No good reason to boo Chara

Watching last night's game against the Boston Bruins, there were a couple of Ottawa Senators fans that boo'ed Zdeno Chara. A very Leaf-like gesture that I very much frown upon.

Let's examine the situation: Chara was among the league's best defencemen when he played for the Senators from 2001-06. He left the team when he asked for lots of money, and the Senators chose to spend a little less and get a lot less with Wade Redden. Let's not argue over the different interpretations of the scenario.

In last night's game, Sens fans boo'ed Chara. Why? ...Anyone?

Other than leaving the team and being a great defencemen, Chara in no way disrespected the Ottawa Senators or their fans. He did not ask to be traded in the middle of a contract, and he did not say anything bad about Ottawa on his way out.

Your boos reek of jealousy. Much like when the Leafs fans boo Daniel Alfredsson for a long-forgotten and absolutely hilarious on-ice act (which I wish I could find on youtube), the act doesn't fit the crime.

Chara is a great defencemen and a great captain for the Boston Bruins. His time in Ottawa was well-served and he doesn't deserve to be harassed when he returns to the city where he played extremely well for so many years.

Let's be better than Leafers, Sens fans. Don't be a playa hater.

Do what must be done. Part 1

Lose, but don't cry.

From its origin, the Ottawa Senators organization was built on losing. Not 'built on losing' in the way that the Maple Leafs have built a legacy of missing the playoffs, but rather using draft picks smartly and making conservative progress.

The losses from 1992-96 brought the Senators a slew of draft picks, including current Senators Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips. Even Alexei Yashin proved valuable for a few seasons before being sent to the Islanders in exchange for Jason Spezza and Zdeno Chara. The ensuing seasons were prosperous, with the Senators collecting divisional and conference titles, and the President's trophy in 2003.

It appears that the prosperity bubble burst after the Senators went to the Stanley Cup finals in 2007. In 2008, the Sens were handily beaten by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. This season, the Senators are languishing the NHL sub-basement. What happened?

Nothing lasts forever anymore (great song by Sloan, btw)

The Sens stopped losing. The draft picks stopped raining down upon Ottawa like the winter snow. Instead of supremely talented prospects like Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat or Jason Spezza impatiently waiting in the AHL for their shot at the big leagues, it's moderate prospects gathering on the baby Sens roster. No offence to Nick Foligno, but it's unlikely he'll score 40 goals in any season of his NHL career.

The NHL salary cap has brought some parity to the NHL. Did we not expect that there would be losers, as well as winners? While the Red Wings have remained at the top of the NHL, they are certainly the exception. The so-called "NHL hangover" is simply the dramatic headline for the phenomena we should come to expect. After good teams are built, they are dismantled by rising contract demands and free agency. No more dynasties. Not even in Detroit.

Stop screaming at ice cream

The demands from media and fans to force a bad team to be good are futile. It's like screaming at melting ice cream, hoping that your breath can stop time or suddenly change room temperature. The result is a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs. They constantly traded draft picks for veterans who were supposed to transplant some success into a lifeless team, but it never came. Only this season have Leafers come to realize that you have to put the ice cream back in the fucking fridge before it will congeal. Great examples currently include Chicago and Pittsburgh, who accumulated great draft picks, and voi-la, an incredibly talented team sprung from the ground.

The Senators time is up for now. They must go 30-12 in their remaining 42 regular-seaon to have a chance at making the playoffs. Who wants to trade away Jason Spezza, get some temporary relief for this season and land the #12 draft pick instead of #1 or #2? So let's lose, for the moment, and have faith that eventually our team will resurrect itself in time. We'll have reason enough to cheer next season while we wait for our beloved draft pick to take the ice.

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.

Time is ticking for JP

After being embarassed (and shut out) in a second straight game, and only a minor deal happening in Sens land, it's hard not to think John Paddock's job is on the line.

The Bruins just blew Ottawa out of the water, beating them 4-0 in Boston last night. A very, very average effort from just about everyone on the team. When Martin Gerber gives Anton Volchenkov 'the look', as if to say 'come on man, what are you doing?' when he inadvertently screened his keeper on Boston's third goal, trying to block Zdeno Chara's shot... it tells you something about the kind of atmosphere there must be in the Senator's locker room.

TSN's NHL experts all seemed to agree that now would be the right time to finally hit the so-called 'panic button'.

When even players admit that a coach has 'lost the dressing room', it's very hard to not think something's going to be done. Sens fans can only hope Bryan Murray pulls the plug (and takes over himself) before it's too late.

Live blog: Sens 3 Bruins 2

First Period:

Decent period. Good first half, not-as-good second half.

In the last few blogs, I've been pretty hard on Randy Robitaille, and I think it's been with good reason. It's only fair, however, to point when when he plays well, and he did so in the first period. He actually won battles, threw a small hit or two, and set up some plays. He had a pretty bad giveaway, but I was pleased all-in-all.
Props to Martin Gerber. He faced 12 shots, including three breakaways, and the only goal he allowed was on a Chuck Kobasew breakaway, and I can hardly blame The Gerber for that one. If he keeps playing as he is, the rest of the team needs to step it up on his behalf.

It must be pretty frustrating to be Daniel Alfredsson right now. By no fault of his own, he's been demoted to the second line to toil with lesser-skilled players, and he's the only reason that second line is generating any pressure right now. Antoine Vermette and especially Chris Kelly really need to step it up if they want to show they deserve some respect as more than role-playing forwards.

On Boston's side, Alex Auld hasn't looked stupendous in nets, but he's made a few saves. One of the most underrated prospects in the league must be Milan Lucic; ever since his play as captain of the Canadian squad in the Super Series against Russia, I've loved this guy's play, and he's had a good game so far. And, of course, Zdeno Chara is dominant.

Second period:

Why isn't anyone shooting the puck? Ottawa got nine shots in the second, but should probably have twice that many if the players would shoot when they're in the zone instead of trying to continually set other guys up. Auld is playing well, but he can't stop them all, fellas; get pucks to the net.

Big Luke! Luke Richardson scored his first of the season. Awesome. Probably the best or at least most surprisingly effective off-season acquisition is now not only being the defensive stalwart this team needs him to be. He's thrown three hits--more than anyone else in the game so far--and has pinched a couple of times effectively. After receiving a beauty pass from Kelly and then sending another one to Vermette, he got the rebound and buried it. Awesome. Even if that's the only goal he scores all year, it's a bonus. And he's already one ahead of Bill Muckalt.

How effective is Chris Neil if all he's going to do is take penalties? His job is to draw penalties, not get called for them. In the last 5 games and two periods tonight, he's got 19 minutes (seven minors and one major) in penalties and two assists. Not really a good trade-off, Neiler. He's also got to work on his physical game, because his timing seems completely off.

Ropes has been demoted. And Brian McGrattan hasn't seen a shift since the first period. I can't say I'm surprised about either; Robitaille had a good first, but slowed down, and this isn't the kind of game Grats is really suited for.

Third period:

Great finish. Who makes it close? Lucic. I see pretty good things for that very big and very young prospect.

For the second time in three games, Jason Spezza finishes with two goals, and continues the search for his first career NHL hat trick. With six goals and thirteen points in the last six games, Spetzky has really stepped it up. As has Dany Heatley, whose one assist gives him nine points in the five games.

Alfie looked quite relieved to be back on the CASH line, and it showed on the score sheet. He demonstrated why it's no less effective to have that line together than to break it up, because that line is all but unstoppable when they're together.

The Gerber played well again and made saves when he had to, stopping 26 of 28 shots he faced. The winning streak extends to six games, and Ottawa plays in Atlanta Thursday night.

Hold on a second!

Once again, the media got the scent of the story in each of their noses and everyone seemed to run with the story that this year's Ottawa Senators are as good as the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens - widely considered to be one of the best teams ever.

The 67 Habs lost only 8 games all year (and tied 12), and this leads many people to believe that this year's 13-1 Sens could match or beat that record if they keep up their current pace.

First of all, that's probably not going to happen. Secondly, looking at past Senators rosters, I think in terms of pure talent the 2005-06 Senators are as good as this team. Just think of it. It's the current Sens plus monstrous defenceman Zdeno Chara and the extremely talented Martin Havlat. Plus, they were supposed to have Dominik Hasek in net all season. If that team couldn't do it, I don't think there's a team that can.

This isn't counting injuries, but 13 games into this season, I don't think the media is accounting for them this year either.

Prove me wrong 07-08 Sens, prove me wrong.

Peter kicked some smack-talking ass over at the Jasper's Rink blog, letting them know why the Sens are going to trounce the Caps tonight.

"At their current pace, it would take the Washington Capitals another 24 games (so 39 total) to get as many wins as Ottawa has in our first 14 games. Our forwards have more goals, assists, and points. Our defencemen have more blocked shots and better plus/minus ratings. Our goaltender has more wins and a better save percentage and goal-against average. Sorry, Caps fans."

Case and point.

Old Senators lose to themselves three years later

It's really hard to write about this year's Boston Bruins without referencing the Senators.

The Bruins' GM, Peter Chiarelli, was a associate of John Muckler, followed in Muck's footsteps by building the 2000-01 Senators... in Boston... in 2005-06.

Zdeno Chara, Peter Schaefer, and Brendan Bochenski? I suppose it's a start for the Bruins, who have been struggling to remain respectable since Joe Thornton left. They put up a good fight on Saturday night at Scotiabank Place, but the Senators managed to pull out a win thanks to some grind from Mike Fisher and some style from Dany Heatley.

What a shot from Heatley, and what a game from Fisher. Both players doing exactly what those expensive, long-term contracts are telling them to do.

Why are the Sens fans booing Chara? The man left through free agency. Of course, he left for more money, but players do that all the time. There's no hard feelings from me towards the Z-Tree - that guy was awesome in Ottawa, and I wish the Sens kept him. Are the fans booing because the Sens chose to keep Redden instead?

The rematch goes tonight. Watch this one to see if the close game on Saturday was the result of Tim Thomas standing on his head, or if the Sens just couldn't finish their plays.

A look at the past

TSN.ca is running a great series of clips that mark milestones in the Senators history. Although the series is called Ottawa's Cup Drive it's more about the past 15 years than the last 8 months.

You can see significant events that led to this year's sens. That includes the Yashin deal that scored the sens Jason Spezza and Zdeno Chara, as well as the Dany Heatley-Marian Hossa trade. So many of these deals had question marks, and they don't always turn out for the best, as the Alexandre Daigle clips will painfully remind us.

These clips are also a great reminder of hard-working Senators players who have left the team. Players such as Shawn McEachern, Shawn Van Allen and Magnus Arvedson. These are the players that brought the foundation of playoff success between 1998 and 2004 that the core of current Senators have been tasked to build on. I'll always remember the Damian Rhodes/Ron Tugnutt combo that brought the Senators their first taste of playoff success. These former Ottawa Senators are responsible for building the Ottawa fanbase and creating a winning franchise.

It's not just the long term trades that have brought the sens to within 2 wins of the Stanley Cup Finals, but also the signings of the past season. Players like Dean McAmmond and Joe Corvo brought a different perspective to the Senators - perspectives that apparantly were needed to help the team evolve.

To today's post isn't about trash talk, it's about retrospectives. Let's not forget how lucky we the fans are to have a great team, and we should remember that it's been 15 years in the making.

Zdeno Chara - Human Cyborg (Sens Origins pt 1)

I wrote this article for the University of Ottawa's student newspaper the Fulcrum last year before the playoffs. They deemed it "too insane" to publish... I now present it to you as part of a 2-part series regarding the mysterious origins of the 2005-06 Ottawa Senators.

The Ottawa Senators have come a long way. Ever since their conception in the 92-93 season, the senators have had to deal with outside distractions such as building a new arena, changing ownership and a hockey-mad city. All teams have unique circumstances, but as the Senators look forward to the undoubted glory of their coming playoff run we should recall that many of the Senators got to this point through extraordinary circumstances.

Starting on defense, Zdeno Chara was built in 1998 – a human cyborg literally designed to protect the net from opposing players. Originally though, the ‘net’ in question was filled with fish, and the ‘opposing players’ were grizzly bears. Chara was programmed to protect the catch while the other ice-fishermen slept. One night, he defended the fishermen and their fish from a mother bear and her 3 cubs. When one of the cubs escaped before Chara could eat its heart, he chased it from the Czech Republic across the Atlantic Ocean to New York, where he was discovered by Islanders GM Mike Milbury. Chara was later traded to the Senators in exchange for the spawn of Satan known to this reality as Alexi Yashin.

If the readers of this blog also deem this article "too insane", then I refrain from posting the rest... I just thought it was funny.