Schedule and 2003 Results
Regular Season Records: Ottawa 52-21-8-1=113pts, Philadelphia 45-20-13-4=107pts
Game 1 on Friday, 25 Apr: Philadelphia loses at Ottawa, 4-goals-2
Game 2 on Sunday, 27 Apr: Philadelphia wins at Ottawa, 2-goals-nil
Game 3 on Tuesday, 29 Apr: Ottawa wins at Philadelphia, 3-goals-2 (OT)
Game 4 on Thursday, 01 May: Ottawa loses at Philadelphia, 1-goal-nil
Game 5 on Saturday, 03 May: Philadelphia loses at Ottawa, 5-goals-2
Game 6 on Monday, 05 May: Ottawa wins at Philadelphia, 5-goals-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Ottawa Senators on road ice defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-goals-1 to win MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 881, 4-games-2. The Ottawa Senators' series record is now 4-6, while that for the Philadelphia Flyers is now 29-23. The win order for series 881 was WLWLWW: Series 881 is the first NHL Quarterfinals series, the 12th NHL series, and the 30th MLB/NBA/NHL series under the best-of-7 format to follow this win order.

After Game 5: The Ottawa Senators defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-goals-2 in Ottawa, thus taking a 3-games-2 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 881. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Ottawa Senators have a series record of 1-2. When trailing 3-games-2, the Philadelphia Flyers have a series record of 1-9.

After Game 4: The Philadelphia Flyers shut out the Ottawa Senators on home ice, 1-goal-nil, to tie series 881 at 2-games-all. When tied at 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Philadelphia Flyers have a series record of 12-3, while the Ottawa Senators have a series record of 0-3. From 1939 through the 2003 NHL Preliminary round, teams opening a best-of-7 series with a WLWL win order and an HHVV site order (as Ottawa has) have a 12-6 (.667) series record, and are currently on an eight-series winning streak.

After Game 3: MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 881 moved to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4, but it was the Ottawa Senators who won Game 3 in overtime, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-goals-2 to take a 2-games-1 series 881 lead. When the Ottawa Senators have a 2-games-1 lead in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, their series record is 3-1; when the Philadelphia Flyers trail 2-games-1, their series record is 7-14.

After Game 2: Playing on Ottawa ice, the Philadelphia Flyers shut out the Ottawa Senators in Game 2 by a score of 2-goals-nil, thus tying series 881 at 1-game-all. When tied in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series at 1-game-all, the Ottawa Senators have a series record of 3-2, while the Philadelphia Flyers have a series record of 13-13.

After Game 1: The last time that the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators met in the playoffs was in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 849 in the 2002 NHL Preliminary round, in which the Flyers scored a record-low two goals in five games (and none in Ottawa) against the Senators as the Senators eliminated Philadelphia 4-games-1. Now, in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 881 in the 2003 NHL Quarterfinals round, Philadelphia needed just over half a period to tally two goals against Ottawa to take a 2-goals-nil lead; nevertheless, unlike series 849 (in which Philadelphia won Game 1 in overtime), this time the Ottawa Senators defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-goals-2 to take the 1-game-nil series lead. When ahead 1-game-nil, the Ottawa Senators have a 1-1 series record; when down 1-game-nil, the Philadelphia Flyers have an 11-14 series record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2002-03 regular season, the Ottawa Senators finished six points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers. From 1939 through the 2003 NHL Preliminary round, when an NHL team led its best-of-7 playoff series opponent by six regular-season points, it has gone on to post a 15-8 (.652) best-of-7 series record in that series against that opponent. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 881 is the second best-of-7 series between the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers (in best-of-7 series 849 in the 2002 NHL Preliminary round, Ottawa defeated Philadelphia 4-games-1 -- Philadelphia tied a 50-year-old record for fewest goals by one team in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series [two, total] during series 849). The Ottawa Senators have a best-of-7 series record of 3-6 and a Game 1 record of 2-7 (all rounds), and have a series record of 0-2 and a Game 1 record of 1-1 (NHL Quarterfinals only). The Philadelphia Flyers have a best-of-7 series record of 29-22 and a Game 1 record of 26-25 (all rounds), and have a series record of 13-6 and a Game 1 record of 11-8 (NHL Quarterfinals only).