Gearing up for the Flames

After taking in the WJHC Germany vs Kazakhstan game this evening at 7:30pm (possibly dressed as Borat and spouting the inferiority of both Canadian potassium and Canadian hockey), I will settle down this evening and catch the Sens vs Flames at 10pm. I'm sure that Sens fans will experience the usual emotions of watching a game lately: hope, disappointment, resolve, anger, sadness, self-pity, and acceptance.

The Flames are 19-11-4 heading into this game, and the Sens are at 12-15-5. If you want to look on the bright side, the Sens are 4-5-1 in their last ten games, but haven't won one of the past ten road games. Oh sorry, I forgot about us being optimistic.

It's the same old crap on the Sens' bench. Craig Hartsburg can't decide whether Spezza and Heatley should be on the same line, Bryan Murray can't find anyone to trade with, and Sens beat writers have exhausted all possible talking points.

"Time for the players to take some of the blame. They are the ones not performing."
-Bruce Garrioch.

Insightful.

Don Brennan, in a few sentences, became my favourite sports writer:

"So you think they should deal Spezza? I don't. They do and they'll spend the next five years looking for a first-line centre who can score 100 points. I don't think you win without one."

Let common sense reign.

Injuries have cropped up for the Sens recently. Anton Volchenkov may not play tonight and Filip Kuba is not expected to dress. I'm going to keep a close eye on Brian Lee tonight to see if there's any chance he will play all of next season with the big club.

Jesse Winchester didn't travel with the team... and I hate to say it, but his year with the Senators is looking a lot like Randy Robitaille last season. He was expected to perform in the top two lines, but has only got 7 points in 29 games this year (Robitaille scored 29 points last season and signed with a Swiss team in the off-season).

Now I'm off to the Civic Centre to watch the Germans and Kazahks compete for 8th! The real thing I will be observing tonight is how bad the Kazahk goalie is... hmmm... will the Canadians score 4-7 goal? 8-10?9-12? or 12+ tommorow afternoon?

Disheartening, but promising: Pens 5 Sens 3

Wow, Martin Gerber. Wow.

Despite allowing four goals in a 5-3 loss, Gerber was by far the best player on the ice for either team as he stopped 49 of 53 shots that he faced. Many of the shots were of the difficult variety, to boot. Most impressive was that Gerber's reaction play has improved; whereas in previous solid efforts Gerber's saves were because of solid positioning and knowledge of angles, Darth Gerber really had his act together on making second and third shots when his defence wasn't helping him out.

After the play of Gerber, the best thing about the game was the grit and tenacity the second-, third-, and fourth-lines played. Although the top two lines are still being outplayed by the Penguins top two, the third and fourth each scored an even-strength goal tonight and outplayed their opponents. And finally, thank God, the powerplay did something. And they did it by driving to the net and making Marc-Andre Fleury battle through bodies.

After going down 3-0 mid-way through the second, the Sens' second line of Shean Donovan, Chris Neil, and Dean McAmmond made some magic: they scored. I'm amazed at how exciting a single goal is to the highest-scoring team in the NHL's regular season, but there it is. On the play, Neil did the simple play--threw the puck on net--and Donovan did another simple play--drive to the net with your stick on the ice. And it worked. This whole line was powerful all game, and I've got to give credit to Neiler for playing a good game. It was his best effort in a little while, despite the fact that he took an unnecessary slashing penalty that led to a 5-on-3 that led to the first goal of the game.

Scoring in bunches

Going into the game, I had a feeling that once this team scored one they'd score a few, and that's just what happened. Less than five minutes after Donovan's goal, with the Sens on the powerplay, Cory Stillman did just what Donovan did for his goal and drove to the net, picking up a rebound and directing it into the net. It was a respectable 3-2 going into the third, and the Sens had all the momentum.

If you hadn't seen the third Sens goal, you can probably guess how Cody Bass put it in. That's right, by driving to the net. The common denominator here is that when the Sens drive to the net, Fleury can't concentrate and goals go in. End of story. So perhaps if Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza start driving that net, they'll start racking up the points and this series will take off.

On Bass' goal, Randy Robitaille made me eat my words by cutting into the slot and firing a pass to the BassMaster, who reeled it in and tucked it under Fleury. To clarify, my qualms with Robitaille are not that he's lacking in skill, because when he's got time he can showcase some offensive creativity. He seems unwilling or unable to use his body to protect the puck, however, and has a hard time finding the time and space necessary. When he cut in on Hal Gill and exposed Gill's slowness, he made some space for himself, and used it to get Bass the puck in front of the net.

Warriors

Off the score sheet, leading the way in hits for the Senators were Christoph Schubert and Mike Commodore, both of whom had seven on the night. No Penguins player matched that game-high number. Commodore, who played over 22 minutes on the night, finished a remarkable +2 and had one of his best games to date (Although he was on for the Pens' two powerplay goals, which don't count against +/-). Maybe he really is a playoff warrior.

Speaking of warriors, Anton Volchenkov didn't change his play one bit. This guy is absolutely amazing. He played over 21 minutes and had 4 hits and 4 blocked shots.

Referees always suck for both sides

On factor that fans always complain about is refereeing, but I'll try and make my case for two of the Penguins' goals. First off was the goal by Sergei Gonchar; Neil took a chincy slashing call when he gave Georges Laraque a tap on the shinpads, and--although it could easily have been overlooked--it was illegal, so I'll leave that there. The call on Chris Phillips to put the Sens down two men, though, was ridiculous. Phillips lost his stick so he pushed Sidney "the league's favourite person ever" Crosby down, a perfectly legit defensive play, and got called. Murphy's Law prevailed, and Gonchar scored about 16 minutes in.

Then, with just over a minute left in the third period, Martin Lapointe got his stick up on Jarkko Ruutu. Somehow, this mild contact--which I'll admit was a penalty--sent the stick flying out of Ruutu's hands, and he went soaring through the neutral zone as if thrown from a trampoline. It was the definition of a dive. In a game as close as this is, there should have been a call on both players. It's not as if Ruutu isn't a known diver; that's his game, and don't tell me the referees aren't familiar with his antics. Although I'm absolutely sure this is simply a conspiracy theory, on thing is certain: the league wants Pittsburgh to move on. Whether or not that's affecting the way the referees see the game--consciously or subconsciously--is another story, but there's no hiding the fact that the league would benefit more from the Penguins in round two than the Senators.

Positives

Looking at the Sens' four most impressive players, a lot of heat that has been put on Bryan Murray may have been lifted. He was leaned on by many to play Ray Emery instead of Gerber, but the way Gerber has been playing has been outstanding. I think we all realize that Peter Schaefer could never have scored the goal that Donovan scored, and that's why Murray traded Schaefer to Boston for Donovan. Cory Stillman made that second goal happen, with a great pass to Heatley and a solid drive to the net. Finally, although the Robitaille experiment has been a failure so far, it all comes out in the wash and if Ropes finds a way to make the fourth line an offensive threat than we're back in business. Now all Murray has to prove is that he can out-coach a hack like Michel Therrien and everyone will love him again.

The Sens made some good strides in this game, and they showed that there's some emotion and some pride in making this series respectable. While they are in a huge hole, I'm not sure I'd go so far as to agree with Milks from Black Aces and suggest that "their chances of coming back in this series are slim at best." The Sens lost two in Pittsburgh, now they just have to win two in Ottawa. If that was the best effort the Penguins can put forward than the Sens are in good shape going into game three; I only hope that Sens fans come out in droves to cheer on our team, because community support has a funny way of getting players on top of their game. Just look at game three of the Stanley Cup Finals last season, when the team played out of this world.

Lineup changes for game two

One thing I bet Martin Lapointe wasn't expecting when he was traded from Chicago was a spot on the top line with two of the most dynamic players in the league. Must be a nice change when you're a healthy scratch on a poor team to a top-liner alongside Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. I guess Bryan Murray didn't like Randy Robitaille's play in game one, or simply wanted to add some grit and forechecking to the top line, so he threw Lapointe in Robitaille's place.

Robitaille drops down to the fourth line, and he'll be playing with Christoph Schubert and Cody Bass. If this line gets in a line brawl, it'll be tough; I'd still like to see Brian McGrattan slotted in on that line. Robitaille just can't play the kind of physical style that a fourth line needs to, especially as this series no doubt picks up intensity.

Nick Foligno's also getting a promotion, moving from fourth to second line alongside Cory Stillman and Antoine Vermette. I assume he'll be asked to park his keister (sp?) in front of the net, and make life unpleasant for Marc-Andre Fleury.

Finally, Shean Donovan moved up from fourth to third line, reuniting with Dean McAmmond and Chris Neil. This line has to do something, even if it's just forecheck hard and apply some pressure. If Neiler can't or doesn't start muscling guys off the puck, it's going to be hard to justify paying him $1.2M for next season, especially since we can probably sign both Cody Bass and Donovan for that much combined.

As Ben mentioned, Anton Volchenkov should be ready to go for game two, so no changes to the d-corps.

Take the good, learn from the bad

While a 4-0 loss is not the ideal way to start a series, I do think that there is some good stuff this team can build on, and some bad stuff this team can learn from. There's still a chance of earning a split on the road, as long as the Sens pick it up--big time--for game two.

First off, Martin Gerber is not the reason for the loss. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Gerber kept the Sens in this one through the second period. He made some solid saves, and can't really be faulted on any of the four goals:

1. Wade Redden got brutally muscled off the puck (and it probably should have been a penalty) twice, and the puck squirted to Gary Roberts in front of the Sens net; Gerber had two guys lying in the crease and a third standing there.
2. Mike Commodore made a terrible pinch, and Chris Phillips didn't play the 2-on-1 well at all. Gerber was set up perfectly for the shooter (Evgeni Malkin), while Phillips left the pass receiver (Petr Sykora) wide open. You learn it in Atom, Phillips; take the pass, let the goalie take the shot.
3. This was just the case of a young rookie, Nick Foligno, makign a rookie mistake and losing his check, Malkin. When you let him get in the open, he'll make you pay.
   
4. Write-off. Powerplay goal that went in off a foot, this was a fluke that any goalie could have surrendered.

If Gerber and the rest of the team can build off his play, then that's one question mark we can check off going into it.

After Gerber, there was some good work from the grinders. Role players like Dean McAmmond, Martin Lapointe, Cody Bass, and Christoph Schubert were all very physical, and they'll need to keep that up. Ottawa's fourth line was tremendously outplayed by Pittsburgh's, and George Laraque was able to make too much room for himself. Although Randy Robitaille had his moments, he fizzled when the game got more physical; I suggest throwing Lapointe on the top line in game two, and bringing in Brian McGrattan to try and contain Laraque. Even if they just fight and McGrattan brings him back to the box every five minutes, I'm fine with that.

Bad points were common. Obviously, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza need to develop more of an interest in the outcome of the game. Heatley looked particularly out of whack, even though his chirping was in fine form. They threw 12 shots towards the net, but they're going to need to get better shots if they think they're going to score some goals. This team is only going as far as those two take it, no matter how well the grinders play.

The play of the big two was part of a bigger problem: the Sens' powerplay. When you're given almost two full minutes of 5-on-3 time, you need to take advantage. Especially in such an urgent situation, because the Sens were down 2-0 at the time, and this game would have been very different had the Sens cut that lead in half on one of those powerplays. As it was, the team went 0-for-7 on the powerplay, which is unacceptable in the post-season. Things need to get dirty. And shots need to get smarter. Andrej Meszaros can't try and shoot through people; he fired two one-timers that were right into shinpads, both of which would have given the Pens breakaways had Meszaros not gotten back quickly enough. And the team can't fire 21 shots wide of the net. When you're winding up, make sure yo know where you're shooting. It's simple.

I still think the Sens have a shot to split this series in game two. The score made this game look a lot worse than it actually was, the Sens allowed a couple of bad goals early and a couple of bad goals late; between those, there was som great play. Keep playign hard on Sidney Crosby; he was limited in his ability, and good on Redden and Chris Neil for riding him around the net. Most of all, get right up in Marc-Andre Fleury's business. Make it hell for him to try and stop pucks, throw yourselves towards the net, and let your stick fly around him (without taking penalties, of course). He's rattle-able, so shake it up. Hopefully Anton Volchenkov is back for game two, and he makes some opponents feel his pain. And maybe Antoine Vermette will pull something out of his bag of tricks.

Game 1: Did you expect it to be easy?

The eternal optimist in me wants to focus on the positives, but let's get the shitty stuff out of the way first.

The Sens looked like a team that was missing some of their best players tonight. The team didn't flip the effort switch until the third period, where they began to follow my advice: If you can't play well, play dirty.

The well-deserved frustration boiled over late in the game and the Senators began to play rough. Good! Next game, start this in the first period. Get in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin's face and let them know that you'll be coming after them all game.

I was happy to see Wade Redden drop the gloves. Get riled up for God's sake. Do not go quietly into game 2. Let the Penguins know that they're in for a fight. Hopefully, this attitude will translate into aggressive forechecking and maybe, a goal.

There appeared to be no leaders on the Senators in game 1. Dany Heatley was jawing at Crosby quite a bit, but he did not come lead with an offensive spark. Randy Robitaille accompanied Jason Spezza and Heatley on the top line, but none of these three players had an impact. One of the players I did notice, however, was Christoph Schubert. Playing smart, physical hockey I hope whatever advice he got from Bryan Murray is passed onto the rest of the team.

Well, I guess I'm not an optimist. Let's hope that game 2 can turn me into one. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to seeing Ray Emery in game 3. (That comment is only half sarcastic).

Plenty of motivation for Senators

Going into the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Ottawa Senators have no shortage of motivation. From no respect in the media to no respect from the opponents, the list goes on.

First off, no one in the media is giving the Senators a speck of respect, and many are predicting a cakewalk for the Penguins. Maybe the Sens have made this bed; the way this team has been playing they don't really deserve much credit. But they way we all know they can play, and the way they have played at times this season, and the penchant for players like Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, Cory Stillman, Chris Phillips, Chris Neil, Dean McAmmond, Mike Commodore, Christoph Schubert, and Antoine Vermette to step up their game when the going gets tough is enough to at least give the Sens a shot at making some waves in the series.

As if that wasn't bad enough, there's the possibility that Pittsburgh chose their opponent. Although fans of the Penguins are vehemently denying this, the scratching of Sidney Crosby if the regular season's final game, and the lacklustre performance by the rest of the squad in that 2-0 loss to Philadelphia, all with the Eastern Conference regular-season title on the line, smells a little funny to me. The mentality, as pundits and Sens coach Bryan Murray has suggested, is that the Pens preferred Ottawa's style to the punishing play of the Flyers, so they made it happen. If that's true, there could be some unpleasant surprises in store for the Pens.

On an individual basis, plenty of players have a lot to prove, and it starts in the net. Martin Gerber has been knocked for his unreliable play for the last six weeks, and especially for his unproven playoff record. If he steps his game up a notch and steals a game or two, he makes a great case for himself; if not, he might have a hard time finding a job for next season (as the Sens might simply buy him out).

After that, Wade Redden has had a forgettable two seasons, and he's playing for a contract for next season. If he really wants to stay in Ottawa, he's really going to have to pick up his play and lead by example--and make his breakout passes count without turning over the puck.

Staying on the blue line, Commodore has been tagged since Murray picked him up as a playoff warrior, and most people have looked past his struggles in the regular season by looking forward to the playoffs. If he fails to step it up when it counts, it won't look good on him or the general manager.

Moving up to the forward ranks, both Heatley and Spezza can go a long way in earning the long contracts they've both been signed to. The team's slide was suspiciously timed shortly after those two were signed to their multi-million dollar, long-term deals, and both of those players need to show that it wasn't a mistake.

Randy Robitaille and Chris Neil have had terrible seasons. Robitaille hasn't been the producer he was expected to be, and he's getting one last chance to play on the top line; if he does nothing in the first 20 minutes of the game tonight, count on him being bumped down to the fourth unit in favour of a physical presence beside Heatley and Spezza. Neil hasn't been the pest presence he's suited to be, except for the annoyance Sens fans feel when he takes penalties instead of drawing them. Not to mention his offensive fall-off, Neil really needs to prove himself this playoff run.

Although Robitaille is probably playing for a job next season, Vermette is playing for a big pay increase. If he can finally prove once and for all that he has the ability to step into a second-line centre role and continues to play like he did in the final two games of the regular season, he's due for a doubling or perhaps tripling of the salary he's making right now.

However you cut it, the possibility is there, and the Sens have plenty to prove. All they have to do is make it happen.

A crushing defeat: Habs 7 Sens 5

I love how well this photo illustrates the crushingness of tonight's loss...

Wow. Just... wow. I can't believe how ugly those first two periods were. And more frustrating was how well the team played in the third period. Why not just play that way all game long? I have to admit, I was watching the game with some friends, and I stopped watching once it was 6-1 and watched a few episodes of The Office. The American edition. Steve Carell is hilarious. We checked back with 10 minutes gone in the third, and it was 7-4. So we watched the rest of the game, which ended 7-5. A lot better than the 7-1 score going into the third.

I'm pretty sure this loss wasn't because Chris Kelly and Dean McAmmond were out, even if those two are valuable contributors. If it was, we're in trouble for a while. I hope Cody Bass plays tomorrow, because he's a Kelly-esque hard worker.

Is it wrong that I laughed when Wade Redden trip himself and smashed into the boards behind the net? He's a great person in the community. He gives a lot back to the city. He might be a good leader. But he's been terrible for most of the last two seasons. His tripping and smashing into the back boards, turning the puck over to the Habs for an easy goal, is a microcosm of the season we've seen from him: a complete disaster. At this point, I don't think Bryan Murray would want him back even if Reds agrees to sign for $1.5M or something ridiculous.

Where the hell did Randy Robitaille learn to play that hard? Maybe we should scratch him every other game, so he always feels he's got something to prove. NHL.com only gave him one hit, but I saw one shift where he had at least two, and he finished with two assists and was +2 on the night.

The Sens' powerplay was terrible. Eight powerplays, including a 5-3 in the third that could have made it a tie game, but they bombed. I'm not sure what the problem is. Certainly frustrating is seeing Jason Spezza or Dany Heatley trying to stickhandle through the neutral zone, have the puck knocked back, and havign to regroup and try again. Although dump-and-chase on the powerplay is ugly, it might be necessary. Puck movement in the offensive zone--when it is eventually gained--is usually fine, but shots don't get through. The powerplay's been clicking the last few games, but not tonight.

The floodgates have opened offensively for Mike Commodore! The man has two assists in the last two games. Outstanding. Also of note: Martin Lapointe got a goal and an assist and now has five points in 12 games with the Sens. Andrej Meszaros shot 13 towards the net, even though 5 got blocked on the way. He's continuing to improve, despite his -2 rating tonight, and he might be priority number one this off-season.

The goaltending situation got a little cloudier. When Martin Gerber allowed three goals in the first period, including some poor ones, and Ray Emery came in for the second, I thought there was some drama. Then Emery allowed four goals in the second, including some poor ones, and it addressed no concerns. Then Murray announced that Gerber would start again tomorrow in Buffalo, and it might be his last chance to prove he can be the starter. Although Emery will be tagged with this loss, Gerber has played poorly in three of the last four.

I don't know what else to say. The CASH line combined for 6 points, with Daniel Alfredsson getting three assists. Although Heater's Drive for Fifty campaign is getting less likely, his two goals tonight brough the season total to 39, so six games to score eleven more goals.

Tomorrow's game against the Sabres can go a long way in helping me forget tonight's. But right now, the assignment I have to write--which is due tomorrow--will be extremely difficult due to all these distracting questions about my team's playoff hopes. Do the Sens have no consideration for the lives of their fans? So selfish.

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.

How to make a bad team look good. By: The Ottawa Senators

The Sens lost this game in the first period.

They terrorized the Leafs for the first 20 minutes of the March 22 5-4 loss, but left the first period up by only one goal. It should have been three.

If you were at the game, as I was, you would have heard a steady increase in the instances of "motivational mumblings" as the game wore on. You know, those things that people say in the crowd that are said loudly, but no one is really meant to hear.

"C'mon Fisher - get 'er done"

"Awwwww Redden, you're garbage! Hit the guy!"

"Alfie, you're the man - put the puck in the net"

And I mumbled the following:

"Murder him! When you get the chance, smash his face in!"

These sayings are a measurement of crowd frustration. As the team begins to suck, people say these things more.

Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel "Boooooo...yaayyyyyy..ooo....yyyyyy" Alfredsson played well together throughout the game. The real story is, however, the second line.

Chris Neil, Mike Fisher, and Cory Stillman took an entirely different approach to scoring goals, and it seemed to work for most of the night. I don't think the team missed Randy Robitaille in the least.

Reading my own comments here, offence doesn't seem to be the problem. Defence was the problem. The huge, gaping, undeniable problem that pulled the Senators into a deep chasm of self-loathing and "what-if" statements.

As in, what if Ottawa hadn't surrendered that goal late in the second period? What if Spezza had netted one of his many chances? What if the team didn't take that stupid additional penalty?

So much could be said about this game as it summarizes the Senators searching for the meaning of their season at this point. Lack of discipline, lack of leadership, lack of direction.

There is one question that can be answered tonight however:

Are the Sens ready for the playoffs? Not by a long shot.

Neil in, Robitaille out

According to the Ottawa Sun, Chris Neil is back and ready to play tonight, which leaves Randy Robitaille as the odd man out. I would like to draw everyone's attention to my post from Thursday, in which I predicted this exact scenario to happen:

I'll start off with Randy Robitaille. He wasn't bad tonight; he was just Randy Robitaille. Which means he shied away from all physical play, was soft on the forecheck, controlled the puck well but was unable to make time and space that he needs to make plays. When he plays alongside Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, those two are rendered less effective in the offensive zone because the opposing team can allow Robitaille some leeway and focus on checking Heater and Spezza more. And in the first period especially, it was evident that the two marquee guys on that line were getting frustrated. Robitaille's role on this team is quickly diminishing with the acquisition of [Cory] Stillman, and I have a feeling he might be the odd-man out when Chris Neil is ready to return.

Okay, that's enough of me patting myself on the back. Although I am impressed with myself...

I've been pretty hard on Robitaille all season, although not nearly as hard as Jeremy Milks over at Black Aces. I disagree with the harsh tone of Milks in his most recent post, though:

Randy Robitaille has been coasting with the Senators all season long, showing no physical commitment or emotion or doing anything to diminish his reputation as a wallflower.

Bryan Murray went out of his way to bring in Robitaille, a local boy, from Russia and Murray even gave him a chance to play on the first line with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley.

Yes, Robitaille is a coaster. Yes, Murray--and John Paddock before him--gave Robitaille every opportunity to succeed in great roles. But that was a failing of both coaches in properly assessing Robitaille's skill set, and coming to the realizations that it does not fit in anywhere on this team. He never really appeared like he fit in with the other players, and in post-goal celebrations he always seemed to be on the outside looking in.

His game is very well-suited to the European style, and he would have flourished had he stayed in Russia. I have a feeling he'll be missing a lot of time leading up to and in the playoffs, and I think the team will be better for it. But that's not a shot at Robitaille; it's just a statement of fact. He's a middling player who can do time in the NHL, but can't be counted on for sustained production. Best of luck to Ropes, but I think his time has run out with the Sens.

Too close for comfort: Sens 3 Blues 2

Hey, it was a win, right? Right? I guess it all counts for two points. But if that's how the Sens play for the rest of the season and the playoffs, it will likely be a short post-season.

The biggest problem for the Sens was defensive coverage. Both of St. Louis' goals were of defensive gaffes, where a cross-ice pass forced Martin Gerber--who played well and had little to no chance on the two goals--to stretch out, but was unable to stretch far enough. The first one was all thanks to Wade Redden, who gave the puck away and then gave up his check (Jamal Mayers), and it was Mayers who tipped the puck in.

I don't know that Redden had a bad game, though. He had three or four terrible shifts, though, and they were really terrible, so it made his whole game seem abysmal. Also struggling on defence was Mike Commodore, again, but there are signs that show he's on the verge of coming around. One good sign was a decent pairing of Commodore and Christoph Schubert, which is an experiment I maintain Bryan Murray should try for a game or two. Luke Richardson could probably use some rest, anyway.

Speaking of Schubert, he had a solid game whether at defence or on forward, and I'm not just saying that because of the goal he scored. His goal was huge, though, and that fourth line of Schubert with Dean McAmmond (who had a beauty pass for Schubie's goal) and Shean Donovan (whose forechecking never seems to cease) is turning out to be just as useful as the fourth line Murray constructed in last year's playoffs. Which will be valuable. On defence, Schubert--who was playing with Redden on the powerplay--actually looked really good controlling the puck along the blue line with the man advantage, and when he was killing penalties with Commodore he looked positionally solid.

Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov played as reliably as they seem to do on every night, and both finished +2 in less ice time than they usually have to play (largely thanks to Barret Jackman's four stupid penalties). Volchenkov blocked three shots, and added an assist for good measure.

The best defenceman of the night, though, was Andrej Meszaros. He threw two huge hits (and three total, according to NHL.com), played more ice time than anyone else on the Sens, threw two shots on net and blocked a Blues shot, too. His powerplay control was great, and he was bumped up to the first power-play unit alongside Cory Stillman for good reason. He appears to be regaining the form of his rookie season (knock on wood), and it couldn't come soon enough.

Well, enough about defencemen. (If you couldn't tell, I was once a d-man, which is why I talk about them so much.) Now I'll move onto forwards. This is going to be a long post, I guess. It's because it was the first game I've seen in quite a while.

I'll start off with Randy Robitaille. He wasn't bad tonight; he was just Randy Robitaille. Which means he shied away from all physical play, was soft on the forecheck, controlled the puck well but was unable to make time and space that he needs to make plays. When he plays alongside Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, those two are rendered less effective in the offensive zone because the opposing team can allow Robitaille some leeway and focus on checking Heater and Spezza more. And in the first period especially, it was evident that the two marquee guys on that line were getting frustrated. Robitaille's role on this team is quickly diminishing with the acquisition of Stillman, and I have a feeling he might be the odd-man out when Chris Neil is ready to return.

Part way through the game, the CASH line was reunited, and it seemed to reinvigorate Daniel Alfredsson. It's obvious that he benefits greatly from playing with Spezza and Heatley, and those two use his skills well. And while playing on a line with Stillman and Mike Fisher, Alfredsson looks a little out of place; those two have a chemistry that is independent of Alfie, and I think that Neil might fall on the second line with Stillman and Fisher when he does return. Speaking of Fisher, he played incredibly, despite the fact that he had no points. On his way to recording a game-high seven hits, Fisher suckered Jackman into a penalty, and then the former rookie of the year (why did he ever win that?) Jackman took an unsportsmanlike penalty, to boot. A team composed of six Christoph Schuberts on defence and twelve Mike Fisher's on forward would be a lot of fun to watch.

The third line was outstanding. I'm not sure what it is, but Martin Lapointe seems to have changed the play of Antoine Vermette and Chris Kelly, and I think this line is really making a case to get themselves a lot of bonus ice time at even strength situations. While Lapointe's skill set is limited, he has a pretty good shot, and his speed and tenacity on the forecheck mean a lot of pucks get coughed out into open spaces, where Vermette or Kelly are often buzzing around and are able to pick them up. This line was the best through two periods, maybe through the whole game. While I'm unsure about Lapointe's role on the powerplay, he sure is a sucker for punishment--he must have taken a dozen cross-checks while standing in front of the net in the second period.

The fact that nine different players registered a point for the Sens is a good sign to me. Although it was only Hannu Toivonen in nets at the other end, the knowledge that each line has the potential to contribute offensively was a huge part of last year's team's success, and is a necessary asset going forward.

One final note: I never gave Eric Brewer much credit, but he was the most effective St. Louis player during the game. And Paul Kariya was invisible except for a couple of shifts in the third period. And that's probably enough rambling "insight" for one day. I'm sorry if it was too long. If you think it would be more effective to write in bullet-point format, let me know.

Shutout by the worst team in the league

The Senators just lost 2-0 to the worst team in the league. By the transitive property, does that now mean that the Senators are the worst team in the league? At times, it looked like it. Notably in the second period.

Why the crap was Dean McAmmond scratched? Great call, Bryan Murray. It paid off in spades. While I agree that Brian McGrattan can be useful to get into games--and the fight he had tonight showed that--D-Mac's versatility is useful. A lot more useful than Randy Robitaille, who can't play defense, can't play physical, can't kill penalties, and can't really do anything aside from drift around the ice.

I'll point out a couple of good things about tonight's game. Martin Gerber played pretty darn well. He let in one goal, which was on a 5-on-3, and was a nice play by Anze Kopitar. Other than that, he stopped 30 of 31 including some pretty darned good chances. Andrej Meszaros looked alright, and he was really pissed when that empty-netter was scored--he slashed, hooked, and high-sticked Patrick O'Sullivan on his way to the net, and then hit him after he put it in. I can't blame him for being pissed. Although he's on a hell of a cold streak, Mike Fisher led the team in shots (five) as well as hits (six).

Bad stuff... whatever. Apparently Murray's policy of keeping ice times equalized is out the window. McGrattan only played 2:42, and Nick Foligno only played 5:59. On the other end of the scale, Dany Heatley played 24:33, which was higher than any other player on the Senators, including defencemen, and second-highest in the game to only Jack Johnson of the Kings. Second highest one the Sens was Jason Spezza, with 23:32. I understand you want to get some goal scoring, Bryan, but these are a lot of the mistakes that John Paddock made during games. Foligno, in his limited ice time, might have had the Sens' best opportunity to score.

That's all I can say, really. I guess congratulations have to be given to Erik Ersberg, who stopped all 40 Sens' shots to shut Ottawa out in his fourth career NHL game (and first career win). Good for you.

For the record, this is only frustrating because--as we all know--the Sens are still a good team. So Murray just has to figure out what the crap is wrong, figure out how to fix it, and then have it fixed within the next couple of weeks to make sure Ottawa makes the playoffs, and then make some waves when the team is there.

Gah... I'm going to bed.

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).

One man's opinion: The expendables

I think the Sens have got a good core, but these are the players that I think should be shopped around before the trade deadline:
Randy Robitaille - Now that we've got Stillman, is he even necessary? Was supposed to fit in on the first or second line, but has looked more average than ever lately.

Anotine Vermette - RFA coming up. As I stated before, another player who may never reach his potential

Cory Stillman - Everyone's talking about how good (not great) he is, but if there's a great deal out there that might require him, I would say do it.

Andrej Meszaros - What have you done for me lately? Great rookie season, but Alexandre Daigle had a great one too.

Ray Emery and/or Martin Gerber - You know the story.

Lawrence Nycholat - Older than most players on the farm team, he could be used as a bargaining chip instead of giving up a draft pick.

Bryan Murray, use these people. They're not the future - they're barely even the present. Shuffle the deck a little but more and the results could be delicious (playoff-wise).

Sens play 20 minutes against Habs, lose 4-3

Well, that was a frustrating loss. Made more frustrating by the fact that had Ottawa continued the momentum of the first 2 minutes of the game, there could have been a victory. Or if the team had played the first forty minutes as well as the third period, it would have been a different story.

There's no way John Paddock can call out Jason Spezza for his play against Montreal. I don't know why he did, as it likely served no purpose aside from making guys hate him more, and a playmaker like Spezza needs play-finishers to be effective. Tonight, though, he scored a nice goal, got an assist, and finished +1 overall.

The difference was probably special teams, as it so often is. After Chris Kelly scored to give Ottawa and early lead, the two consecutive penalties really took the wind out of the Sens' sails, especially the second one where Andrei Kostitsyn scored to tie the game. The Sens got a little down after that, and a sick passing play ended with Tomas Plekanec giving Montreal a 2-1 lead.

Martin Gerber probably should have had at least one of the two second-period goals, if not both of them. Mark Streit shot a rocket from the blue line that Joe Corvo may have tipped, but it was stoppable. Plekanec' second goal of the game was banked in off The Gerber, because he was cheating in anticipation of a cross-crease pass.

Things picked up in the third, and I wish the whole game was like that. The Sens outshot the Habs 12-4, and both Spezza and Antoine Vermette got Ottawa to within one. Randy Robitaille and Kelly both got stoned by Cristobal Huet, and the Sens ran out of time on the comeback If Ottawa can play like the third period on Saturday, then there's a chance for a victory to restore our lead in the Northeast Division; if Daniel Alfredsson's able to return to the lineup, all the better. Oh yeah, and there's a game against Florida in the meantime, on Thursday night. The only reason I'm not tremendously disappointed is that the Panthers beat the Leafs 8-0 tonight, but the Sens had better watch out if Florida runs with that.

Note about Alfie: A friend saw Alfredsson at the airport on Monday night, and casually said, "So, are you going to be ready to go tomorrow, Daniel?" Alfie said no, but that "He'd get [the Canadiens] on Saturday." So there you go.

Whatever can go wrong...

There is a lot going wrong in Sens land these days. Not to overstate the drama, but with the sub-par play in the last 30 games there are issues that have to be addressed. Although the Sens lost 5-3 to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, it actually looked like some things were on the turnaround. Maybe it's my eternal optimism, but I saw some good things in the game.

First of all, the secondary scoring. The line of Mike Fisher, Dean McAmmond, and Chris Neil looked pretty solid, and the three each scored a goal. Fisher also took seven shots, and McAmmond fired five. Hopefully that lines sticks together for a while, because they were effective tonight. If Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, and Randy Robitaille--who has been playing better of late--were able to get their offensive act together, the Sens could have put enough goals past Tomas Vokoun to win the game.

Most damaging to Ottawa in this lost, however, was defensive play. Forwards weren't in position to offer defencemen puck support, and defencemen like Chris Phillips and Andrej Meszaros made uncharacteristically poor decisions to cost Ottawa. When Phillips loses his check as badly as he did on Florida's fifth goal, then a lot is going wrong for this team.

No questions were answered in goal. While Ray Emery made some big saves at times, he also let in some very stoppable shots, and can't allow five goals even if he does face 40 shots. It's unknown which goalie is going to start against Tampa Bay on Thursday, but precedent will suggest it will be Martin Gerber. John Paddock didn't do the goaltenders any favours pulling The Gerber against Philadelphia, and probably should have let him finish the game.

Ice time was pretty equally distributed in the game, which is something I love to see. That's what Bryan Murray did last year, and it allows all players on the team to collectively fight through their slump, instead of 12 guys sitting back as the first-liners are continually thrown out their as the only possible solution to the problems; in the long run, it will benefit the team. Kudos to Paddock for realizing that.

The biggest problem appeared to be the Sens' hesitancy. There were pucks in open spaces, and Sens players looked hesitant to go for it and would choose to try and play defence while the Panthers would skate around them. If the Sens are more deliberate in their actions--easier said than done--a lot of the pieces will begin to fall into place.

I figure I'll mention one final thing. Although Wade Redden finished -3 on the night, I though he had a decent game, and I thought he was alright on Sunday against Philly, too. One thing that has been lost in his defensively questionable season is that Redden is fifth in team scoring, and is on pace for a career-high 47 points this season. Joe Corvo, seventh in team scoring, is also on pace to set a career-high with 41 points. If the Sens' play, and especially the powerplay, picks up in the coming games, these two will be a key part of it. Just something to keep in mind.

Skid stops at two: Sens 5 'Canes 1

Heck of an improvement on Thursday compared to the games Sunday and Tuesday, and the change in effort showed in the 5-1 margin of victory for the Sens.

Dany Heatley was out (obviously). When Daniel Alfredsson went down in the second, it scared the crap out of me. Imagine... Ottawa's first line of Shean Donovan-Jason Spezza-Randy Robitaille. It scares me, that's for sure. Spezza made the best out of it, though, and he hooked Cam Ward and reeled him in twice, the first time passing to Robitaille for an easy empty-netter and the second time keeping it himself. Alfie leaving the game was apparently a precautionary measure, we'll see if he's back against the Lightning on Saturday.

Once he realized that he'd have to fill the Sens' offensive void, Antoine Vermette had a solid game. His first goal was a little lucky (and a little plucky), and his second goal was great follow-up on his own shot. Even without scoring two per game, if he keeps his offensive game going as well as it was against the Hurricanes this team might be alright in the short-term.

Team defence was a significant improvement. Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov combined for NINE blocked shots (five and four, respectively). Puck support from forwards was much stronger. And Martin Gerber had a solid game, stopping all but one of the 37 shots he faced. Although he always seems strong against Carolina, hopefully The Gerber continues the strong play we saw at the start of the season.

Only two forwards had over 20 minutes of ice time for Ottawa, Mike Fisher and Jason Spezza. Four had between 15 and 20 minutes, and three were between 13 and 15. Could this be the beginning of John Paddock equalizing ice times? It may also be the result of so many injuries and the middling players sharing the load, but it is a step in the right direction in my opinion.

Live from the Locker Room: Listening to the Team 1200, Paddock seems pretty angry right now, which is weird. He is never hesitant to dish out criticism, but it takes a lot for him to give praise; "I think he did what he's supposed to do" about Vermette's great game tonight.

Spezza can hit?: Jason Spezza was number six on the NHL Hits of the Week ending Jan. 15 for his "bone-crunching" hit against Buffalo's Henrik Tallinder. Hey, Satan, watch out for that snowball coming your way. (Watch the top ten below.)

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.

Sens slide past Sabres

I guess the Sens were just being generous on Thursday... they wanted to add a little suspense and donate the Buffalo Sabres a point, so they let the Buffaslugs back into the game before winning 3-2 it in a shootout. I guess they're still in the Christmas spirit; hopefully they lose that generosity when facing the Red Wings on Saturday.

Shean Donovan and Daniel Alfredsson scored the Sens' goals, with Shean Don taking a swell pass from Chris Kelly and el capitano ripping the puck past sabres goaler Jocelyn Thibault. Wade Redden, as I'm sure everyone has heard, had an uneventful 800th game. Martin Gerber had a solid shootout--the only goal allowed in six chances was to Tomas Vanek--and was alright throughout the game, although not stupendous. It's unclear who will be playing on Saturday against the Wings.

I don't understand John Paddock's tactics. Okay, I've been harping a lot lately, but only three players had less ice time than Dean McAmmond last night: blockhead Andrew Peters and unskilled pest Troy Kaleta for the Sabres, and Cody Bass for Ottawa. So what does D-Mac do? He wins the game with the shootout-clinching goal. That'll show 'im. Give Deaner another chance on the top line with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, and try it out for a whole game, he'll get more results than Randy Robitaille, guaranteed.

As for the Red Wings game, stay tuned for a game Wings synopsis courtesy Christy from Detroit Red Wings blog Behind the Jersey. Check out that site for a Sens-angled preview in the coming hours.

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.