There's nothing I could say about yet another early postseason exit by the Ottawa Senators that hasn't already been said by one of the talking heads on television, but TSN's Bob McKenzie might have put it best with the quote, "Let's call this what it is: epic failure." Many Ottawa fans (the ones left on the bandwagon, anyway) will be quick to blame Ray Emery, who wasn't anywhere near as good as Ryan Miller was in the Buffalo nets. Put it in perspective, though - Miller was amazing, and it wasn't Emery's fault that Sens captain (and perennial playoff phantom) Daniel Alfredsson scored only two goals in the postseason - an empty-netter against the lightning, and a powerplay goal to tie Game 5 at 1-1. Not only that, but it was Alfredsson who Sabres grinder Jason Pominville walked around to score the shorthanded game-winning OT goal (his fifth marker of the playoffs).

Alfredsson wasn't the only Senator playing shoddy defence, though; witness Chris Drury's powerplay goal in the second period of Game 5. After getting the puck between the right faceoff dot and the bottom of the circle, he walked right in on goal as all four Ottawa penalty killers watched, dumbfounded. This was the story of the series to be sure, as many of the goal scored against Ray Emery were garnered off odd-man rushes, surrendered by sloppy pinching and worsened by the remaining defenseman's inability to decide whether to take away the passing or the shooting lane.

Would things have been better for Ottawa if they'd had Dominik Hasek between the pipes? Maybe, but who are you going to blame for that one? Management for signing a 40-year-old goalie with groin problems who'd played a handful of games over the last three years? Or the team, for becoming so dependent on that ticking time-bomb?

One thing's for sure: heads will roll in Ottawa before the next training camp begins. Let's see if the bandwagon-jumpers will hop back on board.