The NHL regular season is approaching the finish line, and that means teams are securing playoff spots every night. The latest team to clinch is the Ottawa Senators, a team that hasn't seen the postseason since 2017, and their rebuild is finally starting to come together.

The Senators will return to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2017. What took so long, and how did they finally get here?

That’s because the Senators (42-30-6) clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs following the Detroit Red Wings' 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. It is Ottawa's first time qualifying for the postseason since 2016-17,