The forward lineup (subject to change)

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

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

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

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

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

Only one constant in Bingo this year: Success

About a week ago, Bingo beat writer and blogger Michael Sharp documented the adversity through which the Binghamton Senators have, somehow, successfully navigated to get off to their best start in franchise history: Then 21-12-6 (48 points), now 23-13-6 (52 points). He offered a list of some of the things the team has overcome (directly quoting Sharp):

• "Brad Isbister, sold to B-Sens fans as a potential top-six forward here, opts to head to Switzerland, rather than report in training camp.
• "Second-year center Alexander Nikulin, last season's third-leading scorer, and another top-six guy entering the season, threatens to return home to Russia if he is not traded. Eventually, he gets his wish, getting shipped to the Phoenix organization the same day he walks out on the B-Sens.
• "Second-year center Cody Bass, while playing on recall with Ottawa, is lost for the season with a shoulder injury.
• "Rookie forward Kaspars Daugavins chooses to return to juniors in late December. He had just three points in 23 games, but he'd been playing on a line with Josh Hennessy and Ryan Shannon just before his decision.
• "This first half has featured 14 call-ups to Ottawa, most recently goaltender Brian Elliott, an all-star and arguably the team's first-half MVP. It doesn't appear he's returning any time soon.
• "Eight players have missed at least eight straight games with an injury down here. That doesn't include Shannon, who missed time with a concussion while on recall with Ottawa.
• "Brendan Bell and Brian Lee, two top-four defensemen for Binghamton, appear to be sticking in Ottawa. Bell has been there since Nov. 16. Lee has already logged 18 games with the big club.
• "The schedule was ridiculous in November, with two stretches of seven games in 10 days. One stretch included a lengthy trip to Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. And both came amidst a period of heavy injuries and call-ups."

Although it's not confirmed, it sure looks like Elliott will be in Ottawa for the rest of the season, and one of Bell or Lee will more than likely stick around, as well. Binghamton coach Cory Clouston has taken his fair share of criticism, but he's got to be commended for keeping this team rolling. And Sens GM Bryan Murray and Assistant GM Tim Murray both have to be commended for, at least to date, re-stocking the Senators minor-league pro depth.

Season-ending shoulder injury for Bass

Just a quick post before I head out to the Russia v. Czech Republic World Junior Championship quarter final game:

According to the Ottawa Sun, the shoulder injury Cody Bass sustained in a fight against Eric Nystrom will keep him out of the lineup for the rest of the season.

Fight card: Sens v. Flames, Dec. 27, 2008

Cody Bass v. Eric Nystrom, 14:12 first period:



Verdict: Nystrom by a mile. Maybe it's because he'd just taken a slapshot to the kidney or because he separated his shoulder in the fight, but Bass got worked.

Sens Flame out: Flames 6, Sens 3

Losing a two-goal lead was obviously pretty frustrating, but it was even more frustrating when you have to listen to Greg Millen Craig Simpson and Jim Hughson host a Calgary Flames love-in (especially for Dion Phaneuf and Jarome Iginla) all night long. Maybe I was just a little bit short because of the result, but did anyone else notice an obvious passion from CBCs commentators for Calgary?

Whatever. No scoring in the first. Two goals early in the second, the first with a slapshot from Chris Phillips at the point (with two goals in two consecutive losses for him, is this the end of the "Phillips mojo"?), and the second after some solid board work from Dany Heatley (I'm as surprised as you are) to free up the puck for Jason Spezza to take a shot (!) high blocker side.

After those goals, though, the Flames brought it to the Sens, and the roster holes left by Anton Volchenkov and Filip Kuba on defence were abundantly clear. Some defensive foibles and the Flames had three goals in 2:07, and the Sens were behind. On defence, it was obvious the Sens were going to have problems without the aforementioned stalwarts, who are arguably the Sens' two most consistent d-men so far this season. As good as Brian Lee has played since his recall, he played 25:18 on the night. I'll give him credit for how clean his game was, but that's just a sign of how desperate the Sens were on defence on the night.

Cody Bass tried to spark the Sens late in the first by dropping the gloves with Eric Nystrom, but he just injured his shoulder and left the game. It seems unlikely that he'll be back, but--as unfortunate as his injury is--I think Ilya Zubov (who was a healthy scratch against the Flames) will offer more of what the Sens need.

People will lay plenty of blame on Spezza for Rene Bourque's second goal of the game, but I don't think it's necessary to crap on him. As Kelly Hrudey pointed out, this wasn't a blind errant pass; Spezza simply lost control of the puck, and actually slid face-first to try and block the shot afterwards. It's shitty that it happened, but it wasn't the kind of stupid mistake that people usually rag Spezza for.

Then Alex Picard scored his fifth goal of the season to tie the game. (Five goals, by the way, ranks Picard higher than Mike Fisher, Antoine Vermette, Chris Kelly, Chris Neil, and Jarkko Ruutu in goals scored this season.) One thing about Picard's goal, that you can say about most of his goals this season: Instead of looking for a perfect pass or a howitzer slapshot, he simply focussed on getting the puck on the net. Christoph Schubert could learn a thing or two from the kid, because a slapshot isn't much use if you fan on it or miss the net.

Did anyone else see Daniel Alfredsson throw some lumber towards Phaneuf after the Flames' neanderthal jumped at a Sens player in the corner (I think it was Nick Foligno)? Maybe, after getting the cold shoulder from his teammates, Alfie's trying to lead by example.

Not much else to say, really. The Sens are scoring some goals now, but they've lost the defensive responsibility that was their strong suit at the start of the season. If I've got to choose between a 2-1 loss or a 6-3 loss, I think I'll go with the latter, so maybe it's better this way.

I'm not sure when the roster freeze thaws, but Bryan Murray is sure to be making plenty of phone calls in preparation for that day. We've all heard how difficult it is to make a trade in the salary cap era, but the roster right now simply isn't working as a whole, no matter how hard the individual components might be working.

Bass back to Bingo (again)

Not that Cody Bass did anything wrong while he was in Ottawa, but he's back to Binghamton of the AHL once again. He did an admirable job replacing Chris Neil while Neil was nursing his knee injury, but this team doesn't need them both on the roster, and Bass is a lot cheaper in the AHL.

Late last month he was sent down, only to be re-called for the next game in early December. I think this latest reassignment, however, might be longer-term, pending injuries. It looks like, at least for a little while (maybe until Dean McAmmond returns), Ilya Zubov is in the lineup to give a bit of scoring depth and a lot more speed. It's not likely very easy for B-Sens fans to swallow, but when the big team calls, the farm team can't hang up.

Win for the refs: Panthers 4, Sens 3 (OT)

Alright, Sens fans. I don't usually like doing this. It's not usually justified, and when I'm blogging I try to be as non-Homer-ish as possible. When I'm in the stands it's a different story, but I try to at least be reasonable when I'm writing. So I say this without hesitation: The Senators would have won Monday night's game if the referees were better. And I don't mean if the referees were better for Ottawa; if they were remotely equitable, Ottawa would have won the game in regulation.

For instance: One bogus hooking call on Anton Volchenkov. It was a weak call, and you could see the refs discussing it afterwards. But hey, sometimes mistakes happen, and you've just got to make up for it by calling one the other way. But instead of 'evening it up', the refs handed Volchenkov another chintzy call --this one for boarding. And then when Volchenkov steps out of the box Gregory Campbell hooks and trips him on his way to a 3-on-2, giving the refs an easy-peasy even-up call, and they decide not to call it. Nor do they call a trip on Jason Spezza later, nor did they call a slash on Daniel Alfredsson that knocked the stick right out of his hands. I'm not just a bitter fan. Yes, Ottawa had a 5-on-3 for 90 seconds, but those were easy calls, and the way the Sens play on 5-on-3s you'd almost rather have them not call the second penalty. It was a terribly-refereed game.

With that said, though, the Sens weren't their best on the night. Far from it. They started the game ridiculously slow, and were being worked in the defensive end most of the night. The Panthers were missing nine regulars from the lineup, and aren't a great team to begin with. Although Chris Kelly scored what the referee proclaimed a "good hockey goal" to get the Sens the lead, they blew it. Dany Heatley scored an unassisted goal (although Filip Kuba made it happen), restoring the Sens' lead, but they blew it again. So Jason Spezza scored a pretty goal (five in three games now) to make the score 3-2 for the Sens, but--thanks in some part to a weak hooking call on Alex Picard--Jay Bouwmeester scored a powerplay goal to tie the game. The game-winner was a result of a neutral-zone turnover that somehow ended up on Stephen Weiss' stick, and then in the Sens' net. It was a boring first period, but the teams started exchanging chances in the second and third.

Overtime was all Ottawa, but there was no beating Florida 'keeper Craig Anderson. Highlight of the period was a sick cross-ice pass from Alfredsson to Mike Fisher, but the pass--and Fisher's shot--were outshined only by Anderson's post-to-post save.

I was impressed with Volchenkov on the night. He took two penalties, but--as I said--I question the validity of the calls. Oddly enough, as solid as his defensive play was, I actually thought he had a really good game offensively. I never really thought I'd say that about Volchenkov, but I've noticed this year he's joined (occassionally led) the offensive rush, and he's not afraid to take a shot from the point. All without getting caught out of position. Plus he threw an awesome bodycheck on Radek Dvorak.

Although Alex Auld didn't have his best game, he didn't play poorly. He made some great saves, and starting eating rebounds when it became apparent that the Sens' defence couldn't clear the puck to save their lives. And in the end, he stopped a respectable 36 of 40 shots he faced.

Ice-time disparity watch: It was actually pretty equitable. Although the bench was short in the third period, the ice time was somewhat well spread out. Despite that, Alfredsson played 24:29, but he earned every second, and Cody Bass only played 6:22. But the fourth line had a rough game on the night. I think, on a night like tonight with a team as fast as the Panthers were, that line really missed Dean McAmmond. Sure, Jarkko Ruutu is fast and has some skill, but he can't do anything with Chris Neil and Bass along with him.

Strange note: With three unassisted goals in total tonight, there were only 13 of a possible 21 points scored by players. I don't know what that means, but I think it's a little weird.

Sigh. Well, another game lost to a team that Ottawa has the ability to outplay. And they're back at it on Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, a game which--for some reason, despite being the only meeting between two skilled teams--is only televised on TSN2. I don't even know if I get that channel. Anyone know if it's available on Rogers Digital Cable basic package something-something?

Pre-game: Sens v. Pens, Dec. 6, 2008

Third game of the season against Pittsburgh, and the only real home game after the games played in Stockholm to start the season. The Sens are 1-0-1 against the Penguins so far this season, but are still 12 points behind the Pens in the standings (albeit with two games in hand).

Sens roster notes include the return of Chris Neil, who's back after having arthroscopic knee surgery earlier than anticipated. Ryan Shannon was already sent back to Binghamton, but because Dean McAmmond is still out with the throat infection, Cody Bass will still draw into the lineup. Neiler and the BassMaster, and throw in Jarkko Ruutu on the same line for good measure; plenty of grit in the lineup tonight. On defence, Alex Picard is a game-time decision with that wrist injury, but if he's out Christoph Schubert will play defence once again tonight. I thought he didn't look out of place last game, which is more than you can say for many of Schubert's previous games on defence this season.

Although the Penguins haven't strung together consecutive victories in about a month (3-2-0 in their last six), Sidney Crosby is tearing it up. He's got 14 points (6G, 6A) in five games, but is still second to Evgeni Malkin (who has 41 points) on team scoring. After them the next Penguin in scoring is Miroslav Satan with 19 points. On the injury front, Tyler Kennedy (also known as 'Ugly Crosby' or 'The Ugliest Jonas Brother') won't be in the lineup with a knee injury that will keep him out of the lineup for 4-6 weeks. They're also still missing defencemen Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney.

So we'll see what happens. The Sens have had some success containing Crosby and Malkin in the past, but these kids just keep getting stronger and smarter. With the CASH Line (apparently) rolling and Alex Auld playing some great hockey, though, the Sens certainly have the ability to beat the Pens--as long as the team shows up and plays their game.

No Habs No! note: After getting interviewed on Puck Daddy yesterday, we've received yet another donation supporting the Campaign. To donate, send any amount to sensarmyblog@gmail.com via PayPal. You can also support the Campaign on Facebook by visiting the official No Habs No! page. The Habs are playing the Devils tonight, and I'm really hoping to write another letter to someone on the Devils; Patrick Elias, do you hear me? Zach Parise? It doesn't matter who, but some Devil score a winner tonight. Preferably in regulation time.

Sens speak on Avery, Shannon back to Bingo

First off, the Ottawa Sun had asked a couple Senators what they thought about Sean Avery's comments (which I'm sure you know about by now), and they weren't surprised. Jarkko Ruutu, a charter member and Pestmaster General of the NHL Pest Association, suggested that Avery went against the "code" or pestmanship. From the Sun:

"It wasn't a surprise," said Senators winger Jarkko Ruutu. "If you want people to respect you off the ice, you better behave off the ice. Stuff that happens on the ice, stays on the ice. I think that's been the code forever. You've got to be smart with what you say. No one can dispute (he crossed the line)."

Daniel Alfredsson also commented on the off-colour remarks, saying that it was "immature". I've got to agree with both Senators, and suggest that it wasn't just immature--it was plain stupid. He's said stupid things before, including unproven remarks to Georges Laraque, but an off-the-ice comment denigrating someone who's not even a hockey player is beyond unacceptable.

Really interesting to see what Dallas coach Dave Tippet said about Avery, that basically suggested he's not welcome back on the team. It's got a lot to do with Avery's behaviour with his teammates prior to this event, but his recent comments were the straw that broke the camel's back. Kudos to Mike Modano for calling it all the way.

Onto a small roster note (well, small for Ottawa, but huge for Binghamton): Ryan Shannon has been reassigned to Binghamton. Because, according to Sportsnet, Chris Neil expects to play on Saturday against the Penguins. Not sure if Dean McAmmond will be ready to return, I expect that will be announced sometime in the next 24-48 hours.

Fight card: Sens v. Thrashers, Dec. 3, 2008

Note Jarkko Ruutu's awesome fu manchu.

Fight card: A new feature, inspired by Pensburgh.com, highlighting the fight(s) that may take place during any given Sens game.

Boris Valabik v. Cody Bass, 8:31 first period:



Verdict: Even. Pretty big buildup, and not too many punches landed when the fight got on. Bass held up well despite a significant height disadvantage (6'0", against Valabik's 6'7"), and ended up on top when the two went down.

Jim Slater v. Jesse Winchester, 13:44 first period:



Verdict: Slater. But give Winnie plenty of credit for his first fight in the NHL: He didn't hesitate to drop them when challenged, and threw his helmet aside for the fight. No good shots got in, but Slater threw the best one, and then threw Winchester to the ice.

Nathan Oystrick v. Jesse Winchester, 10:07 second period:



Verdict: Even. Not reall much of a fight... Winchester didn't even drop both of his gloves. More of a wrestling match along the boards. Oystrick got in more almost-shots, but Winch threw him to the ice. Two fights in the same game to start your NHL fighting career? Congratulations, Winchester.

Sens re-recall Bass

Hahahaha... a lot of frequent-flyer (or more likely frequent-busser) miles for Cody Bass, as he's been called back up to the Sens after being reassigned to Binghamton to play Sunday for the B-Sens. He had played for Ottawa the night before. Good for him.

Fisher to play Thursday: Sportsnet

According to Ian Mendes on Sportsnet, Mike Fisher participated in a full practice today, and will be back in the lineup on Thursday against Toronto. Ryan Shannon was in the practice, too, so if he's ready to return it's likely that he (or possibly Cody Bass) will be re-assigned to the Binghamton Senators.

Chris Neil is expected to have his arthroscopic surgery on Friday, so he remains out for at least a little while. And Dean McAmmond missed the practice on Wednesday, but it's reported to be just a cold, so he should be fine.

Finally, Alex Auld will get the start. Is that really a surprise to anyone?

Fisher and Shannon close to return

According to reports in the Ottawa Sun, both Mike Fisher (knee) and Ryan Shannon (concussion) were back skating today, and one or both could be ready to go for the game on Thursday. Which is good, because Ottawa is short one forward with Ilya Zubov being re-assigned to Binghamton and coach Craig Hartsburg apparently reluctant to use Christoph Schubert as a forward.

According to TSN.ca, Fisher was projected to return in mid-December. If he rushes this injury and re-aggravates (or worsens) it, it's bad news bears. Given his history with injury problems, the last thing the Sens need is for him to play on an unhealed knee and push it into a chronic problem.

If both are ready to return, I'd venture to guess that Shannon would be reassigned to Binghamton. Cody Bass, who was called up last week, has played well as a fourth-liner, and Bingo needs all the scoring help they can get.

No word on Chris Neil, who was projected to have a shorter rehab time from his arthroscopic knee surgery (listed as 'day-to-day' on TSN.ca) than Fisher.

Sens lose, despite moustaches: Habs 3, Sens 2 (SO)

Taken in isolation, this was a great game for the Senators, and an exciting game overall. As the most recent loss in a six-game losing streak it's disappointing, especially given Ottawa's continued impotence in the shootout, but there were a lot of positive things that will come out of the game. Ottawa played hard for sixty-five minutes, controlling a lot of the play and really deserving a better fate. Dem's da breaks, though; at least they're playing well defensively these days. And Alex Auld is likely playing the best hockey of his career.

The shootout; the bane of my existence (and that of most Sens fans). I don't know why the Sens can't win in the shootout, but they've apparently been working on it in practice and will need to continue doing so if they're going to get a few bonus points and improve the 7-20 all-time shootout record. A good start, though, would be benching Antoine Vermette in the shootout. I don't know if they keep track of whether or not a player gets a shot in the shootout, but I know that Vermette has a hard enough time getting a shot away, let alone scoring a goal, even if he is among the team's leaders. Jason Spezza made it look easy, and Jarkko Ruutu's shot would have gone in on most goaltenders not named Carey Price, but Vermette looked like he deked himself out. The puck may have been rolling, but it's just another piece of evidence filed under the shootout category. I don't know if Dany Heatley would be better, as Black Aces suggests, but anyone who gets a shot away has a better chance than Vermette at this point.

Anyway, back to the game; let's talk desperation. Let's talk Nick Foligno's goal tonight. The kid's been suffering through a terrible drought, and not just bad luck, but he hasn't even really been making the opportunities to score, and his ice time had diminished as a result. He was still getting an opportunity one the powerplay, though, and when he saw that free puck lying beside Price, he--literally--jumped at it. And I'm pretty sure I've seen Foligno dive for a loose puck stick-first earlier in the season.

Thanks, in part, to Foligno's intensity tonight, but in larger part to Cody Bass' intensity tonight, and in some part to Ilya Zubov's puck control, the Bingo line was likely Ottawa's most effective line on the night. Anyone watching knew when that line was on the ice, but for positive reasons, like a hard forecheck and an effective cycle. I was disappointed to see them get such little ice time in the third period after such a good first two, especially with Bass only playing 5:34 overall. It was a close race, however, as the third line of Dean McAmmond, Shean Donovan, and Ruutu generated plenty of energy for the team as well. D-Mac was, once again, very solid defensively, but I lost count of the number of times Donovan was breaking into the Montreal zone leading the rush. He may only have finished with two shots on net, but he certainly looked like he had more.

The defence, pretty much to a man, was very strong. They were usually able to keep the Habs to the perimeter, and cleared many dangerous pucks the odd time Auld didn't swallow the rebound. Of particular note was Alex Picard, who played what was probably his best game in a Sens uniform and earned two assists for his effort. The whole corps deserves credit, though, and Brendan Bell definitely looks like he fits on that second powerplay unit and that third d-pairing.

The least effective line was probably the CASH Line, but that's not to say they weren't working hard. Dany Heatley was backchecking (!) hard and laid a few solid hits, Daniel Alfredsson never seems to take a night off (and tonight was no exception), and Spezza seemed--at times--to have the puck on a string, their passes just weren't connecting. It looks like the line, and especially Spezza, are trying to make the perfect play, but often times the ones that go in aren't perfect, and tonight's two Sens goals are proof of that. Sometimes you've just got to get ugly, and they need only look to Jason Smith's fu manchu to see that fact.

Foligno's goal notwithstanding, the Senators powerplay was terrible on the whole. It might have had something to do with Price's ability to handle the puck and the Canadiens effective penalty kill, but it had a lot more to do with an inability to win faceoffs and poor--and poorly thought-out--passes.

What is wrong with Vermette? How many chances does this guy need? GAH! Sorry. I'm sure Vermette is even more frustrated than I or any other fans are, but it's so hard to watch. He failed on two glorious scoring chances, the first set up by Zubov on the powerplay after Vermette deked out Price but shot the puck behind Price across the front of the open net, and the second after Jesse Winchester passed to Chris Kelly, who passed to Vermette as he cut in front of Price--but Price stretched his legs out and Vermette couldn't get the puck up and over. The second one was an amazing save, but this guy's got to get it going.

From someone who can't finish to someone who's a bit premature: The refs need to get the rules straight. Or at least watch the play more closely, because Anton Volchenkov goal did not--absolutely not--see any possession by a Montreal player, and so the play should not have been whistled down on the delayed Alex Kovalev tripping penalty. It was a blown call by Don VanMassenhoven, and it cost the Senators the go-ahead goal at a pivotal point in the game. And even just for sentimental purposes, Frankenstein doesn't get that many goals in a given season; give him a break, will ya? And an interesting point was apparently made by the crew at RDS: Why didn't Craig Hartsburg absolutely lose it on the refs? It wouldn't have changed the call, granted, but it could have made the refs a little more sympathetic to the Sens later on, and it definitely would have charged up his players--all of whom are being asked to play with emotion. Lose it, Hartsburg. Just rip into the refs next time. Throw a bench or a stick or wave a towel or something.

Let's hope this is one of those games that sometimes happen when you're coming off a losing streak; you lose games that you should have won. Because then it means this losing streak might be over, and soon.

And holy shit, Smith's fu manchu looks amazing. In a ridiculously self-acknowledged ugliness sort of way.

Bassmaster recalled from Bingo

The Senators announced that they have recalled centre Cody Bass from the Binghamton Senators today. What does this mean? It means the kid is going to have to settle back into playing in the NHL, and play the simple game he played through a lot of last season.

It also means that Christoph Schubert has never had a lower value on this team. He is being scratched in favour of two callups, both Bass and Ilya Zubov, so I don't think he's going to be very happy now. Do I smell a trade demand? Looking at our poll, I don't think he's the only one who thinks a change of scenery is necessary; 50% of voters think that he should be the first to go.

Maybe it's for the best, Schubert.

Alfie's knee goes under the knife

From TSN:

The Ottawa Senators announced Friday that Daniel Alfredsson will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and the team doesn't expect him to miss more than a couple of weeks.

Great! Well, I guess it's better to get what seems to be minor surgery now than wait a little bit and see if it gets worse. Two weeks isn't too bad, given the fact that the Sens play tomorrow and then have almost a week off until the next game (Oct. 17).

With Alfie out, Dany Heatley is captain? Step it up, Heater. Jason Spezza, you'd better step it up, too. Missing Alfie won't be easy.

Oddly enough, TSN said that Jarkko Ruutu will step up to the front line. Despite the fact that Ruutu is a natural left winger. And despite the fact that Jesse Winchester did pretty well on that line in the pre-season. I guess it's a worthy experiment, anyway.

It remains to be seen whether or not Mike Fisher will return from his injury, but if he doesn't look to Cody Bass to re-join the Sens.

No goalie controversy, and Bass and Elliott to Bingo

Craig Hartsburg came out today with a strong vote of confidence for Martin Gerber, announcing that Darth will in fact be starting in the home opener despite his poor performance last Saturday, and despite Alex Auld's solid start the next day.

Going into the season, Gerber was announced as the team's number one goaler. One poor performanec this season isn't enough to change that, Hartsburg seems to be saying. According to the above-linked story, Hartsburg says there's no issue here: "We brought Alex in here to be a real good goaltender and in that game he was. He's here to support and be that guy behind Martin and he'll give us quality games."

What seems incredible is that Auld, Gerber, and Hartsburg all seem to be on the same page. Auld understands his role on the team--to push Gerber whenever he gets the chance. It's a nice change after what we had to live through last year.

Other roster notes include the assignment of Cody Bass and Brian Elliott to Binghamton today. Elliott is no surprise, as he's expected to be the number one goaltender on the B-Sens. Going into the season, though, many had pencilled in Bass--who played a lot of NHL time last season--as the fourth line centreman.

Not sure about Bass. I think his demotion might be temporary, because I still have a feeling there might be a trade for another defenceman soon.

ADDENDUM: In other roster moves by former Senators, the Boston Bruins placed former Sens winger Peter Schaefer on waivers today with the purpose of assigning him to the AHL. Or, more likely, with the purpose of hoping that someone else will pick up the two years and $4.6M remaining on his contract. Which makes me think we were lucky to dump his contract and still get Shean Donovan in return, but then I remember that Vancouver has gotten a lot of miles out of Sami Salo, who was traded by Ottawa to acquire Schaefer.

No Fisher for season opener

Well, it's finally here: Just a couple hours until the Sens begin the season. Unfortunately Mike Fisher's groin injury hasn't heal well enough, so he's decided to take it easy and sit this one out. So that means that it's not serious, just precautionary, or that it's very serious, and the team is downplaying it. Who knows.

This likely means that the second line will be three (natural) centremen: Nick Foligno, Antoine Vermette, and Jesse Winchester. Chris Kelly may jump up, but he might play third line once again instead. Maybe we'll see the Cockroach Line (get it? Pests?) of Jarkko Ruutu, Chris Neil, and Cody Bass. One of Shean Donovan or Dean McAmmond will be suiting up with Fisher out.

For the record, neither Andrej Meszaros nor Wade Redden have stood out too much in the Rangers/Lightning game. So far, at any rate.

Sens' prospect recap, after (most of) training camp

Below is the rankings of the Sens' prospects based on readers' votes. The percentage is how many readers felt that individual would (or at least should) make the team. In brackets are the actual number of votes, based on 146 total votes.

1. Nick Foligno: 79% (116 votes)
2. Brian Lee: 78% (114 votes)
3. Jesse Winchester: 71 % (105 votes)
4. Cody Bass: 56% (83 votes)
5. Ilya Zubov: 13% (19 votes)
6. Brian Elliott: 2% (3 votes)
7. Alex Nikulin: 1% (2 votes)
8. Peter Regin: 0% (1 vote)

These rankings reflect pretty much what I expect will happen. Foligno was not just one of the best prospects in training camp, but was one of the Sens' best players. He's basically cemented himself a spot on the roster, and has certainly earned it. I'm excited to see how this guy develops, because he sure seems to have his mind in the right state.

Lee is largely benefitting from the lack of offensive abilities within the D-corps. There are a lot of expectations heaped on this kid--he is still a kid--and he's got something to prove. Although his pre-season play was a little here-and-there, his play last year was solid, and the same will be expected this year. If anything goes wrong, and he fails to score a passing grade, then the Sens will have to decide whether to send him to the AHL or to end Project Brian Lee a little early, and send him packing for a more established blueliner.

Third in the rankings was Winchester, and he was given the best chance to excel among the Sens prospects. Playing alongside Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley will make a lot of players look good, but Winchester silenced a lot of critics--at least for the time being--with his play. He demonstrated good strength, with and without the puck, and an ability to keep up to his all-star linemates in both speed and finesse. His contract was one sign, but his play certainly proved that he's worth an extended look on the top line--or at least in the roster.

Last of those who are still on the roster is Bass, whose effort against Philadelphia demonstrated his best assets--a willingness, and even eagerness, to stand up for teammates. Bass is a sparkplug. He's a solid grit player, and seems to relish that role. Although it's uncertain whether or not he'll stay on the roster all year, it is certain that he can and would contribute if he does. And he seems like the kind of player GM Bryan Murray and coach Craig Hartsburg are looking for, so I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

Elliott is simply out of luck due to the presence of Alex Auld and Martin Gerber. It is commonly assumed that this season will go a long way to determining what the Sens do with goaltending next season, and whether Elliott can be an NHL starter. Or whether Gerber should be re-signed. Or whether Auld isn't really a backup. Or whether we need a new goalie because all of our plans and back-up plans were proven wrong.

As for the bottom three skaters, Zubov, Nikulin, and Regin have already been sent to Binghamton (EDIT: Whoops, my bad, Regin hasn't been sent to Binghamton yet), and Zubov--who received more votes than the other two--was the best throughout training camp. Although he certainly must have impressed Murray with his devotion and conditioning this off-season (he stayed in North America instead of going home, and trained with Chris Neil), I guess Murray believes another year in the AHL is necessary. As for SputNik, his blog (translated here on HFBoards) indicates that he'd thought a spot on the NHL team was all but guaranteed. He didn't impress as much as Zubov, and probably won't be very happy with the demotion. Still, if he accepts it as a challenge, rather than an insult, perhaps he and Zubov will train together in the off-season, and will return as seasoned players with two full years of North American pro experience. And Regin was in his first training camp, so it's no big surprise he's being given a season in the AHL (EDIT: Regin hasn't been sent down yet, as I said above).

Sens down Flyers 3-1

That is the kind of player the Ottawa Senators need Chris Neil to be every night. Sure, it's nice that he scored two goals, but that's not the only reason. Neil hit players, wrought havoc in front of the net, forechecked hard, fought well, and--most importantly--didn't take penalties. No stupid penalties, anyway, because he did get a five-minute fighting major. If there is going to be room for Neil on the team, this season or in the future, he'll have to keep going that way. Any goals he scores are a bonus.

Speaking of goals Neil scores, the first was off a scrum in front of the net, and the second was a very skillful tip on a Filip Kuba shot. The final score was 3-1 in favour of the Senators, which made the Flyers look good after they were outshot 34-11 by Ottawa. Although Martin Gerber's mask looked really good, he didn't get tested very much at all, only surrendering one goal off a pretty good shot from Philly's Darroll Powe.

Getting back to Kuba, both he and Jason Smith played well tonight, assisting on the Sens' second and third goals. Both were also +2, each took a two-minute minor penalty, but Kuba had about 5 minutes more in ice time (largely due to powerplay time). I didn't like Kuba in his first game, but he looked pretty good tonight, so I'll sleep easy.

The big guns came to play tonight, too, although they didn't make a dent on the score sheet. Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson all played well defensively; with the emphasis on playing a rounded game, we might see more games without one of those three on the scoresheet. Jesse Winchester, who once again played on the top line with Spezza and Heatley, did manage to pot a goal--albeit a flukey one of a Philadelphia defender's skate. He once again fit in well with the other two, and threw three hits while notching two takeaways.

If Winchester played well, Nick Foligno played outstanding. He once again (somewhat) subtly ran the opposing goaltender, generating some drama in front of the net. His forecheck was tremendous, and he kept plays alive on several occasions--including Winchester's goal. Cody Bass looked solid, as well, and made sure the Flyers weren't taking any liberties with anyone.

On defence, Brendan Bell looked a little nervous tonight. His game was passable, but not great. If he's going to make the Sens, he's going to have to work on his defensive game. Brian Lee had a pretty good game, though, and made up for a lacklustre effort in his first matchup. Anton Volchenkov was as you'd expect, and Luke Richardson played his typical, barely-noticeable (in a good way) game.

Neil and Matt Carkner both dropped the gloves in this game. I didn't see the Carkner bout (which was against Powe), but Neil was pretty even in his bout with Aaron Asham (I'd give the decision to Asham, though, who got a few more good shots in). If Carkner is to make the Sens it will be as an enforcer, so he had to prove he could toss them tonight, and he did.

So the Sens have Thursday off, and then begin a home-and-home series in Montreal on Friday. They come back to Ottawa on Saturday, and these should be some good games between two teams who should be battling for the Northeast Division all season.