Richardson retires, will likely move into coaching

After going unclaimed on waivers, Luke Richardson has decided that it's time to hang up the skates for good, and is expected to move forward in some coaching capacity with the Ottawa Senators. Although nothing has been confirmed, Richardson has had conversation with Sens GM Bryan Murray about the move, and it seems like a certainty that he'll get some bench-boss job with Ottawa. (I called it.)

I'm certain there are going to be fans who think that Richardson should have called it a career before this season started--and even those who thing last year was one too many--but he's done well for the Senators. He did more than was expected last season, and the Sens had nothing to lose when they invited for a tryout and then, after a solid tryout (he outplayed Alex Picard, Brian Lee, Brendan Bell, and Christoph Schubert in training camp) re-signed him to a two-way contract. It's not even like he cost the Sens very much, as his cap hit will come down from the $500k NHL salary he signed, and it gave the Senators the opportunity to bring a knowledgeable long-time NHL veteran into the organization, possibly for years to come.

I can see Richardson stepping into one of two roles: Either as an 'eye-in-the-sky', watching the game from the press box and calling down with things he's noticed from above. Or he'll be a defensive coach with developing defensive prospects, which the Senators suddenly have quite a few of--Picard, Lee, Tomas Kudelka, Mattias Karlsson, Ben Blood, Eric Gryba, Erik Karlsson, Patrick Wiercoch, and Mark Borowiecki. Sure, some of those projects are probably finished (cough*KUDELKA*cough) and some won't work out, but having someone with the experience Richardson has sure won't hurt their development.

Jeremy Milks over at Black Aces was the first to ask what would happen to Richardson's moustache, grown in solidarity with his fellow players to ease the tension during their losing streak, now that he's retired. I, for one, think he should keep it. Not only because he looks awesome (read: hilarious), but also because he's expected to be a player's coach, so it's only fitting that he acts like on of the players.

Whatever happens to Richardson or the Richardstache, I wish him (and it) the best of luck.

Richardson placed on waivers

According to an official Sens press release, veteran defenceman Luke Richardson was put on waivers today. Should Big Luke clear waivers, he will likely be assigned to Binghamton.

If I had to bet, I'd suggest that this is a housekeeping move to clear cap space. Given that Brendan Bell has given every appearance of being a capable NHL defenceman, and that both Christoph Schubert and Brian Lee are likely ahead of Richardson on the depth chart (and there may be other defenceman that are ahead of him, as well), the Sens are looking to take advantage of the two-way contract they have Richardson on.

Although this is conjecture, I doubt Richardson will get picked up by any teams, nor will he report to Bingo. He may simply retire, and the Sens will pay him his AHL salary and give him a front-office job as the eye-in-the-sky or defensive coach. But that's pure speculation at this point.

Is this a sign of an impending trade? Maybe, but time will tell. It appears just to be housekeeping at this point.

Turns out Chris Neil is funny

After listening to Chris Neil speak in post-game interviews, I never really expected he was very good at chirping. I sort of just assumed he would say something to the tune of, "You know, ummm, we just go out there and give it our all, you know, and your mom is stupid, you know." Turns out he was good enough to get under the Sabres' Adam Mair skin, drawing mair down the hallway towards the Sens dressing room. Funny comment from Neil, from the Calgary Sun (Although Bruce Garrioch wrote it):

"I heard about it," said Neil, who has a long history with Mair. "Maybe he was trying to take a 10-game suspension because he's already had two of those. He obviously doesn't like getting paid. I wish I had been here. He was mad because I was chirping at him."

Surprisingly hilarious. Between him and Jarkko Ruutu, the Sens are pretty darn pesterrific, by the sounds of things. Plus, according to the guys on Over the Edge this morning, Luke Richardson was outside the dressing room giving Mair some undisclosed advice. I haven't seen the clip yet (it was apparently on camera), but hopefully I will tonight.

Weak: Sens 1, Panthers 3

That was a frustrating game. It's no longer inconsistency between games for the Senators; it's now inconsistency within one game. You've got to wonder how a team can come within a couple shots of a franchise worst shots-for (3 shots, with the record being 1) in the first period (especially after being reamed by their head coach), and then set a franchise best in shots (26) in the third period, a stat the guys on TEAM 1200 mentioned. It really makes you wonder.

I'm not going to try to defend Martin Gerber tonight. Contrary to his effort against Detroit, he didn't do anything to keep his team in the game tonight. The first goal was bad luck, and he had two or three players sitting almost on top of him, but it was stoppable. The second goal was inexcusable; it was a rocket by Nathan Horton, granted, but all Gerber had to do was stand up and play positionally and it would have bounced harmlessly to the corner. The third goal was certainly stoppable, too, even if Cory Stillman was allowed to walk out of the corner right on Gerber. It's going to be hard to win any game with that kind of goaltending.

Beyond goaltending, though, there are problems with this team. One is the work ethic, with different players showing up to play on different nights, resulting in a dysfunctional game. Craig Hartsburg is trying desperately to change this, but this team will be in trouble if his 'accountability' tactics don't work.

A bigger in-game problem, however, is the defenceman: The corps as a whole has become much slower than in recent years, and is rarely able to get pucks cleanly up to forwards. The finesse players on our team are effective when they have the puck, but if every pass is rimmed around the boards, it's pretty easy for opposition players to read and react to that. Bringing Luke Richardson in tonight didn't help mobility, speed, or offensive abilities; questionable move, to be certain. Still, despite Filip Kuba's ongoing assist-streak (six games now!), and Alexandre Picard's potential (potential some people might wonder about after his giveaway tonight), this group definitely needs some help. Big time. I'm not sure how soon Bryan Murray might be able to work out a trade to acquire a player of this calibre, because they're hardly dime-a-dozen, but the sooner the better for this team.

Back to this game in particular: Some individuals looked pretty good. Obviously, good on Kuba to continue his point streak. Antoine Vermette responded to some recent criticism (at least within the blogosphere) by playing a solid game, and leading the Sens with seven shots on net. Although Picard had that one very, very terrible gaffe, he played pretty well on the powerplay and was tied for second on the team in shots (5). Daniel Alfredsson was his standard Alfie, and also had five shots on net.

The line of Jesse Winchester, Nick Foligno, and Jason Spezza looked like it might have something if Hartsburg's willing to give them some more time. Winchester's puck control and ability to work along the boards will have to pay off sooner or later. Foligno took two penalties, both as a result of his high-level of intensity in the game--there aren't penalties you like, but those are penalties you can live with. I was especially impressed with Spezza, who demonstrated some good physicality, a willingness to battle, and he had a few takeaways (although only given credit for one). He responded, and hopefully he keeps it up. Counter that with Dany Heatley, though, who was lacking a certain panache tonight. If they could both get going, and both their lines could get going, then this team would be in a much better situation.

How aggravating is it to see Stillman, who the Sens had every chance to re-sign (I think), score a goal and an assist for the Panthers tonight? At about $3.5M per year, he's really not that expensive, either. Might have been tough to swallow the three-year length, but it sure would have been nice on a night like tonight.

I don't know what to think. Maybe after seeing Alex Auld on Friday I'll have a better idea; I wonder if Gerber is running out of chances with Hartsburg. He's already run out of chances with most Sens fans. I'm hoping Shean Donovan draws back in, because it must be frustrating for Dean McAmmond playing on a line with two brick houses in Chris Neil and Christoph Schubert. Plus he's actually playign the kind of game Hartsburg is asking people to play, so benching him kind of sends the wrong message.

Lee sent to Binghamton, Richardson draws in

The Senators' announced today that Brian Lee is headed back to Binghamton. As a result, Luke Richardson will be the Sens' sixth defenceman.

While I am a little surprised by the move, I don't think it's a bad one. Lee hasn't looked quite as comfortable this season as he was at the end of last year, and there is little doubt that he will benefit from some more seasoning in the AHL. It's also a huge boon for the B-Sens, who were already benefitting from tremendous goaltending and will now get a solid mobile defenceman to add to their corps.

Lee may have been a victim of his two-way contract, because every other Senators has an NHL deal. He did look out of place at times, and Alex Picard was slightly more impressive, but the Sens have a lot more invested in Lee.

I'm curious to see how this affects the makeup of the defence corps. The Sens will now have four defenceman who are seriously limited in their offensive abilities--Richardson, Chris Phillips, Anton Volcehnkov, and Jason Smith, and only two reasonably mobile, puck-moving defenceman--Picard and Filip Kuba. What the heck will our second powerplay unit look like?

EDIT: What the shit? Turns out that I missed something in the same release from the Sens: Shean Donovan is sitting out, and Christoph Schubert is in on the fourth line. I guess that a goal and two assists in barely five minutes a night for Donovan isn't good enough, while Chris Neil can dance around doing nothing and stay in the lineup.

Sens re-sign Richardson

The Sens' also signed D Luke Richardson to a one-year, two-way contract on Saturday, according to CBC. I thought Richardson looked alright during his tryout in training camp, although not tremendous. He is not the kind of defenceman Ottawa needs, though, and I don't think he'll actually be heading to Binghamton at any point this year.

Although I don't want to predict anything untoward, I think this signing might mean there's a move coming soon. The Sens, with Richardson, have eight NHL defencemen: Chris Phillips, Anton Volchenkov, Jason Smith, Filip Kuba, Alex Picard, Brian Lee, Christoph Schubert, and Richardson. It's unlikely either Lee or Richardson will be sent to Binghamton. Keep in mind that, as versatile as Schubert is, GM Bryan Murray told him he'd be getting a good chance at playing defence this season. I'd like to see him stay, but I didn't see enough from Schubert to believe he could crack the top-six on defence.

EDIT: The Sens' also sent surprise forward Zack Smith bown to Binghamton. Apparently it wasn't because Smith didn't make the cut, but because his development would require more ice time than he would be getting on the Senators' roster. He'll most certainly help the B-Sens out this season.

Rangers 2, (B-)Sens 1

The Sens dressed a scoring-challenged lineup, leaving Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, and Mike Fisher all out for the final half of the home-and-home against the New York Rangers. It showed. The Sens only managed 22 shots, including 10 in the third, and lost the game by a 2-1 score that looked better than it was (thanks to the Sens' goalies). Another sloppy game brings the Sens' pre-season record to 1-1.

The biggest storyline might be Wade Redden playing his first game against his old team. It's about what you'd expect: He was on for all three goals, and--although not being tagged for any giveaways--he (apparently, I didn't see it) didn't look good on the Sens' only goal.

For Ottawa, everyone was talking about Alex Auld getting a chance to impress coach Craig Hartsburg, and impress he did tonight. As good as Martin Gerber looked on Saturday night, Auld was challenged more often, and usually met those challenges (although he had some help from the posts). Of the two goals, the first was weak, but the second was a tip after the Sens weren't able to clear the puck. In fact, I'd blame the second goal on Antoine Vermette, who had a golden shooting opportunity but tried to deke, got smoked, lost the puck, and had it come up the ice until the Rangers were able to put it past Auld. I didn't get to see Jeff Glass, but he stopped all eight shots he faced, so couldn't have been too bad.

The Sens' best forward was probably Nick Foligno, who caused a few turnovers and played a strong game. Close after was Dean McAmmond, who scored the Sens' only goal, and also caused quite a few turnovers. With the log-jam at forward, McAmmond needed to show something in the pre-season, and he did a pretty good job tonight. On a line with D-Mac was Brad Isbister, and there appeared to be some reasonable chemistry between the two--but don't hold you breath for Isbister to make the team. Finally, Ilya Zubov had a great scoring chance, and--according to the official scoresheet--threw three hits. The Sens' best hit was Jarkko Ruutu on Brandon Dubinsky, an open-ice collision that knocked Doobie off the puck.

On defence, Brendan Bell looked better than I'd expected, and certainly made a case for himself. I would be surprised if he's in the round of cuts tomorrow. Luke Richardson looked pretty good, too, playing 17 minutes, including some penalty-kill time. Still, Richardson still has a way to go, but he might travel to Sweden as part of the roster.

On the other side of the ledger, Brian Lee has something to prove. He got beat on a breakaway tonight, and had to tak a penalty and rely on a great Auld pokecheck to prevent a goal. But then he got an assist, and, although I didn't see the goal, that's got to mean something. Also, Ryan Shannon was certainly exposed as the undersized player he is. Although he had some opportunities, he rarely if ever was able to win a battle, and was often muscled off the puck.

So a bunch of cuts will come tomorrow morning, probably at least a dozen, maybe 16 players will head to the Binghamton training camp. Next game will be on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers in Ottawa; the Flyers won on Monday night 4-1. The Sens should dress a lineup that will look a lot like the one they'll start the regular season with, so stay tuned tomorrow morning.

Tryout updates on peripheral players

Michael Sharp of the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin has been blogging throughout the Sens' training camp, focussing largely on players trying to make an impression, or ones expected to play for the Binghamton Senators. They're good reading, so check them out, but here are a few excerpts:

Luke Richardson: "If he can stay healthy, Richardson believes his experience should give him an edge in training camp. Yes, he acknowledged, the idea of a back-up plan has come up -- (and, down the road, he is interested in coaching) -- but he said Hartsburg's message was: "We'd love to have you at camp, but ... if you're coming to camp, I want you to be 100 percent as a player. And we'll go from there. And if you make the team, you make the team. And if not, we'll discuss that after.""

Matt Carkner (on playing right wing): ""I think it's all new for him," Hartsburg said. "He's played a little bit maybe in the past, but he's trying to do the right things. And again, for him in a game, he'll bring an element (fighting-wise) that we don't really want to see in practice. But that's his opportunity, again when we play exhibition games, if that becomes part of the game.""

Alexander Nikulin (through translator Kaspars Daugavins): ""He's thinking about the first thing right now ... make Ottawa," said Daugavins, translating for Nikulin. "He's thinking about making Ottawa. His point is to stay here and work hard, because he thinks he ... learned North American hockey. But if something happens and they send him down, he will be going there and (working hard). And he will work on his bad things, like whatever they will say, to get here.""

Interesting stuff. Sharp will likely be posting more, so check this one or his own for updates.

Richardson gets a tryout

Don Brennan published a story in the Sun today stating that Luke Richardson has been invited to the Senators training camp. Got to give the 39-year-old credit, he might be in better shape than he was last year and certainly earned a look after how much he did for the team in 2007-08. The story went on to say that if he didn't make the Ottawa squad, it is unlikely that the Sens would ask him to go down to Binghamton--more likely he'd be hired to work in a coaching role. A quote from GM Bryan Murray from the Sun story:

"I don't think I want to do that with him," said Murray. "I think we want to have younger guys down there at this point. If he can't (play in Ottawa), we'll probably have something for him in the organization. He'd be around the coaches. I don't know that he'll have a title like that, but kind of an eye-in-the-sky deal."

You've got to give Richardson all sorts of credit for approaching this situation with such professionalism. Some veterans would be insulted to be invited to camp without a contract, but he's looking at it as the opportunity that it is.

As much as I like Richardson, I don't think there's a spot for him on the blue line this season. The top four positions are all but guaranteed to Chris Phillips, Anton Volchenkov, Filip Kuba, and Jason Smith, but Richardson wouldn't fit in the top-four anyway. Another year in the AHL might be good for Brian Lee's development, but I would think he would be better served playing in the NHL--especially since he did so well last year. And Murray has said he expects Alexandre Picard to be a virtual walk-on through camp, because of his potential and his one-way contract. And there's still Christoph Schubert, who's salivating at the prospect of playing a full year on defence. Oh yeah, and Brendan Bell could make a good impression. Then again, I didn't think Richardson was going to make the team last season, either, so I've been wrong about him before.

But Richardson's got a chance, at any rate. I'm glad that he'll continue in the franchise, in whatever capacity.

Is there room for Richardson?

As everyone and their dog seems to be writing about, Luke Richardson wants to play another season in the NHL. And he wants it to be with the Ottawa Senators. But is there room on the Sens roster?

The Sens already have defencemen Chris Phillips, Anton Volchenkov, Jason Smith, Brian Lee, and Lawrence Nycholat under contract, plus Christoph Schubert as a natural defenceman who's been playing forward, and Andrej Meszaros as an unsigned restricted free agent. And Matt Carkner and Brendan Bell should be battling for NHL gigs, if their chances aren't great. Even if Richardson was given a contract, he'd probably be a little ways down on the depth chart--just like he was entering last season.

And just like last season, he'd really have to work hard to get a spot in the top-six, or even as a seventh defenceman. His play last season was certainly better than I'd expected, and there were some good times; a couple great fights, and the one goal he scored on his father's birthday, to name a few that stand out. But the season did take its toll on the now 39-year-old, and he was displaced by Lee when the playoffs rolled around. One big question is whether or not he'll be able to last the whole season.

Another big question is whether he's the type of defenceman we need. With Volchenkov, Phillips, Smith, and possibly Schubert or Carkner, we've got our share of stay-at-home, defensive defencemen. Is Richardson the type of player needed to round out the d-corps?

The answers will likely come in training camp. Richardson will show up, and he'll probably turn a few heads and bruise a few bodies. If he proves he can make it into the top-six, then good for him, and too bad for Bell and Nycholat. I wasn't disappointed by his play last season, and I won't be if he's on the team this season, either.

Sens sign Jason Smith, grittiness goes through the roof

Well, it might not be what the Sens need the most (a puck-moving d-man and some secondary scoring), but GM Bryan Murray signed Jason "Philchenkov" Smith to a two-year, $5.2M contract.

He definitely brings some qualities that Ottawa will need, though, and for that I give this signing half of a Sens Army stamp of approval (the Peter half; Ben will let everyone know if he'll complete the stamp). Smith is the epitome of the 'good guys' that Murray said he's trying to bring in, and although he's not going to score many points (168 points in 945 career games) or wow you with his speed, he'll bring his best effort every game and sacrifice his body (see photo at right) for the team.

I've taken the liberty of assigning Smith the nickname Philchenkov not only because his salary falls between those of Anton Volchenkov ($2.5M per year) and Chris Phillips ($3.5M a year), but also because his playing style is a bit of a synthesis of the two. He can make open-ice hits and block shots like Volchie, but he's also a staunch defender in the way Phillips is.

Say what you will about allowing Mike Commodore to walk for $3.75M a week ago, in my opinion Smith is a better player (if not quite as entertaining off the ice) and he comes at a much cheaper price tag.

This likely means that , even if Luke Richardson isn't ready to retire, he's not going to find a spot with the Senators. With Phillips, Volchenkov, and Philchenkov playing the gritty, stay-at-home style, the final three of the Sens' top six will likely be faster-skating puck-movers (I'm talking about Brian Lee, Larry Nycholat, and maybe Andrej Meszaros, or someone acquired through trade).

Sens minus Heart and Soul for 3 weeks

A couple hours ago, those 3 divorced (I presume) guys at Off the posts posted (ohhhh, I get it now) that in a conversation with Bryan Murray, it was stated that Chris Kelly would be out for three weeks - a period that includes the first round of the playoffs.

The more interesting part is that Murray said no one would be called up from the farm to fill in his spot. That means Randy "belongs in Russia" Robitaille will likely be back in the lineup. Okay, I guess. If that's the plan for the playoffs then I would say give Cody Bass a try before the end of the regular season.

Due to some injury-related administrative details, Bass is with the Sens for the rest of the season and won't be sent to the Baby Sens. So give him a shot.

The Kelly injury also means that Christoph Schubert should expect more time on the pk as a forward.

Last night I was surprised to see Mike Commodore and Luke Richardson killing penalties, not the roles I expected them to fill. But I suppose that some line juggling can be expected on the pk units as Kelly ate up a ton of that time.

Two in a row! Sens 4 Bruins 1

The big guys stepped up. Martin Gerber, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley all had huge games Tuesday against the Bruins, and the Sens won 4-1 thanks to Heater's hat trick.

Gerber continues to impress those following the Sens, and he had a great game. It would have been a totally different game had he not made a tremendous toe-save on Phil Kessel, because that save allowed Heatley to go down the wing with Andrej Meszaros and snipe his first of the game. He stopped 28 of 29, and the only goal was an unlucky play where a Gerber save bounced off Mike Commodore and into the net.

With three goals, it's pretty obvious Heatley had a good game. The first was a wicked shot low far side, then a rocket high short-side over Alex Auld's trapper, and both were from the right faceoff dot. The third one was a gift from Antoine Vermette, who tried not just once but twice to make sure Heatley got to score the empty-net goal. Nice of Vermette to do so, but it's always scary when someone doesn't take an easy goal. Heater also added an assist, for a four-point night. With 35 goals on the season, Heatley now has eleven games to score 15 goals in Sens Army Blog's Drive for Fifty 2008 campaign. Call me crazy, but I think he can do it.

As for Spezza, his game was solid for the most part. He made a few very casual tip passes, one to Randy Robitaille and the other to Meszaros. Neither worked, and the one to Meszaros was dangerous because he was the last man back in the defensive end. These passes are so slick that the opposing team doesn't expect them, but apparently Spezza doesn't realize that his team isn't ready for them, either. He finished with a goal and an assist in just over 16 minutes on the night.

Aside from those three, some other players had good games. Meszaros continued his climb towards recovery, and played pretty well on the night. So did Martin Lapointe, who had two great scoring chances at the end of the first, and also had two hits in the 11 minutes he played.

On the other side of the scales, Commodore continued to struggle, and Luke Richardson does seem to be losing a step as the year drags on. I think both of them will be valuable in the playoff run, but I would like to see Richardson sit out a game or a few and Christoph Schubert step back to play with Commodore. It would give Richardson a few days off to rest, and Schubert's speed would add a dimension to the already physical pairing. If the experiment would work, then it would be something to consider going into the playoffs.

A few notes on things that continue to improve:

1. Powerplay went 2-for-3? Awesome.
2. Defencemen seem to finally be able to know how to handle a 2-on-1, obeying the basic principle of defence--take the passer, allow the goalie to handle the shooter. Since Gerber's shown the ability to make the first save, defencemen--and Cory Stillman, when he's on the point--feel comfortable covering the passer.
3. The team is winning.
4. Big players are scoring: Mike Fisher last game, Heatley tonight.
5. The team is no longer hollow without Daniel Alfredsson. With the captain's health in question, it's good to know the team can string together a couple of wins without him in the lineup.
6. Only two players had more than 20 minutes in ice time, Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips, and they barely went over. With more players getting equalized ice time, third- and fourth-liners are getting more comfortable with their roles and first- and second-liners are getting more rest in preparation for the playoffs.

Sorry about the long post. I've been so inconsistent with posts recently, so I figured I would say as much as I thought about the game. The win sets the team up for a huge game Thursday against Montreal, with the lead in the Eastern Conference--or at least the Northeast Division--on the line.

Luke Richardson

Instead of ragging on the Senators for losing, I'm going to post a bunch of random crap about a random player. That player shall be Luke Glen Richardson. If the Sens lose again tonight, then I'll rag on them.

First up: That awesome fight from the stat of the year, where Richie smoked Brandon Dubinsky...



Awesome. Now a bunch of random links:

1. Wikipedia
2. NHL Legends of Hockey
3. HockeyDB
4. Fightcard on DropYourGloves
5. DJ Luke Richardson of the UK

And that's it, I guess. I need something to write about.

Where we stand: Last year to this year

The Sens are in the stretch run now. While Bryan Murray is looking for more additions to fill out the roster in preparation for the playoffs, there are already a few changes that can be argued to have strengthened or weakened the team. After making it to the Stanley Cup Finals last year, how does this year's roster stand up to last year's? While some of these were not straight-up deals, here is a comparison of players who, at this point, will be on the roster come playoff time:

Now: LW Cory Stillman

Then: RW Mike Comrie

• This is a tough call. Comrie's speed offered a lot to that second line, but Stillman comes in with the potential for clutch scoring and much more playoff experience. They play a similar style, but the six points Comrie scored last year should be replicated by Stillman should the Sens progress in the playoffs (knock on wood).
• Verdict: Now. Although it's still early, I'll give Stillman the benefit of the doubt.

Now: D Mike Commodore

Then: D Joe Corvo

• Also, it's such recent news that you're probably bored hearing about it. We lost a speedy, puck-controlling defencemen who is great on the powerplay but could be prone to defensive liability--although he was solid in the playoffs. In place we have Commodore, a punishing defenceman who's limited offensively but makes it unpleasant for opposing forwards to hang around in front of the net. He'll be a valuable presence physically and shot-blockingly in the playoffs, but our powerplay might feel a pinch.
• Verdict: Now. It's a tight race, but if Murray can acquire another puck-mover then Corvo's absence will be softened. And the presence Commodore brings come playoff time should be pretty valuable, especially if it allows D Wade Redden to take a few more offensive chances.

Now: RW Randy Robitaille

Then: LW Oleg Saprykin

• Since the Stillman acquisition, Robitaille has been relegated to fourth-line minutes, which is probably a good place for him to be. While his quickness is not as good as Saprykin's and he's not as willing to work in the corners, Robitaille has the ability to add a scoring dimension to the fourth line of Shean Donovan and Chris Schubert, which is valuable in the playoffs.
• Verdict: Then. With the minutes the fourth line plays under John Paddock it's negligible, but Saprykin seemed to have a little more gusto. If Robitaille steps it up come playoff time, though, this verdict could very well change.

Now: C Shean Donovan
Then: LW Peter Schaefer

• This is a strange comparison because the expectations for each of these guys is completely different. Where Schaefer was expected to be a second-line player, Donovan is expected to be a third- or fourth-liner. Donovan's numbers aren't as good as Schaefer's, but neither is his ice time. While Schaefer was occasionally good offensively and could kill penalties like nobody's business, he couldn't be relied upon in clutch situations. Donovan hasn't been given a shot at PK, but he did it last season, and he's a decent player for the 10 minutes or less he plays in a night.
• Verdict: Then. Just because Schaefer looked good on a line with Mike Fisher and Comrie, coming reasonably close to a second scoring line in the playoffs. If another second-liner comes in to off-set the hole on that line, then Donovan's position as a role-player will be valuable.

Now: D Luke Richardson
Then: D Tom Preissing

• Richardson brings a lot of experience to this team. He's recently spoken of how this is the time the team needs to really pick up their socks, and he showed he's ready to do so with a two-point effort in the last game against New Jersey. Scoring is just an added benefit, because Richardson's real role is to offer leadership to young players--hopefully Andrej Meszaros will benefit from their pairing--and to play a physical game in limited ice time. However, it remains to be seen if Richardson will last through the playoffs, and whether or not he will be the odd man out if the Sens acquire another defenceman. Preissing, on the other hand, was underappreciated for what he brought to the team throughout the season in 2006-07. He scored two important goals, and was an extremely good sixth defenceman.
• Verdict: Then. But that's a shallow judgement; it's difficult to know what immeasurable intangibles Richardson is bringing to this team off the ice.

Now: Distracted G Ray Emery, Flustered G Martin Gerber
Then: Focussed G Ray Emery, Supportive G Martin Gerber

• Maybe this is changing. Hopefully this is changing. But there is no way you can say Emery's play this season has been anywhere near where it was last season. It might be the contract he's been awarded, or the inability to get motivated, but Emery's play has fallen off. No matter what happens anywhere else in the lineup, if a goaltender doesn't step up, this team won;t likely last long.
• Verdict: Then. Obviously.

Now: Coach John Paddock
Then: Coach Bryan Murray

• With the other changes being rather subtle, this might prove to be one of the biggest changes in the approach to the playoffs. Murray was a much more confident coach, and seemed to know what his players were thinking at all times. From a complete outsider's perspective, Paddock seems to be unable to challenge his players positively, and some individuals have fallen off as a result. Also, although this is changing, the two individuals approach ice time very differently; Murray was ready and willing to play his fourth line, while Paddock seems hesitant and overplays the first and second lines as a result.
• Verdict: Then. But there is no way to know; Paddock's approach may be tailored to the playoffs, and our experience of it during the regular season is misinformed. I hope that's the case, but I have my doubts.

Now: GM Bryan Murray
Then: GM John Muckler

• Murray isn't afraid to make big moves. While he's stated he isn't interested in removing any more players from the lineup, he is obviously willing to do anything that will make this team better. The chief criticism of Muckler is that he only made small deals, and wasn't able to pick up players that could take the Sens over the top (see this post). His confidence in the roster he had, however, was admirable.
• Verdict: Now. Murray's willingness to make more trades might enable this year's team to address all the areas where there has been a step backwards (mainly defence and goaltending).

Sens lose an ugly one

That was a pretty ugly game to watch. The Sens ended up losing 4-2 to the Capitals, the fourth loss to Washington in the fourth and final game between the two in the regular season.

There were a lot of players who just had off-games tonight. No defenceman had a good game, and Luke Richardson and Joe Corvo had particularly bad games. Even Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov didn't seem at their best, although they managed to keep Alex Ovechkin relatively quiet (at least for a while). Wade Redden, who scored a goal for the Sens, and Andrej Meszaros weren't bad, but they were nowhere near where they need to be for the Sens to play as they can.

On forward, there were few bright spots. Jason Spezza did not look like he should have been playing; I'm concerned if he wasn't completely healthy why management would allow him to play at all considering he lucked out the first time, but might not be as lucky if there was another hard hit thrown his way. Tough to say it, but Daniel Alfredsson looked a little off his game, as well, and those two are going to have to find a way to offset the loss of Heater.

On a happy note, however, Ilya Zubov had a decent game. While he wasn't amazing, he looked a lot more comfortable than Alex Nikulin in his first NHL game, and his defensive coverage was very good. He even threw a few good hits. Patrick Eaves looked comfortable in his first game back, and hopefully his game picks up where it was when he was injured way back.

I've got to give credit to John Paddock for scratching Randy Robitaille tonight, what seems to me as an overdue move. He gave extra ice time to Dean McAmmond (that one's for you, Mike!), who responded with a tip-in goal and played a surprisingly physical game, including a solid hit against Mike Green.

Unfortunately, without Brian McGrattan in the lineup, Donald Brashear appeared to enjoy the freedom he had around the ice. Even if Grats played the 4:33 that Cody Bass played tonight, it might have limited the liberties that Brashear took with some Senators players, including Mike Fisher at one point after a whistle. Not that Bass had a bad game--he actually played well considering his ice time--but a heavyweight like McGrattan does serve a purpose.

But hey, it was only one game. One thing I take out of this game if that the Sens are nowhere near filling the void left behind with the loss of Heatley from within, and Bryan Murray might be in tough to pull a move similar to the Mike Comrie trade from last year.

Post-script: I'm listening to the post-game show on the Team 1200 right now, and I have to wonder why these hosts are even doing this. It seems obvious to me that they have no patience for fans calling in an expressing their opinions, and they flat-out don't like listening to what fans say.

What a game! Sens 3 Wings 2

Wow, what an exciting game that was to watch. One of the best regular-season games I've watched in a while... just awesome, this matchup between the best did not disappoint (except maybe some Wings fans).

Just about every Sens player was on his game Saturday against Detroit. Head and shoulders above everyone else, though, was Daniel Alfredsson. He played like a man possessed, and he earned his two goals through his hard work. I'm proud to say that I started an "AL-FIE" chant after he'd scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal. He finished -1 on the night, but it's one of the times where the +/- stat is nowhere near indicative of the value a player had; the two power-play goals he scored don't count in calculating +/-.

Mike Fisher also had an incredible game last night for the Sens. He blew by Chris Chelios to give the Sens their 2-0 lead in the second, and he was pivotal for the Sens. Over the night, he played over 22 minutes, had the goal, and assist on the game-winner, five shots, three hits, and blocked a shot to boot.

The entire d-corps played well, especially Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov (although that mustn't be a surprise at this point). Luke Richardson had limited ice time, and Christoph Schubert played a lot of defence when the Sens were on the PK, making only one bad decision I can think of (going for a big hit instead of covering his man, costing a scoring chance). Joe Corvo was visibly angry during the game, but it didn't negatively affect his game and he got four shots through and the other assist on Alfie's game-winner.

Almost a third of Chris Kelly's ice time and over a quarter of Antoine Vermette's was on the penalty kill, and it's great to see this pair really get back to their solid play defensively. Kelly was playing with an edge all game, and gave Dallas Drake a solid shot, but he didn't cross the line and cost the Sens with a penalty. It was his best game in a little while, likely because he kept things simple.

Ray Emery played a solid game. The Sens did a good job defensively to keep his way clear, but Rayzor was there when he needed to be in the first and second periods, and neither of the goals can be said to be his fault.

Dany Heatley left in the third with a shoulder injury, and I haven't seen anything saying he won't be playing tonight against the Islanders. While I want to see him, I hope there's no rush in case a mild injury gets worse.

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.

Gerber steals a win

Well, Mr. Martin Gerber, you sure have a way of making people wonder. You start the season off like hellfire, tear up the league, and then decide to take a few games off. And, after taking said games off and being usurped as the number 1, you bounce back and play amazingly in consecutive games. Possibly his best game of the year on Thursday, when he stopped 26 of 27 to backstop the Sens to a 4-1 win over the Penguins.

The Gerber showed up for the first period when pretty much the rest of the team decided to take it easy. Two weeks ago, he would have allowed a goal or two (or three) on the 13 shots he faced in the first, and the team would have become dejected and given up. Instead, The Gerber stops all of them and the Sens come back hard in the second and even harder in the third. Most notable accomplishment for The Gerber: stopped nine shots from Sid the kid Crosby, including two breakaways. It simply looked like Crosby was frustrated because Gerbs gave him nothing to shoot at.

You know who else had a great game? Chris Phillips. Who am I kidding, of course you know that; post-game coverage has been all about Big Rig. He's been awesome at controlling the puck and protecting it from opponents, and his pass out of the zone is getting to be very valuable. He has almost single-handedly offset the liability that Andrej Meszaros can be at times, when he makes poor decision with the puck or commits to make a hit.

Joe Corvo, on the other hand, didn't have a great game. He had an okay game, and I've liked seeing him alongside Wade Redden, but he made some mistakes in the first period that would have been costly if not for The Gerber. He finished -1 (because his assist, which was a great shot, was on the powerplay), and although he was tagged with no official giveaways, he continued to take low-percentage shots that get blocked and turned over. I'm no Corvo-hater, though; I'm confident he'll rebound, and his value is more than the cost of a few turnovers.

One thing I've noticed since Anton Volchenkov went out with his finger injury is Luke Richardson stepping up, receiving more ice time and responding with great play. Richie played over 14 minutes of ice time against the Pens, and kept it simple in the defensive end--which is exactly what he's got to do. Although Shean Donovan has been playing well of late, Richie has been the most valuable acquisition since the off-season, including Randy Robitaille. Ropes has potential, but he needs to be a little more defensively accountable and get into battles to win them, instead of letting opponents take a cake-walk.

Seven points over two games for Jason Spezza and five for Dany Heatley in those same two games. As frustrating as it is to see Spetzky try and force passes here and there (and, sometimes, everywhere), when he connects on one it usually works. I laughed when he kept the puck to score the empty-netter instead of setting up Heatley for the hat trick. He needs to take a shot once in a while.

Brian McGrattan only played 11 seconds. After those 11 seconds, he faced off against Georges Laracque in a fight, and appeared to separate his shoulder. It is unknown what the degree of the injury is, but if it's bad someone from Bingo will be on his way, likely a role player such as Josh Hennessy or Danny Bois.

Could Emery bring us out of the rut?

Despite a 5-2 loss to the suddenly-surging New York Rangers, it looks like there might be light at the end of the tunnel for the Senators. About time, because it seems like it's been a damned long tunnel.

It all started with a terrible first period. Terrible for everyone, including (and probably especially) Martin Gerber. Good decision by John Paddock to leave Gerber in to finish the first period, and then start Ray Emery in the second.

Despite an early goal by Brendan Shanahan, the Sens began to turn their game around in the second, peaking with a goal by Joe Corvo after a rarely-successful Jason Spezza drop-pass. In the third, Dany Heatley tipped a pass from Spetzky right of Henrik Lundqvist's shoulder, but it was once again too little, too late for Ottawa and the Rangers added an empty-netter.

Rayzor played a good two periods of relief, and it looks like he may--once again--be answering everyone's calls for one of the goalies to snap us out of this streak. While we won't know until Tuesday's game in Tampa Bay, if Emery is able to play like he did Saturday then we'll be alright for a while.

To avoid confusion, I'm neither pro-Gerber nor anti-Emery. I'm pro-winning. As I said in my last post;

Last season, when The Gerber faltered, Rayzor earned the starter's job and ran with it. If he wants it this year, Emery is going to have to work a lot harder than he appears to be right now to get it.

I don't care how it happens, but this team has to win. I'm still skeptical as to Emery's value when he's playing poorly and upsetting the dressing-room dynamic, but as long as he starts winning we won't have to worry about that happening.

Mike Fisher snapped out of his one-game funk and played well, laying a total of seven punishing hits, including two painful-looking ones on defenceman Joe Girardi in the same shift. Christoph Schubert took a couple of shifts, but he eventually got his goove back on defence and looks to be alright alongside Chris Phillips. And finally starting to live up to his agitator billing was Shean Donovan, playing hard on the forecheck. It was also nice to see Chris Neil get under the skin of Scott Gomez, taking the Alaskan Wonder of his game for much of the latter stages.

On the other side of the coin, Wade Redden looked pretty bad on the first three Rangers goals. He and long-time partner Andrej Meszaros were split up, and Corvo played well beside Redden when the Sens were looking for offence, while Meszei--through little fault of his own--was demoted to playing third-set defence with Luke Richardson. I also have to agree with Jeremy of Black Aces on the Randy Robitaille front, as Ropes continued to look completely disinterested against the blueshirts.

As previously mentioned, look to Emery to start on Tuesday. If his play against New York is any indication, he might be starting to get back into his game.