoted to Binghamton and eventually waived to Atlanta ; Brian Lee who had played most of the previous season with Ottawa , was also demoted . Newcomers included Michalek and Cheechoo from the Heatley trade , Kovalev , a free agent signing , and Matt Carkner and Erik Karlsson made the team on defence . Before the end of October , Karlsson was demoted to Binghamton and Lee promoted to Ottawa . First round pick Jared Cowen was returned to junior . Ilya Zubov failed to make the team and was demoted to Binghamton . Zubov first demanded a trade , then accepted a contract reassignment to Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) . The Senators retain his NHL rights . In December , the Senators started to run into a streak of injuries . By the end of the month , the entire top line of Michalek , Spezza and Alfredsson was out with injuries . On January 13 , 2010 , the Senators fired their goaltending coach Eli Wilson . In the weeks prior to his firing , both Pascal Leclaire and Brian Elliott had poor outings . After the firing , the Senators went on a franchise and all - time team record win streak . The previous record of the current NHL franchise was eight games , set in 2007 – 08 . The Senators passed that on January 30 , with a win over the Canadiens . The Senators then passed their all - time record of ten consecutive wins ( set twice — in 1908 – 09 and 1910 ) with a win over the Vancouver Canucks on February 4 . The streak ended on February 6 with a loss to the Maple Leafs . On February 12 , the Senators made two moves . The club extended Bryan Murray ' s contract by a year and the club traded for Matt Cullen from the Carolina Hurricanes for Alexandre R . Picard and a second - round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft . Following the trade , Jonathan Cheechoo was assigned to Binghamton after clearing NHL waivers . Playoffs . The Senators return to the playoffs after failing to qualify in 2008 - 2009 . Media predictions of where the Senators would end up ranged from fourth in the conference to out of the playoffs . The Hockey News placed the Senators ninth in the conference , while ESPN ' s John Buccigross predicted the Senators would end up in eleventh . Las Vegas odds put the odds of the Senators winning the Cup at 35 – 1 . On April 1 , 2010 , while in fifth place in the division , the Senators qualified for the playoffs with a 4 - 3 shootout win at home against the Carolina Hurricanes . The Senators drew the defending champion Penguins as first - round opponents for the third time in the past four years . After the Senators won the first game in Pittsburgh , the Penguins took the next three to take a commanding 3 – 1 lead in the series . The Senators won the fifth game in overtime to force a sixth game in Ottawa . In the sixth game , the Senators took a 3 – 0 lead before the Penguins rallied to win the deciding game 4 – 3 in overtime to end the Senators season . Player stats . Skaters . " Note : GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; + / − = Plus / Minus ; PIM = Penalty Minutes " Goaltenders . " Note : GP = Games Played ; TOI = Time On Ice ( minutes ) ; W = Wins ; L = Losses ; OT = Overtime Losses ; GA = Goals Against ; GAA = Goals Against Average ; SA = Shots Against ; SV = Saves ; Sv % = Save Percentage ; SO = Shutouts " Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Senators . Stats reflect time with Senators only . Traded mid - season . Transactions . The Senators have been involved in the following transactions during the 2009 – 10 season . Draft picks . The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was held in Montreal , Quebec on June 26 – 27 , 2009 . Ottawa made the following picks :