Sens Army Blog - Ottawa Senators Blog

Mike Fisher Sportsnet Ad: Awesome

2010-10-22T22:21:00.000-04:00

Just saw this awesome Sportsnet ad after the Sens thrilling win over the Sabres (blog tomorrow with thoughts). Enjoy!

Leclaire has made himself expendable

2010-10-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

It's hard to imagine a scenario where the Ottawa Senators would consider re-signing Pascal Leclaire at the end of this season. It seemed the gods conspired to make our oft-injured netminder a footnote in the Sens (not exceptional) goaltending records.

I found myself aggressively agreeing with Don Brennan's column from Friday's Ottawa Sun (and it pains me to type that). Despite his stellar play so far this season, Leclaire just can't be trusted to be the Senators' number one goalie. It seems that if the Sens invested any faith in Leclaire, he would simply throw it away with another momentum-draining injury.

I'm not one to throw away goaltenders quickly. I still think Patrick Lalime doesn't get the credit he deserves for his time in Ottawa, and I'm still waiting for someone to tell me in simple language why Ray Emery was sent away, but Leclaire has been given a dozen opportunities in the past season (and three weeks) to play constantly and consistently and he's never taken full advantage.

I'm also not one to jump on a bandwagon for promoting a rookie goalie and betting the Senators' season on an unproven commodity; Robin Lehner is 19 years old and Mike Brodeur has three big-league wins.

I've stated before that this Sens' success this season depends on Brian Elliott. I just didn't think I would be so right, so soon. In that article, I said that Elliott would start between 25 and 40 games this season. With Leclaire officially continuing his injury strike, I think I'm going to bump that up to 40 or more.

So I think it's time to formalize what the universe already seems to have planned. Name Elliott the default starter for the remainder of the season, make Leclaire sit on the bench (with his freaking mask ON this time) and give the Senators the stability that the name I wanted to nickname "The Answer" is, unfortunately, unable to provide.

Season rests on shoulders of Brian Elliott, not Leclaire

2010-10-05T22:21:00.000-04:00

I've been keeping an eye on a few different preseason rankings, and many of them seem to reference that Pascal Leclaire needs to have some sort of bounce-back season in order for the Senators to be successful.

I would like to politely disagree with this premise.

Leclaire didn't have an unsuccessful season last year - he barely hit the ice. With 34 starts, he collected 12 wins. That's far from a great record. And despite this, the Senators won 44 games. Now, I'm no mathemagician (that's a joke, not a typo - geez) but those other 32 wins must have come from somewhere (I see Mike Brodeur had three)... hmmm... let's double check the roster.

Oh yeah! That saviour!... I mean other goalie, Brian Elliott. He's the only reason why the Senators were able to scrape their way into the playoffs last year. And he may turn out to be the only reason they make it in this year.

Pascal Leclaire is more injury prone than the Wile E. Coyote, and - combined with at least one slump from #33 this season - chances are that Elliott will again start between 25 and 40 games.

So when making win predictions for the Sens this year, I recommend that prognosticators expand their thought process from "12 wins? Need better!". Look a little deeper and see the true corner stone of the Senators' goaltending - he spends less time on the bench than you think.

Bill Guerin - the player the Sens have always needed

2010-10-04T20:17:00.000-04:00

I can recall a low point in the history of the Ottawa Senators when Daniel Alfredsson was on the chopping block. It was just after another loss to the godfersaken Leafs in the playoffs and Gary Roberts was putting the Sens to shame with an absolutely pestering style and rugged good looks.

Even hard-core Sens fans wanted Alfredsson gone. He wasn't the leader we needed - and you know who was? Craig Conroy - that who the rumours said that the Sens would get in return from Calgary.

That would have been among the worst trades of the decade, and praise Alfie that we didn't go through with it. But the idea was that the Senators needed some grit to help them get to the next level.

Though those frustrating times are behind us, it could be argued that the Senators still lack that grit - even for the post-lockout NHL. So let me propose that the Senators sign Bill Guerin. Or, at least, the player that I recall Bill Guerin to be.

I presume that the Flyers cut him after a tryout for some very good reasons. The man is 39 years old and may not be able to keep up with the pace that these 20 year-old Swedish defencemen are setting. But last year's stats prove that he can still score with 45 points in 79 games (!) last year, including 21 goals.

Guerin's stamina is admirable; seventy-nine games at 38-39 years old is no small feat. But what's really appealing is the leadership and the grit. Just look at that playoff beard, not to mention the 15 points in 24 playoff games in 2008-09 that he and the beard contributed.

He can still score, and he's the rough old power forward that can provide leadership for the five forwards under the age of 25 that will see icetime with the Sens this year.

Just don't trade Daniel Alfredsson to get him.

The underground economy of sports blogs

2010-09-28T22:41:00.002-04:00

I want to bring to light something that I find extremely unfair and all-too-common among large-audience (dare I say 'corporate') sports blogs today: exploitation of high-quality writers.

Since beginning to blog on this site in 2007, I have received various offers to exchange links, trade blogs, and write on other sites as a means of growing the influence of this website. I have even contributed to many websites without asking for anything in return. I like to think my opinion is valid and should be read by as many people as possible.

But much of this changed when I started paying rent. The value of my skills (as a writer or blogger) is now determined by the return that I make on it. Money that I need to pay for groceries, rent, entertainment, cable television and internet (so that I can watch the Sens!).

An email from an $8-million company

Yesterday, I received an email from Bleacher Report (BR) asking if I would like to be a featured columnist for their Ottawa Senators section and sit-in on a conference call that would likely involve players and/or management from the team.

"Great!" I said. "That sounds like a fantastic opportunity. But I don't work for free. Would you be open to negotiating a freelance fee for my work?"

"Not at this time," was their response. BR's representative did not indicate at what time they would be open to paying for my work.

I have received dozens of such emails, from various for-profit sports blog organizations, since this blog was created.

Why sports bloggers should be paid

At community newspapers across Ottawa, anyone with a bit of flare for interviews and language can write an article and be paid. In the past, I've written for community newspapers and been paid anywhere from $75 to $120 for my services. Seems fair for a person who has been educated in this field to be paid a reasonable amount for the time (4-8 hours) contributed to an article.

It's a simple equation. Newspaper gets money from advertisers to be delivered to readers eyeballs; readers pick up newspaper to see articles; newspaper pays writer for article.

I think it's unfair--and insulting--to ask any person who is trained and proven in their field to work for free. And I don't think that it's unreasonable to ask Bleacher Report for a stipend in exchange for my contribution to their website, their viewership, their ad revenue, and their organizational value.

Over the past few years, Bleacher Report has received more than $8-million in funding from various investors, according to Tech Crunch. And I doubt that the editor that contacted me was working pro bono - so why should I work without pay? Who will pay my rent while BR receives an additional 1,000 readers because of my contribution?

It's an insult

I understand that Bleacher Report is a platform that is meant to empower sports fans and give them an easy-to-use outlet for their opinions. It's a great concept. One that was obviously good enough to grow into a mult-million dollar business. So why not give writers (especially featured columnists) some credit? They can certainly afford it.

I write this not to smear BR or to discourage bloggers who are passionate enough to write on their own accord--obviously, I could myself among you. I write this to empower those who fuel the engines that make others thousands of dollars each week.

Sports bloggers, you are more than a fan with an opinion. You are a writer! A freelance writer! You should be paid (and paid well!). Not exploited. Not asked to work for free.

So when a similar email arrives in your inbox, I ask you to simply request what you deserve: Some money in your pocket so that you can keep paying rent, buying groceries, paying for cable and watching the game.

Anything less than pay for work is an insult to your intelligence and skills.

Wake me up when September ends

2010-09-25T12:24:00.000-04:00

I can't believe the fans in Montreal. This post isn't really about them, but it has to be said: Booing your still-young and recently ordained #1 goalie in a preseason game isn't just a bit of overkill, it's shooting a butterfly with a machine gun.

Wayne Scanlan does an excellent job of putting this pre-season insanity in its place in today's Ottawa Citizen.

Leafs Nation was close to calling it a season after their 5-0 preseason-opening loss to the Senators. Then, after winning the rematch, normal levels of criticism and insanity resumed. Let's not forget that the Leafs had a record in the realm of 6-3-0 during last season's preseason, and finished 29th during the season that matters.

I'm happy to see that Ottawa, by and large, has not fallen into the same trap. Other than some optimism with regards to 19-year old goaltending prospect Robin Lehner, dodging the hype in the Nation's Capital hasn't been too difficult.

Too many factors haven't been tested and too few Sens regulars have yet to hit the ice together. Now is not the time to condemn or boast about the NHL team which hasn't suited up all at once.

Some say that the off-season, with its increasingly ridiculous free-agent contracts (happy not to address that one, thank you very much), is sport's silly season. Well, I think we've found a new definition.

As the song goes...

Let's do away with (the idea of) home ice advantage

2010-05-19T10:00:00.002-04:00

You want a home ice advantage? Play better on home ice!

I'm a big fan of TSN's Sunday morning opinion show The Reporters, but I'm a bigger fan of the podcast version. Opinions and information without having to look at Steve Simmons' ugly mug? Perfect! They did a little bonus episode last Sunday discussing the apparent lack of advantage for NHL teams that play at home and I couldn't help but take issue with their way of thinking.

Opinions ranged from a lack of distinctiveness among NHL arenas to the length and flight patterns between cities to even... get this... a lack of effort from heckling fans. Frankly, I think this analysis forgets that there's nothing good and natural about home ice - it's what you make of it.

Finishing at the top of the Eastern Conference certainly didn't help the Washinton Capitals much, and the Ottawa Senatorss having game six against Pittsburgh at home only worsened their record. The last game was played in Ottawa - you'd think it was the Sens who finished ahead of the Penguins.

I think mixing the facts up like this only serve to prove that there's no such thing as home ice advantage - the better team should win whether they're in their own town or not.

In the case of the Caps, playing at home didn't hurt them as much as their goaltending, powerplay, lack of scoring, poor defence... get where I'm going?

Over-analyzing home ice advantage is like asking why the tail is wagging the dog. The reason why it's a seven-game series is because the better team will eventually win. And witnessing the Canadiens scrape their way through these playoffs despite playing only six games on home ice is all the proof that should be needed.

Blame Gerber: Sens lost money this season

2010-05-17T23:33:00.001-04:00

Sorry to distract you from the Conference Finals, but there's a bit of bad news for the Sens. In addition to not winning the Stanley Cup, the Ottawa Senators actually lost money this season. The reason? Martin Gerber.

But Ben, you say, he hasn't played for the Senators for more than a year. Apparently we fans lost a lot of faith in the boys during that far-from-fateful 2008-09 season, and the ticket sales have yet to recover. The article goes on to state that the Senators would have had to make the second round of these playoffs in order to break even.

That just makes me wonder how much that overtime goal by Matt Carkner in Game 5--which sent the series back to Ottawa for a sold out Game 6--was worth to the bottom line... And why isn't that amount added to his measly $900,000 annual contract? The man played a lot of minutes!

Edit: Got my game #s mixed up there. Game 6 was played in Ottawa.

Synergy, thy name is Cullen

2010-04-29T19:32:00.000-04:00

Unlike most years, where Bryan Murray's deadline acquisitions have fallen flat, this year's crop of rentals has an undeniably positive impact on the team.

Not only did Matt Cullen lead the team in points during these playoffs, he really seemed to match Alfredsson's style. Watching him move swiftly across the ice with Daniel Alfredsson was a thing of beauty, and something I hope to witness again next season.

With the irreplaceable Anton Volchenkov possibly coming off the books July 1, I think it would be a step forward for this team to redirect some money into punching up the offence.

Cullen was a prized acquisition at the trade deadline (and, with hindsight, for good reason!), and Murray now has a month of exclusive negotiation to convince the 33-year old that Ottawa is the right place for him to finish his career. Murray should put some effort into getting the deal done because Cullen has proven himself to be a perfect fit for the Senators.

You can't keep a good town down

2010-04-26T22:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my opportunistic father, whose faith in the Ottawa Senators truly springs eternal, I was in a packed Scotiabank Place for Saturday night's game.

Of course, we came away disappointed, but while the Penguins were jumping all over each other like a bunch of... silly penguins... I was clapping for the Senators, and I meant it. Lead by their injury-riddled captain, the Sens to raised their sticks to the crowd in a classy sign of appreciation that is rarely seen in professional sports.

There was something about this season that seemed so meddling, and at the same time, so transitory. The team is on its way to a new structure and spirit, and this was just the season in which the larva was still building its cocoon. Is the team tougher now than it was in 2001? Hells yes. Is it a better team? Ummm.... no.

Did we learn anything from this series? Well, it only takes one game for many Ottawa Senators fans to jump off, then back on, the bandwagon, that's for sure - myself included. After the Penguins beat up the Sens in that seven-goal period two of game four, I didn't give the Sens a chance. They were cooked.

But then, like a chicken finger that you leave in the fridge for too long, the Senators uncooked themselves with much stronger efforts in games five and six. And that earned them only one thing: respect. This post would be much different had the Sens gone quietly into the night after game five, but they didn't. So they get a little respect.

I do wish the Sens' coaching staff had more faith in Pascal Leclaire, but I can understand Cory Clouston's predicament. If not for that astonishing winning streak in the middle of the season, the Sens would have been fighting for the eighth spot rather than sitting quietly in fifth. Undoubtedly, the Senators needed Brian Elliott to get them into the playoffs. Hard to fault Clouston for that.

It feels good to put some hockey thoughts on the net after a long absence. Recent events have re-sparked my passion, and I hope to share more thoughts with you during the summer.

Cheers, Sens fans. You can't keep a good town down.

Haitus at SAB

2009-12-07T18:20:00.006-05:00

It gives me no pleasure to announce that Sens Army Blog is going on hiatus until further notice. The reasons for this announcement are entirely personal, but not private (so read on).

Maintaining a blog at a high level and being an opinion leader in any online forum is no easy task, and requires much time and dedication. Recently, I have had neither the time nor the interest required to maintain this blog at a high level.

This has become apparent to me over recent weeks as the team travelled and I found that I had nothing to say regarding their journey--wins or losses, I had no desire the analyze. Instead, I have become a spectator, pure and simple.

The Wedge and the Microscope

The strange thing is that this is making hockey more enjoyable. In recent years, I have found myself publicly fighting a shifting perception among sports fans. Fans seem to want to wedge themselves into the personal lives of hockey players (and other sports figures), for no reason other than to be critical. I have no desire to criticize Ray Emery for his driving habits, Dany Heatley for his trade request, or Alex Kovalev for his inexplicably sporadic scoring. I just want to watch and enjoy the game... and sometimes, not watch the game at all.

The pace and competition of blogging has created a demand for information that I feel is irrelevant. Though there may be many people out there who want to know the minute and mundane details of the Senators' morning skate, I am not one of them. In other words, I don't want to know such things and I don't think you need to know either. Too often I find myself wanting to use this blog as a soapbox to complain about these topics, but that doesn't make for a fun daily read.

The Good Times

That said, I have thoroughly enjoyed maintaining this blog for more than two years (and 948 blog entries!). I have gained much insight into sports fans, writers, blogging, podcasting, marketing, social media, and search engine optimization. If you want to gain insight or experience in any of these topics, then I recommend you start a blog right now!

I have met (either online or in-person) some incredible personalities: enthusiastic people who are ready to laugh with others and at themselves--they're the best people on earth. Those people who write honestly, and without thanks, about their favourite teams are a unique breed and should be commended for their efforts. So let me say: You rock! Don't listen to the haters and keep up the excellent work!

This blog has shown me the possibilities of being an independent creative writer. The hiatus of this blog certainly does not spell the end of my online writing adventures, that is for sure. In fact, it is my goal to do this as a career, though not involving hockey.

...and I guess that brings this little speech to a close. Check out some of the links in the sidebar to get your daily Sens fix from now on. Drop me a line if you ever feel like chatting about blogging or podcasting.

An asshole is born; Sharks beat Sens

2009-12-02T07:53:00.005-05:00

Great series of comics called Itch (Danieldraws.com) really seem to sum up my feelings this morning... because I totally called it.

The Sens got torn up by the Sharks last night. Dany Heatley got 2 assists and Patrick Marleau had two goals. So, you know who's really responsible for this loss, don't you? That's right! Wade Redden! (Who nixed a trade for Marleau a few years ago with his NTC).

...and why is Mike Brodeur in net? Man... a lot went on last night. Off to work!

Feeling snarky and sharky

2009-11-30T18:40:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry to prediction this one guys, but the Sharks are the best team in the NHL right now.

Sharks 5 - Senators 1

Though the Senators appear to be on the on the right tracks recently, facing the Sharks won't be just another game that requires 'grit' or 'lucky bounces' for Ottawa to pull off a win. San Jose has dominated this season with a hot goalie and potent offence. With almost 100 goals in less than 30 games, they're miles ahead of most teams in the NHL - and that includes the Sens. I would also like to predict that Dany Heatley is a jerk.

Who's going to be staying up late to watch the game? I'll just be catching the highlights. Got to wake up early and go to work. So sue me.

Special K is here to stay!

2009-11-29T11:40:00.004-05:00

Erik Karlsson is likely staying with the Ottawa Senators for the rest of the season, after playing his 10th NHL game last night in a 4-3 SO loss to the Boston Bruins, and kicking off the first year of his entry-level contract.

It's a rather surprising move. Many believed that Karlsson would spend the year in the AHL improving his game, and keeping his pay off the Sens' books. I believe a combination of factors led the team to make this decision and start the clock ticking on the talented Swede's second contract.

Why now?

Karlsson has been doing well in Binhamton, I see from his stats. Eleven assists in 12 games puts him among the team leaders (though most of the Baby Sens have played 20+ games). It looks like his level of talent deserves to be in the big leagues. (Looking down the rest of the B-Sens roster, I see a lot of long-ago Ottawa draft picks... most will turn out to be AHL lifers. Ouch.)

Recent wins may have emboldened Sens management to 'go for it' this year and bring Karlsson along for the ride... and by 'it', I mean 'making the playoffs'. Playoff prospects are looking good at the moment... let the good times roll.

Giving K-Mart (more nicknames?! Yes!) the opportunity to learn from the organizations' best defencemen may prove a valuable learning experience. If he's the best offensive defenceman in Bingo, he's not developing that aspect of his game.

What about our former golden boy?

And Brian Lee? Well, he has fallen down the depth chart for sure, but he's still on a two-way contract and could still prove to be valuable for the Senators down the road. Don't count him out yet. Many have said that he's likely to be traded in coming weeks, but the Sens don't have a ton of cap room ($1.9-million according to nhlscap.com) to accept new contracts.

WTF Jersey

PS: Did anyone see the Baby Sens' Thanksgiving jerseys? I think we have a new winner for Worst. Jersey. Ever. The bad-ass Senator guy is wearing a pilgrim hat! WTF!

Quick pre-game thoughts

2009-11-28T18:28:00.002-05:00

Tonight's game, I believe, is the culmination of a lot of hard work from Senators players over the past 2 weeks. After beating Washington, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo, it seems fitting that the Sens would take on last year's Eastern Conference Champions--the tests just keep coming, and Ottawa seems up to the task at the moment.

Despite various injuries to key players, the Sens have found the depth and strength to move forward. Looking at previous games, it hasn't always been Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, or even Milan Michalek, who have been contributing the majority of the offence.

Against Columbus, Jesse Winchester had assists on both of the Sens goals. When Ottawa took on Washington, Filip Kuba collected three assists and Ryan Shannon, Winchester, and Peter Regin all had points.

I know I've said this before... but this grand scheme from Bryan Murray to add depth to the team might actually be working. Hopefully I didn't put my foot in my mouth just minutes before the game begins. Let's see...

Send me your thoughts during the game @sensarmyblog.

I believe in Brian Elliott

2009-11-24T22:54:00.002-05:00

Pascal Leclaire gets hit by a puck while sitting on the freaking bench?! No problem!

The Senators have always been blessed with all-too-talented backup goalies, and Brian Elliott is no exception. All the way back to Ron Tugnutt taking over for Damian Rhodes when the playoffs roll around, the Sens backups are always ready to take over. Ray Emery anyone?

I'm pretty sure the goalie situation known as goalie 1A and 1B was created in Ottawa. Only Canadian bureaucrats could come up with such a non-exclusive competitive arrangement.

Last season, with no NHL experience, Elliott stepped into the Sens net and was all but named the team's #1 goalie for the remainder of the season. His numbers were pretty good too. 16-8-3, 2.77 GAA, .902 save percentage.

This season, Elliott has been just as solid. 4-1-2, with a GAA below 3 and save percentage above .900--that's all you can ask of an Ottawa Senators goalie.

Besides, we all know that goaltending has rarely been the difference this season. Leclaire may have stolen one or two games this year for the Sens, but the team as a whole has dictated the course of this season so far.

Do you believe in Brian Elliott?

Jared Cowen update and interview (courtesy of FC)

2009-11-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

When Jared Cowen was drafted by the Ottawa Senators, I immediately compared him to Zdeno Chara. Like Chara, He's a huge defenceman who will undoubtedly take a few years to develop.

Luckily, Cowen will be playing for Team Canada during this year's World Junior Hockey Championship against many of the best young players in the world. That's sure to help his development.

Zdeno Jr. has 14 points and is +8 on a solid Spokane Chiefs team, who have a record of 14-8-1 while playing in the tight WHL US-divison.

Check out Future Considerations' recent interview with Cowen on the Chiefs and this winter's WJHC.

I'm looking forward to seeing a Team Canada featuring both JC and Ottawa native Erik Gudbranson, who was recently ranked the #4 prospect in the OHL. I think they can just give us our sixth consecutive gold medal right now.

Senators team replaced with 'winning machine': Report

2009-11-23T21:06:00.007-05:00

You gotta give credit to the Sens these days, they've beaten a two (or three--writing during Caps game) of the best teams in the conference in the past week, and even without the services of their most consistent defenceman, Anton Volchenkov (with Phillips flying off the handle and scoring goals these days, I can hardly call him consistent).

Pascal Leclaire definitely beat out former Senator Patrick Lalime when the Sens took on the Sabres. Lalime had a terrible record against the Sens since leaving the team, and keeping that record up (with a vengeance) surely boosts the team's ego.

And speaking of Leclaire, he got hit in the face by a puck when the Sens played the Washington Capitals tonight. After an injury kept him out of the game, you could hear him sigh from Kanata to Orleans, "It's just one of those weeks."

Weekly roundup

With wins over the Penguins and Sabres, the Sens bandwagon has been getting pretty crowded over the past few days. It's funny how things can change from one copy deadline to the next...

Saturday - Senators look to halt bumpy start to season
Sunday - Sens show cutting edge

As hockey fans, I think we're all prone to mood swings. Everyone seems to be pointing out that the Sens are just 1 point behind the Sabres for first place in the Northeast Division... a week ago no one was doing the math. Just sayin'.

Facts

Patrick Lalime's career went downhill after he left Ottawa... by now he's 20 feet underground. Too bad.
Mike Fisher will not make Team Canada, and neither will Ray Emery, no matter how non-committal Steve Yzerman is.
Brian Elliott reminds me of Emery, but Leclaire in no way reminds me of Gerber. Sweet.

Clouston made the right call, and so did you

2009-11-18T11:30:00.001-05:00

Frankly, I was surprised that so many people are not buying into the potential goalie controversy in Ottawa. Good on ya.

Pascal Leclaire certianly did his part to win the game for the Ottawa Senators. He kept the team in the lead late in the game, and the goals that he did surrender weren't terrible.

He did seem to be a bit nervous though--too much sliding along the ice, peeking behind himself to check if the puck had gone through. But over all, he's silenced some doubters with his play against the Leafs last night.

Intensity returns to Battle of Ontario

2009-11-17T20:42:00.005-05:00

Ian Mendes had it right during the first intermission, "more fights than goals".

I guess that's how these two Eastern Conference middle-weights express their dislike for one another these days. Not by attempting to embarrass the other with flashy goals, but by attempting to bludgeon the opponent into submission.

But in the end, it was Mike Fisher and Pascal Leclaire that won this game for the Ottawa Senators. I'm not sure exactly what's up with Fisher and Alex Kovalev, but someone should pass the memo onto Fish that it's Kovalev who's supposed to be scoring goals, and Mike's the one who's supposed to be the overpaid baggage. Bah!

Penalties anyone? You got plenty of time to see the Senators powerplay and penalty-kill. Neither of which looked great. A little bit of magic from AK27 or Jason Spezza certainly would have made the last minutes of the game a little less stressful.

Speaking of those final few minutes. OHMYGAWDWHATASAVE. ...sorry that just all came out at once. Leclaire seemed to be scrambling too much and few of those last saves were what we would call 'standard', but they worked and preserved the win for Ottawa. Hard to argue with that.

What's easy to argue with? Shots in the third period 15-4 for the Leafs. Yikes.

Final note on Kovalev: He will be judged not by the success of his linemates but by how many goals he himself scores. With only one shot registered in this game, he's got to be a little more selfish, drive to the net a more, and be more desperate for goals. I would much rather celebrate his talents than comment on his mental game.

When it's 'Win and You're In'... you never win

2009-11-16T22:53:00.004-05:00

Just submitted my prediction to the Citizen's gameday prediction panel. Check it out and give me your thoughts.

Senators 4 - 2 Leafs

The Leafs truly are a mess. They're playing the 'win and you're in' goalie game that killed the Senators a couple years back and got John Paddock fired. Relatively speaking, the Sens are doing fine. The recent loss in the shootout shouldn't phase the team too much and if Pascal Leclaire is back in net, he's certainly got something to prove.

...I really hope they put Snoop-Chuck back in net. We need to lean on our #1 goalie and no go down the 'goalie controversy' route that's gaining steam in some circles.

I also put a poll in the sidebar in case you have an opinion, but don't feel like typing. Hurray!

Sixty-five percent say Sens playoff hopefuls

2009-11-16T11:30:00.001-05:00

I'd say that sounds about right.

The Sens Army Blog's most recent poll suggests that Ottawa Senators fans aren't quite ready to start planning the Stanley Cup parade route. Sixty-five percent said the team are mere playoff contenders.

In fact, only 18% of respondents would commit to the Senators making the playoffs this season. The team's play of late certainly wouldn't convert any of you skeptics out there.

With a winning percentage of .470 and a tieing percentage of .176 (the NHL really has to get rid of that shit because that just sounds stupid), the Senators are on pace for around 92 points this season.

Right now, that puts them in 11th place in the conference. Last season, Eastern Conference teams needed 93 points or more to qualify for the playoffs.

...but that's okay because Alex Kovalev is going to start scoring some goals soon... right? RIGHT?!

I'm selling out and need your feedback

2009-11-15T21:30:00.002-05:00

Sorry to confront you on a Monday morning, but I have something I want to talk to you about: advertising on this blog. And no, I'm not asking for money--I'm asking for your feedback.

I've done my best to keep this blog ugly-ad-free over the past two years or so. However, I've also been successful in keeping myself very poor over the past couple of years by not taking advantage of this blog and the traffic it gets.

Google ads never got me any money, and every person who emails me and asks me to join their blog network ultimately wants me to work for a pittance (word-a-day calendar) anyway. So I'm taking advertising on the Sens Army Blog into my own hands. That means no 'Get ripped with absolutely no exercise' ads for you.

The first ad over there on the left is for my brother's blog, and he's getting it for the low price of free while I gather your feedback.

So leave me a comment and tell me what you love and/or hate about advertising on blogs.

Are they distracting?
Have you ever clicked on a blog ad?
How can I keep ads from interfering with your blog reading?

We're still in the experimental stage and I want to be up-front with you all about what's happening so that you're not all 'wtf' about it. And if you're interested in advertising on this blog, send me an email. Thanks!

Same old Ottawa Senators

2009-11-15T11:50:00.002-05:00

Inability to score at crucial times and inconsistent goaltending?! No, you must be speaking of some other team.

As I watched the Senators take on the New York Rangers yesterday, that shootout seemed to encapsulate the whole game--a simple inability to win the game. Thanks to some steady goaltending from Brian Elliott, the Senators had no less than three opportunities to win the game.

Nick Folgino, Mike Fisher (otherwise great game, btw), and Jarkko Ruutu each could have won the game if they scored on their shootout opportunity.

That's three opportunities to get an extra point, and three opportunities to push the team a little further toward a playoff spot. It's something of a cliché, but it must be said that these games are just as important as the ones in April. When the Sens are desperate for points in the spring, I'll be recalling this game in my mind.

The inconsistent goaltending, of course, is not the fault of Elliott. That's the fault to Pascal Leclaire, who has single-handedly led us to question his abilities. I will play the part of optimist here and note the following:

He's played 13 games and is above .500. That's far from terrible.
Leclaire missed a whole year and could still be reconstructing his game and getting back into the groove on a regular NHL schedule.
The Sens offence hasn't been too helpful recently. Few powerplays and fewer crucial goals.
In his last 6 games, he's only allowed more than 3 goals once. Do not panic.

AK27 made for mis-fires

Who saw this recent wave of Alex Kovelav criticism coming from a mile away? Everyone! Every NHL pundit on the planet knew that Kovalev would be streaky. And now, while it's happening it's supposed to be surprising? No, sorry. We'll see what his stats are at season's end... Then I'll be pissed.

Tuesday versus Leafs good measuring stick

Next game is against the Leafs on Tuesday evening. I hope to see Leclaire return to the net, and put any potential controversies to rest.

Playing the Leafs is always fun because they set the bar for terrible teams in the NHL. If you can beat them, you're fine. If not, well, I might have to pick up some more of that 7.0% beer.

Stats you didn't want to hear (courtesy yahoo.com)

The Senators are 1-2 in shootouts this season and remain the worst team in the tie-breaking procedure with a 12-25 record since its inception. (Ben's note: The Sens were 1 for 1 after beating the Leafs in the first ever NHL shootout! woo!)

The Senators won 53 percent of faceoffs, but only because C Jason Spezza was 17-10 in the circles. Every other Senator had a losing record on faceoffs against a Rangers team that was without the injured Chris Drury and Brandon Dubinsky—two of its top three drawmen.

Faceless Senators make Emery look good

2009-11-12T20:31:00.006-05:00

After work today, I went to the local LCBO and picked up eight tall boys to drink this weekend.

The beer for tonight's game against the Flyers is Holsten Maibock 7.0%.

Sports writers are going to struggle for angles on this one (so I bet they'll go with either 'Leclaire inconsistent' or 'Ray Emery shows Sens what they're missing' for lack of better option). The Senators have been entirely faceless tonight.

I can't think of one outstanding player who took the game into his hands. Usually, it's someone like Daniel Alfredsson or Jason Spezza who just says 'Fine, I'll do it'. But tonight, with those two shut down, it's up to some other players to step up.

Mike Fisher had done his part in the second period. Alex Kovalev? Jonathan Cheechoo? Milan Michalek? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Somebody had to step up to win this game for the Senators... but no one did. That's a product of a lack of aggression and creativity.

Much of that goes to Cory Clouston. TSN (as much as I hate to admit it) did a great job of illustrating how the Senators were sitting back for the whole game. Last season, Clouston was known for making the Sens a more aggressive team. Tonight? Nada.

Oh man. Starting to feel that beer. The label was right. Strong.

The easy way out would be to blame Pascal Leclaire. Though I'm certainly not impressed with his performance, if the Senators had not lost this game 5-1, they would have lost it 2-1. No offence, no wins. It's simple.

Still... I'm going to have to put this somewhere in the yellow-to-red for the Pascal Leclaire Advisory System. Tonight's game is unsettling.

Tip of the Hat:

Beer. Just in general.
TSN producers.
Ray Emery - yeah, take that Sens.

Wag of the Finger:

Trapezoids; other so-called 'bad angles'.
Logos that almost look like a "P", but with feathers.
Photoshop -- should be more beer-user-friendly.

Reflecting on Mike Comrie's time with the Senators...

2009-11-10T18:59:00.003-05:00

I've never felt such blinding indifference. Go Mike!

Prediction: Injured Oilers fall to Sens

2009-11-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

Here's my prediction for tonight's game against the ~~Tampa Bay Lightning~~ Edmonton Oilers. Checking out their injuries, it's pretty obvious who should win. I hope it turns out that way...

Senators 3 - 2 Oilers

Sens fans should just be happy to see their team play anyone but the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ottawa is missing Anton Volchenkov, but the team is otherwise healthy. The Oilers, meanwhile, are missing about half their team: Marc Pouliot , Ryan Stone, Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, Sheldon Souray, and Ladismad Smid among others (!). Though goalies have a tendency to stand on their head against the Senators, I feel like the Oilers' roster is just too thin to keep up with the Sens. It's a win, baby.

As I said, I'm kind of afraid Nickolai Khabibulin will somehow steal the game for the Oilers. You guys ever hear of this Dustin Penner kid? We sure could use a guy like that...

Do you think the Sens can pull it off?

Old guard Sens still driving force on offence

2009-11-09T18:49:00.007-05:00

When Dany Heatley left Ottawa, it seemed that we were trading one asset (or ass-hat, in this case) and getting two in return. Plus, the signing of Alex Kovalev was meant to add another aspect to the Sens game. Well we're now 14 games into the season and a couple aspects of the trade have turned out well, while others have gone to complete shit.

Milan Michalek is on pace for his best NHL season, scoring 40 goals and 58 points (I love TSN.ca's on-pace stat), but Jonathan Cheechoo have proven all of his doubters correct with only 2 points so far this season. Some nights, he barely sees the ice, and other nights, it seems like he can barely skate.

Kovalev has, so far, lived up to his billing as a streaky scorer. Undoubtedly, he has crazy moves--but little results to show for them. Despite some fancy playmaking with Jason Spezza, Kovalev has not, in my view, lived up to my optimistic expectations.

But the real question is: Are these elements adding up to wins?

It's difficult to make the argument that the Senators would be better off without Michalek and Kovalev, but it's the Senators' old guard that has been the major contributors to the Sens moderate success so far this season.

Daniel Alfredsson is having another outstanding season, and with Spezza, are again the driving force that wills the team towards wins. Unexpectedly, it's Mike Fisher that has been the x-factor in many games this season--he's already got half as many goals as all of last year.

The Sens just need a couple more players to have above-average seasons in order to ensure themselves a playoff spot. That means Nick Foligno contributing more offence on the third line, and Cheechoo at least hitting 15 goals this year.

It's no secret that it takes a whole-team effort to make the playoffs in the NHL, and if even two lines contribute the offence, the third still has to make its contribution.

PS: I saw my first instance of someone calling Pascal Leclaire 'inconsistent' today. Does that make him a good goalie that sometimes plays poorly, or a bad goalie that make the occasional incredible save? I hope it's the former.

Prediction: Sens pull out tense win

2009-11-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

I put out a call for predictions about tonight's game against the Atlanta Thrashers. Strangely, I did not send in any particular person's comments to the Ottawa Citizen for their prediction panel... I feel like an ass now.

But here's my prediction for tonight's game. Did I mention that I was the only person who guessed the Thrashers would beat the Sens on Saturday? (Eat it Mendes and Scanlan!)

5-4 Senators beat Lightning

I don't know what to make of the Sens when they play the Tampa Bay Lightning: A blow-out win followed by a humbling loss, and all in two weeks.The Senators need these wins before they take on any playoff-caliber teams later this month. I trust that Cory Clouston knows this and will encourage Jason Spezza to return to the Sens lineup. Hopefully the rest of the team shows up too.

Sports sections on life support

2009-11-04T23:08:00.007-05:00

I've written a lot of blogs about how there's nothing to blog about, and this week is certainly one of those times.

You know the story - the Ottawa Senators haven't played in five days and the dailies are just pulling at straws for stories even remotely connected to the hockey team. Metal bands, girlfriends' cd liner notes, long-forgotten grudges meant to anger up the blood... A sports section on life support. (What did these papers do before 1992-93? Look further than album notes for stories, I suppose.)

I haven't watched Sens play in a while either. On Saturday, I was watching the Gee-Gees football team blow their season when it matters most (again)... and on Thursday night I was scraping together a costume for an office Halloween party (the results were proportional to the amount of time I left putting together my 'Hawaiian tourist' costume... ouch). In any case, it was better than watching the Sens be single handedly beaten by a no-name goalie. (PS: I CALLED IT!)

The contentious issue right now is: Are the Senators even a good team?

We were pretty high on ourselves before last week's losses. The playoffs seemed like a lock. The Sens lose Anton Volchenkov and Jason Spezza, and suddenly the team seems to be scraping the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

I'm erring on the side of optimism for the Sens upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Lightning (seriously NHL? Again?). Spezza may be back in the lineup, so Alex Kovalev can dodge the pressure and go back to just dekeing around one defenceman and then losing the puck.

...too soon?

About now, I would say send your in-game thoughts to @sensarmyblog on Twitter... but the game's on TSN2, so tell me what you're doing instead!

What's up with the Sens? They're missing their best players

2009-10-30T18:16:00.004-04:00

What is up with the Sens lately? I guess it doesn't matter how many goals Jason Spezza contributes, they need him on the ice to produce offence at all.

Who has TSN2? Honestly... It must be part of the cable package for people who can't stand to miss an all-Texas NBA game. Go Spurs. Sorry, it just sucks that I missed a Sens win a couple days ago, and a Raptors game tonight. Blerg!

I've got half a mind to put H1N1 On Notice... we'll see about that tomorrow. It all depends on whether Pascal Leclaire plays or not.

Here's my prediction for the Sens game on Saturday:

Atlanta 4-3 Ottawa

I believe that Ottawa will miss Jason Spezza and Anton Volchenkov more than Altanta misses Ilya Kovalchuk. It hurts them more offensively and defensively than Kovalchuk's absense hurts the Thrashers, who started off the season with an impressive 4-1 record. The Thrashers' most recent losses have all been by one goal. If Pascal Leclaire misses this game too, it's a done deal. I wouldn't trust Alex Kovalev with my Halloween candy, let alone a whole game's worth of offence.

Send me your predictions. I've been doing terribly recently. Hey - if you send me your prediction for the game on Thursday against the Lightning in the comments (jeez, them again?!), I'll send it in to the Ottawa Citizen blog word-for-word.

Here's hoping it's a happy Halloween for the Senators.

Panthers fans on suicide watch = Sens win tonight

2009-10-28T11:00:00.000-04:00

Here's my prediction for tonight's Sens game against the Florida Panthers.

Senators 3-0 Panthers

The Panthers are among the worst teams in the league. They've managed to score the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference, and Thomas Vokun has a GAA of 3.60 (don't even ask about Clemmenson). The Sens will be getting Filip Kuba back from the flu, and while Pascal Leclaire may not play because of illness, Brian Elliott played well against the Bruins. Should be a standard win for Ottawa.

Here's what a blogger on the Panthers' official website has to say about the team's season so far...

But even being the eternal optimist that I am, it’s getting harder and harder to come to grips with the reality of the hole we’re digging ourselves into. I know it’s still relatively early and there is a lot of hockey left to be played. But as the past has shown us, a poor start is often difficult to overcome; and barring a huge shake-up, a really poor start is nearly impossible to overcome.
...
After so many years of losing, the fans of this team need, no, DESERVE a winner...But at the moment, I think most of us would just settle for a little hope. However, hope has been pretty hard to come by lately. Dropping six of our first nine games is taking its toll on our fans. It’s not just the poor start that has us in a bad way; it’s the poor start combined with the futility of the last decade. I think it’s come to the point where Panthers fans actually expect this team to lose.
...
It’s tough being a loyal, die-hard fan of a team that perennially disappoints. And it’s equally tough to look at the schedule ahead and not see any relief in sight. We currently look up at 28 teams in the league, so there are not going to be any easy games in the near future. It’s almost like we play as if we’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like we’re passing the time until the other team comes back and takes our win away…

Someone find this guy and keep him away from sharp objects, tall buildings, toasters and bathtubs.

Karlsson put in car seat for long drive to Bingo

2009-10-27T20:04:00.006-04:00

Erik Karlsson as been assigned to the Binghamton Senators until he grows up. I mean, uhh... until his testicles descend. I mean... DAMMIT, JUST BE BIGGER!

GM Bryan Murray made his decision today: Karlsson needs to be a better defender before he plays defence for the Ottawa Senators (kind of makes sense, eh?). Apparently, the kid took it kind of hard, but he's not Russian or anything so we'll probably see him again next year.

It will be interesting to see what kind of impact Karlsson will have in Bingo. One thing's for sure: they're set for defencemen for the next couple of years. The Baby Sens already have Brian Lee, will soon have Karlsson leading their powerplay, and can expect Jared Cowen next season. That's a lot of potential on the blueline that the Ottawa club will one day benefit from.

Just be patient, Sens fans, he'll grow up one day.

PS: Here's what a small group of Sens fans said in a hastily assembled poll.

The Verdict on Karlsson

2009-10-26T22:39:00.004-04:00

This blog has been admittedly divided over Ottawa Senators rookie defenceman Erik Karlsson. On one hand, he's supremely talented and has put his skills on full display during the Senators' preseason and recent games. On the other, he's been sloppy defensively and has a hard time keeping up with bigger NHL forwards.

With the magic 10-game mark fast approaching, Sens GM Bryan Murray has to decide whether to keep the kid or lend him to the AHL Senators or, perhaps, to a Swedish League team.

With Filip Kuba returning to the Sens' lineup soon (hopefully), the pressure is definitely on to make a decision soon.

Here's what I've said in recent posts, starting with the earliest:

September 19:

Over 21 minutes played and a +3 night for Erik Karlsson.

September 21 (Entitled "Send Karlsson to Bingo"):

I know that Erik Karlsson is The Great Blond Hope, and probably the Ottawa Senators best prospect since Jason Spezza, but from what I've seen of his defensive skill, he's just not ready to take on the towering, powerful forwards of the NHL.

September 30:

I'm rather surprised that Erik Karlsson has, so far, beaten out Brian Lee for a roster spot (as you know, Lee was returned to Bingo a couple days ago). Cory Clouston and the other coaches must really like what they see from Special K.

October 3:

Erik Karlsson is the great blond hope. When was the last time a rookie defender made the Senators opening night squad? Wade Redden? That was 13 years ago! Even if he doesn't stick with the big club this season, Karlsson has already shown us he's got the talent to play in the NHL one day.

October 5:

Erik Karlsson? The kid has poise and moves on the powerplay, but his flaws were on full display as well. Maybe a few more games in the NHL will progress his defensive game, but I'm not sure he'll stick around that long.

October 15:

After a win tonight, and a game on Saturday night against the Habs, you won't find bored hockey writers speculating about the future of Erik Karlsson. I think Bryan Murray will do what he thinks is best, and with modern free agency rules, he's probably going to the minors (or back to Sweden) no matter how well/poorly he plays. Probably.

What's your verdict?

No good reason to boo Chara

2009-10-25T11:19:00.006-04:00

Watching last night's game against the Boston Bruins, there were a couple of Ottawa Senators fans that boo'ed Zdeno Chara. A very Leaf-like gesture that I very much frown upon.

Let's examine the situation: Chara was among the league's best defencemen when he played for the Senators from 2001-06. He left the team when he asked for lots of money, and the Senators chose to spend a little less and get a lot less with Wade Redden. Let's not argue over the different interpretations of the scenario.

In last night's game, Sens fans boo'ed Chara. Why? ...Anyone?

Other than leaving the team and being a great defencemen, Chara in no way disrespected the Ottawa Senators or their fans. He did not ask to be traded in the middle of a contract, and he did not say anything bad about Ottawa on his way out.

Your boos reek of jealousy. Much like when the Leafs fans boo Daniel Alfredsson for a long-forgotten and absolutely hilarious on-ice act (which I wish I could find on youtube), the act doesn't fit the crime.

Chara is a great defencemen and a great captain for the Boston Bruins. His time in Ottawa was well-served and he doesn't deserve to be harassed when he returns to the city where he played extremely well for so many years.

Let's be better than Leafers, Sens fans. Don't be a playa hater.

Tip of the Hat / Wag of the Finger

2009-10-24T10:41:00.008-04:00

I think I could drink a whole pit of coffee and not think of a single especially interesting storyline for tonight's game against the Boston Bruins, when compared to the Ottawa Senators' last game against the Nashville Predators. That game is still stuck in my mind. Too bad they lost.

And it's hard to say that results are not mixed when your team climbs back into a game that they were down 3-0, and manage to lose 6-5.

Tip of the Hat:

Philchenkov:
Each of them scores about three goals a year, and it's safe to say that Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov have never scored a goal in the same period. They were +4 and +3 respectively on the game as a whole. That's to say nothing of their defensive contribution so far this year, which has been outstanding.

Jason Spezza:
With three assists against the Predators, Spezza effectively shut up Nick Kypreos and everyone else that was questioning his offensive contribution. (C'mon people, he always has twice as many assists as goals by the end of the season.) The media hoard has moved onto Jonathan Cheechoo now--I'm sure they're just checking names off the roster.

Nick Foligno:
He certainly had his most visible game of the season against the Predators, being both offensive threat and effective pugilist. His penalty trouble came at the worst time in the game, but that can be forgiven if he maintains this pace.

Wag of the Finger:

Matt Carkner:
He made Bryan Murray look like an ass by coming up with his worst performance of the year immediately after signing that nice new contract. He was ineffective as an aggressive hockey player and slow on defence. Sorry Matt - better is expected of full-time NHL defencemen. PS: He was a game-worst -4 vs the Preds (Hat Tip to Anonymous commentor in last blog).

Pascal Leclaire:
I'm as big a PL fan as anyone on earth (planned tattoo: "PL 4 Life or 'till 2012! woo!") but allowing three goals in the first period is unacceptable. I know, I know: the Sens were playing like total crap, but that doesn't excuse a goalie letting six goals get past him. I fully expect him to be back on track tonight against the Bruins (edit: Apparently Elliott gets the start in net tonight. Thanks commentor!), but if he lets in three during the first period, no amount of magic-goal-light-on-ice will save the Sens.

Jonathan Cheechoo:
Just score one goal. Please.

If you're a Twitterer, send me your thoughts during tonight's game @sensarmyblog

Carkner only athlete who deserves to make $1-million: poll

2009-10-21T20:55:00.005-04:00

A strange combination of factors has led to an absolutely dead Senators new cycle for the past few days.

A) No games being played;
B) No disgruntled Senators players at the moment;
C) No goaltending controversy;
D) No one cares about Ilya Zubov (Didn't he demand to be traded anyway?).
E) No one dislikes Matt Carkner (He's the only player ever that deserves to make more than $1-million in a career, says Sun readers)

So here's my pick for the game versus the Smashville (that's their campaign, I swear) Predators. Apparently, they make time around their shifts serving food / greeting guests at McDonald's to play hockey (low blow!).

Senators 5 - 1 Predators

The Sens will spank the Predators. Nashville has only scored 10 goals in their seven games so far, and though they've put up a good fight against solid teams like Buffalo and Washington, their last few losses have been tough and disappointing. It doesn't hurt the Sens' chances that they're well rested and coming off an inspired win, while the Preds were being beaten up by the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

(Check out the Hockey Capital blog before the game for more picks. I'm rising up through the ranks after a couple off-games.)

Rid of bad eggs, Senators flourishing

2009-10-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Could it be that Bryan Murray's master plan is working?

The Senators rushed goaltender Pascal Leclaire following their win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, looking every bit the gelling unit that they're meant to be at this point of the season.

Things are coming together nicely right now. Leclaire was coming off another solid game; Alex Kovalev gave Habs fans every reason to want him back; The past couple of games, the Sens increased depth has given the team a new dimension.

Getting rid of a few so-called bad eggs has apparently done wonders for the club.

I've never been a subscriber to the notion that players like Ray Emery or Dany Heatley can single-handedly bring about the downfall of a hockey team. Especially considering the fact that, in both cases, main-stream journalists have been reluctant to explicitly state the reason for their departure (moreso for Emery, but I'm sure there's another story for Heatley). Emery can't be blamed for the inconsistent play of Martin Gerber, and Heatley can't be blamed for the Senators only having one line capable of scoring.

But rather than dwelling on the past, Murray looked forward.

There are no stories about Sens players running amok in Hummers these days. It's all about hockey. And that's exactly the way that Murray planned it. The team is playing well, and the players seem to be focused on winning each game.

The Sens are a long, long way from Stanley Cup contenders these days, but at least we're hearing more about the team and less about the troubles of individual players. And apparently, that leads to wins.

Win over Habs most important yet

2009-10-18T10:34:00.005-04:00

Saturday night's 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens was undoubtedly the Ottawa Senators' most important win of the season so far.

Put all the 'Alex Kovalev returns to Montreal' storylines to the side for one moment (they never mattered much anyway) and let's look at the stats and players behind the victory.

This was the Senators first win over a team that qualified for the playoffs last season. Losses to Pittsburgh and New York kept the Sens out of the playoff picture for the moment, but this win will boost the expectations of players and observers slightly. Where do the Sens fit into the Eastern Conference rankings now? Let's wait and see if they can beat New Jersey or Philadelphia in early November.

The Senators swept the game's three stars, and with good cause. The first star was Pascal Leclaire. In the first intermission, Daniel Alfredsson commented to CBC that there was a large shift in team mentality with Chuck in net, and this game was a perfect example. When the Sens were holding on to a 2-1 lead through most of the second and third periods, Leclaire was never panicked and extremely consistent.

(FACT: Pascal Leclaire only wears goalie equipment because he would get too many shutouts if he played naked. He doesn't want to make other players look silly.)

The Senators' third and fourth lines are playing waaaaaay above expectations. This used to be a one-line team. Now we're got four. That's quite a turn-around. Credit to Cory Clouston and Bryan Murray (You gotta give it when it's due).

Did I mention Alfredsson? Of course I did. He leads the team with nine points in seven games. He doesn't get older, he just gets better. (Guess who's second and third in team scoring? Mike Fisher and Jarkko Ruutu!)

Of course, those points from Kovalev didn't hurt at all. That's what he was brought in to do. Put the Sens over the top in games that could have gone either way. That added offensive talent, combined with solid goaltending from Chuck, is all the Sens need to win these middling games on most nights.

Audio:

Cory Clouston's thoughts on the game.

Alfredsson's post-game comments.

Kovalev's post-game comments.

(Courtesy whatever wonderful human being updates the Senators Twitter account.)

Ian Mendes is going to kill me!

2009-10-17T14:00:00.001-04:00

...unless I guess this one right. After a terribly, terribly sad attempt at guessing the outcome of the Sens last game, I'm playing it a little safer for tonight's game. A solid win for the Sens, and a couple goals for AK27.

Senators 4 - Canadiens 2

Whoa. Okay, I get it: Don't underestimate the Senators' scoring ability this year. Against a bad team like Tampa Bay, they can tear it up. I've always thought the Canadiens were overrated, but this year, the team is acting overrated too. I think the Sens will expose Carey Price as a mediocre goalie, and collect a couple goals on the power-play. Alex Kovalev will score at least one, just to give Montreal fans something to cheer about.

I think Bryan Murray saw this, then signed him

2009-10-16T20:29:00.003-04:00

I don't care if it's not chronologically correct! Alex Kovalev has skills.

I'm also about to make my pick for Saturday night's game against the Habs. Any suggestions? Hints? Guesses?

Sens make me look like an ass, beat Bolts

2009-10-15T22:57:00.004-04:00

During tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, TSN took a sick pleasure in pointing out to Ottawa Senators fans that while our new crop of forwards were struggling to score, Dany Heatley was tearing up the Western Conference. (Where's the love Duthie? You're an Ottawa boy!)

Dave Hodge's mailbag question was "Should the Senators have handled the Dany Heatley situation differently?"

Going into the game, all signs pointed to the Sens being a sinking ship, in need of a shake-up. Well, I guess it's time to find a new angle. The Sens won the game 7-1, and made me look like a total ass for all the internet to behold.

Milan Michalek scored a trio of pretty goals, thanks in no small part to a few long-time Senators. Jason Spezza maintained (yes, I've been praising him despite his lack of points for some time now) his strong play, and set up Milan a few times, Daniel Alfredsson collected three assists (all in a day's work for Alfie), and Chris Kelly's hard work in the PK not only kept up the Sens' excellent penalty-killing stats, but set up two short-handed goals.

So what's the score now TSN?

Dany Heatley 5G, 5A (No points in two games, btw)

Milan Michalek 4G 0A
Jonathan Cheechoo 0G 2A

Not looking so bad now (would be looking even better if Cheechoo were anything more than a salary dump. Ouch... too soon?). Next time, I'm picking the game winner using some sort of hockey tarot cards.

Karlsson? Oh yeah, that guy...

After a win tonight, and a game on Saturday night against the Habs, you won't find bored hockey writers speculating about the future of Erik Karlsson. I think Bryan Murray will do what he thinks is best, and with modern free agency rules, he's probably going to the minors (or back to Sweden) no matter how well/poorly he plays. Probably.

I'm smarter than Ian Mendes

2009-10-15T18:53:00.004-04:00

...that's what I am hoping to prove this evening. In the Ottawa Citizen prediction panel for this evening's game, Mendes picked the Sens to win tonight's game 2-1. I, on the other hand, am picking the Sens to lose tonight's game.

Here's my reasoning.

Senators 2, Lightning 3

Unlike the basement-dwelling Islanders, who the Sens beat last week, the Lightning are much improved when compared to last season. Though they had a few days to lick their wounds after the loss to Pittsburgh, I expect the Sens will still be tired. The Senators still haven't found their scoring touch, but Tampa's big guns are on fire lately, it adds up to another hard-fought loss for Ottawa.

I guess we'll see the outcome during tonight's game. But you can bet that if the Sens lose, and I win, Mendes will never hear the end of it. (His email is pretty easy to guess.)

Leclaire silences doubters, converts cynics

2009-10-13T20:32:00.007-04:00

Can you hear that?

That's the sound of nobody complaining about the Ottawa Senators' goaltending. While the Leafs are on their third goalie in as many games, Pascal Leclaire has done an excellent job of silencing doubters in the Nation's Capital.

Even with a couple losses under his belt, fingers are far from the panic button. And that's saying something, considering the Senator's history with goalies over the past couple of years.

The Sens blew their game on Monday against the Penguins with some bad giveaways and an offensive drought in the third period, but Leclaire looked stellar, even from section 324, row K (I was the guy drinking beer through a straw). I counted at least three jaw-dropping glove saves in that game, and at least one break-away save that looked like a sure-fire goal. For a while, it looked like the game would turn into a goaltenders' duel between Leclaire and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Of course, the game did not turn out that way. Some defensive lapses from the Sens allowed the Penguins to attack the the crease, and a couple weird bounces sealed the deal in Pittsburgh's favour.

Even the stats support Leclaire's solid play. A save percentage of .903 and a GAA of 2.76. With the Sens averaging only 2.4 goals per game, it's remarkable that he's got those two wins under his belt already.

But his play goes beyond the stats. In Monday's game against Pittsburgh, there was only one goal that could be called a fault on Chuck's part, and about seven shots that should have gone in, but didn't thanks to some awesome goaltending.

He's won me over already.

Fun stats update!

...and here's an update of the table I made before the Thrashers game, and Michalek was looking for his first goal. He got it... but thinks are still pretty sad on this board. Other than the fact that our rookie 19 year-old, and 28 year-old are both getting about 18 minutes a game--that's a good thing.

Sens hungry for bird

2009-10-12T16:05:00.007-04:00

While you're gobbling down the turkey this evening, the Senators hope to be tearing apart a bird of their own: the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Sens are feeling pretty good about themselves these days after a few consistent performances against lesser teams. The Atlanta Thrashers were thoroughly beaten thanks to Alex Kovalev's first goal of the season (you're welcome, btw), and Brian Elliot (It feels good to have a real #1 and #2 goalie - and neither of them will be Martin Gerber at any point this season!).

Jason Spezza is on a bit of a slump - only one assist in four games so far this season, but he's been picking up other areas of his game. While we're rooting for Milan Michalek to get his first goal of the season, let's say a little prayer for Spez to pick up that area of his game.

Philchenkov has done a good job of shutting down Sidney Crosby in the past, but they really need to focus on Evgeni Malkin - the real goal-scorer on the Penguins. Their consistent play of late--and some wicked hits from Volchenkov--have certainly raised expectations for the duo. They were once known as one of top-notch defensive pairings in the NHL, and they need to keep up the pace they have set in these first four games.

In game 1, the Rangers showed that the Senators may have trouble with top-tier Eastern-Conference teams this year. After some offensive tweaks, they should have a better chance against the Penguins. But one thing is for sure: This will be a test.

PS: We would still trade you for a bag of pucks.

Kovalev needs support: Cookie Monster

2009-10-10T10:37:00.005-04:00

I've been taking every opportunity to be critical of Alex Kovalev recently. Sure, we're only three games in, but I've barely noticed the guy on the ice. I had a sudden realization while discussing the Ottawa Senators with a co-worker recently: AK27 isn't getting much support.

In the Sens most recent game, Kovalev was on a line with Mike Fisher and Nick Foligno... one of these things is not like the other things. Give the flashy winger some flashy linemates! At least somebody with a little Nordic or European blood in them!

Luckily, I think Cory Clouston has watched Sesame Street in the past 20 years, and has decided to make some changes to the top two lines for tonight's game against the Atlanta Thrashers. You know--the lines that are supposed to be scoring the goals.

So Kovalev will have some support from Daniel Alfredsson tonight, and Foligno will play with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek. Hopefully, with another goal-scorer on his line, Kovalev can put some of those fancy moves to good use, rather than just coming up with some of the NHL's most interesting ways to lose the puck.

Carkner most impressive newbie

2009-10-08T20:40:00.014-04:00

Looks like the young, hungry guys are the ones really stepping up their game so far. The big-money new guns, like Michalek and Kovalev, are the absent ones so far. Of course, we're only three games in, and one good game from any of them could turn this table on its head.

Despite my initial criticism, I must admit Matt Carkner has been a shining light for the Senators of late. He's a big body that can hit, fight, play defence and generate some offence as well. Of the newbies, he's been the most impressive.

I also want to praise Jason Spezza too, though he's not new. He's been creating offence, limiting his turnovers (I can't real cursing him during a game lately), and even killing penalties. He's only got one point in these first three games, but if he keeps up his play, and can figure out a way to exploit his new triggerman, Michalek, the points should start flooding in.

...and regarding the prediction I submitted to the Hockey Capital blog before tonight's 3-2 overtime win over the Islanders...

Senators 4, Isles 2

The Senators' last win should give them some confidence. A couple of new additions to the Sens' roster, namely Alex Kovalev and Jonathan Cheechoo, are yet to have a big game. The Islanders, despite the addition of John Tavares and a couple new goalies, are the same team that won 26 games last season. I expect AK27 to finally show off his talent, and the Senators will prevail.

Record: 0-1

I was close, and right regarding who would win, but for the wrong reasons. Bah!

Non-believers, like me, be damned

2009-10-06T22:07:00.004-04:00

All the credit for the Ottawa Senators' 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs tonight should go to two people: Pascal "Chuck" Leclaire and Cory Clouston. I didn't think the Sens were going to pull it off tonight. I thought the Leafs goons would get to gooning and that-goalie-that-really-looks-like-Martin-Gerber-when-he-was-a-Leaf would seem like a God-sent for Leafers in his NHL debut. I am happy to admit that I was wrong.

If that puck that made it past Leclaire had gone in, instead of ringing off both posts, we'd all be singing a different tune about Chuck, but let's celebrate the solid goaltending we did get. Leclaire was the epitome of clutch tonight. Especially in the final, say, 5 or 6 seconds of the game.

Milan Michalek appears to be gaining confidence with his linemates Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson. (Gimme a minute to hetero man-swoon for Alfie a moment here.... okay, enough).

I see too much to brag about from the other lines. In fact, in the middle of the third period, I was wondering if Alex Kovalev had been benched. Other than some fancy stick-handling from him on the penalty-kill, we haven't seen anything to warrant that $10-million two-year contract.

Finally! We see a resurgence from Philchenkov. Especially from the 'chenkov portion of that duo. Anton Volchenkov gets back to what he's known for: being physical and blocking shots like pieces of his body like they're replacable (though this blog did speculate some time ago that he's a Soviet android...). Philchenkov doesn't have to do anything except prevent the other team from scoring, and make them hurt whenever they enter the Sens zone. Hopefully, they're finding this out.

...which brings me to Clouston. He picked Alfredsson to take that penalty shot despite the captain's less-than-stellar shoot-out record, and didn't even mention Brian Elliot since Saturday's game. That's what we call very un-Leaf-like coaching. Nice work.

What is the REAL Sens Army?

2009-10-06T12:01:00.000-04:00

I was somewhat offended and almost shocked when I began to see stickers and posters around downtown, near Scotiabank Place, and on the bus for an organization that called itself the the 'Real Sens Army' or 'RSA'. Their distinctive(ly evil-looking) centurion helmet said alot about the organization: we're Sens fans, and we're more badass than you.

I went to their Facebook group to see what was up with these guys. I got the email of Leonidas of Ottawa (he keeps up the pseudonym because he can't be responsible for where every one of those stickers lands up), and he happily answered all my questions.

Describe your group and its goal.

The RSA was started a couple years ago by a small group of diehard Sens fans who wanted more out of their team’s fans. We were tired of the lack of enthusiasm we met when going to Sens games. People in Ottawa like to pretend that there’s nothing wrong with our fans and that they’re “Loud & Proud”. The truth is, they’re not. There are only a few people who are willing to paint their faces, waive a flag, stand up and yell and do what it takes to be louder than the opposing teams fans (which we have a lot of here in Ottawa). And that’s where the RSA comes in.

We want to make Scotiabank Place an unwelcoming place for opposing teams and their fans. There’s absolutely no reason why Alfie should be booed in our own arena. There’s no reason why we should hear an eruption of cheering when the opposing team scores. This kind of thing just doesn’t happen in Toronto or Montreal. The RSA wants to change the culture of “Sens Army”. We want to unite the diehard fans and take our building back from Leafs, Habs and our own fair-weather fans. We want to be the loudest, scariest, diehard fans in the league and based on the people I’ve met through the RSA, we definitely have the potential to do so.

It seems like the group was a product of frustration with other Sens fans. Is that true? What makes the "real" Sens Army different from the "normal" Sens Army?

We are frustrated with the lack of enthusiasm the average Sens fan has, but we don’t blame them. They’ve never known any better. Our team is still very young in comparison to Toronto and Montreal’s, so our fan culture isn’t as evolved. Our fans still don’t know that complete silence, interrupted by a few GO SENS GO chants simply isn’t enough. There’s so much more to being a fan than simply showing up for the game. Fans in Montreal and Toronto understand this concept, a concept we’re trying to bring to “Sens Army”. The passion they have those 2 cities is what you’d call being a real fan, hence the name Real Sens Army.

Is your group meant to be all-inclusive? Or is it just for die-hard fans?

Our group has certain criteria, but is not exclusive. To be an RSA member, you have to be 100% committed to our team and our city. You have to have pride in your team, whether they’re first in the conference or dead last. Keep wearing that Sens jersey whether it’s round 3 of the playoffs or the middle of January. As the team says, be Forever RED. That’s what it is to be part of the RSA.

Your facebook description seems to focus on 100-level people quite a bit. What have you got against them?

The reason we make mention of them is quite simple: they’re boring. Having spent many games seated in the 100 level, I know this first hand. Whenever a game is on TV, the fans shown are the ones in 100 level seats. It might sound a little stupid, but I’ve never seen a Sens fan on TV going crazy when Alfie scores a big goal. All I ever see are people barely clapping. Sadly, the only fans you do see with a bit of excitement on TV are the infants! When you watch a Leafs game, people are banging on the boards, with their beer flying out of their cup, waving flags, proudly showing off their jerseys, in a sea of blue... You’d think they won the Stanley Cup after every goal. We simply do not have this 100 level energy in Ottawa. I can’t imagine what people in other hockey markets in Canada think when they see our fans. Frankly it’s embarrassing for us diehard fans and hopefully, at some point, the 100 level will be as fun and electric as some 300 level sections are already.

What else have you got to say?

To those who might not like the idea of a group like the RSA, just listen to the points were trying to make. We’re not trying to tell people how to be a fan or why they aren’t real fans. We simply believe we can change Sens culture, make it stronger and make Scotiabank Place a better environment for our own fans. If we all do our part, we’ll be the envy of every other fan base in Canada in no time! GO SENS GO!

Pascal Leclaire can kill two stones with one bird

2009-10-05T19:41:00.007-04:00

Let's not get too down on ourselves, Ottawa Senators fans.

Though the New York Rangers ran away with a 5-2 victory on Saturday night to kick off the Sens season, I'm not ready to trade everybody for Craig Conroy just yet.

After period 1, Pascal Leclaire was looking heroic. During the simultaneous (and absolutely ridiculous) live blog of this game, commentors were flipping out. His play warranted comparisons to not just the greatest goalies of all time, but the greatest person of all time: Chuck Norris.

At 7:45 p.m., BT made a comment that may stick with Leclaire all season.

"LECLAIRE = chuck norris"

...and from there, it got a little crazy.

"If you google pascal leclaire, your computer gets deflected safely to a corner to be cleared away."

"PASCAL SEZ: "CHILL THE FUCK OUT. I GOT THIS."

"Pascal Leclaire can shoot a puck so hard even he cannot save it. AND THEN HE SAVES IT ANYWAY!"

"Leclaire does not sleep. He waits."

"Pascal Leclaire can kill two stones with one bird."

"New Sens chant? SNOO-PY! SNOO-PY! SNOO-PY!"

"There is no 'ctrl' button on PL's computer. PL is always in control."

...so I would say that the initial reviews are good. You can see all the live blog craziness in the post from Saturday. Although I wouldn't recommend it. Things got weird.

But it was sort of downhill after Leclaire's performance. The Senators defence looked weak. Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov (Philchenkov? Yeah, that would be their celebrity couple name) did nothing to restore our confidence in them after a poor 2008-09 season, and the rest of the so-called 'puck-moving' defencemen looked out-classed by quicker Rangers forwards.

Erik Karlsson? The kid has poise and moves on the powerplay, but his flaws were on full display as well. Maybe a few more games in the NHL will progress his defensive game, but I'm not sure he'll stick around that long.

And as for that new offensive depth... disturbingly absent. Jonanthan Cheechoo didn't make a ripple in the game and was largely unnoticable, and Alex Kovalev didn't bring too much of that offensive magic we've heard so much about.

Milan Michalek was the sole impressive newcomer (other than Chuck Leclaire), he showcased the speed and a some of the offensive talent that made him the centrepiece of the Heatley trade. Here's hoping it results in a goal against the Leafs.

And nothing would lift the spirits of the Sens Army like continuing the Leaf's regular-season misery.

OMG what a blog:

I'm very happy to announce that the game's live blog was a complete success. More than 275 people watched the madness, over 3+ hours. There were more than 1300 comments from the Ottawa Senators online community, and we demonstrated that coveritlive was not, as it clearly states on its website, intended for that many contributors. Fuck it. We almost killed the internet, and the lag was pretty bad at times, but it was wicked.

I'm looking forward to doing it again sometime. Maybe for the next Saturday night game. I'll let you know (email and blog-wise).

LIVE BLOG starts at 6

2009-10-03T16:00:00.001-04:00

Add #sensblog to your tweets to contribute to the conversation

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=c95699193a" &amp;gt;Senators Opening Night&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Reasons to be excited about tonight's game

2009-10-03T14:00:00.002-04:00

The season opener--the single greatest opportunity for a writer to condone or condemn a team, and then say they were right all along (I intend to do both somehow).

But there are five reasons to be excited for tonights game:

1) Pascal Leclaire - Finally, a real goaltender in Ottawa. He's here to destroy the ghosts of Martin Gerber and Ray Emery (uhhh... yeah, about that...). He wears #33. He's quiet and quirky. He speaks French... 'nuff said.

2) The rookie - Erik Karlsson is the great blond hope. When was the last time a rookie defender made the Senators opening night squad? Wade Redden? That was 13 years ago! Even if he doesn't stick with the big club this season, Karlsson has already shown us he's got the talent to play in the NHL one day.

3) The offence - The Ottawa Senators finally did something proactive for the offensive part of their game when they signed Alex Kovalev in the off-season. They sent Dany Heatley to San Jose for two goal-scorers. Add that to Alfredsson and Spezza, and baby you got a stew goin'! A goal-scoring stew.

4) They haven't lost a game yet (unlike the Leafs!) - So just kick back and enjoy the game. It's a whole new team.

5) You told me the Senators are better off without Heatley - You wouldn't lie to me, would you?

Great way to start opening night

2009-10-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

...is by listening to Sens Underground. Still the original (I think), and the best Ottawa Senators podcast out there. Actually, they're one of the reasons why I started this blog.

These guys put an incredible amount of time and effort into their product, and the results are better than what you'll hear during the average hour of AM radio.

They're celebrating the debut of their fifth season with, you guessed it, the first podcast of the 2009-10 season. Click and listen.

I had the opportunity to sip a couple beers with these guys during the tumultuous Ray Emery/John Paddock days, and I hope they're a lot happier now. I think there's a lot to be happy about after a tough off season.

Live blog notes for Twitterers:

In case you missed the big red banner or my incessant nagging over the past week, TONIGHT STARTING AT 6pm this blog is co-hosting the largest online gathering of Sens fans ever (I hope). This shit just went multi-platform after I noticed that Twitter can be incorporated in a lot of ways .

1) Just add #sensblog to your tweets, and they'll be automatically added to the conversation! Sweet!

2) If you're too lazy to do #1, just leave your twitter @name in the comments of this post, and I'll add you to an exclusive list (because I think there's a limit of 12) whose every comment will be posted onto the liveblog.

See you tonight.

Polar bear rocket ship! [update!]

2009-10-02T20:47:00.005-04:00

If this doesn't get you pumped up for the game on Saturday night, nothing will.

From what I understand of the video, the Alaskan flag turns into a constellation, which then explodes, implodes a planet, comes to life as a bear, finds a hockey stick, has a rocket for legs, flies into an electrical storm made of magic, does a slapshot of the hubble telescope! Destroys the moon! Nukes Anchorage! Moves onto Fairbanks and INVADES THEIR HOCKEY ARENA!

Fuck. What a video.

Kudos to the National Post's The Ampersand blog.

We ain't done! Lee and Zubov might be...

2009-09-30T21:22:00.003-04:00

Although Pletch won't be posting anymore (and thank you for your service, P) the blog continues onward toward the opening night. Did I mention we're kind of making a big deal of it? (see obvious banner above). You can sign up for a reminder on the left-hand sidebar.

In Ottawa Senators news: I'm rather surprised that Erik Karlsson has, so far, beaten out Brian Lee for a roster spot (as you know, Lee was returned to Bingo a couple days ago). Cory Clouston and the other coaches must really like what they see from Special K.

Word on the street is (well, I heard it in a van) that if Alex Picard were on a two-way deal, it would be him riding the bus back to the state of New York. I'm not sure if that's a compliment to Lee or an insult to Picard... I guess we'll see when the season starts up on Saturday night (!!!!).

Word on the twitter feed is that constant-prospect Ilya Zubov expects that he will be traded soon. Some people have interpreted this as a trade request... although I think that would require a statement of preference, as in: 'I would prefer to be traded'. What he actually stated, however was:

'I'm not very happy about [being sent to Binghamton]. It's not what I want. Both me and the Ottawa team (talked) and I might get traded soon."

So... he suspects he'll be traded? I could see how this could be misinterpreted as 'demand'. Let's not just jump to conclusions based on one quote. This will probably be sorted out tomorrow by a simple question.

Hard to blame the guy though, he's been toiling in the minor leagues for years. A special set of circumstances must exist for a player to make it to the NHL, and if he can't find those circumstances in Bingo/Ottawa, I wish him the best of luck with the Atlanta Thrashers.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye.

2009-09-29T17:32:00.003-04:00

It was pretty much academic that Christoph Schubert was not going to make the team this year, wasn't it? Unless you're a proven vetereran of a certain calibre, nobody should take a roster position for granted in the cap era. Now I am a Christoph Schubert fan. I like the kid. But he basically did nothing this training camp to impress.

The writing had to be on the wall for this organization following a playoff-less spring that there would be open competition in camp for a number of spots. It should not have come as a surprise to anyone. So Christoph, you have a right to feel bitter - nobody knows what you're feeling inside but you, but you were two steps behind this pre-season.

This will be my last post for the Sens Army Blog. As much as I have enjoyed contributing the occasional gristle for the readers to chew on, I have to give it up to focus on recovering from some recent health issues. I hope all the fans out there in the Sens Army enjoy the season to come. May our lads bounce back and turn some heads this year. Really looking forward to the first full season of the Cory Clouston era.

All the best,

Pletch

Post-pre-season pre-season post (ha!)

2009-09-28T19:50:00.003-04:00

...man that headline's way too clever.

The Senators have to cut about three players before the regular season begins, and made a tough decision today by putting Germany's least-known export Christoph Schubert on waivers. With his relatively cheap contract, NHL experience, big body, and versatility, I believe that someone will pick him up.

That just leaves two or three cuts to make. The only people remaining on the roster with two-way contracts are Peter Regin, Erik Karlsson, Brian Lee, and Matt Carkner. So... that seems like an easy choice. The only other people who might be expendable are Shean Donovan (yeah, my hate for him continues for some reason...) and Jesse Winchester.

One is led to believe that the biggest competition right now is between Lee and Karlsson for the puck-moving-up-and-comer-on-the-blueline spot. It would be a serious career setback for Lee if Special K (ha!) were to beat him for that place on the roster.

It's going to be a tough choice since it turns out that NHL GMs don't want to trade for the guys you're considering putting on waivers anyway.

Opening Night Blog update!

Momentum is building for the largest online meeting of Sens fans ever (I hope). I recently got confirmation from Five For Smiting and Silver Seven Sens are in (yaaaaaaaay!). And as an added bonus, you can sign up on the left side of the page for an email reminder for the big night. We'll be blogging during the game on Oct. 3 - the game's on CBC, so watch it and send us your comments!

I hope to see you then!

Come (blog) together, Sens Army

2009-09-27T11:36:00.005-04:00

The Ottawa Senators season-opening game is less than a week away--October 3, at 7 p.m. to be exact. I'm pretty psyched.

Everyone's getting ready in their own way. For instance, I'm setting up a bat-signal-like device that will indicate to television-less friends that they can come over to my place and watch the game.

Of course, this blog is never far from my mind when it comes to the Sens...

I would like to set up a live-blog to collect everyone's comments during the game and kick off this season with the largest online gathering of Sens fans in recent memory.

The idea is to get as many fans and blogs on board as possible. Get everyone in the same room and share our views for the upcoming season, and freak out IN ALL CAPS when Alex Kovalev scores his first regular-season goal.

For bloggers: I'll supply the code, you put it on your site and make your readers aware that we'll be having one big party this year, rather than separate ones.

For blog-readers: Save the date, and keep in mind that Sens Army is coming together as one this year to talk about our team. You'll find the same discussion everywhere, so go to your favourite blog during the game and hunker down for a crazy-good time.

I've already got the good people at Silver Seven Sens on board (unofficially) and I'm rallying the other troops. All Sens blogs, large and small, are welcome to participate.

Send me an email benkmyers (at) gmail.com for more information, or to add your blog to a list of participants.

The Dark Era ends - Senators no longer On Notice

2009-09-24T22:10:00.008-04:00

It was perhaps the darkest era in the modern history of the Ottawa Senators: December of 2008. Martin Gerber was still, sadly, a member of the team and momentum was slowly building to finally relieve him of duty. Brian Elliot had only played a few games--a far cry from his late-season status as #1 goalie. Craig Hartsburg, seen as a breath of fresh air when he was hired as head coach at the beginning of the season, was less than two months from being fired.

We, the fans, were low on ourselves and the team. Plainly stated, there was no reason to cheer. Not even the predictable late-season 'believe' campaign had a shred of sincerity. There was nothing to believe in.

I did the only thing I could do: I put them On Notice. I did not take the decision lightly. I was beginning to loathe my own team, and I had to air my concerns.

The lowest scoring team in the league cannot blame its second-line wingers for not producing, nor can it blame its third line for not checking hard enough. The chemistry is wrong and the will to win is not bubbling to the surface. Defenders are not communicating amongst themselves or with forwards in order to decrease scoring chances, or even checking the opposition. Coaching has been inadequate, failing to find a solution to the scoring woes of a potentially talented team. Recently suggested changes to the lineup have already been tried in past weeks and failed conclusively.

No one was spared of blame--there certainly was plenty of it to go around at the time. From management to coaching, first line through fourth--everything was a failure.

I have been hesitant to remove the team from the On Notice list for the remainder of the 2008-09 season, and the entire summer. It's hard to remove a team that had broken 11 consecutive playoff appearances. There they lingered, a scar on the face of this blog to remind the team and its fans that mediocrity and complacency are not acceptable. We are not Leafers, and failure should be neither predictable nor celebrated.

As long as I can see the light...

But the Dark Era is now over. A change is goaltending is perhaps the best indicator of this. Gerber dragged the team into a sink hole of soft goals and unpredictability. Pascal Leclaire, when he was acquired was labeled "The Answer" by this blog, and the question was "When can we start cheering again?".

Another significant change was unpredictable. Dany Heatley's summer time request to be traded certainly shook up the team. The subsequent trade calmed the waters, but the uncertainty remains... but it's the good kind of uncertainly. What are we getting back? How good can Milan Michalek become? Does Jonathan Cheechoo have any gas left? We're all hopeful that the Sens can bring these pieces together and repay our recently renewed faith.

Bryan Murray did something he's rarely had the opportunity to do: he was proactive. In the face of losing one of his star players, he became aggressive and picked up a new one. Alex Kovalev has been dropping jaws at Scotiabank Place during this preseason with his stickhandling and controversial nature. I say, "Good on ya Alex. Spice up the team fergodssake." We need something to write about other than self-loathing. (I'll admit that I came down pretty hard on you for that last gaff).

At the Sens game last week, I was impressed. Cory Clouston has created a system is greater than the sum of its parts. There were points when the Sens were schooling the Habs and controlling the flow of the game. It felt good that the Sens were in charge of the game again. No longer competing against their own flaws, they could focus on beating the other team.

Ottawa Senators, you are forgiven. I will cheer again, and you can count me amongst your truest fans. Now a short prayer to the Golden God:

Alfie, all powerful and righteous in your Swedishness;
Forgive my dismissal of your former teammates;
Let us reconcile like a handshake after a playoff series;
Allow glory to flow upon the Senators, like your hair circa 1999;
And cross-check our indifference like Darcy Tucker in a playoff game.

Amen.

Let a new era begin.

Vindication for the Murrays?

2009-09-22T21:55:00.002-04:00

There was a lot of sourness in Sens Nation at the end of last season. A good many still believe Bryan Murray should be ridden out of town on a rail. But the way the Sens youth movement has performed in training camp and exhibition play says a lot about the system that Bryan and Tim Murray have been building here and on the farm in Binghamton.

I for one am looking forward to seeing Matt Carkner or Jeremy Yablonski called up for regular season matchups against the Leafs (or Buffalo for that matter) to shoulder some of the load for Chris Neil. Remember the year after the lockout when the Sens were tearing it up because Neil and McGrattan provided enough intimidation to opponents to keep the cheap stuff from touching the elite players on the team? That was the year that raised the quota for pizza to six goals. It's no coincidence.

But I digress. Now it's fair to say that the team hasn't squared off against a team full of NHL talent. Nobody has at this point, so the performance of some of these guys is coloured by that, there's no doubt. But these prospects don't just look promising, they are looking poised and just plain good. Jim O'Brien has been playing better since being sent back down to Binghamton. Zack Smith and Ilya Zubov can be said to have had a lukewarm pre-season - good, not great. Jared Cowan impressed before being sent back to his junior club for this season. Erik Karlsson seems to be a lock for a full-time job with Ottawa. The superlatives that keep getting used to describe the play of most of the prospects this pre-season have mostly been about poise, maturity, awareness.

And this is what you want in pre-season. You want your younger players pushing some of the guys who underperformed last season. Mike Fisher certainly seems energized. Six points in his last two games. The good play of the younger players is like a breath of fresh air for this organization, which seems to finally have turned a corner, be it psychologically or figuratively. And it says a lot about the philosophy of the Murrays where hockey is concerned, and the people they have hired to develop the talent in the organization.

No veterans have lost their jobs as a result of this pre-season. Let's have no illusions about that. But some guys may be hearing footsteps, and that's not such a bad thing. And if a few weeks into the season some can't get their game going, at least we know there are guys waiting in the wings who are hungry.

To me this is the most compelling part of this pre-season. It's not who Spezza and Alfie's new line-mate will be, or who will be on Kovalev's line - that will all get sorted out naturally. What's exciting to me the the total lack of complacency this year. Guys can't afford to have it, because if they do, chances are they won't be around long.

Is that a mini-stick in your pocket or are you just happy to see us?

2009-09-22T19:39:00.004-04:00

You've let your imagination run amok again Ottawa. Depth has not been one of the Senators' strong points for the past couple of season, but moderately talented, inexperienced players do not take the place of experienced NHL regulars. (I think I said as much in the last post.)

So while you're drooling that Matt Carkner (why did I not hear of this amazing talent before this season?!) may take the place of Chris "heart and soul" Kelly and his $2.1 million contract, try to remember why he was offered that contract. Kelly is an excellent penalty killer, an occasional scorer, and a solid defensive forward.

I'm not sure exactly what kind of return you're expecting to get for the likes of Christoph Schubert and Chris Kelly, but it's a fact that 4th round picks can't kill penalties or score goals. Hell, even Carkner probably won't.

So before you go throwing the baby out with the bathwater, try to remember that baby is pretty good at hockey. And your bathwater is inexperienced at penalty killing at an NHL level.

....so there!

Send Karlsson to Bingo (and the D lineup)

2009-09-21T21:58:00.006-04:00

First, the disclaimers so I don't get slammed in the comments: I didn't take into account who plays left or right (they don't even do that in the Sens program anymore), and it's a bit of wishful thinking, and what I've heard in the newspaper.

Basically, I can't imagine this any other way. I know that Erik Karlsson is The Great Blond Hope, and probably the Ottawa Senators best prospect since Jason Spezza, but from what I've seen of his defensive skill, he's just not ready to take on the towering, powerful forwards of the NHL.

To be completely fair, I do think he's capable of getting 30 points in the NHL this season, but the cons outweigh the pros for now. Even compared to the not-terribly-large Brian Lee, Karlsson is small. Lee also has parts of two NHL seasons under his belt, and weighs 25 pound more than Alfie's babysitter. He's the better choice for this year's squad.

I've had sweet, sweet (non-sexual!) dreams of General Lee and King Karlsson throwing the puck along the blueline on the Sens power-play. Dancing between slower defenders, and setting up one-timers for ~~Dany Heatley~~ Jonathan Cheechoo. But I don't think this is the season to make it happen.

Karlsson is a better puck-handler than Lee (though Lee is no slouch), but the defensive aspects of his game need work. Perhaps when he was paired with towering defender Victor Hedman, he was able to get away with certain defensive lapses against smaller competition, but that won't be the case this season. Karlsson need the AHL experience to gain some grit, put on pounds, and delay his rookie season.

Alex Picard, for example, was not born in 1990, is 6' 2" and 225 pounds, and will pick up 25 points this season. It's a crowded blueline roster, and there's no harm in giving the NHL contracts a chance to prove themselves before making room for the rookies.

I think the rest of the lineup is a gimme. Except for Christoph Schubert, who has been on the trading block for all of last season.

Miscellaneous observations from Saturday night:

Thanks to SBP for making free wireless internet available during games, it's great for twitter during the games (and I took full advantage in case you didn't notice).

Are the NHL refs now wearing strange NFL-style stripes? It sure looked like it to me.

And man! Is Ryan Shannon ever small! I didn't really notice until Saturday's game. He looks like a leftover from the intermission Timbits game.

Nice

2009-09-19T21:31:00.002-04:00

Sure it's only the preseason, and the record's still 1-3-0, but tonight's pasting of Montreal at SBP was sweet.

Hat-trick and a 4-pt night for Mike Fisher
4-pt night from Nick Foligno who is trying to make his case as the #2 cente
3-pt night for Kovalev
3-pt night for Regin
Over 21 minutes played and a +3 night for Erik Karlsson
Solid performance from Pascal Leclaire, stopping 22 of 23 shots.

The 0-3 start was not a great way to start the preseason, but after the saga of the departed whining player who shall remain nameless, it's understandable.

Tonight the team showed some spark. And can that Carkner kid fight or what? Here's hoping this trend continues into the games that count.

Who's the next Habs captain? Don't ask Jacques

2009-09-19T11:58:00.004-04:00

Got an email from Fred at www.enroutepourlacoupe.com today, asking for some insight on Jacques Martin as a coach and who he's likely to pick as the next captain of the Montreal Canadiens.

I was still a (very) young man when Jack was coach of the Senators, and not yet blogging (or as it was known in the 90's 'wasting time') so I'm hoping you, the loyal commentors, can add your thoughts to what I've written and give Fred some perspective on Mr. Martin.

Jacques Martin, from what I can remember, was very much known as a 'laissez faire' coach in these respects.

When the Senators were gaining steam back in the late 90's, Martin very much focuses on defensive fundamentals. While this produced a team that was extremely successful in the regular season, and made C-caliber goalies look like A's, it was also ultimately his downfall.

Sure, the Senators would win games 2-1 or 3-2, and make the playoffs consistently, they lacked the flair and fight of a team destined for a Stanley Cup when he was coach. For example, Jason Spezza was and is a supremely talented player, but when the Senators first drafted him, Martin refused to play him consistently. He was a defensive liability, Martin would contend. Once Martin could instill that defensive responsibility, Spezza would play--that was the mantra.

I'm not sure what his years in Florida have taught him, but Martin had little to do with captain selections why he was in Ottawa. If anything, Martin merely capitulated to the wills of overbearing players when Yashin was named captain. In Daniel Alfredsson, of course, there was an obvious choice--a player of poise, character, and commitment--but again, I can't recall Martin ever making any grand statements of support or opposition for Alfredsson. (Martin, of course, was already gone during the dark days when the team considered trading Alfie).

To summarize, Martin is a soft-spoken coach who, I believe, will not be the determining factor when the Habs pick their next captain. In all likelihood, it will be whomever the players on the Canadiens roster show their support for.

In order for this player to last long as the Canadiens' captain, I would recommend that he emulate Martin--speak softly, think defensively, and never lose his cool.

Senators are taking on the Canadiens tonight. I'll see if I can ask yell "Who's the next captain?" at Jacques through the glass.

Yablonski gets pwned; prep for the rematch

2009-09-19T09:19:00.009-04:00

I'm going to my first Senators game in a long time tonight. I usually catch a few games during the regular season, and one or two in the playoffs if I'm lucky... of course that wasn't the case this past season.

Watching most of the Sens game last night, I was very happy with what I saw (then I went to see The Informant! Yaaaaaawwwwn, chuckle, yawn). Pascal Leclaire made some great saves, including a left-pad breakaway stop on Gionta. The young defence appeared to be doing exactly what they were designed to do: move the puck quickly on the power-play and get the puck out of the Sens' zone quickly when defending.

Also got to see Jeremy Yablonski throw down against the Habs' Eric Neilson. Unfortunately, Yablonski got pwned, he was thrown to the ice and ended up with a cut above his right eye.

Tonight, I'll be looking for the same stuff: How's the puck moving between the defenders? Is Leclaire looking solid? And I'll be keeping an eye out for Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen. As of the time of this posting, the lineups and scratches for tonight are not yet available, so I'm just guessing. I hope Alex Kovalev opts into this game so I can see some of that much-heralded talent.

Hopefully, the wifi at SBP will be available and I can post some observations on Twitter (conveniently located on the left side of your screen as well as on its own page).

It's also fan fest all day today, so head down to SBP early for some family-friendly fun.

See you at the game!

Update: Of course, the Citizen posts their Sens stories minutes after I begin this blog. Here are some lineup notes.

Workload good for Leclaire

...and a positive review of Michalek's game.

"The former San Jose Shark made his Senators debut here on Friday night wearing the No. 9 his good buddy Martin Havlat used to wear in Ottawa, but you'd never mistake one for the other.
Havlat was and still is a magical player, capable of sublime moments, but he'd never excite you by killing penalties or backchecking. One of the worker bees would have to do that.
That's what Michalek looks like, but with what they call in baseball "all the tools."

The forward lineup (subject to change)

2009-09-17T19:49:00.004-04:00

This is half wishful thinking and half what-I-heard-in-the-paper (and half exercise in futility). Depth has been the buzz word recently Senators land, and I think this illustrates it quite well.

After all, offensive depth is exactly what the Sens were seeking before Dany Heatley left. It's too bad they had to trade in the best goal-scorer in franchise history to get it.

Lines will undoubtedly change before the season starts, and there are many more problems with this lineup. For instance, Alex Kovalev plays right wing, not left, and I didn't even put Shean Donovan on here... mostly because I'm really excited about a line consisting of Ruutu-Bass-Neil. Any team in the league would be afraid of that line. (PS: Extremely excited to have Bass back from last season's severe injury.)

It also doesn't account for any rookies other than bass making the team at the forward positions. Ilya Zubov has been dieing to make the team for years, I bet he'll be trade bait soon unless someone gets injured and he can play his way onto the team.

So have at 'er! Is this lineup any stronger than the one the Senators fielded last year?

Are two lines better than one? You do the math

2009-09-14T20:10:00.005-04:00

Does 25+25 = 50?

Ottawa Senators fans have been doing the math for the past few weeks, trying to determine if having two second-line players contribute 25 goals each would make up for the loss of Dany Heatley's expected 40-50 goals.

Well, Sens fans and mathematicians everywhere can rest easy, because TSN.ca says it does. Today, they released their point-projections for the upcoming season (mostly for the purposes of fantasy drafting and pure, amusing speculation) and the results are pleasing.

Dany Heatley - 47 goals, 41 assists, 88 points

A definite improvement over last season. TSN obviously expects Thornton to play a large role in Heatley's resurgence.

Now for our new guys...

Alex Kovalev - 26 goals, 38 assists, 64 points

$5-million is a steep price to pay for less than 30 goals, but the fact is that's 64 more points than the Sens would have had this year. That could translate into five more wins this year--and possibly a playoff spot.

Milan Michalek - 26 goals, 36 assists, 62 points

Jonathan Cheechoo - 24 goals, 22 assists, 46 points

There's your 50 goals. This would make a serious turnaround for Cheechoo, and just about meet expectations for Michalek for this season - his contract ($4.3-million until 2014) would indicate that hopes are high for the future (or that his agent is as good as Fisher's).

The upside of having two goal-scorers though, as many have suggested, is to keep the pressure on the opposing team, rather than having them focus on a single trio of scorers. Definitely a departure from the Pizza Line philosophy of yesteryear.

Let's hope it has the intended effect.

PS: Spezza and Alfredsson are expected to match last year's performances... but we all know they both have the talent to surprise.

Where did our team go?

2009-09-13T22:17:00.007-04:00

Somewhere between the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals and Saturday's Dany Heatley trade, the Senators lost nearly everything that made them perennial contenders for half a dozen years.

Last season, a streak of twelve consecutive playoff seasons came to an end. Building towards a championship ended, expectations changed, and the term 'rebuilding' somehow entered fans' vocabularies.

Victim of circumstance?

No matter what you think of his philosophy, or skills as a manager, you must admit that Bryan Murray has been in an unenviable situation. It seems that every trade he's made since 2007-08 has not been in order to make the Sens better, but rather, to minimize the damage of some impending catastrophe.

And the free agency has only made things worse:

Joe Corvo - File under: demanded trade, locker-room poison
Andre Meszaros - File under: impending free agent
Dany Heatley - File under: demanded trade, locker-room poison
Ray Emery - File under: locker-room poison
Tom Preissing - File under: left as free agent (maybe for the better, that one)
Wade Redden - File under: bad at hockey

...and let's not even get into Chara and Havlat--failures of past administrations.

Being proactive

Only rarely has Murray been to make a move to to improve the team (Vermette for Leclaire is the only one I can think of at the moment). Free agency, in fact, has been a boon, rather than a detriment, to the Senators for the first time in recent memory (see: Alex Kovalev, forget: Martin Gerber). Except for Kovalev and Pascal Leclaire, Murray has always been reactive, rather than proactive.

Turning assets like Heatley or Emery into returns for the team has not been easy, and in many ways (such as wins!) Murray has failed conclusively. For Corvo: Nothing. For Emery: Nothing. For Heatley... give it a season, but his record is not good.

As the image illustrates, little remains of the team that entered the 2007-08 season, and no one is more responsible for the success or failure of the team--especially in the upcoming season--more than Bryan Murray. He took an excellent team and made it into a mediocre one--receiving little in return for the bounty of talent he was handed. Now his task is to make that mediocre team good again.

He has molded the team in his image, there can now be no doubt of that. If this year, the team is a success, then the corner truly has been turned. If the team is a failure, then bring me Murray's head on a platter--I think he's done enough damage already.

Finally

2009-09-12T21:52:00.002-04:00

I have been keeping my mouth shut lately, waiting for a certain millionaire ingrate to be shown the door. Now that he's gone, I feel I can enjoy talking hockey again.

Some will say that the Sens did not get enough back for the player in question. I think it may be the other way around. Michalek is a flashy player with a scoring touch, and a change of scenery may be just what Cheechoo needed to find his game again. The 56-goal season was probably an anomaly, but could he get 39? If he does, he matches the now ex-Senator's output for last season.

The Senators will fly under a lot peoples' radar this season. Nobody expects anything out of this group because of what has played out over the last season and a half. But on paper this is a young team with solid veteran leadership. Having finished out of the playoffs last year, expectations are low, and that can often translate into success.

Kovalev instantly makes the power play better. Karlsson might be ready to roll this year, and Binghamton is loaded with talent this year, which means when injuries happen there will be some talented call-ups who can contribute.

Perhaps most importantly of all, the Sens finally might have found a "franchise" goalie in Pascal Leclaire, provided he stays healthy. Although we don't like to think about him now, remember how loose the D used to play in front of Hasek, just knowing they could depend on him for a save if they messed up? Leclaire is still young, but he has that ability. And Brian Elliott proved he can play in this league last year.

Can't wait for the first pre-season game. Finally something positive to talk about now that the saga of the disgruntled whiner is over. When team success is less important than individual success to you, then you have no place on the team you're with. end of story.

Cheechoo and Michalek for Heatley - deal confirmed

2009-09-12T15:06:00.009-04:00

Deal was reported by TSN.ca around 2:30 p.m.

Senators get Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek, and a second-round pick for Dany Heatley and a fifth-round pick. It's a done deal reported as completed by many media outlets. Bryan Murray has spoken publicly about the trade.

We knew things were getting down to business after ESPN reported that a deal with San Jose and Los Angeles was actually completed... although it didn't actually happen.

Senators fans should be excited about the result of this trade: Cheechoo is a former Rocket Richard trophy winner, though last season was his worst in many years - only 29 points.

In Michalek, the Senators get a young forward with tremendous potential. The 2003 draft pick had 23 goals and 57 points last season.

The trade certainly marks the end of an era for the Senators, who had Heatley on the path to becoming the team's next captain. The Ottawa Senators that exist now are a far cry from the team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007 - in terms of players, offensive and defensive styles, and coaching, it's all new.

Most importantly, we can stop talking about this whole damned situation.

More info and analysis to come...

Update: Looking at it from a cap situation, Cheechoo has two more years at $3-million (not a bad deal if he can return to any kind of form) and Michalek is the longer deal until 2013-14 at $4.3-million.

Looks like the deal is about equal for both teams, cap wise.

Update: Senators official press release on trade.

Update: Learned it's pronounced - 'mo-hall-lek' and he likes scoring goals.

Triple trouble for Heatley trade

2009-09-10T23:22:00.003-04:00

Dany Heatley has been traded to the San Jose Sharks!!!! ....right?

"It's simply not true," Murray told ESPN.com Thursday night.

Lombardi told ESPN.com via text message: "It is complete bull."

"It is an absolute fabrication," Wilson told ESPN.com via text message Thursday night.

Soooo.... all three GMs involved in supposed three-way deal that would bring Alex Frolov and Jarrett Stoll to Ottawa say it isn't going to happen.

That's not to say that it won't happen this week. This preliminary report seems promising. Especially since it's ESPN reporting, and not Bruce Garrioch or Hockeybuzz.

Dany Heatley speculation article template

2009-09-10T18:47:00.008-04:00

Have you noticed that the stories about Dany Heatley have become boring, repetitive and pointlessly speculative of late? Well that's because I wrote them all. That's right kids, I sold this template to numerous media outlets weeks ago, and they've been milking it ever since.

Are you an Ottawa sports writer in midst of the dead of summer? Nothing to report on other than golf? Then you might like to order the "Dany Heatley trade speculation template" too! Why write a story with the same old spin, when you could just fill in the blanks sell it to the Sun or Citizen for $100? Here's a free sample:

It's been ___ days since Dany Heatley requested a trade out of Ottawa, and GM Bryan Murray is still having trouble.

"It's been ________ (synonym for frustrating) trying to trade Dany, but my phone is still ________," (synonym for 'totally untouched since Edmonton called') Murray said today.

__________ (Western Conference team) is reportedly interested in the troubled winger, but salary cap issues have prevented the move.

_________ (Western conference team) would like to unload the __ -million dollar salary of underperforming winger _____________ (one of Dustin Penner, Patrick Marleau, or you fill in the blank), but in order for the deal to work under the cap, the Senators would also have to accept _________ (absolutely horrible player) as part of the package.

"We're looking at all our options," Murray said today.

The deadline that Murray has imposed on trading Heatley is only ___ days away, and Senators teammates are beginning to wonder what it will be like having the _________ (synonym for disgruntled) player back in the fold.

"It won't be a distraction," said _____________, (the only Senator player willing to answer this same stupid question again today). "He'll have to compete like anyone else."

__________________ (first 300 words of the first article you wrote about Dany Heatley wanting to be traded in May).

_________________ (first 100 words of Dany Heatley rejecting trade to Edmonton story).

Done! Send it to the printers!
Also available: "Ray Emery on cocaine? Maybe!" template - Now 20% off!
"Sens looking to make splash in trade market this year... for serious this time!" template "Remember when young people respected their elders? by Earl McRae" template
"O-train to be completed by June 20__" template

Senators schedule made easy

2009-09-07T21:18:00.005-04:00

Last year, I posted about adding the Ottawa Senators' schedule to your google calendar (Gcal), as an easy way of keeping track of what games are game nights. Well, google has done the footwork this year and adding a sports team to your Gcal is now even easier. You'll never miss another game.

If they only added what channel the game was on, it would be perfect.

Alfredsson is a rock

2009-09-04T18:07:00.003-04:00

When greedy players zig, Daniel Alfredsson zags.

You never have to worry about this guy. I think it's a testament to what a quality player he is. You have two prime examples of Ottawa Senators players saying and doing pretty damn stupid things over the past couple of weeks, and Alfie just lets it all roll off his back.

No silly comments, no trade requests. He's been through Alexi Yashin, Ray Emery, and Dany Heatley (not to mention the daily onslaught of questions that those people have created for Alfredsson), and the man has barely flinched. Even through several sales and financial uncertainty of his team, he has persevered and led this team throughout.

We, here at the Sens Army Blog, have a particular affection for Alfredsson. We continue to attempt to have his #11 pretired--that is, to have his jersey raised to the rafters, though he is still wearing it on the ice--a first in NHL history, and we'll continue to push for it, because he keeps giving us reason to.

(Honestly, click on that link and check them all out - it's remarkable)

Through all the shit that the team has been through over the past few years, including several coaching changes, a constant rotation of goalies (not sure if that includes Gerber... strange...), you know that Alfredsson is continually the heart and soul of not only the team, but also the fanbase.

As long as he's the captain, the Senators will be my team. Nuff said.

Jason Smith retires, everyone's happy

2009-09-02T17:31:00.002-04:00

I don't have much time for this post, so I'll put it in point form:

Everyone loves Jason Smith, his toothless smile brings joy to children's hearts
As soon as he signed that contract last summer, he was overpaid
He didn't do great things as an overpaid player and sat out many games (benched)
Bryan Murray was never too worried about being over the cap for the upcoming season, now we know why. This must have been coming down the tubes for months.
The Senators' overcrowded defensive corps becomes a little less crowded, and much younger. Maybe too young.

...and we finally know what Pascal Leclaire's mask will look like. No Darth Leclaire this season (thank God).

Does a deadline matter?

2009-08-31T20:27:00.002-04:00

The Dany Heatley saga is at a deadlock and a stalemate. It's going nowhere fast.

In a recent conference call with fans (an excellent idea, IMO, so kudos to the organization for that), Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray said that he would impose a deadline on Heatley to accept a trade. If he doesn't comply, Heater would risk spending the whole season with the Sens.

"I probably would be wise to (set) a deadline within a day or so and then stop trying. But I've got to at least do what's best for the organization and that is continue to work at it," Murray said.

But I think the past few months have made it abundantly clear that nothing is going to happen before training camp. And we know that if Murray was happy with any trade offer he was receiving for Heatley, he would present the offer to the former 39-goal man (yeah, I'm turning on you, Heater).

Lord knows that Murray would trade Heatley in the second period of opening night, if he could.

So what's the point of the deadline? I'm kind of baffled.

Is it to soothe the mind of season ticket holders? They would probably trade in all their tickets to kick Dany in the nuts 41 times.

Is it calling Heatley's bluff? He's already stated that he would return to the team and "try" his "best" (and not in those words).

...it's a weird thing to say, because it's toothless. Do you, loyal reader, believe that Murray would impose a deadline on himself? I bet he's just tired of calling 29 GMs everyday.

Stupid Kovalev, really stupid

2009-08-27T18:12:00.002-04:00

When a reporter asks you, Alex Kovalev, a stupid question that you think answering might piss off a whole punch of people, you do what Dany Heatley does: you go hide in BC for three months.

But instead, you went and told a reporter in Montrea l...

"That's why I say, maybe after two years I'll be back again [in Montreal]. It definitely would be nice to retire here."

He tried to salvage it by saying...

"But it's not for me to talk about Montreal - I'm part of another organization. I'm going to go there and do the best I can and we'll see what happens."

No! That's does not undo the previous sentence!

I'm always an advocate for saying what you really mean, but what you said was really mean! Fuck, man... let go of Montreal. I hate to break it to you, but chances are that you are never going back there. They didn't want you at age 36 - they're sure as hell not going to want you at 38.

"Yeah geez, I like my current wife... but you know what? My ex-wife is probably still going to be available in a couple years, so I might check her out again. I hear she got a boob job."

Just plain stupid.

Fuck the Sens, check this guy out

2009-08-26T21:20:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy week for me, personally. I've been writing some freelance stories for the East Ottawa Star, trying not to get too caught up in the stream-of-consciousness style that blogging tends to lure writers into. You know, not just re-posting other people's work, but actually calling people, and talking to them. (It's more difficult than it sounds).

The editors there do a lot of legwork for their freelancers, and last week, I was presented with the opportunity of speaking with Orleans native Erik Gudbranson, a 6' 3" defenceman from the Kingston Frontenacs.

Captain Canada

Forget Ryan Smyth, they should call this kid Captain Canada. Since January, he's played in three tournaments representing both Ontario and Canada in international competition.

In January, he competed in BC as captain of Ontario's U17 team. And as you can see, they won the big trophy.

In April, he took off to Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota to compete in the IIHF U18 championships. No hardware from that one - a fourth place finish, losing the bronze medal game in a shootout to Finland.

Of course, any time Canada doesn't win gold in international hockey competitions, something is amiss (I don't know wtf is wrong with the Olympics these days). The IIHF U18's happen during the OHL playoffs, meaning many of Canada's best 17 year-old players are unable to travel and compete.

Luckily, there's another tournament held in the Czech Republic and Slovakia that made everything right--and Erik was there, of course. The Ivan Hlinka memorial tournament (for 18 year-olds and younger) is considered the truer test of international hockey strength because it occurs in the depths of summer, when all are free to compete. As a result, Canada won gold (of course).

(FYI: Ivan Hlinka was one of the first and most dominant Czech hockey players. He briefly coached in the NHL and was tragically killed in 2004.)

But we didn't just win, we cream 'em. Canada won every game they played (and maybe even some they didn't) from the preliminaries all the way to the finals. These Canadian goal-scoring robots (I suspect) beat their opponents by a combined score of 40-7. In the final, they put Team Russia to shame with a 9-2 massacre.

Draft ready

Erik is pegged by some to go early in the first round of the 2010 NHL draft. He was recently featured on NHL.com as a North American player to watch for the draft.

But there's more to the story than a solid young defender making it big. Check out the youtube vid.

In a world of overpaid and overly sensitive "stars", this guy seems to have the right ideas and the right values. I'm looking forward to following this native Ottawan and proud Canadian's career develop over the next few seasons.

More stories on Erik (by friend of the blog, and huge Sens fan, Dan Plouffe):

Captain Gudbranson wins U17 worlds for Ontario

Gudbranson will play for Canada at Ivan Hlinka tourney

PS: When I was interviewing Erik and he referred to his coach in Kingston as "Dougie", I almost spit. I'm no Leafer, but even I would call him Mr. Gilmour. Apparently, Killer's cool with it.

The face of the future

2009-08-23T16:55:00.005-04:00

Went out on a limb on Saturday and bought a newspaper. A paper one. After getting through the Heatley stories on A1, A5, G1, and G3 (including this weird one where Queens university professors are asked to analyze the characteristics of his speech... for some reason), I noticed an ad on the back page of the sports section...

I don't much like the Gerberesque black mask (and Sens marketers should have picked up on that connotation when they were doing the photo shoot), but the ad seems to send a message: Pascal Leclaire is the man. He's new, he's young, and there's no doubt who the starting goaltender will be on Day 1.

I think that the Sens have to bank on their new guys, both on the ice and in the ticket office. Alex Kovalev, perhaps the most daring free agent signing in the history of the franchise, rightfully graces the splash page of the Sens official website at the moment. It's great to see him in equipment and a Senators jersey.

Training camps and the preseason are fast approaching, and once this Dany Heatley charade blows over, I think we'll find some reasons to be excited about the upcoming season. With a new guy in net and a new scorer ready to show Montreal what they're missing, I have to admit that I can't wait to see opening night versus the Islanders.

Heatley says things you already knew

2009-08-21T13:52:00.006-04:00

It was a pure telephone conference, in a tightly controlled environment, but the reporters finally got their questions in. And the result? Nada.

On reason for trade: Role was diminished and "I feel I'm a player that can play in a lot of different situations."

On trade to Edmonton: "I wasn't ready to make a decision at that time" ... "It has everything to do with the options. That's the bottom line" ... "I know there's more options out there".

On fans in Ottawa: "I think, first of all, I love the fans in ottawa, I think it's a great city." ... ""I have nothing against the fans in Ottawa."

So what did we learn kiddies?

Well, we already learned it yesterday: Heatley will report to Sens training camp in a few weeks, and will not hold out.

I guess we'll wait for the real press conference. Thanks to Hockey Capital for posting the Heatley comments.

Update: Heatley says he didn't leak the trade to the media because he didn't want to cause a circus. I wouldn't be surprised if Bryan Murray was actually the one who did it in order to create this wave of resentment against Heatley, and force him to accept whatever trade (edit: the best one, whatever team) he could get.

Live blogs all the rage today at noon

2009-08-21T11:10:00.003-04:00

No, I'm not hosting one.

But if you're interested, James Duthie will be discussing Team Canada at noon today for CTV/TSN -- CTV Olympics.

And the Ottawa Citizen's Hockey Capital blog will be weeding out the screamers and crazies at 12:45 pm, when the Dany Heatley press conference kicks off. -- Ottawa Citizen

Expect lots of CAPS LOCK from the latter. Enjoy!

Balsillie's got nothing on Eugene

2009-08-20T19:32:00.008-04:00

Photo courtesy wikipedia and http://www.horse-races.net

(alternate headline: "Oh thank God, something happened")

Pretend Hamilton Predators owner Jim Balsillie has cited Senators owner Eugene Melnyk as a case of questionable chara cter among NHL owners.

I suppose ol' Jimmy is using the "but if 'Gene gets one, I should get one too!" defence. But if he's looking at Melnyk as an example of a questionable owner, he won't find ammunition, at least as far as the NHL is concerned.

We're accustomed to terrible professional sports owners here in Ottawa. Ones who threaten to move the franchise on an annual basis, forget to give players their cheques, or suggest that women remove clothing during games as a ploy to boost attendance. Compared to these morons, Melnyk is a saint, and Balsillie's mudslinging will fall on deaf ears in Canada's capital.

I get your point, Jim. NHL owners are not flawless - Melnyk is under investigation by governments in both the United States and Canada for his part in alleged illegal activity when he was CEO of drug-maker Biovail. But when it comes to the Senators, Melnyk has been everything the franchise could have asked for (unless you asked him to fire Bryan Murray two years ago). Melnyk even spearheaded the campaign to bring the World Junior Championships to Ottawa last year.

Melnyk took a financially troubled franchise, and injected not only money and stability, but a will to win and an aggressive attitude, while maintaining community ties and generally improving the franchise (in all ways but the win column, recently).

I think that Canadians are generally in favour of having another NHL team within its borders. We are the originators of hockey, and still its most passionate fans. Not only does Hamilton deserve a franchise, but so do Quebec City and Winnipeg. Undoubtedly, a new team in Canada would flourish, but Balsillie's taking his anger out on the wrong targets.

When it comes to bashing the franchise decisions of the NHL, he'll find great support amongst frustrated Canadian hockey fans. But if his sights are set on Melnyk, Jim should aim to become like Melnyk (who should have proven to be a great ally in Balsillie's struggle to become an NHL owner), and not his opponent.

Steve Yzerman is a hero and Dany Heatley's a wimp

Yzerman continues to demonstrate why he was a great captain for more than two decades in Detroit. He arranged a press conference so that Dany "speak no evil" Heatley could finally explain to the fans and reporters why he went all loco and demanded a trade out of Ottawa. It will be good for both Team Canada (who are better off with Heatley), and the Senators (who may be better off without him).

Listen to this:

“It has to be addressed. We’ll get it done. Obviously, it will be a hot topic for one day. Everybody get it out of the way. Everybody ask the questions that need to be asked. Dany, answer those questions. And everybody move on.”

I'll give you one guess who said that. Clue: He's a hero (and has a scary eyeball).

PS: I think it's safe to say that Heatley won't be traded in the next 48 hours (two weeks ago).

Where will you be in 2010?

2009-08-18T13:43:00.003-04:00

There's not a lot of news coming out of Sens Land these days, unless you're a fan of golf tournaments and/or endless and pointless speculation. So, like many Canadians, I'm desperate for whatever hockey coverage I can find. And that means one thing: provoking more NHL players to assault cab drivers.

...but seriously, it means it's time to start thinking about the winter Olympics (and not just because I'm losing weight while I'm writing this due to the heat wave in Ottawa).

With the Olympics in Vancouver now less than 6 months from commencing, I began to think about where I'll be watching the game in February. A couple games at home with a beer, sure. But for the finale, I'll be in a bar on Elgin St. or in the Byward market, awaiting the parade of frozen and all-too-enthusiastic fans to Parliament Hill.

The City of Ottawa is uniquely equipped to throw a good party during the Olympics. Undoubtedly, the federal government will be acting like it's their Super Sweet Sixteen (not that I ever watch MTV... ), and will put up some TV screens, flags, and some events to help Canadians feel united... and I intend to take full advantage of them. The Games are all the way across the continent, but the spotlight will still shine partly on the Nation's Capital.

Also, the important hockey games will probably occur during a east and west coast-friendly 10 pm time slot, allowing for plenty of pre-game beer and celebrating. Yes, the party in Ottawa will be sweet, and we should take full advantage of it.

So I present to you the bars where I will attempt to watch the 2010 Olympic men's hockey finals (and the likely outcome):

1. MacLaren's (301 Elgin St.) - Many large hi-def TVs and the food isn't too expensive... but it will be packed many hours before the game. (Peek in, then dejected walk away).

2. Earl of Sussex (431 Sussex Dr.) - Great mix of class and fun at this bar, but I'm not sure if they allow yelling amongst all the leather-bound books and air chairs; low ceiling in areas not great for excited jumping up and down. (Discover patrons are watching obscure rugby tournament and reading novels instead, head back to Elgin).

3. Sir John A. (284 Elgin St.) - Not a lot of TVs, or sitting areas near them. Bar will undoubtedly be packed full of rejects from MacLarens. (Land up staring at back of black and red silly top hat in crowded standing room, trying to see the TV; enjoy second period while top hat man goes for a smoke).

Wild card: Minglewoods (14 Waller St.) - Okay, this is the last straw. It's 9:30 pm, and I'm freezing my freezing my butt off from walking around Ottawa all evening. They have a few TVs and the occasional chair amongst the discarded popped collars and loop earrings from the previous night's festivities; cheap beer. (Sing '¡ole, ole, ole, ole!' with group of people who are drinking red bull and vodka, and clearly don't understand hockey, while Toews scores the winning goal on Martin Gerber and team Switzerland; Sens promptly re-sign Gerber following tournament.)

PS: I'm a fan of the black jersey they used in 2006, and strangely attracted to the yellow ones that were rarely used in other tournaments.

Spezza gets kick at Olympic can

2009-08-11T14:52:00.004-04:00

Hey - if Jordan Staal and his 49 points gets an invite to the Team Canada orientation camp, why not the guy who collected 73 points on a team that didn't win the Stanley Cup?

Jason Spezza was invited to the camp later this month to replace the injury Ryan Getzlaf.

Good call Mr. Yzerman. Why don't you visit Nepean any more? We miss you and the scariest fucking eyeball I've ever seen.

As expected, Elliott will stay

2009-08-04T21:53:00.004-04:00

Senators sophomore goaltender Brian Elliott will be staying in Ottawa for the foreseeable future, signing on for two years at $800k and $900k per season.

After trading Alex Auld in July, the Sens knew that Elliot would be their backup for the upcoming season, and the restricted free agent decided to stick around.

During a great rookie season, in which he posted a 16-8-3 record, Elliott was practically sharing the #1 duties with Auld toward the end of the season. I hate to say it, considering all the goalie controversy in Ottawa over the past several seasons, but I expect Elliott to play a significant number of games in 2009-10.

Signing for two years, Elliott's contract will end the same year as incoming starter Pascal Leclaire. Then, I suppose, the Sens will have to decide whether Elliott's growth has been sufficient to trust him with the #1 spot, and bid adieu to Leclaire. But let's hope that it's a difficult decision.

No way, (San) Jose

2009-08-03T19:54:00.003-04:00

A few days ago, I came across this excellent piece of rebuttal from the National Post's Noah Love. Not one to be caught up in hype, Love predicted and dismissed the recently reported Dany Heatley-to-San Jose a full two weeks ago.

Yeah sure, the Canadiens could somehow be involved, adding another forward to the package, but Love's points remain: the deal just doesn't fit under the cap.

Getting back to the speculated San Jose/Ottawa deal, it's worth pointing out that it makes almost no sense for the Senators either. The Sens are pushing $2-million over the cap at the moment, and the suggestion that Ottawa takes back more than one player — say Marleau and Cheechoo — is absurd for both sides.
For the Senators, it puts them even further over the cap and gives them an expensive forward who produces little for the money (Cheechoo). For the Sharks, they take back a player whose salary — $1.2-million more than Marleau's — still takes a bite out of their cap number and leaves them short yet another forward.

In the magical scenario proposed by the Sun, the Sens would receive Cheechoo and defenceman Christian Erhoff (a combined 6.1 million in salary). Taking back Heatley's salary (7.5-million for the next five years) still adds to the Shark's cap woes, rather than relieving them.

So if you're wondering why San Jose GM Doug Wilson has been so reluctant to discuss his interest in such a deal, it's probably because he has none.

End of story.

Battle of the comments - Summer 2009!

2009-07-23T10:33:00.004-04:00

This blog has some great regular commentors who prove that intelligent discussions can be held on a sports blog. The post from a few days ago provoked some great debate, so I thought I would give it the front-page treatment for those that don't normally read the comments:

This optimistic one from Andy:

I've noticed a lot of comments in general to the effect that if you compare the current team to last year, we simply haven't "improved" enough to expect better results, that our best hope is to still be in the fight for the last playoff spot come March, followed of course by a quick first round exit.

But there's something missing - how did such a terrible team make it to the finals? There haven't been that many personnel changes.

I've found for a long time that the perception outside of Ottawa was that this team was playing over it's head, that the Senators of December 2007 to February 2009 were the "real" Senators, the crappy team everyone always thought they were, and that any good showing before was some sort of fluke. The word "choke" stuck like glue, and playoff disappointments were always held up as a show of their "true colours". Certainly, they have not lived up to expectations every year, but they have won their share of series. This team has been reasonably close to a championship twice in this decade (missing the Cup finals by one goal against eventual champions NJ) - how many franchises would kill for that? Our nemesis down the 401 hasn't been anywhere near since, what, mid-90's? And while there have been disappointments, at least there were expectations to be disappointed about.

There have definitely been problems, but I'm optimistic that the Senators we saw in the last few weeks of the last season were closer to the "real" Senators. It seems obvious to me that they were playing an inappropriate system for most of the year, where a strong forechecking, puck-possesion team was suddenly not allowed to forecheck, expected to be passive and reactive. The second (now non-forechecking) forward always looked confused about where he was supposed to be and often wasn't able to defend effectively against opponents' transitions. I think Hartsburg was ultimately fired because he refused to acknowledge that his system wasn't working.

Goaltending has been the Achilles heel of this team pretty much forever, but last year's lack of scoring made it stand out even more. I'm optimistic that this will change. I like Elliott and think he'll make a strong backup who can challenge the starter. If Leclaire can play like he seems capable of (and of course, stay healthy) then goaltending is suddenly the least of this team's worries. Even slightly better goaltending last year would have been enough for a playoff spot, despite the poor team play.

And let's acknowledge something else - some important players had a bad season, even when accounting for overall team performance. We all know that Fisher, Kelly, Volchenkov can play much better. Combine that with strong output from Foligno, Shannon, and of course, Kovalev and I think we've got a respectable forward and defense corps. Kovalev is an automatic upgrade on the PP, and the PK was actually pretty good last year.

I don't think these expectations are unreasonable. And who knows, maybe there are nice surprises. Mabye Foligno scores 25 goals, maybe Shannon scores 20, maybe Kovalev has a career year, maybe Heatley comes back and scores 60. Maybe Karlsson exceeds expectations and Ottawa has the best PP in the league. Maybe Leclaire leads the league in shutouts, and Winchester adds some scoring to his already fine play. These hopes may be a little pie-in-the-sky but only a couple need to happen to really put the Sens over the top.

A spooky Anonymous commentor took Andy to task on the defensive end:

Andy,

I differ with you in that I think that there have been significant changes since the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals team.

Notably, the defense has been completely overhauled. I can remember at the beginning of the 2007 season, Paddock commented that "we feel that our top 4 is as good as any in the league". And, for the first 20 games of the season, they lived up to those expectations.

For some reason, the wheels fell off and the defense was then overhauled. I don't think that our current top 4 ranks anywhere near the best in the league.

I also think that the vibe around the team is completely different. The Sens used to be a team that was full of guys who were drafted and developed by the club. The players appeared to be very close. Even Rob Ray was quoted on Off The Record as saying that they were a "real tight group".

They had a bunch of guys who played together in Bingo during the lockout. They really looked like a group that was having fun. I think that the team has lost that feel. Chicago seemed to have inherited that vibe last year.

I'm not gloomy about the Sens. I think that the potential is there. I'll be cheering for them. But, I still think that the back end needs some upgrading.

Grinder continues the great D-bate:

Clouston is a good coach. He needs a tan and a wardrobe consultant (Agreed! -Ben), but I think he is quite competent. The big question is whether or not he is able to communicate effectively with the players, for an extended amount of time, without alienating everyone with his hard-ass approach. His strategy seems sound and he seems able to adapt to changing conditions during the game and react quickly.

I am also thrilled that Gerber is gone. I like our goalies and believe that one of two things will come to pass and will define this upcoming season. Pascal Leclaire will either become a big star, or he will tear something in one of his knees or ankles and cost Murray his job.

The forwards (with Heatley) may be better than ever. That, my friends is such a big "IF" that it makes my head spin. IF he stays and actually plays to his ability, the team has four scorers and two lines that can score. IF he goes, there is no way to know what we get in return or what Murray does with the extra money.

Then there are the young guys who have looked so good lately. Foligno has shown signs of what may be and Shannon has been very effective with his speed and hockey sense.

I am torn between Andy and Canucnik on the subject of the Sens' D however. Nik loves to call them an "American League" group, while Andy looks at the same bunch as "top half". Who's right here? Good question...

First, let me admit that Corvo was a huge loss to the Sens. When he was here, I was the first guy to call him a liability and a screw-up. I really disliked him. The truth is however, that his speed and puck moving ability was important, despite his other shortcomings.

Then, Priessing was always very dependable. I can't explain what happened to him in the end, but he was good for a while.

Mez was hot and cold, but the guy had passion...

Today's squad is not all all the same kind of squad. I don't know that they are "American League", but I also don't think they are anywhere near "top half" either.

The big variables are Lee and Campoli.

I think Campoli has "something" and I have a feeling that he will become a much better player than anyone expects. Redden had that intangible at one time, early in his career before he lost his legs.

I thought Lee had that "something" too at first, but he doesn't seem to be very smart. Maybe it is only youth and the guy will become something of a producer, but that seems like a pretty big "maybe".

As for Karlsson, I have been on the record many times since watching him closely at the prospect camp. He is not ready for the show - not by a long shot. Not to mention that he is so friggin small. He is VERY skilled, don't get me wrong, but defencemen take longer to be ready for the big league.

Smith, God bless the guy, is done. He should do the right thing and retire. That was wasted money for sure.

Unlike many who love the guy, I don't like Phillips at all. He is way too soft on the puck and he doesn't hit at all. In that respect, I totally agree with Nik.

On the other hand, Volchenkov was clearly playing hurt for most of the year. He should be back to his old form this year and be a useful asset.

Kuba is good. He seems to be hated by many, but he is competent both ways. I suppose he may not be worth the big bucks, but I don't see anyone else stealing his job on this team yet.

So, having said all that - it is clear as mud, isn't it!?

Sure is, Grinder. Thanks to those who contribute to the blog in the comments. Keep up the great debates!

Three big questions for 2009-10

2009-07-21T12:28:00.008-04:00

It's always difficult to make predictions about your favourite team. It's hard to see past your own passion in order to make an objective evaluation of, in this case, the Ottawa Senators.

The magic word after last season's generally disappointing performance was 'optimism'. But such a simple word doesn't encapsulate the many questions that the Senators are facing with the 2009-10 season about four months away.

Question 1: Is Cory Clouston a legitimate NHL coach?

Despite showing great potential as game-time decision-make ("Martin Gerber? No thank you."), and an off-ice team builder (Haven't bought out any contracts recently...), it's difficult to say whether Clouston will be the savior that the Senators have been searching for since Bryan Murray moved into the front office.

I believe the key to this situation is patience. Even if the Senators start the season 5-15, Murray has to move his finger off the panic button and finally realize, after three new coaches in three seasons, coaching isn't the problem. Sens fans have to temper their enthusiasm until Clouston can make it through one whole season.

Answer: I sure hope so.

Question 2: Will Leclaire provide better stability in net?

My fellow Ottawa Senators fans, I celebrated extra hard this Canada Day because it meant the end of a horrifying era in Ottawa: Martin Gerber's reign of terror. Not only is he no longer anywhere near the team, he's not even on the books anymore! Pascal Leclaire is almost certainly an upgrade in net. At least, he will provide the knowledge that he won't be beat out for the starting job within two months. Backed up by Brian Elliott, the Sens should have the standard #1-#2 goalie relationship that most teams thrive on.

In this category, despite the questions, Senators fans have reason to be most optimistic. Even if Leclaire's groin explodes in the first game of the season, fans will at least know who's #1.

Answer: He's not Martin Gerber... so, yes.

Question 3: Will Kovalev improve the team?

He's the most significant free agent signing in the (short) history of the franchise, and I hope he's smart enough to understand that he'll be observed and analyzed like the only hot chick on a nude beach. It's difficult to say whether adding Alex Kovalev to last year's Senators would have been enough to push them into a playoff spot (hmmm.... probably not. Your thoughts?), but it's safe to say that even if he contributes only 20 goals to the Senators in 2009-10 (which some would consider a disappointment), he'll be the number 4 or 5 scorer on the team*.

Answer: You bet your ass.

When I began writing this blog, it had the headline "Senators will make playoffs"... but writing the story got me thinking about how much rests on Clouston being able to replicate his performance last year. And despite what Pierre McGuire yelled at us at the trade deadline last season, no one in Ottawa can really predict how well Leclaire will play for the Senators (especially in front of the Sens' increasingly young defenders) - he had 24 wins in 54 games with Columbus in 2007-08, but these stats can be transferred across teams and conferences.

One thing is for sure: It's going to be fun watching these questions be answered by the players and coaches when the puck drops.

*Foligno could score 25 this year... who knows?

Senators better with Heatley

2009-07-14T11:08:00.003-04:00

Speaking purely in terms of talent (and not in the made-up categories of 'heart' or 'commitment', invented by Bryan Murray in 2006), the Ottawa Senators are a better team with Dany Heatley on the roster.

Sure, he's gone and spoiled his reputation with the Sens fans, the team's management, and parts of Western Canada, but there's no doubting the man's ability to put pucks in the net. There's a reason why the Oilers wanted Dany: because he's a great goal scorer, and such players are special. A whole team of second-line players will not win games against the NHL's best clubs.

This whole situation is Heatley's fault, and it's unforgivable. He has spoiled his own reputation, and tainted the image of the Senators in the eyes of fans and other NHL teams... but that doesn't make him a less talented player.

Mediocrity is the ultimate sin in the NHL. You don't get a shot at the Stanley Cup and you don't get high draft picks - just ask the Maple Leafs. When Heatley and the Senators do accept a trade (this season or whenever), they are back on the path of mediocrity. The talent and goals received will not equal what Heatley added to the team.

The Senators have acknowledged all of the above. By signing Alex Kovalev, Murray conceded that you need a collection of special players to be a winning team in the NHL. Murray is taking a chance on Kovalev because mediocrity doesn't satisfy Eugene Melnyk or fans of the Ottawa Senators. Adding Kovalev to the mix finally breaks the Senators out of the mentality that the top line can provide all the goal-scoring. It's a combination that could prove over-powering for opponents, and Heatley's as big a part of the recipe as the other three.

I suspect that Heatley is looking at the upcoming season like an oncoming train, and he's tied himself to the tracks with his illogical demands. With every passing day, it becomes more likely that Heatley will have to swallow his pride and face the fans, the media, and his teammates. At the same time, fans will have to accept that when Heatley scores goals, he's helping the team win. Who's going to boo that?

As an added bonus, if Heatley doesn't have the season of his life, he'll never get out of Ottawa. How do you like them apples Heater?

Ultimately, if the team is winning, and Heatley's the one scoring, I'll be cheering. I hope other fans can swallow their pride and cheer along too.

PS: Last article on this situation until training camp or a trade, I promise you (and I promise myself).

Auld out. LeClaire and Elliott will be the duo

2009-07-08T16:41:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we have our goaltending tandem.

Alex Auld, after a solid season backing up, then overtaking (as usual) Martin Gerber, has been traded to the Dallas Stars for a 2010 sixth-round draft pick.

Not only does this move mean that Brian Elliott will be staying in the big leagues (a well deserved permanent promotion) to back-up Pascal Leclaire, but it also frees up a bit of the salary room needed to accommodate Dany Heatley, should he return for next season (I can hear the daily newspapers salivating).

It should be noted that Elliott has to be re-signed as he is a restricted free agent at the moment.

After removing Auld's $1-million salary, the Senators still need to free themselves of approximately $2-million (or one Dany Heatley) to get under the salary cap for next season. If Heatley can't be moved, it's likely that a prospect or an expendable part will be traded. I would wager that Shean Donovan or Jesse Winchester (PS: I know, I know, we all love Winchester) will be moved if Heatley isn't.

I just want to add that I salute Auld for his consistent play while here in Ottawa. I always preferred to see him in net over Gerber. Enjoy the sun, Alex!

Sens Army Blog on CBC

2009-07-07T14:08:00.003-04:00

Just had a nice chat with CBC Ottawa's Jeff Semple about the Kovalev signing and the Heatley situation. A lot of his questions had to do with what the commentors were feeling and what they (you!) felt about the signing. Plus, you'll get to see me squirm in front of the camera for a few minutes, acting like an expert (when I'm actually an overly opinionated nerd with too much time on his hands... but you know that by now).

I hope I did a good job of representing how people feel about it... or maybe they'll edit it to make it look like I said something else entirely. Who knows? It should be fun to watch tonight on CBC Ottawa at 6 (It's on after the Simpsons).

Kovalev now a Senator

2009-07-06T16:06:00.005-04:00

Sens fans have to be excited that Alex Kovalev is coming to Ottawa. Dany Heatley saga aside, this adds some serious secondary (or dare I say more PRIMARY!) scoring to the Ottawa lineup. The recently announced contract is for two years, and the salary has not yet been revealed. (Update: TSN says the contract is with $10-million.)

Kovalev's scoring abilities are the definition of streaky. He was loved in Montreal when he was having a good season, and loathed for being moody and selfish when he wasn't putting the puck in the net. He's bounced between 40 and 80 points per season over the last few with Montreal.

From a historical standpoint, this is the largest free agent signing the Senators have ever made. The only other one that pops into my head is Petr Bondra, and that was just a playoff addition (and a disaster, sorry to bring it up).

I believe the recent Heatley hatred has diverted a lot of attention off Bryan Murray. While the city's been busy advertising $4-million salads (seriously Ottawa Sun? Isn't there something about our mayor's trial you could be putting on the front page?), we seem to have forgotten a lot of the anger toward Murray for handicapping this team over the past few seasons. Though I am not his largest critic, stats don't lie, and Murray had to do something to shake up this team.

Holy crap! The Sens have four scorers now! Can we make Kovalev play defence and put them all on the same line?! Imagine the possibilities! (That's sarcasm, btw... Although we'll probably see that on the powerplay.)

Bad Soap Opera

2009-07-02T22:07:00.002-04:00

First came the over-the-top poor, poor pitiful Heatley drivel from Tom Molloy, hockey coach and former neighbour to the Heatley's in Wayne Scanlan's column in the Citizen the other day in which Molloy all but said Heatley playing for Team Canada was essentially charity work. Then came the asinine comments by Heatley's agent about being "blindsided" by the deal Bryan Murray had worked out with the Oilers. If trying to get the best deal possible for a disgruntled player is "blindsiding," then what do we call said player's trade request through the media in the first place? Pot, meet kettle.

The Ottawa Senators have over the years been the focal point of many changes in the NHL, perhaps the earliest and most well-remembered example being the Alex Daigle contract that led to the creation of a rookie salary cap. With any luck, the next round of CBA talks will see the installation of the Heatley rule: when a player who has a long-term contract with a no-trade clause asks for a trade, it is to be considered an automatic waiving of the no-trade clause, and the player will have to accept any destination their club can find for them. In other words: no vetoing specific teams. At this point this is the issue that I think is sticking in most people's craws - the fact that Dany Heatley can have his cake and eat it too. It's one thing to demand a trade the way he did, significantly weakening his current team's bargaining position. But to reject what was undoubtedly the best deal the Senators could have gotten for him for apparently no particularly good reason is quite another thing. This is the enraging part for fans.

So where do we go from here? With nobody other than the Oilers showing much interest, it would appear that Heatley will have to prepare for Senators' training camp. I know, I know. It seems unimaginable to me too that he would start the season in a Sens uniform after what has gone down in the last couple of weeks, but there is a silver lining in all of this courtesy of Steve Yzerman.

Team Canada's GM said today that although Heatley is invited to Team Canada's camp this August, he's not a slam-dunk to make the team. Yzerman said that those who are playing well from October through December will get a shot at making Team Canada.

So if Heatley really does want to play for Olympic gold in Vancouver in 2010, he can't be sitting out while the Sens work out a deal. He has to prepare to play and play well. In fact, given his so-called "friend" Molloy's comments, Heatley had better be ripping it up in order to really stand a chance. I do not think the Team Canada brain trust took too kindly to the insinuation that Heatley's past participation for the team was some kind of charity work. There are a lot of highly skilled younger guys who would gladly take his place given the chance.

So Sens fans may have to endure him for a little while yet, as awkward as it will feel. And if Heatley does go on a tear this fall in a bid to make Team Canada, then the chances of getting a better deal for him will rise as his on-ice performance may yet eclipse the off-ice drama. He may start the season in a Sens uni, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll finish it in one.

But there is also the possibility that maybe, just maybe, Heatley rescinds his demands for a trade if he gets sufficient ice time and starts racking up crazy points. He may come to realize there are worse places to play than on the wing with Spezza with Alfie on the opposite side of the ice. The Clouston-Heatley relationship in such a scenario might even be resuscitated, and a new golden age dawns on the Senators... But that really does sound like bad soap opera.

Is Dany Heatley traded yet?

2009-07-02T12:27:00.002-04:00

No.

Edit: Everyone's got to stop acting like the $4-million bucks is coming out of the fans' pockets. It's not, so just chill out about this self-imposed deadline. Melnyk's pocketbook is the least of my worries, and I bet it's the least of his worries too.

Despite my previous defence of Mr. Heatley, I must say that this Oilers saga has certainly revealed the devil in the details. What sort of guy asks to be traded and then... refuses to be traded? That's the most anger you'll get out of me.

In any case, we can glean some insight into Bryan Murray's opinion of his own team from this almost-deal what would have landed the Sens Dustin Penner, Ladislav Smid, and Andrew Cogliano:

#1: He doesn't think too highly of his offence overall. Secondary scoring has been a problem for the Sens for a number of years, and obviously Murray has learned not to count on Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, or uh.... (searching through Senators roster for goal-scorer not named Spezza or Alfredsson...) Nick Foligno (?!). Even Dustin Penner's albatross of a contract seemed like an acceptable compromise to add about 35-40 goals (Penner's 17 from last year and Cogliano's 18) to the Senators roster.

#2: The Senators are getting too old and slow. The players that would have come from the Oilers are 23 (Smid), 26 (Penner), and 22 (Cogliano). No doubt an attempt to inject some new blood into the organization after a couple years where Murray attempted to transplant some bullshit Pierre McGuire-esque "intangibles" to the team like "toughness", "grit", and "leadership". The Sens have been sacrificing youth and talent for big, stupid bodies for too long, and I believe this was an attempt to reverse a failed policy.

With the above in mind, I cannot imagine why the Sens decided to re-sign Chris Neil. I understand that he's the only player on the team that drops the gloves on a regular basis, but with Jason Smith still on the roster (and awaiting buy-out, I presume), the Sens have more than enough penalty minutes-in-waiting. Much like Smith following last season, before the end of the first year of his new contract, Neil will be on the trade block.

PS: How was Canada Day for everyone? Jeez, I wish they would get a rock band to play on Parliament Hill. Sarah McLaughlin? She hasn't been on the radio in 10 years! Bah!

Welcome, Zdeno Jr.

2009-06-27T11:35:00.003-04:00

Will there be any forwards on the Ottawa Senators come 2011-12? Not if Bryan Murray's ingenious drafting comes to fruition.

Naw, I'm just yanking BM's chain. The Sens continued their recent trend of using their first-round pick on blue-chip defenders by taking 6' 5" Jared Cowen with the ninth overall pick in this year's draft.

It seems that Murray's trying to cover all the bases on the blueline now, with an ample amount of puck-moving defencemen (cue eye roll) he's gone after the big-body presence that has been missing since... well... that other tall guy left for greener pastures. (I hate Redden so much!)

But just because Cowen's a big player doesn't necessarily mean he'll be hitting people all over the ice. Sens fans are all too familiar with big bodies who couldn't hurt a fly. For instance, Filip Kuba (6' 4" and 226 pounds) is roughly the same size as Cowen, but wouldn't hit an opposing player to save his overrated life.

The Senators', however, do need somebody to log major minutes in upcoming seasons. With Chris Phillips (31) getting older and Anton Volchenkov (27) becoming a free agent after the 2009-10 season, somebody's going to have to be on the ice while Brian Lee, Chris Campoli, Erik Karlsson, et al. save up all their talent juice on the bench.

Late last night, the Ottawa Citizen reported (overheard, I suppose) that Murray and Leafs' GM Brian Burke had a quick conversation on the draft floor (anybody else see this article?). Murray stated that he intended to draft Nazem Kadri with the ninth pick, and asked Burke if that was who the Leafs would select with pick #7. Burke said 'yes'. Murray replied, 'okay,' and walked away.

So I suppose this defensive drafting philosophy is more a product of circumstance than design after all.

...and whatever happened to Mike Comrie?

Don't hate the Heat

2009-06-14T14:05:00.003-04:00

The Ottawa Sun recently filled two complete pages with comments from their website and letters from readers likening the recently condemned Dany Heatley to some sort of treasonous turn-coat. The resentment for Heatley is palpable in the papers and online, where many anonymous so-called fans unleash their narrow-minded and reactionary vitriol.

I, for one, don't even dislike the guy. In fact, I think Heatley's handling of his apparent dislike for the Ottawa Senators organization, and recently reported trade request, has been commendable. Any likening to Alexei Yashin is entirely unwarranted, and here's why:

He waited until the offseason to leak to the media his intentions. Such a story in the middle of a season would have knocked the Sens entirely off track to recovery. A truly classless individual would have announced his preference to be traded as soon as the thought crossed his mind.

A couple seasons ago, Heatley was one of a small group of players whose character was unquestioned during the Ray Emery Crisis (copyrighted term). He was, until a week ago, seen as a possible future captain of the team.

Heatley did not go directly to the media and attempt to sway public opinion in his favour by attempting to place blame on the GM, coaches, or teammates. Offering such a conversation to any daily newspaper would have spared him of this sort of mean-spirited attack, in exchange for a juicy story. (Seriously... Brennan, did he break into your house and punch your wife in the face or something? Direct the anger at the therapist-perscribed life-sized facimile of your father.)

Yashin held out for an entire season because he wanted more money. Heatley's situation is entirely different and has nothing to do with greed at this time (he already got the big contract). He wants out because he's unhappy. Heatley probably has personal problems and attitudes that we shouldn't attempt to boil into one paragraph. Hockey players are complete people that have feelings, relationships, and families to take care of.

If Heatley wants out of town because he's on the second power-play unit, let him go. If the answer is so simple, then let him walk and accept whatever is gained through the trade. If he has no heart (a possibly fatal medical condition which Heatley didn't seem to suffer from before this trade request), it's better to get rid of him now than to have him lounge around for another five seasons.

Finally, it's unlikely that Heatley will reach the heights of goal-scoring that he did with the Ottawa Senators at any other organization. He gave his best years to the Sens and their fans, and for the time he has spent here has never been anything but a model NHL player and community contributor.

On another note:

Here's what I've been up to so far this summer: I finished my degree at the University of Ottawa, organized a trip to Europe with my friends, executed said trip, had my convocation ceremony and am re-settling into my apartment with some new life priorities, including finding a career. I would rather be a fair-weather blogger than a fair-weather human. Any commentor who would like to personally sponsor the Sens Army Blog daily updates should send me an email.

Thanks to everyone who has commented constructively to figuring this Heatley situation out. I would love to get somebody like Phaneuf and a 1st-round draft pick in return. The draft's not far away, and I'm looking forward to seeing what moves Murray will make now that the farm team's loaded with (what's that catch phrase?) puck-moving defencemen.

Peace!

Don't Let The Door Hit You, Heater

2009-06-11T18:42:00.002-04:00

So Dany Heatley wants out of Ottawa.

It's certainly not the first time the Sens have been spurned by a star player, and it probably won't be the last. I have a suggestion on how to deal with these types of players... In the next CBA, it should be a rule that any player who waives his no-trade clause once on a long-term contract loses the no-trade privilege for the remainder of the contract, no matter how many years are left on it. Call it the "you can't have your cake and eat it too" clause.

While Heatley's request is nowhere near as infamous as the manner in which Alexei Yashin left town, it is no less disappointing from the human point of view. Here's a guy who wanted to leave Atlanta to get a fresh start after having killed his best friend in a car accident. He was more than happy to come to the Sens then. And as long as he's been allowed to generally float around the ice and do his sniper thing, he's been happy.

The problem with Heatley is that sniping is his only strength as a player. That will get you only so far in your career (ask Peter Bondra). When he's been asked to play out of his comfort zone, Heatley has shown all the enthusiasm of a sullen child who'd rather play his Wii than go visit Grandma in the nursing home. Hey, Heater, you make $7.5 Million - SUCK IT UP.

So it turns out that where there's smoke there's fire after all. As much as they tried to deny it at the time, there was friction between Cory Clouston and Heatley, so much so that Heatley can't play for him. You know, a lot of people don't like their boss - but if you can't get beyond that and be a professional, I have little hope for you as a human being.

I'm just glad in this case the coach won. It would have sucked to have to hire a new coach to cater to the whims of this unstable individual who couldn't forecheck to save his life, who despite his size would cower away from more physical players, and who in the end wasn't able to check his ego at the door and be the team player this team needed him to be.

Hopefully the Sens will get someone good in return for him. It will depend on who's willing to offer the most attractive package. Hopefully this deal gets done by the trade deadline, because if Heatley brings his suck attack into training camp it will just fester and be dressing room poison. The problem is there are only so many dance partners who have the cap space without having to move a roster player.

Personally, if there was some way of swinging a deal with Calgary and getting Dion Phaneuf back, that would be sweet. A bona fide number one defenceman could put the Sens into the playoffs again. It's about all the Sens need - they already have plenty of talented forwards.

Buh-bye, Dany. Been nice knowin' you. I certainly won't miss hearing that abominable Glenn Frey song they played every time you scored.

A strange sense of happiness

2009-04-19T09:14:00.003-04:00

The novelty of the Senators not making the playoffs is kind of making me happy. This is the first time in 12 years that they've missed the rite of spring, and last night I came to a grand realization: it's not that bad.

The Sens had a terrible year. They were chasing their tails for most of the season and were a total trainwreck in all areas of the game. I can honestly say that I think they will make the playoffs next season (and I hope it's not the subconscious Senators fan in me sneaking to the surface).

For the first time in my adult life, I can actually adopt another team for the playoffs rather than viewing them as the enemy. It's kind of fun. I was watching the Bruins and Habs last night with glee. They're tearing one another apart! What a crazy series that has turned into.

My favourite series currently underway has to be Chicago vs. Calgary. Two excellent goaltenders competing every game to save their team from elimination. The Blackhawks have such great young talent to go along with their overpaid stars (Havlat, Khabibulin, Campbell), and that's the formula that works in the NHL these days (I guess the Sens just need some young talent, haha). Chicago's my sentimental pick to win the Cup this year (Red Wings are my reluctant actual pick).

I'm curious as to which team other die-hard Sens fans are picking for the Cup this year, and how they're enjoying just kicking back and watching the playoffs. Who's your pick?

Who Do You Want Back?

2009-04-13T12:35:00.003-04:00

It feels strange for hockey to be over in Ottawa so soon, but nevertheless the off-season is here, and with it the inevitable questions on who should stay and who should go. My personal picks (YEA or NAY) are listed below - looking forward to hearing your comments.

C- Mike Comrie - Hard to say whether he will re-sign or not with the Sens this summer. He likes playing in Ottawa, but he vanished down the stretch. NAY

C- Mike Fisher - No question he underachieved. No question he is overpaid. But do you really want to see him in a Leafs jersey? YEA

C- Chris Kelly - Garrioch has started a rumour the Jackets want him. No doubt to pair up with Antoine Vermette again on the PK. Zack Smith and Peter Regin have been able to play when called up - could Kelly be dealt? NAY

C- Jason Spezza - I really like Jason Spezza as a human being, as a good guy, but as a hockey player he makes me want to rip my hair out. He's either world-class putting sick moves on guys and scoring on nifty trick shots, or he's coughing up the puck to give opponents uncontested breakaways on Ottawa's net. He's still young, and still has many contract years to go, but can Clouston get him to stop the brain farts? If he can, I want him to stay. YEA (tentative).

C- Cody Bass - When he's healthy, I love what Cody Bass brings to the rink. YEA

D- Brendan Bell - He's likely gone after an up-and-down year. His inconsistency is his worst enemy. NAY

D- Chris Campoli - scored more points than Comrie following the trade that brought him to Ottawa, but will he fall victim to a numbers game? Ottawa suddenly has a lot of D-men on the roster. YEA (conditional)

D- Filip Kuba - If this guy can ever learn to play with an edge and actually hit people, he'd be a consensus all-star defenceman. The only power play captain we've got, let's face it. YEA

D- Brian Lee - Still plenty of upside to this kid's game. Let's not forget he rose through the NCAA ranks, not Junior. He is consistently getting better, and it was nice to see him scrap it up towards the end of the season. YEA

D- Chris Phillips - He had a bad year, like everyone else on the team, but he's still one of the most physical presences we have on the D. YEA.

D- Anton Volchenkov - This guy does two things superbly well - block shots and hit people. He seems to have taken a long time recovering from his last major injury, but he's still a keeper. Best Russian player ever to suit up for the Sens. You know it's true. YEA

D- Alexandre Picard - Did not see him play enough to even be able to evaluate him as a player. For me, it's a coin flip between him and Campoli on who I'd want to stay. YEA (conditional).

D- Jason Smith - I realize he's not known for his offensive prowess, but did he ever stink it up this year. Perhaps at the end of the line career-wise? NAY

G- Alex Auld - Streaky performance, but he's under contract for another season. YEA

G- Brian Elliott - Will he be re-signed? Presumably. But even if he's back he's starting next season in Bingo. YEA

G- Pascal Leclaire - If there is one guy guaranteed to be back next season it's Leclaire. I am one of many Sens fans close to drooling over the prospect of this guy in net for Ottawa. This is a no-brainer. YEA

LW- Nick Foligno - At times this guy is the best player on the ice. YEA

LW- Dany Heatley - Did he miss a team memo this year and think the season started in January? I have no doubt he will return to form next year. He's usually money in the bank. If' he'd played all season like he did down the stretch he probably would have had 70 goals. YEA

LW- Jarkko Ruutu - Frankly I'm underwhelmed. For a pest he didn't draw a lot of penalties. NAY

D/LW- Christoph Schubert - I liked Schubert sicne he was a prospect in Binghamton, but he's not a top-5 defenceman, and if he could not get top-5 ice time for Ottawa this season, will he ever? Likely not. Let him try elsewhere. NAY

RW- Daniel Alfredsson - Even in a bad season, he's the best of the best. YEA

RW- Shean Donovan - When he's healthy he's a good physical player. YEA

RW- Chris Neil - Sad to say his time in Ottawa may be done. Lost in the dabacle of Spezza's latest brain cramp in the season finale against Toronto was the gritty play of Neil to get the Sens that power play. His effort night-in, night-out is always high. I just hope he doesn't sign with the Leafs. YEA (unrealistically)

RW- Ryan Shannon - He's been the revelation of the year, as far as I'm concerned. I'd like to see him permanently on a line with Spezza and Heatley as the "defensively responsible" member of the line, although he would no doubt contribute offensively as well. YEA

RW- Jesse Winchester - Let's face it, with 4 forwards making such a high percentage of the Sens payroll, guys like Winchester are bargains. He can play, but he has his limitations. YEA

By my count, that's 6 NAYs and 19 YEAs.

UPDATE: Choosin' Clouston

2009-04-08T10:38:00.004-04:00

(You can use that, Ottawa Sun, if you want)

Cory Clouston turned around a terrible season for the Senators and compiled a 19-10-3 record while head coach. He's now been signed to a two-year contract to stay in Ottawa and work his magic as head coach. He deserves this tribute:

There once was a man from Bingo
Who was set up with a team of bozos
He told them to stop bitchin
While Murray's trigger finger was itchin'
Now he's gotta buy a condo

Anyone else have a limerick in them?

Some great poetry came out of our comments, and I believe they deserve to be noted:

From Pletch:

Gather 'round and I'll tell you a story,
'Bout a hard-nosed coach named Cory,
He got the Sens turned around,
The old magic they've found,
And next year the team's bound for glory.

From Oman:

There once was an Anonymous troller,
And on every Blog he would holler,
"FIRE MURRAY! FIRE MURRAY!
FIRE MURRAY! FIRE MURRAY!"
Now all he can do is suck it.

...Did I mention he was from Cantuckit?

A haiku from Warren:

Hopeful in Autumn
Terrible 'til Coach Clouston
Then resurrected

Anonymous says...

even without the meszys and reddens
the team was headed to dead ends
they played like shit
looked like they wanted to quit
but somehow wheeled celeb g-friends

and (my favourite because it ends in a word that does not yet exist)

kelly is probly the leanest
neiler is probly the meanest
they werent there quite
clouston made them unite
now ladys be grindin his peanest

Anyone else want to contribute? Throw it in the comments!