Sens Army Blog news update

Hey folks,

After a minor surgery, posts on the website have been limited recently. Mostly to No Habs No! letters, which are certainly fun (and one for Dion Phaneuf, which will completely avoid any mention of sloppiness, seconds, or anything of that nature, will be forthcoming), but are lacking in the depth readers expect.

Although not analytical, here is at least a run-down of the most recent Sens' news to keep you abreast of the issues:

• Android Volchenkov kills Thomas Vanek. Okay, 'kills' is a strong word, but Vanek's likely out for a month after Volchenkov shot him in the face. With a puck.
• Ryan Shannon contributing. He looks good... will it last? Here's to hoping.
  
• Dany Heatley disagrees with coach Cory Clouston. But then, mere hours later...
• Dany Heatley agrees with coach Cory Clouston. Fabricating stories, and then reporting on the response to said fabrication, is a great way to sell papers.
• Clouston running the Sens ragged in practice. Good?
  
• Speaking of Clouston, one thing I hadn't noticed but is certainly noticeable: New ice time allottments. Nick Foligno (20:29) played more than any of Heatley (19:43), Jason Spezza (19:40), or Daniel Alfredsson (19:27) against Buffalo. And Brendan Bell (20:30) played more than Volchenkov (18:16), Jason Smith (20:05), and Chris Phillips (19:54). Is it a good idea? Well, they won, and Foligno and Bell each had a role in the win.
• Chris Neil is out for two weeks with a lacerated calf (on his leg, not a baby cow). Questions abound as to whether we'll see him in an Ottawa uniform again, or if he'll be traded.
• Shean Donovan should be back on Wednesday, according to the above-linked story. Alex Picard won't be yet, but may be soon.
  
• Carrie Underwood will be alone on Valentine's Day. But would like Mike Fisher to make her a home-cooked vegetarian meal. Why the hell do I know this?
• And holy shit, MLS soccer in Ottawa? About Eugene Melnyk's bid, the MLS commissioner said, "It’s highly unlikely and almost inconceivable that with a stadium deal in place we would not grant an expansion team to Ottawa." I didn't think it was likely.
  

No Habs No: Jason Blake

Jason Blake is the first player from a Canadian team to have scored a game-winner against the Montréal Canadiens, and will receive the following letter in appreciation:



Because Blake is on the Toronto Maple Leafs, he will receive a Canadian Tire dollar. Hopefully someone from the Calgary Flames will the the first non-Leafs player on a Canadian team to score a game-winning goal against the Canadiens since the No Habs No! campaign began when those two teams play this evening (Monday).

To support the campaign, you can do any combination of the following:

• Join the 200+ fans on our Facebook page.
• Donate some amount via PayPal to sensarmyblog@gmail.com.
• Visit our swag shop (We've distributed a large mug, a long-sleeved tee, and a baseball shirt so far!).
• Express support and solidarity by commenting on the blog.
  

Sens' College prospects reviewed on Hockey's Future

Hockey's Future reviewed the status of Ottawa prospects currently playing in the NCAA last week, and--by and large--they're a lot of alright.

The most glowing review went to 2008 second-round pick Patrick Wiercioch, who (as of Feb. 6, 2009) has scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 24 games this season for the University of Denver Pioneers. HF had this to say about the offensive defenceman:

Wiercioch’s size is impressive, standing 6’4. He still needs to fill out his 180 lb frame, but when he does, it will make the transition to the pro ranks smoother. While Wiercioch has ample size, he lacks the mean streak that is present in large defensemen such as Chris Pronger, and Zdeno Chara, but that is not Wiercioch’s game. He is a smooth, offensive-minded rearguard who can hold his own in the defensive zone.

Aided by his solid skating ability, Wiercioch already looks to be a steal for the Senators. His impressive play resulted in an invite to Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp in December. While he did not make the cut for the actual tournament, the selection alone was impressive for a player who was not on the radar for many until this season.

All in all, HF reviewed the development of seven players in college; Here are snippets, but read the actual article if you want more depth.

• Eric Gryba (D): "After this season finishes, whether or not Gryba will turn pro remains to be seen. With Binghamton’s depth on the blueline, another year at Boston might be best to ensure he gets ample ice time."
• Mark Borowiecki (D): "Borowiecki is a long-term project to be sure, and will probably play at least two more seasons before the Senators sign him, if at all."
• Ben Blood (D): "Since he does not seem to excel either offensively nor defensively, and is not well rounded, Blood’s future is fuzzy at best."
• Louie Caporusso (F): "With 20 goals in 28 games, he is among the top goal scorers in the NCAA, blowing past his 12 goals in 33 games last season."
• Eric Condra (RW): "Condra is currently projected as a solid, third-line energy forward with some scoring touch. [...] Expect Condra to join Binghamton after the Fighting Irish’s season comes to an end and be signed to an NHL deal by Ottawa."
• Colin Greening (C): "At the age of 22 (23 in March) he would seem to have reached his ceiling in the NCAA, as he is unlikely to grow more as a player while competing against opponents who are up to four years his junior."

Shootout win? Sens 3, Sabres 2 (SO)

Congratulations, Cory Clouston! Your new strategy for the Ottawa Senators is not only funner to watch, but it also works--and the proof is in the pudding. The pudding being Saturday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres, in which--after a bit of a third-period scare--the Senators prevailed after actually scoring a few times in a shootout. That's something new.

Although Nick Foligno is prone to taking the odd penalty in his youthful anxiety, it's a lot of fun to watch. Especially when he plays as well as he has in the last couple of games, including tonight's showing where he tipped a powerplay goal behind Sabres goaler Ryan Miller. It gave the Sens the 1-0 lead.

Antoine Vermette gave Ottawa a two-goal cushion when he blasted a snapper past Miller in the second period. Good decision not to pass to Chris Neil in the two-on-one, too. There was some controversy after the referee waved off the goal initially and play went on, but it was all sorted out pretty guickly after the next whistle. I'm not really sure how that puck could possibly have bounced out of the net as it did after the shot, but I'll cut the referee some slack--thing happen pretty quickly on the ice.

Then two defensive gaffes, and two Buffalo goals to tie the game. First some miscommunication between Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov left Adam Mair completely alone in front to tip the puck past Brian Elliott, and then Phillips overcommitted on the penalty-kill to allow Drew Stafford to breeze by him and tuck the puck past Elliott, too.

But this Clouston-coached Senators team is different. Too aggressive to sit back on their heels and think about having lost the lead, the Sens kept up their offensive pressure. In the end, the Senators outshot the Sabres 42-30. But Ottawa could still only get two past Miller in regulation, and none in overtime.

The conversation regarding shootout choices will, inevitably, continue. Tonight he started with Jason Spezza, Jarkko Ruutu, and Daniel Alfredsson--the latter two scored to get the shootout into extra shooters. And, unconventionally, Mike Fisher was next, and the guy not only hit the net, but he actually scored. It was surprising and totally unexpected, but it worked.

If you're wondering why Dany Heatley wasn't chosen, I don't think it's just because he has been terrible in shootouts; He also had a pretty bad game. He's obviously frustrated, and could have easily taken a couple of stupid penalties if the refs wanted to hit him with them. His goals will come, but he needs to work harder until they do.

Coach's Corner review: Did anyone else notice Don Cherry getting Hungarian-born Dracula star Bela Lugosi confused with the former Soviet bloc country Belarus? I think he was discussing Maple Leafs' player and Belarus native Mikhail Grabovski, but then he started ranting about Lugosi and showed a clip of Alexander Semin playing the drums on Marc Staal. Cherry's scattered train of thought used to be funny, but it's starting to get a bit confusing.

No Habs No: Tim Connolly

Boy, would I have egg on my face if Tim Connolly had a substantial role in a Sabres win versus the Senators, instead of just playing a substantial role in a close call. As it is, Connolly will receive this letter from the No Habs No! campaign in recognition of his game-winning goal against Montreal on Feb. 6, 2009:



To support the campaign, you can do any combination of the following:

• Join the 200+ fans on our Facebook page.
• Donate some amount via PayPal to sensarmyblog@gmail.com.
• Visit our swag shop (We've distributed a large mug, a long-sleeved tee, and a baseball shirt so far!).
• Express support and solidarity by commenting on the blog.
  

Reasons to be optimistic

Against the Bruins last night, the Senators showed some life. It could be the fact that Cory Clouston has implemented a more forechecking-focused style, or it could be the fact that the Sens now seemingly have nothing to lose anymore. In any case, there was reason to be optimistic following the 4-3 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins.

First of all, the Bruins are by far the best team in the Eastern conference, and the Sens gave them a run for their money. Between Pierre McGuire incessant audible droolings over Zdeno Chara and his evoking of the constant (boring, repetitive) irony that he used to play for Ottawa, Jason Spezza and Nick Foligno did some of that... what do you call it.... goal-scoring?

Brian Elliot was stellar for most of the game. If not for Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov forgetting to be anywhere near Boston forwards in front of the Sens' net, Elliot would have been the hero of the match. Could he really be the future of the franchise? (Let's wait and see if they buy him out after leading us to the Stanley Cup Finals first...)

Spezza seemed incredibly happy and relieved after he scored in the third period last night. He's not typically the guy to shout and raise his fists in the air and shake them vigorously. It seemed like that goal meant something to him.

One more thing: THREE TIME?! YOU SHOOT LOW GLOVE-HAND THREE MOTHAFLIPPIN' TIMES?! I don't know what the scouting report said on Tim Thomas, but after getting stopped twice on low, glove-side shots, I think you should try a freaking deke for God's sake. That was the point in the game that I was most disappointed in the team. The Sens goal-scorers left their rookie goalie out to dry, giving the Bruins chance after chance to end the game.

Heroic (though not particularly pretty) penalty-killing in overtime helped the Sens get to the shootout, so that's a plus. And of course, a couple of incredibly stupid penalties allowed the Bruins to tie the game. But's let's not overshadow a little bit of optimism.

The Sens take on Buffalo on Saturday night. Let's hope the positives keep up, and Phillips rediscovers how to lift a stick in front of the net.

Shannon up, Regin and Hunt to Binghamton

The Senators today announced that Ryan Shannon has been recalled from Binghamton to play in Ottawa. Just an assumption, but I'm going to say that new coach Cory Clouston is looking for more pure offence, and Shannon is the most purely offensive player in Bingo.

To make room for Shannon, Peter Regin has been sent back to Binghamton. Regin was lots of fun to watch, and made plenty happen, but at this point in his career he seems more like a third-liner, which Ottawa has plenty of. I look forward to seeing what he can bring next year, with a bit more size and a full year of North American pro under his belt/

Finally, former Senators assistant coach Curtis Hunt announced that he'd accept the head coaching job in Binghamton. I guess you could say it's semi-interim, depending what happens with Clouston this year, but Ottawa's paying Hunt anyway--might as well have him working somewhere.

Luckless start for Clouston: Kings 1, Sens 0

A little less than a year ago, the Senators lost 2-0 to the Senators and it was, at the time, the lowest point of the season (as evidenced by my rendering in the post). This year, despite a 1-0 loss to those same Los Angeles Kings, I'm not nearly so depressed. And not just because the Kings are slightly better than they were last season, and are on the Western Conference's playoff bubble.

I also saw some positive signs in the Senators play. The team has finally gotten back to an aggressive two-man forecheck within a 2-1-2 system, which should help the offence eventually--even if it didn't last night. The Senators did create turnovers, though, and did create scoring chances off of them. The Senators' largely slow d-corps has fallen victim to aggressive forecheckers this season, and the hope is that by using that same tactic, the Sens can use their offensive speed (which they still have some of, in the forms of Dean McAmmond, Mike Fisher, and Antoine Vermette). Then we get back to forcing opposing d into making turnovers, employing a reliable transition game and turning that into offence/

It also looked like Cory Clouston's attempts to make the game a bit more fun for the players is working. It was strange to say, but the game was surprisingly exciting for a 1-0 game.

I liked what I saw, and look forward to seeing what this new approach brings for the rest of the season.