2003 – 04 Ottawa Senators season The 2003 – 04 Ottawa Senators season would see the Senators again finish with over 100 points , finishing with 102 , but this was good for only third in the tightly - contested division , as the Bruins would have 104 and the Leafs 103 . Ottawa would meet Toronto in the first - round of the playoffs , meeting Toronto for the fourth time . Toronto would win the series 4 – 3 to end the Senators playoff hopes . Ottawa would fire head coach Jacques Martin after the playoff round . Offseason . In the off - season , Eugene Melnyk would purchase the club to bring financial stability . Another change was in the General Manager position . Marshall Johnston resigned and was replaced by John Muckler on June 3 , 2003 . Muckler had been a candidate for the positions of Ottawa coach or GM back in 1992 , but had chosen to sign on with the Buffalo Sabres instead . On June 21 , 2003 , assistant coach Roger Neilson died after four years of battling cancer . The Senators would wear a patch on their jerseys with an illustration of his signature and a necktie . Mr . Neilson would often wear distinctive neckties and the necktie became associated with him , and also became the symbol for " Roger ' s House " , a residence for the use of families with a family member fighting cancer while in hospital , established by him and the Senators . Regular season . Marian Hossa lead the club in scoring with 82 points , good enough for sixth overall in the league , which had become low - scoring . Highlights . On February 5 , 2004 , the Senators were playing the Toronto Maple Leafs and were leading 4 – 0 in the second period . The flu started affecting players on the Senators leading the team to be down to only 15 skaters by the end of the game . The Maple Leafs took full advantage and won the game 5 – 4 in overtime . On March 5 , 2004 , in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers , a record was set for the most penalty minutes in a game by both teams at 419 minutes . Five brawls broke out in the last two minutes of the game . It took the officials until 90 minutes after the game was over to sort out the penalties . By the end of the game Philadelphia had 213 penalty minutes and seven men left on the bench , while Ottawa finished with 203 penalty minutes and six men left . Playoffs . In the first round of the 2004 playoffs , the Senators would lose again to the Maple Leafs for the fourth straight time . By now , Ottawa had developed a strong rivalry with their Ontario cousins and there was a great deal of pressure on the team to finally defeat the Leafs . Two days after the Senators ' loss , coach Jacques Martin was fired , and goaltender Patrick Lalime was later traded to the St . Louis Blues . Mr . Martin had been coach of the Senators for eight and a half years . He was well respected , earned a 341 – 255 – 96 regular season record with the Senators , had led the team to eight consecutive playoff appearances , and was widely credited with changing the team into a league leader . He also won the Jack Adams Trophy in 1999 . However , after losing eight of twelve playoff series , including all four series in five years versus the Leafs , team management felt that a new coach was required for playoff success . On June 8 , 2004 , Bryan Murray of nearby town Shawville , Quebec , became the team ' s fifth head coach , leaving the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim where he had been general manager . Eastern Conference Quarter - finals Transactions . Waivers . Source : Roster . Sources : Draft picks . Ottawa ' s draft picks from the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held on June 21 and June 22 , 2003 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville , Tennessee .