Bizarro Senators: Sens 5, 'Canes 1

It's funny, almost a year ago to the day from today's 5-1 victory over Carolina, I described an uncannily unusual win by the Ottawa Senators as reminiscent of the Bizarro World in Superman. When I saw Chris Neil control the puck to make a play to Antoine Vermette, who actually scored a goal, while Dany Heatley was wreaking havoc in front of the Hurricanes net, I thought: Who are these people, what have they done with the Senators, and how can I get them to stick around for the second half of the season?

So we saw Heatley score his first goal in nine games (bizarre), we saw Dean McAmmond score his first goal in 22 games which was only his second of the season (bizarrer), we saw Vermette score his second goal and third and fourth points in the last three games (bizarrer-er, considering his season so far), we saw Mike Fisher score his first goal in 20 games and fourth of the season after not panicking with an empty net in front of him (bizarrer-er-er), and then we saw Chris Phillips score his fourth goal in the last ten games (bizarrest). But I'm not complaining.

We also saw some of the most promising reasoned, on-the-fly coaching from Craig Hartsburg going into and during the game. Upon noticing the unsuccessful perimeter play when the CASH Line is together on the powerplay, he bumped Heatley down to the second unit and shifted Fisher to forward on the first unit. For the first unit, it meant that Fisher trashed it up in front of the net while Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson set up plays with the defencemen. For the second unit, it meant Heatley was put in a position of leadership and trusted to be a powerplay quarterback, something he did very well. I'm thinking of one moment in particular, after Brian Lee rushed a shot from the point, Heatley went back and let him know that he can settle it down a bit before firing the puck on net. Although the Sens weren't credited with a powerplay goal, Vermette and Fisher's goals were both shortly after and a direct result of solid powerplay work. The Sens had 14 powerplay shots-on-goal in the end, and had control of the puck in the offensive zone for most of their powerplay time.

The other demonstration of good coaching came on the penalty kill. After Fisher lost his coverage of Joe Corvo--the 'Canes most lethal offensive weapon on the powerplay when left unchecked--on Carolina's second powerplay, they adapted: On the next Sens' penalty kill, McAmmond covered Corvo like RDS would cover Vincent Lecavalier buying a house in Montréal. For the rest of the game, Corvo was covered similarly, and that--combined with, no doubt, the boos raining down on him hurting his feelings--turned him into a non-threat for the rest of the game. (Although he did provide a great screen of 'Canes netminder Cam Ward on Phillips' goal.)

In nets, Brian Elliott sealed the fate of Martin Gerber. He only faced 24 shots, but he did have to make some terrific saves, and the one goal Ells allowed would have went in on just about any goaltender in the NHL. He outplayed one-time Conn Smythe winner Ward, and might just do well with another 41 games in the NHL this season (plus playoffs)--as long as the team in front of him keeps up their effort level.

The Senators, however, weren't perfect. Spezza had two giveaways, and Heatley had one, too, although he didn't get tabbed for it on the scoresheet, and as a team Ottawa had 10 giveaways to Carolina's four. The difference tonight, though, was that the team used hard work to make up for mistakes they made. Good players have always and will always make mistakes; they are acceptable when those same players use hard work and good backchecking to make sure that the opposition doesn't capitalize on their mistakes. Spezza's M.O. is blind passes, which work sometimes and don't work other times; as long as he gets back to help out, though, the successful ones will seem to outnumber the unsuccessful ones.

All in all, a really great game for the Senators; one of, if not the best game of the season so far. All four lines saw plenty of ice time (Shean Donovan had the least at 8:51, the only skater under 10 minutes, largely because he doesn't see special-teams time), all but two of Ottawa's skaters were on the plus side of the +/- ledger (Jason Smith and Nick Foligno were both even), the CASH Line had four points while secondary scorers combined for the other eight, and the big three also had 18 shots as the Sens heavily outshot their opponents 40-24 and outscored them by a much more impressive margin. With the second half of the season set to start on Saturday against the Montréal Canadiens Wednesday against the Atlanta Thrashers, we've been reminded of what this team can do when they're playing with the right attitude. Although it's not likely at all, it sure would be nice to see the Senators finish out the season with some great effort towards making a push for the playoffs, even if it means we miss out on the John Tavares/Victor Hedman sweepstakes.

Bizarro Superman

The Ottawa Boo-Bird (Boobirdicus canadensis)

Sens Army is bitter these days.

Alexei Yashin started Ottawa's bitterness with his tremendously self-involved mid-contract renegotiation demands, and Sens fans let him know just how well-liked he was when he returned to the lineup, and every time he returned with the New York Islanders after that. Nowadays, other players are feeling (or hearing) Sens Army's anger, from Zdeno Chara (after walking away from a team that helped him develop from a sideshow attraction on Long Island to an elite defenceman) to Wade Redden (who, after receiving a standing ovation for all the good he did in town, had the boos rain down on him for [we assume] refusing to waive his no-trade clause twice and then walking away in the off-season) and, now, Joe Corvo (who demanded a trade because he wasn't a fan of Ottawa's small-town atmosphere and incredibly invasive hockey interest). And that's just with former Senators, there are plenty of others (Chris Pronger, Sidney Crosby, and lots more, I'm sure).

And the attendants to Scotiabank Place have no qualms booing current players, when they appear unmotivated or have an impotent powerplay opportunity. It's been happening a lot recently, and, after spending so much money to get in to the building, fans have a right to do so.

The 6th Sens blogger Graeme Nichols thinks booing Redden is a reflection of Ottawa fans "smartening up". SENS Town blogger Steve thinks it's high time Sens Army lets Corvo know that he didn't have it so bad.

This post is really just a observational thing, really. And I'd be interested to know who Sens Army enjoys booing the most, and how they feel about booing former heroes Redden and Corvo.

We're all boring: MacGregor

Last Friday, The Globe and Mail's Roy MacGregor wrote an article about the decline of the creative player in the history of the Ottawa Senators. Focussing the article on Jason Spezza and the hard time Ottawa's number one centre has been getting in this fine city of late, MacGregor went back through history using the examples of Alexandre Daigle, Alexei Yashin, Wade Redden, and Joe Corvo to prove that Ottawa hockey fans hate creativity:

"The reality is that fans in this government town have a hard time warming to hockey players who gamble, or take chances or dare to be creative.

"In the early years of the modern Senators, when chances were rendered irrelevant because the team wasn't going to make the playoffs anyway, they turned on Alexandre Daigle for his blind passes. They later turned on Alexei Yashin for several reasons, among them his penchant for hanging onto the puck and trying to go through entire teams — twice if possible.

"More recently, they turned on defenceman Wade Redden — a community-oriented young man who loved the city — because, well, he kept chancing long passes to breaking forwards that didn't exactly work out each time he tried them.

"And they turned on defenceman Joe Corvo — who made no bones about disliking his time in Ottawa — because he kept jumping up into the play and vacating the post he would have been attached to if the Senators were a table-hockey team rather than an ice hockey team.

"Try the dickie-dickie-doo in Ottawa and they'll run you out of town if they don't all work out."

Let's go over the individual circumstances of each player MacGregor suggests we chased out of town based on their failed dickie-dickie-doos:

1. Daigle: You're kidding, right? Daigle had a good rookie season, but dropped off significantly after that. He just didn't seem to be interested in committing to the rigours of being a full-time NHLer. After failing in Philadelphia, Minnesota, and an acting career, Daigle went to Switzerland to play a more relaxed brand of hockey.
   
2. Yashin: I think it was more the constant contract disputes that made us angry at Yashin, more than his risk-taking. You know, holding out on a contract and demanding it be renegotiated really isn't going to endear you to Ottawa fans.
   
3. Redden: Was never chased out of town. Redden wasn't re-signed after his contract came up, because he's just not a $6.5M player. And when he came back to Ottawa for the first time, you'd think he was Ottawa's city-wide hero based on the ovation that he received.
   
4. Corvo: Maybe instead of blaming Ottawa fans you should look at Ottawa media for the reason why Corvo left town. Particularly Ottawa Sun beat writers, who dubbed him 'Uh-Oh' Corvo and were merciless in their criticism, Corvo demanded a trade. Despite the fact that he didn't like the city, he remains popular with a lot of fans here.

There are plenty of fans who are unnecessarily harsh in their criticisms of Spezza, but--and I've said this before--offensive creativity and defensive responsibility aren't mutually exclusive. Most criticism Spezza receives is just overzealous demands that he be the best player he can be, by making creative plays when the time is right, and being responsible when he needs to be. Daniel Alfredsson is the best example of this in Senators history; he'll mess around with the puck, even on a penalty kill, but he'll make sure he doesn't screw up. And on the occasion he does make a mistake, Alfie is the first one back to help make up for it. That's all were asking from our skilled players.

EDIT: I e-mailed this post to Roy MacGregor, and he was nice enough to send me this response:

"That's great, Peter. The beauty of sports columns is that they are just good fun and fodder for debate. I welcome it. But you'd have to admit if you listen to the idiots who call in to the Fan 1200, they seem to despise anyone who thinks there should be creativity in the game.
"Best,
"Roy"

Uh-Oh Corvo: 'Canes 2, Sens 1

You've made a cuckold out of me for the last time, Joe Corvo. It was bad enough when you scored a hat trick against the Senators last year, but Friday night's performance--in which Corvo had an assist and scored the game-winning goal--was the last straw. As if demanding a trade wasn't bad enough, you had to go and break my heart.

Despite a strong first period, the Sens didn't capitalize on enough of their chances--including three powerplays in the first alone. Although Mike Fisher gave the Sens a 1-0 lead late in the second, the Sens just couldn't withstand the pressure that Carolina put on them in the second and third periods. Ottawa was outshot 21-11 in the final two frames, and really wasn't playing as well as they had been in the past few games.

Fisher's line with Jesse Winchester and Daniel Alfredsson was the only one to get sustained pressure on the Hurricanes. Winchester looked a lot more confident after getting his first goal out of the way, was skating very fast, and finished with three shots on net. Alfie had three shots, too, and Fisher had two of them along with five hits on the night. Unfortunately the streak of wins-in-games-that-Fisher-had-a-point ends at two.

The one roster change from the last few games was in nets, as Martin Gerber drew in to give Alex Auld the night off. Gerber made some solid saves, and this loss certainly can't be pegged on him--the team just didn't play well enough in front of Darth Gerber. I'm not sure if it's because the team was tired after playing last night (Carolina did, too, so it's not much of an excuse) or whether they are subconsciously afraid when Gerber's in nets, but they're going to have to get over it because he will play at least a few more games this year.

I'm going to partially peg this loss on not properly utilizing the fourth line. Thursday night's win had a very minor ice time disparity, and the lowest was Shean Donovan with over nine minutes. In Friday's loss, however, Donovan had only 3:34 of ice time, and his linemates had little more than that. It probably had a lot to do with all the special teams play, but they could have used a few more shifts--and if they had, the other lines (notably the Jason Spezza-Dany Heatley-Antoine Vermette line) might have had a bit more steam in the third period. Rolling the lines to keep the tempo up against an injury-riddled team like Carolina could really have exposed some weaknesses--especially since both teams had played the night before. Or maybe I'm just talking out of my ass.

And it's a Senators-free weekend, since the next game isn't until Tuesday in Montreal. Which means I don't know what the hell I'm going to do to pass the time.

We love too much: Why no one wants to play in Canada

Why can't a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup?

Why are the Leafs soooooo especially far from winning a Stanley Cup?

These are very important questions to Canadian hockey fans, and Cam Cole addresses them in "Stanley, come home" a somewhat self-loathing assessment of why Canadian teams have a hard time of signing the best players and an even harder time of bringing home hockey's biggest prize.

"Why don't more big-name free agents want to play in Canadian cities? Because we strangle them with our passion, cover their every twitch and misstep, examine their private lives, call in to talk shows to discuss ad nauseam every minute happening in their season."

Then he gets all economic...

"In the States, with the newspaper industry in free-fall and reporting staffs being stripped to the bone, the hockey beat is among the first to be sacrificed. Which means that as thin a slice of newspaper space as hockey used to get, it's a whole lot thinner now. In many markets, hockey is a "starter" beat for interns or fresh-from-journalism-school kids, so the level of analysis is understandably superficial, and TV reporting on hockey has to fit into such a tiny hole, it barely scratches the surface.

The newspaper business isn't any healthier here, the difference being that papers in Canada will cut anything but hockey coverage because survey after survey of readership tastes keep coming back with the same results: give us more hockey, we'll live without the rest. And radio and television have all kinds of time, and staff, to devote to hockey."

So the question that follows is: Are the teams that are most successful in other professional leagues also the least followed? Answer: Hell no! The New England Pariots have a rabid fanbase, incredible scrutiny, and the paparazzi follow around Tom Brady like he's a movie star.

So why are hockey players so damn whiny sometimes? Take Joe Corvo from last year as an example, he couldn't take the scrutiny of 3 or 4 beat reporters, four TV channels, and being asked politely for an autographs at the grocery store.

To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of the Mr. Nice Guy hockey player. Sean Avery speaks his mind about how the NHL is failing to properly market its players, and it gets all over TSN. He may not be the most articulate guy in the NHL, but he's right. The NHL needs better media training for its players in order for them to make the Sportscenter (or Sportscentre) highlights and to get headlines in the US -- to say something real without being a jackass. Instead, we've got players that shy away from the spotlight and only give the "110%" answer -- and those that move away from the a little criticism. There's got to be more to Jerome Igninla than the smile and forehead wrinkle, but he, and the rest of the NHL, is afraid to reveal it because they're not given the tools to deal with the pressure.

This might be costing Canadian teams their best players, because in Tampa, you don't have to answer tough questions, and no one cares if you make it on Sportcenter, and no one cares if you win the Stanley Cup.

Props to Cole for saying what's on the tip of the media's tongue, but combine it with a Sean Avery rant, and you've got the real answer to why the Cup hasn't reached Canada in 15 years.

Don't Know What You've Got 'til It's Gone: The Joe Corvo Story

When the Ottawa Senators traded Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves to the Carolina Hurricanes in February of this year, the deal seemed like a good one. The Sens got rid of an unhappy defenceman and an injury-prone forward while acquiring Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore; both tough players with Stanley Cup experience.

Now, it appears, the once appealing trade has gone sour. Stillman left Ottawa and signed a contract for $3.5 million with the Florida Panthers. Commodore went to the Columbus Blue Jackets. So how does one rate the deal now? Not very well.

The irony metre has been cranked up yet again in Canada's capital as Bryan Murray is now on the market for a "cheap" puck-moving defenceman. Someone who can put some points on the board; someone to anchor the powerplay; someone with a contract in the area of $2.5 million per season. Mr. Murray, you are looking for someone named Joe Corvo.

Corvo signed a four-year contract with Ottawa in 2006 to be an offensive defenceman, and, I suspect, a complement to, or replacement for, Wade Redden. Now, Redden is gone, and so is his backup.

A name being heard around Sens circles is Frantisek Kaberle. Let me fill you in on this guy: the 34 year-old native of Kladno, Czech Republic will earn $2.2 million for the next 2 seasons. He had 22 points last year and 44 in 2005-06 playing 80 and 77 games in those seasons(missing 55 games in 06-07 due to shoulder surgery). Corvo had 48 and 37 in his past two seasons.
In summary, he is older and doesn't score as much as Joey C.

Another possible acquisition is San Jose's Kyle McLaren. He had only 11 points last year and will become a UFA at the end of the upcoming season after a season at $2.5 million.

I guess the Corvo trade couldn't be seen as a salary dump, since the Sens are now want to acquire similar (or worse) players at a similar salary.

My verdict: You screwed the pooch on this one Murray. The Corvo deal depended on you retaining either Stillman or Commodore for the upcoming season (at least). Failure to do so has left the Sens spinning their wheels in this offseason searching for the pucking-moving defender that was on the roster less than 6 months ago.

Retrospective: The Commodore/Stillman deal

It's been about a month and a week since the Sens traded Patrick Eaves and Joe Corvo to Carolina for Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore. Both teams were looking for different things in the trade, and all players involved serve different roles. I'll hold off on judging the winner of the trade until after the playoffs, and maybe even after another season, but it seems for now that all players are settling in well. Here are statistics since the trade:

• Corvo: 15GP, 6G, 9A, 15Pts +6, 4PIM
  
• Eaves: 9GP, 1G, 3A, 4Pts, -1, 2PIM
  
• Stillman: 17GP, 2G, 12A, 14Pts, -5, 8PIM
  
• Commodore: 17GP, 0G, 0A, 0Pts, -8, 20PIM

Right now, it looks like the 'Canes have won the trade. Especially after that embarassing 5-1 loss were Corvo scored thrice plus an assist and Eaves added a goal. Even before that, though; they have gone 10-3-1 since the deal, for a .670 winning percentage, and Corvo has made a huge impact on the powerplay. And, while Eaves missed some time due to injury, he appears to be assuming a role on the third or fourth line.

This trade wasn't made for "right now", though. We won't really know the true value of Stillman and Commodore until the playoffs. Stillman, while playing alongside Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher, helps form what many say is the best second line the Sens have ever had. When (or if) the going gets tought for the top line in the playoffs, he will be a valuable asset. As a point-man on the powerplay, he brings some offensive perspective and allows Alfredsson to play down low in the zone. His experience and presence in the dressing room are also intangibles people are giving a lot of value to, so I won't discount them.

Commodore, it is obvious, has struggled the most since the trade. When play tightens in the playoffs, though, his size will become that much more important, and his sluggishness will become less noticeable (or at least that's the hope). Most of all, his ability to throw a big check at some forwards gives Ottawa a nice complement to Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips.

Although time will tell, I'm hoping that the trade works out more for Ottawa than for Carolina. I wish Corvo and Eaves all the luck in the world, except when they're playing against the Sens.

I thought we were on a winning streak...

The Sens got spanked by the Hurricanes 5-1 this afternoon, in a game that will probably throw the whole town back into 'Let's fire everyone and run away' mode.

Obviously, not the team's best effort on offence or defence. Martin Gerber made plenty of saves, but still managed to send every rebound towards the stick of a Carolina player... maybe hold onto those next time?

Antoine Vermette especially aggravated me as I watched the game. He seemed to want to make the highlight reel every time he touched - and lost - the puck. Stupid decisions like this, and Jason Spezza's inability to dump the puck into the opponent's zone, made generating offence difficult.

Joe Corvo scored three goals and made Bryan Murray generally look like an ass for trading him, but I'm sure he'll give away that many pucks leading to opponents' goals in the next few games. Such is the nature of Joe Corvo.

Stupid penalties and a walking disaster named Wade helped the Canes secure their lead in the third. Nearly the entire team can be faulted for the penalties in this game, but there's only one Redden; the man who can fall in the offensive zone, but still back-check hard enough to scoop the puck out from behind Gerber.

Can we have a do-over in this Chara-or-Redden deal? I'll would still take Stillman over Corvo.

The Joe Corvo dilemma

Erin Nicks brings up some interesting points in her article in today's Ottawa Sun. Simply put, it's about the nature of celebrity.

Joe Corvo, upon being traded, stated that the media spotlight was so bright in Ottawa, it was one of the factors that drove him away from the team. Now living in ambiguity in Carolina, Corvo should have no problem with people smiling at him all day and shyly asking for an autograph.

I had a personal dilemma dealing with this topic Friday night while attending the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees vs Toronto Varsity Blues hockey game. Mark Heatley, yes, his brother, plays for the Blues and Dany showed up to catch one of his bro's games.

Standing (not sitting) high in stands near an exit, it was clear that Heater did not want to be the spectacle at this game. A few people went to him and said hello, got him to sign some things, and then went on with their evening after a hearty handshake.

As Sports Editor at the U of O student newspaper, I had a reasonable excuse to go and get some quotes from the guy during the intermission about his brother, CIS hockey, and blah blah blah. But shouldn't the guy be able to enjoy an evening to himself?

Yes and no. The dude gets paid an insane amount of coin to skate nicely around the ice and claim glory on a regular basis - his job isn't so bad. People aren't asking much, either. At most, they wanted an autograph (I saw one such instance)... and the crowd around him never grew to more than five people.

But the man is not here to promote himself, the Senators, the NHL, or CIS hockey - he's just a guy enjoying his brother's game. You could leave him alone, but you could also talk to him as you would any other random person at a hockey game.

It's a delicate balancing act with many moral and practical factors.

The difference between Corvo and Heatley? I don't hear Dany bitching about the minor flaws of an otherwise enviable lifestyle.

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).

Ottawa Sun gets it all wrong (again)

Sometimes I wonder if the Ottawa Sun just likes making stuff up. Today, an article about the Senators' trading away Patrick Eaves and Joe Corvo was entitled, "Fans sorry to see Eaves traded, cheer Corvo departure". Did I miss something? When did we start hating Corvo?

The story went on to quote one actual fan, and draw one line of input from Sherry over at Scarlett Ice (which doesn't even bash Corvo), and led with the statement that, "Diehard Ottawa Senator fans say they couldn't be happier that Corvo was traded yesterday in a four-player swap with the Carolina Hurricanes." I don't know what classifies someone as a die-had fan--I like to think devoting a stupid amount of time to a fan blog at the expense of your personal, professional, and educational life may be one indicator--but I'm certainly not cheering Corvo's departure.

That's not to suggest that I don't like the trade that Bryan Murray made. By acquiring Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore for Eaves and Corvo, we've made our defense better defensively and our offence better offensively. Which is good. But it has lost us some production from the defence--and a great shooter, skater, and puck controller--as well as a gritty winger with a lot of upside.

Have we forgotten about Corvo's double-OT game-winning goal in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals? That was freakin' heroic. Then-assistant-coach John Paddock suggested to then-head-coach Murray that he put Corvo on the point off the face-off, and it paid off when Corvo's bouncer hopped over Buffalo tender Ryan Miller's glove. Had the Sabres won that game, the series could have been completely different. For that reason alone, I will look back on Corvo's time in Ottawa with satisfaction. That was by no means his only contribution, though.

When I think of Corvo, I'll remember the defensive gaffs. And then I'll remember that he was never brought in to be a defensive specialist, his role was to be an offensive defenceman who will contribute offensively. Say what you will, that's what he did. He's seventh on team scoring (6G-21A-27P) this season, ahead of players expected to do much more (Randy Robitaille, Shean Donovan, Dean McAmmond, Chris Neil, Chris Kelly, and so on). He was sixth in team scoring in the playoffs last season (2G-7A-9P).

Although I'm excited to think about the changes we've made, they have cost us a couple of players who have been valuable contributors at times. So this isn't good riddance, Joe. It's good luck.

A win-win trade: Sens acquire Commodore and Stillman

As Ben noted, the Senators traded up-and-down offensive defenceman Joe Corvo and injury-plagued young winger Patrick Eaves to Carolina for defensive stalwart (but offensively challenged) Mike Commodore and injury-plagued winger Cory Stillman. Both teams seem to have assessed their current positions, and made the change to head in a new direction.

In Ottawa, it's been well-documented that the recent slide was a result of defensive gaffs, and unloading Corvo might cut down on those. By replacing him with the younger Commodore, there's another physical defenceman who can make opposing forwards pay and also plays a responsible style defensively. While there's a definite loss of offence from the defence--Corvo was a big part of the powerplay, not to mention his even-strength abilities--the addition of Stillman may offset that.

Stillman offers veteran presence and brings some offensive depth--which Bryan Murray has made no qualms about seeking. In playing beside Mike Fisher, Stillman will bring something to the second line that has been missing, and will make our second powerplay unit reasonably respectable. Not to mention the Stanley Cup rings both new guys bring, evidence of their abilities. Even though Eaves is a price to pay, his injury problems have made it difficult for him to keep any sustained offensive numbers. Also, with Chris Kelly and restricted free agents like Andrej Meszaros and Antoine Vermette, it would have been difficult to re-sign Eaves.

Even though both Stillman and Commodore are unrestricted free agents after the season, neither is making a lot of money this year, and it's possible we could get a bargain like that again.

For some reason, I don't think that Murray is done adding players to this team. I have a feeling another top-six forward could be on the way.

Done deal: Corvo, Eaves shipped out

I'll let TSN.ca do the legwork:

Sources say the Senators have acquired defenceman Mike Commodore and forward Cory Stillman in exchange for defenceman Joe Corvo and forward Patrick Eaves.

Commodore and Stillman are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Stillman had to agree to waive his no-trade clause to go to Ottawa.

Eaves is a restricted free agent at the end of this season. Corvo has two years remaining on his contract, paying him $2.75 million per year but with a salary cap hit of $2.625 million.

Seems like the Sens tried to accomplish two things with this deal: loading up on experience before the playoffs and dumping Corvo's salary. It often seemed like that guy was gone after his first season in Ottawa.

Good on Bryan Murray for having some balls and getting a deal done.

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.

The Rumour Mill: Erik Cole

I came across an interesting rumour today. I would, however, like to preface it with the note that while it is from someone relatively close to the team, it remains simply an unproven rumour. So take it with a grain of salt.

The rumour is as follows: Ottawa sends Antoine Vermette and Joe Corvo to Carolina in exchange for 'Canes forward Erik Cole. Contrary to many rumours that you read online, this one actually seems possible and even realistic.

I'll start on the Sens' end. Cole is a top-six forward that GM Bryan Murray has been looking for, and hasn't been able to find within the system. He is also a pretty solid power-forward, something John Paddock and Murray would both certainly love to have--imagine him on a line with Mike Fisher and Daniel Alfredsson.

However, Ottawa would be giving up some good assets. While there are some who aren't Corvo fans--his occasional defensive gaffs (standing out in my mind is the pass right to Alexander Semin in Ottawa's 4-2 loss Tuesday) being at the forefront of their concerns--the fact remains that he is a pretty significant part of our powerplay. One thing you might notice is Paddock experimenting with Alfie on the point with Wade Redden on the PP, and if that is a success than Corvo's value drops a little. Ottawa's d-corps has also shown Bingo's leading scorer Larry Nycholat to be a solid fifth- or sixth-ranked defenceman, so there would be a body to replace Corvo if he were moved.

The loss of Vermette would be a little different. For a couple of years now Vermette has been a vital part of our penalty kill, and his offensive skills come in handy some games. Without consistent point production, though, some question his worth. Ottawa also has penalty-killing depth in Dean McAmmond and Shean Donovan. Although neither of those two are quite as good on the PK as Vermette, it's possible that his loss could be offset.

From Carolina's perspective, it would solidify the team's depth at the cost of a top-line winger. However, it would be likely that Corvo would quickly climb the depth chart into the third- or fourth-ranked d-man, and Vermette is a natural centreman--something that team could use--and could also play left-wing on their second line.

In terms of salary, it is almost a non-issue. Cole is signed this season and next for $4M each, in real numbers and in cap hit. With the room saved due to Dany Heatley's injury, Ottawa should have no worries about breaking the cap this year. Corvo is making $2.5M this season and $2.75M in each of the next two, and Vermette is making just over $1M this season, but may be due for a pay raise even as a restricted free agent next season--offer sheets may be thrown his way, and he might be looking at between $2-2.5M per season. Factoring in a replacement defenceman (Nycholat) at $500k this season and $600k next year, Ottawa would actually be saving money.

It recently came about that Ottawa was close to acquiring Cole when Martin Havlat was being shopped around; it's not surprising his name has come up again. It remains a rumour, but it's always fun to look at hypotheticals; this is just playing around for now.

What a game! Sens 3 Wings 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sens win into Christmas break

Hey Sens Army, happy holidays.

Now that the niceties are out of the way, let's get to business. The Sens played pretty well against the Rangers on Sunday evening, winning 3-1 to go into Christmas break. Which is always nice.

Martin Gerber had a solid game, and kept the Sens in it through the first period, while Ottawa was tremendously ousthot and outplayed by New York.

One good thing about having a farm team in New York is that in the rare occasion that a player gets injured the day before the Sens have a road game against the Rangers, a callup can get to the game relatively quickly. And that's exactly what happened after Joe Corvo suffered an injury against the Thrashers and Larry Nycholat was brought in to replace him. Nycholat had a solid game, and the team played pretty well defensively considering two of the top-six d-men were out of the lineup. In particular, Andrej Meszaros had a good game, and played a hard game physically.

Shean Donovan finally got rewarded for the hard work he's been doing, and it paid off. He looked pretty good alongside Chris Kelly (who scored a goal) and Antoine Vermette, and it looks like those two are starting to come out of their funk. Which is a plus. Unfortunately, Dean McAmmond was benched for most of the game, and only got two minutes or so in the game. I can almost understand benching young, unexperienced rookies like Cody Bass and Nick Foligno (almost, but not quite), but D-Mac is one of the most defensively responsible players on the team. He's made two mistakes in the last two games, and both have been costly, but he's also scored two points. When you refuse to give a player like McAmmond the opportunity to make up for the mistakes he makes, you're missing out.

The break the Sens are on right now will be a short one, and they'll be playing again on Wednesday. I'm not sure if Ben or I'll be posting in the meantime, but I have a feeling I'll have something to say.

Penalty killers subdue Thrashers, then give puck to Heatley

Which team is going to show up?

It seems that there are two versions of the Senators this season. One that is inspired, confident and resilient, and the other - weak, vulnerable and fragile.

In their 7 -3 win over Atlanta, the Sens seemed to bring the confident version of themselves despite some mid-game struggles. Dany Heatley supplied much of that confidence though he took an unnecessary penalty in the third period for aggravating the referees.

This nearly cost the Sens the game as it was the Thrashers' second 5-on-3 power play. Instead, the penalty-killers did their job and Heatley and Joe Corvo broke out of the sin bin and turned it into a 2-on-1. The resulting goal, Heater's 200th of his career, seemed ice the win for Ottawa.

Recognition should be given to Christoph Schubert, Antoine Vermette and Chris "Heart and Soul" Kelly for killing some crucial ATL power plays and preserving the win for Ottawa, in a game which Martin Gerber couldn't steal.

Corvo (2 pts), Vermette (3 pts) and (surprisingly) Kelly (2 pts) supplied most of the offence for the Senators. Now on a five-game winning streak, the Sens should show up a similar each night, and they would be able to beat any team in the league.

Gerber steals a win

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

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

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

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

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

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

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