Workin' on a dream: Sens 5, Flyers 2

How many good things are going to come out of Binghamton this season? Cory Clouston appears to be making a significant difference in the approach this team takes to their games. Brian Elliott is playing unbelievably well. Brendan Bell is quarterbacking the powerplay like no one else has this season. Ryan Shannon, along with Nick Foligno, is making a second line into an actual second line. Brian Lee is solid defensively, and can move the puck up better than any other defenceman. Is this what a farm team is supposed to offer?

Starting in nets, this game could (and likely would) have been completely different without Elliott. He played out of his mind hockey, stopping 34 of 36 shots including plenty of good opportunities. Ottawa was massively outshot (36 to 23) on the night, but Elliott was up to task. One of the two goals he allowed was off an unfortunate rebound, but his defencemen gave him no help on the play. And Mike Richards scored on a breakaway; anyone could let that guy's shot in.

Of course, Bingo callups didn't do everything for the team. The CASH Line played a large part in the win, as well. Although I didn't get to see the whole thing, Dany Heatley responded to criticism with two goals on four shots and three hits, if you'll believe it. He was named first star as a result. Jason Spezza had a goal and an assist, and Daniel Alfredsson also had one assist.

Secondary scoring kicked in with the rest, with Foligno scoring what turned out to be the game-winner (and what looked like the easiest goal in the world) and Antoine Vermette actually scored, his third in six games, on a solid solo effort cutting to the net (Vermette added an assist, to boot).

So, incredibly, the Senators have now won three in a row (first time this season), and are 3-1-1 under Clouston. Elliott is (knock on wood) undefeated on the road. Still 14 points back of a playoff spot, but it's nice to see some good effort on the ice.

Outgunned: Caps 7, Sens 4

Although captain Daniel Alfredsson came out to play in his 900th NHL game, scoring two goals in the process, his teammates didn't give the same consistent effort. As a result, despite a third-period comeback attempt, the Senators fell short of the Washington Capitals, losing 7-4.

I hope that Brian Elliott realizes that him being pulled half-way through the game wasn't a shot at him, but was a mercy pull to get his teammates to wake up. It's never easy for a goalie to get pulled, and four goals against on 16 shots doesn't look good, but Elliott didn't have much of a chance on the goals: Two early powerplay goals off wicked shots that resulted directly from lost defensive-zone faceoffs, a scramble-goal where Elliott had about a half-dozen guys on top of him, and a strong wrist-shot goal by Alex Ovechkin with Filip Kuba screening Elliott cleanly.

In a statistical peculiarity, Alex Auld will get tagged with the loss because he allowed the game-winning goal. Doesn't seem fair, but whatever.

I think it's safe to say that Kuba's season has hit its low point. (Not to say it can't get lower, but I hope it doesn't.) He came back from the All-Star Game without the comfort and confidence he had at the start of the season, and it showed up tonight. A couple weeks ago in the last game against Washington, Kuba was given the assignment of shutting down Ovechkin, and he did an admirable job. Tonight, though, he gave Ovechkin too much time and space to do his work. So Ovie got a hat trick.

On the plus side, the CASH Line actually looked pretty good overall. Especially Alfredsson, obviously, with his two goals, but Jason Spezza had some good "compete" in his game--finished with one assist, four shots, a hit, and three takeaways to only one giveaway--and Dany Heatley was pretty consistent in his effort, and his one goal was because he didn't give up on a play--he knocked the puck of Caps d-man Tom Poti's stick right into the net, also had an assist, three shots, and actually blocked a couple of shots (although he did take a stupid penalty in the first period that the Sens paid for).

Antoine Vermette scored the Senators' other goal, almost midway through the third off a nice set-up from Chris Kelly.

Chris Neil had a not-so-good game. He took a really stupid penalty to quickly end a Senators powerplay opportunity, couldn't reel in the puck on a break after his penalty, and just didn't look sharp on the night. He can rebound, but it wasn't among his better showings this season.

It's time to shit or get off the pot on the Brendan Bell situation. If we're going to play him in Ottawa, we need to play him--he might not have changed the game tonight, but he certainly would have helped the Sens one-for-six powerplay get a few more shots on net. And if we're just going to keep scratching him, well, we might as well send him to Binghamton and let him dominate down there.

And, I don't know how much longer we'll be able to say it, but we're not playing as poorly as the eight-losses-in-a-row Vancouver Canucks.

Great Dane: Sens 3, Blues 1

Reginn, often Anglicized as Regin, in Norse mythology, was the son of Hreiðmarr and foster father of Sigurd. Regin had all wisdom and deftness of hand. Regin built a house of glittering gold and flashing gems for his father. Regin and his brother, Fafnir, killed Hreidmar for the cursed gold he had received from the gods after they killed his other son, Ótr. Fafnir, however, turned into a dragon because he wanted to keep all of the gold (dragons frequently symbolize greed in European folklore). Fafnir drove Regin away from the gold. Regin lived among men. He taught men how to sow, reap, work metals, sail seas, tame horses, yoke beasts of burden, build houses, spin, weave, & sew.

From Wikipedia

Peter Regin. Sent from on high, as his Norse forefather was so long ago, to teach his fellow Ottawa Senators players how to sow the seeds of hard work, reap the benefits of it, work the metals and graphites of hockey sticks, sail the (very rough) seas of having a weak defence, tame the horse-like wildness of Jason Spezza's giveaways, yoke the beasts of burden that are Jarkko Ruutu, Mike Fisher, and Chris Neil, build houses, spin around defenders, weave through opposition, & sew the fabric that will form the future legacy of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club.

Okay, that may be taking it a bit too far. Still, it's always exciting when a player scores his first NHL goal, especially when that first NHL goal happens to be the game-winner of his third NHL game.

Although I didn't get to see the game, it sounded like Ottawa rebounded well from their terrible game against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday with a solid effort against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. We won the battle of the basement, fellow Sens fans; thank God for small victories.

Dean Brown and Gord Wilson couldn't stop making sweet, sweet word-love to Fisher for his hard-nosed game on the night, and his stats line sure showed a great effort: 2 goals, +2, 7 shots on goal, 4 hits, 20:33 ice time. Nice to see Fisher working hard and actually hitting the net a few times, and getting rewarded for it.

Also, in an unexpected twist, the CASH Line didn't score, but the Sens still won. Daniel Alfredsson had one assist on Fisher's first goal, which was short-handed. As a unit, Alfie, Spezza, and Dany Heatley combined for 11 shots, though, which is the lion's share of the Senators' total on the night (30 shots).

Brian Elliott made 22 saves on 23 shots. Was he tested all that much? I don't know, I didn't get to watch the game. But he only allowed one goal, and gave the Senators the chance to win.

Back-to-back games, and the Sens are back at it Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

And the line juggling begins anew

According to TSN, Craig Hartsburg--in his desperate mission to get his team to wake the shit up--has resorted to the old tactic: Split up the CASH Line. I'm not trying to suggest it's a bad idea, because it's not like they were producing anyway, but it's just so cliché.

He did complement the move, however, with a 12-minute (that's it) bag-skate to try and get their attention. And his reasoning was sound:

"I think the fact for all three of them, and I don't like to talk about money and all that, but they are paid a lot of money," Hartsburg noted. "They should be able to make players around them better and in the past they have counted on the three of them playing together to carry the team. From what I have seen so far that's not going to happen."

He's got to do whatever he can to get things going. Although his complaint was that some players aren't working hard enough, I would argue that a lot of players are working incredibly hard--they just aren't working smart. Daniel Alfredsson is working his ass off, but he's using up so much energy in the defensive end that he's got next to nothing left when they get offensive. Jason Spezza is working as hard as I've ever seen him, but he's not taking shots for himself or taking advantage of the chances he generates. I haven't been impressed with Dany Heatley's play the last few games, so maybe the 'no-work-hard' comments were directed his way, but he's definitely frustrated.

The line combinations didn't include Alfredsson, Jesse Winchester, or Chris Neil, but were as follows in practice (according to TSN's Ice Chips):

Heatley - Kelly - Foligno
Zubov - Fisher - Donovan
Ruutu - Spezza/McAmmond - Vermette

You may notice that the pairing of Ilya Zubov and Mike Fisher stayed together, but were playing with Shean Donovan on the right wing. I think that, if the CASH Line is to be split, let's throw Alfie out there with Zubov so the youngster has someone to set up.

Still, no matter how hard a player is working, the offensive specialists need to score goals. If I could offer my two cents to the situation, I think a benching might be in order. But I'm not talking about a punitive benching, I'm talking constructive benching. Take a player like Antoine Vermette; he's working as hard as ever, but not getting results. It's not because he's somehow lost the skills that he scored 92 goals in the previous four seasons for, it's because he can't catch any breaks, and isn't playing smart. So scratch him for a night, ask him to sit in the press box and take notes on the way the plays are developing, and how/where his teammates would be better suited to be playing.

Explain to the media that it's not an attempt to punish Vermette or to wake him up, because he--along with most of the Senators--already realize that they have to play better and score more. Rather, it's an attempt to give Vermette an idea of the greater scope of the way the team is playing, and hopefully see some simple change that he has to make in his game in order to rediscover his ability to score goals (even if it is only 20 on the season).

Thrashed: Sens 5, Thrashers 1

I guess that's why everyone wanted to re-unite the CASH Line, right Craig Hartsburg? Now that they appear to be used to each other once again, they can score their normal six-points-per-game combined, or more.

Jason Spezza looked good. He had a goal, was strong on the puck, and made some good, smart plays with it. But Dany Heatley was better. He was consistently backchecking hard and forechecking hard, had a goal and two assists, two takeaways (versus only one giveaway), and a blocked shot. Best of all, though, was Daniel Alfredsson (what else is new?). Pierre MacGuire climaxed at Alfie's hockey smarts during his penalty killing, and his all-around play was first-star material (even if he only got second star).

Who needs Antoine Vermette to score when we've got Shean Donovan and Brendan Bell? Okay, you're right, the Senators do, but it's really nice when other depth players chip in, too. Donovan's goal was just speed and control, and a nice shot, and it really does look like he might be playing the best hockey of his career. He had seven shots on the night, more than any other Senator, and his 12:21 in ice time was probably a season-high. As for Bell, whos scored a goal and added an assist, this was definitely his best game offensively for the O-Sens, and he looks like he belongs. His puck control along the blue line is really impressive, and that shot he took to score his powerplay goal was a rocket.

Epic penalty killing in the second period. Six penalties for the Sens, including two five-on-three scenarios and more than four minutes straight in the latter half of the period, and no goals against. It was where Alex Auld looked his best on the night, Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov were behemoths defensively, and Alfie and Vermette ragged the puck and blocked shots. It was an impressive show of gritty desperation, and--most importantly--the system didn't fall apart as it was continually pressured. Powerplay was as good as it's been all year, too, and went 2-for-3 on the night.

And it's starting to look like Filip Kuba has got his groove back. After 14 points in 13 games to start the season, he had one point (a goal) in the following eight. He's now got three assists in his last two games, and Orlando Bean (Orlando Bloom mixed with Mr. Bean? Anyone?) has 20 points in 23 games this year.

Jesse Winchester more than doubled his penalty minutes on the year with his two fights during the game. Where did that come from? He's had an edge to his play for the last couple games, throwing some hits and now a couple of fights, and I like it. He's not scoring like a top-six forward, but he's definitely playing like an NHLer. Cody Bass had a fight, too, and fared a bit better than Winchester did. (Check out the blog Thursday morning for a Fight Card of the night.)

Ice-time disparity watch: Mike Fisher led the Sens' forwards in ice time with 20:19, but that's got a lot to do with his time on the point during the powerplay. Lowest ice time was Cody Bass with 7:11, and it really looks like Hartsburg is interested in rolling four lines to balance the attack and keep the top line from wearing out. It might have something to do with playing the Atlanta Thrashers, but it's still an interesting note.

Line shuffling

CASH Line stays together, everything else is different. Ryan Shannon is back in the lineup. Dean McAmmond is still injured. Chris Neil's rehab is progressing, and he might be good to go on Saturday. Christoph Schubert will play defence because Alex Picard is still out. Alex Auld is starting again.

The lines are almost all different:

Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson

Vermette-Fisher-Donovan

Winchester-Kelly-Foligno

Ruutu-Bass-Shannon

Isles 4, Sens 2: Someone remind them they're the Islanders

I didn't see the Sens/Isles game on Saturday. Normally I would be disappointed at having to miss the game, but I think I'm glad I didn't have to watch it. You can only see the Sens underperform and lose to the New York Islanders before you want to trade rosters. It must have been the decision not to wear the new black jerseys.

The game started out with some sweet passing that hearkened back to the CASH Line of old, as Dany Heatley scored with assistance from Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson. The Islanders replied with three goals, including two from Freddie Meyer, before Alfredsson scored (assisted by Heatley and Filip Kuba) to make it a one-goal game.

The Sens only had 21 shots, including five from Heatley and nine from the CASH Line overall. According to NHL.com, Jesse Winchester led the team in hits with seven (career night!).

It's over now. Just beat the Thrashers on Wednesday, alright Ottawa? Thanks.

Roster note: The B-Sens are getting three regulars back today as forwards Cody Bass and Zack Smith and defenceman Brian Lee were all re-assigned. That probably means that the injuries to Dean McAmmond, Shean Donovan, and Alex Picard aren't overly serious (knock on wood).

CASH Line reunited, and other roster notes

From the Ottawa Sun (via Sens Chirp) here are the roster combinations for tonight's game against the New York Rangers:

Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson
Vermette-Kelly-Winchester
Ruutu-Fisher-Foligno
Zubov-McAmmond-Donovan

Phillips-Volchenkov
Kuba-Picard
Smith-Bell

Craig Hartsburg has swallowed his pride and decided to do what many have been calling for for weeks--reunite the CASH Line. I wasn't one of the people calling for it, but right now I'll settle for anything that might work. And tonight we will see if it will work.

I guess that 'offensive players in offensive roles' idea was short-lived, as Ilya Zubov--an offensive player by any measure--is now relegated to fourth-line play despite a solid season debut. It might actually be better for him, though, because both Dean McAmmond and Shean Donovan are speedy and consistent, and they might work well with one another.

I'm not sure what to think of the second and third lines; I guess you could call one line 2A and the other line 2B. I would think that Jarkko Ruutu-Mike Fisher-Nick Foligno will be more of a checking line, but Antoine Vermette-Chris Kelly-Jesse Winchester won't have much offensive flair unless Vermette makes some miracles, Winchester starts taking offensive chances, and Kelly picks up his game.

On defence, Christoph Schubert is a healthy scratch while Brendan Bell draws into the lineup. (As an aside, our recent number of callups from Binghamton really hurt the B-Sens last night, as they lost 9-0 to Hershey.) We'll see how Bell does, but he did well enough in the pre-season and won't likely see much ice time outside of the powerplay. And it will be nice to have an actual powerplay quarterback, even if he is a second- (or third-)tier QB, on the point.

In nets, we will naturally see Alex Auld start. No big surprise there.

CASH in the bank: Sens 3 Habs 1

Mark it down, fellow Sens fans. It took just over one game before new Sens coach Craig Hartsburg gave up on the 'spreading the offence' idea and re-united the CASH Line of Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, and Jason Spezza. And, once again, it worked in sparking the Sens to come back from a 1-0 deficit and beat the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 3-1.

I have a feeling that after watching Alfredsson play like he was 10 years younger gave Hartsburg all the proof he needed that the reunion would work. Alfie had a whale of a game, turning pucks over, forechecking hard, and just playing the 'accountable, responsible, blue-collar' game that Hartsburg is trying to build into the team culture. When the captain buys in and leads buy example, others are usually to follow. Heatley seems to be buying in, and he's been playing a more responsible game so far this season--it brings to mind the game he played in this summer's world championships.

Last night, however, demonstrated the incredible frustration that comes with watching Jason Spezza. He played his typical game: pretty soft on the puck, quick to concede battles in the corners or along the boards, throwing blind passes into the slot (and, inevitably, down the ice back into the Senators' end), and trying to deke through players instead of around them. He was only tagged with one giveaway, but he lost the puck a bunch of times. But then he makes an incredible play like the 120' pass he made to spring Alfredsson on a breakaway, and that's all anyone will be talking about the next day. Hence the frustration.

Why did the CASH Line reunion work? Well, it was mostly the inspiration that comes with watchign your three best players dominate on the ice, I think. But it was also the play of the second and third lines, who scored the other two goals on the night. Nick Foligno continues to impress, and scored a beautiful goal--while falling down--on Habs goalie Marc Denis. Foligno is proving why he's been slotted to play second-line minutes, and definitely looks like he'll be a valuable asset to the Sens. Chris Neil did take a stupid penalty early on in the game, but he settled into his normal hard-checking role later on, and was rewarded for his efforts with a pretty nice garbage goal while taking punishment in front of the net. The Sens' fourth line was also effective, and although Dean McAmmond, Shean Donovan, and Zack Smith didn't get on the scoresheet, they played good, hard hockey and got some good pressure on the Habs.

The Sens' defence, thankfully, was stronger than it was in Friday's 5-0 loss. Although the Habs were missing some (okay, most) firepower, the Sens still held them to 19 shots, and Martin Gerber kept his head on pretty well. He probably should have stopped the one Habs' goal, which was just a straight shot that beat him, but Chris Phillips shouldn't have pinched to create the 2-on-1 that led to the goal.

The powerplay has to be a huge concern for Hartsburg. The Sens' tried Alfredsson with Filip Kuba on the point with Heatley, Spezza, and Jesse Winchester on forward, but nothing doing. The Sens' are now a pathetic 1-26 (I believe) on the powerplay in the preseason. It underlines the urgency in GM Bryan Murray's quest to find a puck-moving offensive defenceman, because even if the Sens make it through the regular-season without one, you need a good powerplay in the playoffs.

The penalty kill was at least solid for the Sens. The Sens used four pairs of solid killers last night, Alfredsson and Chris Kelly, Jarkko Ruutu and Cody Bass, Donovan and McAmmond, and Heatley and Spezza. Each pairing did a great job, and at least that can take a load off Hartsburg's mind while he tries to figure out the powerplay.

In the headlines: Kuba, Corvo, Elliott, Zubov, and the CASH Line

Just some quick hits on Sens (and former Sens) headlines from the last little while:

As reported in the National Post, apparently Filip Kuba had a no-trade clause in his contract (and I guess he still does, I hope Bryan Murray doesn't want to trade him), but didn't feel it would "make any sense" to use it. The owners of Tampa Bay have really made a stir, and I don't think it's a good thing. It was well-documented that Dan Boyle wasn't happy with his exit from Tampa Bay, and now it comes about that Kuba didn't really want to leave, either, but felt he didn't have a choice--despite the fact that the club signed him to a contract offering that choice. Pretty shitty thing to do, if you ask me, and a great way to build a toxic environment between players and owners. The biggest reason he wanted to play for Tampa seemed to be the opportunity to play in front of friends and family in his native Czech Republic, but I think that novelty will fade as the Bolts fall in the standings and the Sens rise to the top (knock on wood).

It was also briefly mentioned in a Bruce Garrioch story in the Ottawa Sun that Joe Corvo is once again being shopped around, apparently due to his "baggage". It's a little weird since Corvo is a solid offensive defenceman (he's 18th in the league in points from D over the last three years), and his contract is a bargain. You've got to wonder why Carolina would be looking to move him already, after only half a season (and a pretty good half, too, with 7G and 14A [21P] in 23 games, highlighted by a three-goal night against the Senators in March).

Goaltending prospect Brian Elliott found out in the rookie squad's 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers rookie team that his knee has healed nicely, according to the Ottawa Citizen. Got to be good news for Binghamton Senators fans, and maybe he'll build some competition for our two NHL goaltenders.

I've read a few times that Ilya Zubov is really looking impressive this year. I'm not sure the sources, but he's apparently stayed in Ottawa over the summer rather than returning to Russia, training with local NHLers, including Chris Neil, and is in great shape. Although it will be tough for him to crack the NHL lineup (so many forwards... ), he's been quoted as being prepared for another year of conditioning in the AHL if necessary. Read about it in the National Post or the Slam! Sports, or the Ottawa Sun.

Craig Hartsburg confirmed how he's breaking up the CASH Line, at least for the start of training camp, to the Sun today. Apparently Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley will remain together, filled out with another winger (likely to be Jesse Winchester to start), and Daniel Alfredsson will play on the second line, likely with Mike Fisher, and Antoine Vermette's got to be up there somewhere.

What to do with Alfredsson, Spezza, and Heatley

Sportsnet's Ian Mendes published a story on Monday about the CASH Line, and how--although Craig Hartsburg hasn't said what he'll be doing--both Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza expect that their line, usually filled out with Dany Heatley, will be split up to start the season.

The reasoning is obvious: By spreading out the most potent offensive threats into two lines, the Senators become a more difficult team to play against because their stars can't be easily targeted. It's difficult for any team to shut down the CASH Line completely, and I'd say the only team to really do so effectively were the 2007 Anaheim Ducks. Still, the fact remains that much of the Sens' scoring prowess has been heavily concentrated in that top line, and if falls off pretty quickly.

The Sens do have other offensive weapons. Antoine Vermette is a solid offensive player with tremendous defensive awareness, and his point totals have consistently climped to a career-high 53 points (24G, 29A) in 81 games last year. He should get plenty of second-line time this year to set a new career-high. After seeing his numbers fall off a bit last season, more will be expected from Mike Fisher, and he likely expects more from himself. Finally, many people are saying Nick Foligno has the abilities to be a point-producer in the NHL, so he should get the chance this season with a full year in the NHL.

Assuming the CASH Line is to be split up, there are four possibilites (and be sure to vote for your choice in the poll that is in the left info bar):

1. Keep Spezza and Heatley together
2. Keep Spezza and Alfie together
3. Keep Alfie and Heatley together
4. Spread them onto three different lines

I don't think the fourth option is really going to be tried, so I'll cross that off the list right now. That leaves three more possibilities.

Spezza and Heatley have obvious chemistry, and their point totals prove that. They play off each other's abilities, with Spezza setting up Heatley once he's gotten himself into a shooting position, and Heatley letting one of his one-timers rip. One problem with this is that Heatley changes his game when he plays with Spezza (and he has admitted as much, if I recall correctly), concentrating more on getting open and less on a puck-possession game that could make him more effective defensively. It also leaves Alfredsson as the offensive fulcrum of the other line, subjecting his 35-year-old body to the physical punishments of that role. It's not a point that is dealt with often, but Alfredsson's health has to be an issue of concern as he gets into the twilight of his career.

Secondly would be keeping Spezza with Alfredsson. This maintains the two puck-possession experts from the current CASH Line, and they would be filled out by a winger who would have to be able to turn pucks over and finish plays. It would allow the two to excercise some of their chemistry, and may allow Alfredsson to score more goals by setting up for passes from Spezza. Finding a suitable left-winger for this line would be difficult, though; Vermette is not suited to what would be asked of him, and Jarkko Ruutu is probably not skilled enough offensively to make it work.

The final option would be my preference, and I would try it were I given the head coaching job with the Senators. Alfredsson and Heatley have some chemistry, even if they may not be the soulmates that Spezza and Heatley apparently are. When Heatley is playing his hard, possessional, forechecking game--the one that made him so effective with Rick Nash and Ryan Getzlaf in this summer's world championships--his performance is at its finest. Alfredsson wouldn't be the premiere skilled player on the line, so he'd be comfortable in not being overly targeted by defencemen. And the centreman could be Vermette, if you're looking for an offensive player with defensive abilities, or even Chris Kelly, if you're looking for a defensive player with offensive abilities.

However it happens, the individual players may not do as well offensively than they would as members of the CASH Line. I do believe that they are more than simply the sum of their parts. For the greater good of spreading the offensive production and adding more defensive responsibility, though, splitting up the CASH Line could very well help the Senators' bottom line.

The Sens in the THN 2008-09 Yearbook

I just received my copy of The Hockey News' 2008-09 Yearbook. Naturally, the cover (of our Ontario edition, anyway) is blue and white, with a giant Leafs photo and a huge feature on whether or not Vesa Toskala has what it takes to carry the Leafs on his back. Really small in the corner, though, is a photo of Dany Heatley advertising a feature on the Sens' spontaneous combustion last year, and whether or not the internal leadership has what it takes to restore the team to its rightful place atop the Eastern Conference.

As a matter of fact, I'm pretty pleased with the Senators content in this year's yearbook, and the story is a good read for fans--probably even worth the cover price. The Sens' first appearance is in the annual Top 50 ranking, which features Dany Heatley (10), Daniel Alfredsson (12), and Jason Spezza (34). Other than Detroit (who have three in the top 6) Anaheim (who have four in the top 30), and Pittsburgh, Ottawa is the only team with three players in the top 34. The most interesting commentary is about Spezza, reminding him that while he's proven as a regular-season performer, he's got to make sure the scoring keeps up in the playoffs.

Then there's what we've all been waiting for, the Sens' feature. It touches on a lot of factors that people--including myself--assumed to allow for the Sens' fall from grace, including overplaying the Sens big three and distractions or a lack of leadership in the locker room. The story, by Ken Campbell, seeks to answer what the hell happened, and whether or not Bryan Murray and Craig Hartsburg will be able to fix the problems for this upcoming season. It raises, but fails to answer, whether or not Heatley and Spezza can be leaders on the team, and whether Martin Gerber can answer the critics and play well in nets. It's still a solid read (and no, I'm not getting any kickbacks from THN. I'll even say you should borrow it from a friend, if you don't believe me.).

And I won't ruin the speculations that the THN panel made, except to say this: Ottawa is predicted to make a playoff spot for the eleventh straight season.

Sens poised to surpass expectations: The Hockey News

According to THN.com blogger Rory Boylen, the Senators' could be one of a few teams poised to surprise a few people this season by performing better than expected. (In my opinion, it can't be too hard to surpass the expectations that have been set after last season, but that's another post.) From Boylen's blog:

They [the Sens] shed the character that was quite often pointed to as the reason for the decline in Ray Emery and a defenseman who many felt had worn out his welcome and usefulness on the Ottawa blueline in Wade Redden. After all that, they still have one of the best lines in the game, a blueline that makes up for a lack of recognizable names with tough, effective shutdown play and a goalie in Martin Gerber who gets no respect, despite having a career full of respectable numbers.

--THN.com

Now, he also picked Florida and Columbus to surpass expectations, but one out of three isn't too bad. Say what you will about pitting the blame on Emery, the fact that Ottawa's for the CASH line intact, a very defensive-minded defence-by-committee, and an influx of grittiness with Jason Smith and Jarkko Ruutu, it's still a solid roster on paper. And I maintain that Gerber is a bona fide starting goaltender in this league, even if Ben and a number of other pundits disagree with me.

CASH line reunited

As reported in the Globe and Mail, Bryan Murray's search for answers has gone back to the old, reliable answer: reunite the CASH Line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley.

We're all hoping it will work for the Sens, because the team--and especially Spezza and Heatley--needs something to get them going.

I'm not certain it will do much, though. Neither one of Spezza nor Heatley have had much luck to date in the playoffs, and although they've showed a little bit of emotion at times, there has been barely anything in the way of offensive output. Putting Alfredsson, still a dynamic player, but hindered by injuries that are obviously still bothering him, might provide an emotional boost, but emotions are already running pretty high for everyone.

Past experience has shown that when reunited, these guys can definitely work off each other to make things happen. There's a lot riding on whether or not they can get back to that magic, so here's to hoping they score tonight.

I'm predicting eight goals. Each.

(P.S. The author of the story, Roy MacGregor, said the name 'CASH Line' was so-named "because they take up most of the Senators' payroll", which is erroneous. For anyone who doesn't know, it's an acronym: Captain Alfredsson, Spezza, Heatley. Just for the record.)

Who needs secondary scoring? Sens 6 Habs 1

In the 13 games that either Dany Heatley or Daniel Alfredsson--or both--were injured, I'd forgotten how much the Senators' CASH line could dominate a game. Just 22 seconds into Saturday night's game against Montreal, I was reminded. And then, just over a minute later, another reminder. And then again three minutes after that. You get the picture. By the time the fat lady sang (the national anthem in Vancouver; at least it looked like a fat lady), the Sens had absolutely massacred the Canadiens 6-1, and (more importantly, some would say) won me $5 from a friend.

Jason Spezza looked incredible, and scored his first career hat trick plus three assists to bring himself within two points of the NHL scoring lead. Alfredsson scored twice plus three assists, to tie Alexander Ovechkin for the league-lead with 73 points (additionally, Alfie's scored 14 points in his last three games; not too shabby). Heater scored once, added three assists, and now has seven points in the two games since returning from his shoulder injury. When all was said and done, the line had combined for all six goals, nine assists, they were +12, and had 12 of Ottawa's 29 shots. Simply amazing.

Alongside the heroic story of the CASH line reuniting was a pretty darn good game for Ray Emery. Don't let the 6-1 score fool you, this game could have been close. Rayzor came up big with some key saves to keep the Sens pouring on the offence, stopping 33 of the Habs' 34 by the end of the night. Say what you will about John Paddock's "win and you're in" philosophy, it seems to have brought the best out of Emery--even if it took a few games. I guess it's this kind of play that makes his off-ice shenanigans a little more palatable.

Also Lost in the Flood (Bruce Springsteen reference; great song) of goals was a decent game by Wade Redden. Maybe Bryan Murray should ask him if he'll waive his no-trade clause before every game, so Reds will get pissed, play well, and kick some young kid's ass. Especially notable about that fight was that, despite the fact that Redden smoked Sergei Kostitsyn with an uppercut, he only suffered a two-minute minor penalty. To quote Kenny Wu of Mighty Ducks 2 fame, "Two minutes? Well worth it."

There were Ottawa two points NOT scored by the big line: Anton Volchenkov and Joe Corvo each had one assist. Defensively, Volchenkov blocked five freakin' shots. Offensively, Corvo's assist was the hundredth of his career. Both had good games.

Bizarro Sens - 4-3 OT win over T-Bay

This might be a first. Usually the Sens are losing and then the coach would reunite the CASH line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley to get the team back in the game... against Tampa Bay on Saturday, it was the opposite. After CASH was on for Tampa's first two goals and the Sens were down 2-0 quickly, John Paddock bumped Alfie down to the second line with Mike Fisher and Randy Robitaille, which brought the Sens back into the game. It's like the bizarro world in Superman.

Dean McAmmond lucked out when the CASH line was dismantled, and I've got to agree with Don Brennan (not something I say very often) that D-Mac should be a good fit there. Unfortunately after three shifts with those guys he had to leave due to the flu, but hopefully Paddock gives him another chance because Deaner'd be great there. (I never try and hide my pro-McAmmond bias.)

After McAmmond had to leave, Antoine Vermette got a shot at first-line play, and he looked like he relished the opportunity. He was all over, and looked like a nice fit. He'd work out well there, also. Ropes Robitaille continued his streak of one two-goal game a month, and scored the Sens' first and second goals to get the team back in the game. As for Fisher, he had a hell of a game, scoring the game-winner in overtime and notching an assist to boot. The Sens' other goal was Heatley's 25th; he's halfway to 50 at the exact halfway point of the season.

Live blog: Sens 3 Bruins 2

First Period:

Decent period. Good first half, not-as-good second half.

In the last few blogs, I've been pretty hard on Randy Robitaille, and I think it's been with good reason. It's only fair, however, to point when when he plays well, and he did so in the first period. He actually won battles, threw a small hit or two, and set up some plays. He had a pretty bad giveaway, but I was pleased all-in-all.
Props to Martin Gerber. He faced 12 shots, including three breakaways, and the only goal he allowed was on a Chuck Kobasew breakaway, and I can hardly blame The Gerber for that one. If he keeps playing as he is, the rest of the team needs to step it up on his behalf.

It must be pretty frustrating to be Daniel Alfredsson right now. By no fault of his own, he's been demoted to the second line to toil with lesser-skilled players, and he's the only reason that second line is generating any pressure right now. Antoine Vermette and especially Chris Kelly really need to step it up if they want to show they deserve some respect as more than role-playing forwards.

On Boston's side, Alex Auld hasn't looked stupendous in nets, but he's made a few saves. One of the most underrated prospects in the league must be Milan Lucic; ever since his play as captain of the Canadian squad in the Super Series against Russia, I've loved this guy's play, and he's had a good game so far. And, of course, Zdeno Chara is dominant.

Second period:

Why isn't anyone shooting the puck? Ottawa got nine shots in the second, but should probably have twice that many if the players would shoot when they're in the zone instead of trying to continually set other guys up. Auld is playing well, but he can't stop them all, fellas; get pucks to the net.

Big Luke! Luke Richardson scored his first of the season. Awesome. Probably the best or at least most surprisingly effective off-season acquisition is now not only being the defensive stalwart this team needs him to be. He's thrown three hits--more than anyone else in the game so far--and has pinched a couple of times effectively. After receiving a beauty pass from Kelly and then sending another one to Vermette, he got the rebound and buried it. Awesome. Even if that's the only goal he scores all year, it's a bonus. And he's already one ahead of Bill Muckalt.

How effective is Chris Neil if all he's going to do is take penalties? His job is to draw penalties, not get called for them. In the last 5 games and two periods tonight, he's got 19 minutes (seven minors and one major) in penalties and two assists. Not really a good trade-off, Neiler. He's also got to work on his physical game, because his timing seems completely off.

Ropes has been demoted. And Brian McGrattan hasn't seen a shift since the first period. I can't say I'm surprised about either; Robitaille had a good first, but slowed down, and this isn't the kind of game Grats is really suited for.

Third period:

Great finish. Who makes it close? Lucic. I see pretty good things for that very big and very young prospect.

For the second time in three games, Jason Spezza finishes with two goals, and continues the search for his first career NHL hat trick. With six goals and thirteen points in the last six games, Spetzky has really stepped it up. As has Dany Heatley, whose one assist gives him nine points in the five games.

Alfie looked quite relieved to be back on the CASH line, and it showed on the score sheet. He demonstrated why it's no less effective to have that line together than to break it up, because that line is all but unstoppable when they're together.

The Gerber played well again and made saves when he had to, stopping 26 of 28 shots he faced. The winning streak extends to six games, and Ottawa plays in Atlanta Thursday night.

Spezza's out for Thursday

Jason Spezza pulled his groin in practice over the break, and is highly doubtful for Thursday's game. So we'll see the CASH line broken up for the first time this season.

One question that comes to mind: If not for the terrible scheduling from the NHL, would Spezza's injury still have occured? If the team were playing more games Spezza would be in better game-shape, but the fact of the matter is that Spezza has been riddled with minor injuries throughout his career. He's missed games from hip, chest, knee, and now back injuries since 2005.

Most people remember what happened last year when Spezza missed 14 games in January; Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson picked up and moved on, and the Senators turned a corner on the season and started winning games consistently. People were questioning the worth or necessity of keeping Spezza if the team was doing better without him, but he caught on quickly and was a contributing member of the team when he came back.

Spezza is day-to-day and likely won't miss much action, but what will happen on the top line? Randy Robitaille practiced with Heatley and Alfredsson, but it's not for sure he'll be there come game time. As you can see in the game tracker (unless I've changed it), I think Antoine Vermette would look good up there, but his play with Chris Kelly makes it difficult to split those two up. Dean McAmmond, who will play his first game of the season returning from his concussion/shoulder/head injury, would look good on the top line except he's probably not totally ready for it yet.

I guess we'll see who plays there, but Atlanta played well against Montreal on Tuesday so the Sens have to expect a much different Thrasher team than their 4-8 record shows.

Sigh... another win for Ottawa...

I'm just kidding, these wins will never get old.

In what was the first game I was able to watch in its entirety--I missed the first three thanks to unfortunately-timed classes and weddings/wedding preparations--I was treated to a strong performance. Well, a strong two periods, anyway... that third period wasn't quite as strong.

You know who played well all game? Martin Gerber. Good for you, Gerbinator, make it as hard as you can for Bryan Murray to decide what to do once Ray Emery comes back from his injury. And for the record, I hope you are actually expecting a new Sens-themed mask, because I love it when goalies get new masks.

Also, no matter what Ben says, Andrej Meszaros has improved since last year. While Wade Redden has also improved, there were a few moments where Meszaros bailed him out--although Reds bailed out Mesz a few times, too, so they're even.

You know who impressed me most, though? Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette. What an incredible synergy these two have... my goodness. And somehow Chris Neil almost manages to keep up with them when they're in the same line, forming perhaps Ottawa's most consistent and certainly the most energetic line in tonight's game. These two will also not make Murray's off-season very easy.

You know who was alright? Luke Richardson. Not nearly as slow as I would have thought, and he played over 12 minutes of ice time without a mistake that I remember.

Oh yeah, and the CASH line did alright. Three assists for Jason Spezza, a goal and an assist for both Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson. Not a bad night, I guess.

Also, I'm sure Sens fans can forgive me for cheering when Karel Rachunek got an assist. I liked him when he was here, and was devastated when we traded him for *shudder* Greg deVries. Maybe we'll re-sign him if we have to move Joe Corvo this off-season--although I like Corvo, too.

So, 4-0 to start the season. Not too shabby.

Senators of Ottawa will settle the roster of team!

*Written in English and translated to Russian and back to English in honour of Ottawa's two Russian prospects, Ilya Zubov and Alexander Nikulin. Here's hoping you're with the Ottawa Senators soon enough.*

On October 1st, Senators of Ottawa club of hockey have chosen the final roster for the team, appointing five players on their branch of insignificant league in Binghamton. Defenders Brian Lee and Larry Nycholat just as forwards Denis Hamel (the not big surprise there), Ilya Zubov, and Alexander Nikulin all will go.

That it means, draft-choice in volume 2006 of the project, Nick Foligno, earned a spot of the roster during a season, and good for him. I imagine, that he will play on third- or the fourth-line, or if he does show some offensive skill then can be advanced for a second- or even a role of the first-line. It also means, that Luke Richardson will play as the seventh defender of Ottawa, and that Christoph Schubert could play very well be starting defenceman to begin a season.

Unfortunately, two strong Russian prospects of Ottawa, Zubov and Nikulin, both withdraw to the farm. Apparently Nikulin has chosen not his contract to return to Russia, and will report to Binghamton. On blog of Nikulin, he has told, that he expected to make the team of Ottawa:

"To tell the truth, I counted on spot in the basic roster. Also, I consider, I can benefit Senators."

-Alexander Nikulin

It is probable, that Russians sent to Binghamton for some reasons:

1. To study English language.
2. Further to adapt to North American game.
3. As there was only one spot of the roster, holding Nikulin and Zubov--as two friend Russians--on the same team together possibly will help their progress.
4. The senior Senators require the help of depth, not such big help with grace and scoring.
5. Binghamton really requires the help of a scorer.

On defence, should be disappointed is Nycholat. He had decent educational-training camp, but only it was so difficult to crack the defence list of Ottawa that there was no room for him. Probably that, as he must clear waivers, Nycholat will have an opportunity to play on other team of NHL. Lee was first-round choice in 2005 draft of Ottawa, and the majority of people doubted that he is able to make defence of Ottawa consisting of all-stars already.

“I feel that I have played pretty well when I was here. It would be desirable, and hopefully they are able to call to me if someone will be injured or something as this."

-Brian Lee (in English, then Russian, then English again)

Apparently the line of CASH--Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, and Jason Spezza--it is reunited (and it feels so good) for the beginning a season. I do not know why, but it matters not. John Paddock is primary coach, and I am simply a fanatic.