That was peak Daniel Alfredsson. He shaved his head before the 2007 playoffs and suddenly looked like the best player in hockey at age 34-35.
14 goals in 20 playoff games in 2007. And after this 7 point game, he led the 2007-08 scoring race with 67 points in 47 games.
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And yet the seeds were already sown for his decline. Just a week before this game, Alfredsson missed two and a half games with a hip injury. A week later, he missed four more games with the same nagging hip injury. He had a five point night when he returned to put him a tie for the league lead in scoring once again. And then he played only 21 of the last 26 games, scoring only 16 points.
The Ottawa Senators organization has never been the same.
This needs to be emphasized.
Alfredsson, following this 7 point outburst, was in the Art Ross lead heading into the 2008 All-Star break. He would be injured shortly thereafter, miss time, and fall back in the scoring race. But he was outpacing Crosby, Ovechkin, Thornton, his own Pizza Line-mates, etc when healthy.
It was at the tail end of a 2.5 year stretch beginning in 2005 where he was legitimately a contender for best player in the world, although many would dismiss that notion before hearing why. The 2005-06 season saw him put up 103 points, and lead team Sweden in goals and points when they won gold at the Olympics. The 06-07 season saw him lead Ottawa to a finals berth, and lead the playoffs in goals and points. And in 07-08, the outright Art Ross lead at the all star break, after which his hip injury got in the way.
And hey, in 03-04, he finished 7th in scoring (no Pizza Line), and in 02-03, he led Ottawa to a President's Trophy and within a game of the SCF. So really, an exceptional 5 year stretch of hockey, with a lockout right in the middle where Ottawa had as great of a chance as any to win the Stanley Cup (roster with Chara, Hasek, Hossa, etc).
This 7 point game to overtake the Art Ross lead deep into the season was definitely the exclamation point of his prime.