The Senate Committee - Ottawa Senators Blog

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Atlanta Thrashers March 28, 2009

2009-03-28T10:04:00.004-04:00

It's Game Day Today!

Don't forget to catch the pre-game coverage.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Atlanta Thrashers March 28, 2009

Note:

This is just a link to a stream of the game. We do not host the stream of the game. Any technical difficulties are not our fault. The game will normally begin to stream approximately 5 minutes after the puck drop.

The Daily Wrap Up - Thursday March 26, 2009

2009-03-26T06:10:00.005-04:00

Apparently certain goalies are taking March madness a little to literally. They're not quite as scary as Kirstie Alley at Pizza Hut when they make a last call on their lunch buffet, but it's still shocking to see the fits Martin Gerber and Tuukka Rask are throwing over calls from the officials. It always makes me smile when players lose their cool, as what do they feel they can accomplish by throwing a milk crate or shooting a puck at an official? Best case is you don't get suspended, and worst case if that you do. Doesn't seem like a lot of upside, but when you're angry and have the ability of a teenager to deal with it, the results that ensue definitely make for some interesting clips on youtube.

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A bit of a disappointing game to watch last night. The first two periods lacked any real intensity and the outcome means the Senators cannot afford another loss. It's too bad that the team squandered all those games against the New York Islanders earlier in the season, but there is no point in playing the "what if" game as nobody can change the past (with the exception of Michael J Fox and he didn't return my calls).

The Daily Wrap Up - Wednesday March 25, 2009

2009-03-25T06:12:00.003-04:00

The Hockey News - Discusses why every team will not win the Stanley Cup.

Montreal: I wonder if Hiroshima fielded a competitive Japanese baseball league team in 1946?

Ottawa: Actually. You know what? If you give me 1000:1 odds, I’ll bet you a dollar the Sens will win the Cup. Go Senators!

Montreal is going up in flames. Florida is not faring much better, but their play seems to be a lot more consistent. That alone should be the reason why Florida has every advantage over Montreal in making the playoffs.

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The Expositer - Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin is making no apologies for the celebration that followed his 50th goal last week.
The Russian star followed through with a plan to put his stick on the ice and pretend to warm his hands over it. It sparked a debate on how far celebrations should go in the sport.

"If you win the lottery -a million dollars -you go to the bar and drink a lot," Ovechkin said Tuesday before the Capitals' 3-2 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs. "I scored 50 goals and I just celebrated."

In all honesty, he's an over-exuberant youth. Nothing wrong with that. If you don't like it, then go out and try and hit him. Stop whining about it and get him back in the game, that is if you can catch a piece of him.

The Daily Wrap Up - Tuesday March 24, 2009

2009-03-24T06:11:00.001-04:00

Looking at a breakdown today in the Citizen of who the Senators are playing between now and the end of the season, they are in tough. Slightly more so than the Florida Panthers, but if the Senators can somehow make the playoffs, the run they will have gone on to get in will mean they are red hot, and ready to go! Also looking at some statistics, the Sens chances of making the playoffs are now 1.1 percent.

SportingNews.com - Time to look at the power ranking again, as the Senators are finally moving up!

23. Ottawa Senators (25): You can't help but wonder how different Ottawa's season would have been if Cory Clouston was brought in to coach a couple weeks sooner.

The current hot streak has helped the Senators break the 25th place threshold, and boost them over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Although all I want in the draft is to pick ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs in every round, I would rather go on a hot streak and do as well as possible.

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Open question to the readers:

When did Bruce Garrioch become a reliable source in the NHL? I always thought he was a bit of a joke, but Mark Spector (whose website I really enjoy) seems to consistently be using Garrioch's articles on his website as reliable rumour talk.

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday March 23, 2009

2009-03-23T05:00:00.003-04:00

I wonder what Brian Murray has in store for Alexandre Picard, Brenden Bell and Jason Smith going forward. Clearly the 5 other defensive spots are taken and all that is left is one spot between them. Unless Jason Smith is traded, he will take that spot, but is there a market available for his services anymore? Or will Murray let Bell walk for nothing and let Picard sit in the press box next year? It's a bit of problem, but stocking up on middling defenseman will do it to you. The simplest solution is to sign Jay Bouwmeester then rid the team of 'c' level defenseman. Get to it Brian.

Playoff Watch - It's time that we all faced facts and allowed for the possibility of a playoff berth.

7. NY Rangers 73 84
8. Montreal 72 81
9. Florida 72 80
10. Buffalo 72 76
11. Ottawa 72 74
12. Toronto 73 73

Buffalo if easy enough to catch, but the combination of Montreal and Florida makes the situation so difficult. With only 10 games left, we will find out if Florida made the right move in keeping Bouwmeester and if Montreal really will self-destruct. My thoughts are no, and yes.

The Daily Wrap Up - Friday March 19, 2009

2009-03-20T06:28:00.002-04:00

The original version of the daily wrap up is brought to you by Ovaltine. Don't forget to drink your Ovaltine!

With the Senators winning last night, they are moving one step closer to drafting behind the Leafs. And just imagine how long Ottawa fans would whine if the Leafs top pick was amazing and the Senators to pick Daigle'd out. The whining would be incessant.

Hockeysfuture.com - Marcus Foligno will be entering this year's draft and he looks to be rising.

The coaching staff is impressed with the young Foligno’s steady improvement and his eagerness to rough it up is evident with 96 penalty minutes (fifth on the team) this season.

“Marcus is a power forward and has the physical presence,” said Sudbury associate coach Bryan Verrault. “He works hard, competes and makes people pay the price. His work ethic is there and he brings it on every day. He will do anything to help the team and play any position we ask him to.”

He has not shown to be as offensive as his older brother Nick, but he may develop into a Milan Lucic type forward. Probably going in the second round, he would be a great addition to Ottawa, as I would love to see them get a true power forward on the team. His offensive game could always develop as he gets older, but his work ethic and toughness cannot be questioned.

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Canoe.ca - Team toughness is something that I would love to see the Senators adapt. Andre Roy discusses how the Calgary Flames do it.

"This is the first team I've played on that anybody will fight. (Nobody will) back down," said Roy, who was signed last summer to take over as the team's heavyweight after the departure of Eric Godard. "In Tampa, I was pretty much the only guy that would fight. Anyone else, it was pretty rare.

"Here, it's like every game there's a different guy almost."

Fifteen current Flames have scrapped at least once this season. As a team, they sit fifth with 57 fighting majors.

This is quite an interesting stat. If the Senators could ever adapt a team toughness attitude like this, I would be ecstatic. It would really eliminate the need for Chris Neil who has turned into an extremely one dimensional player. The fact that 15 players have dropped the gloves means that they look out for one another and anyone will answer the call. Very interesting.

The Daily Wrap Up - Thursday March 18, 2009

2009-03-19T06:31:00.002-04:00

The original version of the daily wrap up is brought to you by the letter F, because that's what our chances of drafting a top 5 pick are looking like, F'd.

I also thought I would take a look at the standings today. I put it off over the past month because I know the odds are so badly against Ottawa. The issue right now is that there are too many teams between Ottawa and eigth spot in the playoffs. It would take 4-5 teams going on a losing streak for the Senators to slip into the playoffs. But it's still possible!

google.com - Although not directly related to the Senators, this news does affect owner Eugene Melnyk and his bid for an MLS franchise. And it would adversely affect the Senators in a positive way, as owner Eugene Melnyk would have less time to interfere with the Senators, should he ever get an MLS franchise, thus helping GM Brian Murray.

Major League Soccer may wait until the next round of expansion before it awards Ottawa a franchise, MLS commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday. Vancouver was awarded the league's 17th franchise on Wednesday. Ottawa, St. Louis and Portland are vying to become the league's 18th team.

But Garber said Ottawa city council hasn't decided yet if it will spend money on a soccer facility or a stadium for a new Canadian Football League team. "We don't yet have a positive vote in Ottawa so it's less likely Ottawa would be that 18th team," Garber told reporters. "It doesn't mean they can't be either the 19th or the 20th."

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mlive.com - Ken Holland is not quick to re-sign Marian Hossa or Johan Franzen. This is good news as one of them could become available via free agency. How good would Franzen look in an Ottawa uniform playing with Fisher and Alfie? It's really just a pipe dream, but one I would love to see.

"Given the uncertainty of the economy, I'm moving slow," Holland said Wednesday. "But it's not only the economy. It's about team building, it's about our philosophy. We can keep Franzen and Hossa, but then we'll have to let a whole lot of other players go. I don't know if that's the answer to being competitive. But if I can get a number that I think allows us to have one extra player, you start to think more and more about doing something. Right now, I'm not really close to where I'd like to get to with either side."

The Daily Wrap Up - Wednesday March 18, 2009

2009-03-18T06:31:00.002-04:00

Welcome back to the original version of the daily wrap up.

Apparently the role of spoiler sits well with the Senators after all. I still cannot understand how Buffalo thought taking 9 (or 7?) penalties and barely mustering double digit shots would help them sneak into the playoffs. A great game for the Senators, and as Lindy Ruff stated, embarrassing for the Sabres.

TheHockeyNews.com - If the draft in 2008 was re-done today, here is how it would now look based on how that years prospects looks now (excluding people playing in the NHL).

1. Nikita Filatov, Columbus, 6th overall, 1st in FW09, plus-1 slot in draft re-do
2. Cody Hodgson, Vancouver, 10th overall, 2nd in FW09, plus-2
3. Jacob Markstrom, Florida, 31st overall, 3rd in FW09, plus-20
4. Colin Wilson, Nashville, 7th overall, 4th in FW09, minus-1
5. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis, 4th overall, 5th in FW09, minus-4
6. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa, 15th overall, 7th in FW09, plus-3
7. Tyler Myers, Buffalo, 12th overall, 9th in FW09, minus-1
8. Zach Boychuk, Carolina, 14th overall, 16th in FW09, no change
9. Jordan Eberle, Edmonton, 22nd overall, 17th in FW09, plus-6
10. Evgeny Grachev, N.Y. Rangers, 75th overall, 19th in FW09, plus-57
11. Chet Pickard, Nashville, 18th overall, 22nd in FW09, plus-1
12. Tyler Cuma, Minnesota, 23rd overall, 24th in FW09, plus-4
13. John Carlson, Washington, 27th overall, 27th in FW09, plus-7
14. Colten Teubert, Los Angeles, 13th overall, 30th in FW09, minus-7 d
15. Michael Del Zotto, N.Y. Rangers, 20th overall, 32nd in FW09, minus-2
16. Joe Colborne, Boston, 16th overall, 34th in FW09, minus-6
17. Kyle Beach, Chicago, 11th overall, 39th in FW09, minus-12
18. Jake Gardiner, Anaheim, 17th overall, 40th in FW09, minus-7
19. Mattias Tedenby, New Jersey, 24th overall, 43rd in FW09, minus-2
20. Jake Allen, St. Louis, 34th overall, 45th in FW09, plus-6
21. Thomas McCollum, Detroit, 30th overall, 57th in FW09, plus-1
22. Greg Nemisz, Calgary, 25th overall, 59th in FW09, minus-4
23. Vyacheslav Voinov, Los Angeles, 32nd overall, 60th in FW09, plus-1
24. Aaron Ness, N.Y. Islanders, 40th overall, 71st in FW09, plus-8
25. Patrick Wiercioch, Ottawa, 42nd overall, 74th in FW09, plus-9
26. Cameron Gaunce, Colorado, 50th overall, 75th in FW09, plus-16.

The Daily Wrap Up - Tuesday March 17, 2009

2009-03-17T06:11:00.003-04:00

With the Senators winning five out of the six past games and sitting just of the bottom five in the NHL, its really becoming more obvious that Tavares and Hedman will not be coming to Ottawa. Evander Kane, Nazem Kadri, Brayden Schenn or Matt Duchene will probably be playing in Binghamton, unless the Senators continue their futile climb up the standings, but out of the sweet spot of the draft.

ESPN.com - It's funny how taking away the pressure from an NHL team can really bring out the best.

The bottom five teams in the Eastern Conference have only the faintest of odds to make a run at the postseason. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders are all but mathematically eliminated from the postseason. But their combined records over their past five games are 16-6-3.

It's Chris Campoli who has been the real find for Ottawa, though. Since coming over in a trade with the Islanders, Campoli has eight points in 11 games. He may seem unappealing because he is minus-19 for the season, but remember he was minus-20 when he left the Isles, so he is actually plus-1 as a Senator.

Chris Campoli may have a long way to go before his defensive game is up to par, but no one can doubt his offensive instinct. Every game there are at least two - three times where he jumps into the rush, and puts himself into a good scoring position. He will be scary once he gets his timing and hands up to speed with his instincts. Hopefully he can mature into something more than a number 5 defenseman, which is all I would currently pencil him in for.

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday March 16, 2009

2009-03-16T05:00:00.000-04:00

Let the debate between tanking the final 20 games of a season and receiving a high draft pick vs. barely missing the playoffs, getting a middle of the road draft pick, but potentially bringing momentum with them to start the beginning of the year begin!

It boils down to momentum and team chemistry (potential) vs obtaining one of those coveted top three draft picks. My preference if for the momentum, as good players can be found in the top 20 regardless. Either way, it's in the hands of the players now.

yourstittsville.com - After an article profiling the grade 10 'super student' came out, it is clear that Alexandra Power is a dirty, dirty liar! (whose pants may or may not be on fire)

She is an enthusiastic student who loves to read, travel, visit museums, attend concerts and the theatre, play computer games and watch hockey games (Her favourite Ottawa Senators player is Christoph Schubert).

Fact: Christoph Schubert does not have any fans.

Here's a little tip: it's true that writing fictitious statements are the base of any good resume (or article profiling you), but maybe you should make your lies a little less obvious. Even something like 'ability to catch bullets', may be a tad more plausible.

The Hockey News.com - The end of staged fights does not necessarily mean the end to all fights.

Maybe guys like Derek Boogaard or David Koci will be effectively legislated out of the game, but players such as New Jersey’s David Clarkson (15 goals, 28 points, 127 PIMs through 67 games) and Steve Ott of Dallas (13 goals, 33 points, 108 PIMs in 50 games) will live on, because they have value outside of fighting.

I'll say this much, I almost prefer watching two players who rarely fight going at it. Something about seeing mistakes, and fights with some emotion in them really makes it more interesting. This instead of watching two players who fight each other with the technical proficiency and know-how of amateur boxers. The heavy-weight fights are so technically sound that nothing interesting ever happens.

Pens and Sens: Live Analysis - Ottawa 4; Pittsburgh 3 (SO)

2009-03-14T15:20:00.061-04:00

I thought I'd try my hand at a little in-game analysis, as I tire of my traditional post-game format. The idea didn't come to me until just now and I thus have not done any advertising beforehand, so I don't expect anybody to read it, meaning this is really just a half-baked, fruitless exercise. Nevertheless:

Sens Win. The team is now 36-6-2 when Chris Phillips scores a goal. CBC gives 3 Star Honours to
1) Fleury
2) Phillips
3) Tyler Kennedy.

Phillips really did have a great game, and really earned the accolades.

Given that the Pens were 9-1-1 coming into this one and that they trailed by 2 goals, the Senators can really take pride in this victory.

SENS WIN SHOOTOUT 2-1!

Comrie - SCORES Drags to the glove side, fires it off Fleur's pad and in.

Kunitz - Backhands it over the net

Fisher - Tries to squeeze five hole, Fleury shuts door

Malkin - Stopped low glove side by Elliott's pad

EXTRA SHOOTERS

Ruutu - Stopped blocker side.

Crosby - SCORES Five hole on Elliott

Sykora - Backhand gloveside, gloved by Elliott
Alfredsson - SCORES Out-waits poke check, scored high backhand

Letang- High glove, stopped by Elliott

Shootout

Ottawa: Alfie, Spezza, Ruutu

Pittsburgh: Letang, Crosby, Sykora

End of Overtime.

Wow. That was an exciting 5 minutes. Both teams had quality chances, and it looked like the sens were poised to use their momentum to end it.

1:05 Spezza breaks free on the counter attack. Takes a shot to the head going to the net, curls back but can't find a pass.

1:15 2-on1 For Crosby and Malkin, but Elliott stops a high Malkin snapper.

2:00 Fisher gets two chances in front, puck pops out to Lee but Fleury knocks it over the glass.

3:50 Alfie and Comrie both get chances, but Fleury is there.

4:30 Great pass cross crease hits Heatley in the feet, can't covert.

End 3rd Period

0:07 Gonchar accidentally hauls down dany Heatley. 2 for tripping, Ottawa will get a 1;53 4-on-3 powerplay in OT.

0:45 Foligno and Kelly go 2-on-2 with two Pens defenders, but nothing doing.

2:20 Comrie fools Fleury, Fleury over-commits to his right, Comrie shoots left, but Fleury outstretches his left pad and gets some material on it.

4:18 Sykora beats elliott short-side with a slapshot from the right face-off circle, but rings it off the crossbar and out of play

4:36 Fleury stops Daniel Alfredsson on a Senators' 4-on-2 rush.

6:06 Sens Score! 3-3! Heatley's shot produces a weird rebound, Phillips follows up the rush and taps in the rebound. Phillips has jumped into the rush a few times today, and had a chance in the first as a result. He's had a good game. he now has 6 goals this year, and 200 points for his career.

7:40 Ottawa Scores, 3-2 Pens. Foligno rips a shot short-side past Fleury, through traffic. Foligno now has 14 on the season.

8:45 Dean, Gary, and Cassie Campbell just finished singing the praises of Sidney Crosby's autograph signing prowess. Prediction: I feel Staal and Kunitz have been Pittsburgh's best forwards, but Crosby will get first start, because the CBC desperately wants to market a Canadian as the world's premiere hockey talent. I remain unconvinced. Ovechkin is clearly better.

11:13 Elliott stops a high wrister from Kris Letang and swallows up the rebound with two men in blue sweaters on the doorstep. other than the bad first goal, Elliott has been solid.

13:10 Kunitz misses the net on a good chance. The man has had himself a game.

13:54 Anton Volchenkov has a lower-body injuury, will not return. if this is serious, that means the club is now missing Volchenkov, Picard, and Smith for extended periods of time. Will we see Mattia Karlsson in the NHL before the season's out?

15:00 Fleury's penalty ends, 3-minute powerplay for Pittsburgh. Ottawa has been sluggish on the PK. This could be the final nail into the coffin.

16:00 Gonchar takes a high stick right in front of his net, goes down in a heap, and is VERY slow to get up. Substantial blood loss, possible missing teeth. Heatley is the culprit, will serve 4 for high sticking. Ottawa's powerplay is over.

17:00 Fleury stops a Comrie shot. Neil stops in front of Fleury, and Fleury gives him the blocker in the back of his recently-injured leg. Brouhaha ensues. Fleury gets the only penalty, Ottawa gets their 6th chance on the man advantage.

17:33 Powerplay over. Bad angle shot (gloved down by Fleury) from Alfredsson that was likely too high to hit the net was Ottawa's best chance

19:02 Gonchar gets a chincey hooking penalty for laying his stick on Ryan Shannon. Penguins spend the first 30 seconds of the powerplay dumping the puck into the Sens' end.

Start Thrid Period.

Intermission Notes:

The CBC is running a nice feature on Brian Kilrea. Some fun Kilrea facts:

Apparently Kilrea was a restaurant manager when he was hired as the coach of your Ottawa 67s.

The 67s have only missed the playoffs once in Kilrea's 34 seasons behind the bench.

Considers the hilights of his career in order: 1) Being inducted into the HHOF 2) Winning the Memorial Cup coaching his hometown team, in his own barn.

Killer is an Anne Murray fan...

End 2nd. Tough frame for the Sens. They gave up two goals and, despite having a couple powerplays, were outclassed by the Pens when it came to the man advantage. Shots: 11-10 Pittsburgh.

1:34 3-1 Pens. Campoli turns the puck over, creating a Penguins 2-on-1. Matt Cooke feeds Tyler Kennedy, ol' Pig Nose goes roof daddy on the cross-crease pass.

3:43 Elliott stops a rolling Guerin shot from the slot. Once again, no rebound.

4:10 Jesse Winchester hooks Jordan Staal. Receives the aptly named hooking minor.

6:00 Elliott then stops Kris Letang point blank, allows no rebound. Strong. Cassie Campbell mentions that Maxime Talbot and Tyler Kennedy have had luck scoring after spitting on their stick blades. dean mentions that it's a known statistical fact that the Penguins are "the top saliva team in the league." Classic Dean humour.

6:40 Elliott stops Tyler Kenedy and Jordan Staal on a 2-on-1. 3-on-2 for Ottawa ensues, Heatley fires the puck wide.

7:25 I've always wondered: How, exactly, did Cotton Eye Joe inhibit that guy from getting married way back when?

8:20 Dean and Gary discuss Penguins coach Dan Bylsma's nickname - "Disco Dan." Galley does not reveal its origins, but I sense it sprouts from some combination of a bad moustache, a perm, and plaid pants.

8:50 Kunitz has been busy. He hits Kelly from behind. Phillips comes to Kelly's dence, then Crosby gets involved. He presumably plans to whine at such a high pitch as to puncture Phillip's ear drums, removing him from play.

9:10 Kunitz fans on a one timer off a Crosby pass, then redirects a Gonchar shot.

10:00 Comrie gets sent off for elbowing during the scramble.

10:30 Jordan Staal's line whack at a loose puck in the slot in front of Brian elliot. Dean bust out a "scraaambllle".

10:55 Comrie gets a hot on goal as Ottawa's powerplay ends with a whimper.

13:00 Sens back on the powerplay. Fedetenko for high-sticking. Was too busy fuming about Crosby's smile to notice waht happened.

14:04 2-1 Pittsburgh. Crosby converts on a cross crease pass from Mark Eaton, putting the puck into a half empty net. I hate his pre-pubescent goal triumph smile almost as much as I hate Mats Sundin's stupid celebratory mouthguard smile. If you are a true Leaf hater, you know what I'm talking about.

14:35 The Sens pepper Fleury with chances with some sustained pressure, but Maxime "Superstar" Talbot eases the pressure with the clearance.

16: 15 Pascale Dupuis takes his second penalty of the afternoon, tripping Brian Lee behind Ottawa's net. I'm sure Dan Bylsma is thrilled.

17:20 Neil throws a hit on Mark Eaton, but then gets hit from behind into the boards by Evgeni Malkin and is slow to get up. He Looks OK though

17:50 Elliott swallows up a Peter Sykora slap shot.

19:00 CBC just showed a shot of Fleury thanking his goal posts. Ottawa hit them three times during the first, so I understand that Fleury was feeling relieved, but I always caution against reliance and/or outward display of affection towards inanimate objects.

Start 2nd Period

Intermission Highlights:

Anonymous Commentor: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/ should have a stream up and running. Let me know if you can't get it to work and I'll see what I can find for you.

Ron Maclean, PJ Stock and Kelly Hrudey are engaged in the kind of highly refined intellectual discourse we've come to expect from them. Stock may be one of the few people currently on Television who has worse mastery of the English language than Gary Galley. In his defence, Galley is an excellent colour commentator who clearly knows a lot about the game, but struggles in expressing his views.

Stock, however, cannot keep pace with the intermission highlight package he reads every week due to his painful bumbling delivery. He also just argued that a reverse on the breakout, clearly shown by Ron and Kelly, was not a reverse. Ron and Kelly scolded him.

End 1st. Exciting first period. it looked like the Penguins were going to throttle the Senators early on, but Ottawa bounced back. Shots: 9-7 Pittsburgh.

2:00 Gary Galley analyzes the powerplay that was, and makes absolutely no sense. "The posts are the goaltender's best friend, but he might have used them all up there!" "The Senators made some nice seams and creating some perimeter." Excuse me?

3:06 Maligned defenceman Filip Kuba breaks up a shorthanded 2-on-1

3:50 Alfie hits the post. Puck bounes out, Sens recover, the Heatley hits it.

4:15 Spezza shoots wide on an opportunity. He should totally be traded.

4:28 Dupuis knocks Foligno down away from the puck. 5-on-3 Ottawa.

5:40 Kunitz trips Nick Foligno as Foligno crosses the Pittsburgh blue-line. 2 for Tripping, Sens Powerplay.

6:20 Rob Scuderi dives on his belly to break up a Pizza-line rush. Nice play by the Alfie, Heatley, and Spezza are off to a good start in this one.

8:31 Heatley rips a one-timer but Fleury gets a pad on it. Dean gets excited.

11:12 Sens Score, 1-1. Chris Campoli sends a seeing eye shot from the point past Fleury. Right off the draw inside the Pens' end, reinforcing the underrated importance of face-offs. The goal gives Campoli 8 points in his first 11 games as a Senator.

13:20 Good chance for Comrie on the breakaway. Looked like Fleury caught it with his mask.

14:00 Pens Score, 1-0 Pitt. You know you've surrendered a bad goal when: 1) It's scored by Eric Goddard. 2) It's scored from behind the net.

The Daily Wrap Up - Friday March 13, 2009

2009-03-13T06:13:00.004-04:00

The Senators lost a thrilling endeavor last night 5-3 against the Boston Bruins. What really surprised me was the fact that Corey Clouston did the right thing in keeping Peter Regin in the lineup when Chris Neil returned. The only problem was that as a result someone else had to come out, and Shean Donovan was that man.

Canoe.ca - Chris Neil returned to action last night and got into a fight, proving he is needed in the lineup (ha!)

The rugged right winger, who has missed the last 15 games with a lacerated calf, will play on the fourth line as Ottawa attempts to extend its winning streak to five games against the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins.

It really grind my gears when people claim that because Chris Neil fought yesterday, he just showed how valuable an asset he is to the team. Those fights prove nothing and don't send any messages, as it was between two heavyweights who only get to show their fighting skills against one another. We have plenty of players will throw down to defend a teammate (which is really the only reason to), and if Chris Neil wasn't playing last night, there would not have been a fight, and the game would have not changed by a whole heck of a lot.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs.Boston Bruins March 12, 2009

2009-03-12T19:00:00.000-04:00

It's Game Day Today!

Don't forget to catch the pre-game coverage.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs.Boston Bruins March 12, 2009

Note:

The Jesus Fish Performs OT Miracle: Ottawa 3; Tampa Bay 2 (OT)

2009-03-12T06:23:00.010-04:00

Mike Fisher saved... the Senators' bacon with an overtime goal, as the Sens defeated the Tampba Bay Lightning to win their fourth straight last night. The Sens, by their own admission, did not play their best game, but it was enough to defeat the league's second most dysfunctional former cup winning franchise (the first being Rick "My Contract Will Age More Than Cheap Scotch and Leave a Similar Taste in the Mouths of Those Who Have to Taste It" DiPietro and the New York Islanders.)

Fisher had an all-around strong game, earning first-star honours. The former Sudbury Wolf was at his multi-dimensional best, throwing 5 hits, blocking a shot, hurling 2 pucks on net, and winning 54% of his draws. Fisher's goal was scored in true Mike Fisherian fashion, as he jammed in a rebound off a Chris Phillips point shot while fighting off a Lightning defender. I hitherto advocate the widespread used of nickname Jesus Fish for Fisher, taking in consideration to factors such as: his well advertised faith, last name, and the reverence he enjoys amongst the followers of his team. Now go forth, and spread the word.

Unofficial Mayor of Ottawa Daniel Alfredsson was also in fine form, having yet another strong showing on the penalty kill while recording two assists. The Captain helped Chris Kelly score only his thirs goal in 23 games, setting him up on a short-handed two-on-one. Alfredsson is now on a bit of a hot streak, picking up points in four straight (3G, 3A.)

The Senators won this one despite falling off the waggon with regards to a habit they looked to have kicked: Allowing a goal immediately after having scored on of their own. I don't have any qualitative stats on how many times they have done so this year, but it seems like somewhat of a trend for the 2008-09 edition of the Senators.

Brian Elliott deserves some credit, however. While he allowed what would be best described as a flaky goal to let the Lightning tie the game only 13 seconds after his club had taken it's first lead of the hockey game, Elliott stood tall in the Senators net, making several saves on odd man rushes. Elliott's counterpart, Kari Ramo was rightly named second star. While Elliott did have a good game, Ramo was easily the stronger of the two goaltenders making several good saves.

I though Lightning defneder (and Kanata native) Cory Murphy had a solid game for the Lightning. His skating and offensive awareness made him a standout on Tampa's blue line. Murphy registered the opening goal of the game, an extension of the offensive success he's been having since being claimed off waivers by the Lightning. The 31-year-old has 13 points in 22 games with Tampa this season, giving him 30 in 76 NHL games with the Lightning and the Florida Panthers. Murphy bounced around Europe for much of his 20s, playing in the Finnish league for five seasons, but has been producing when healthy since being Pogiven a chance in the NHL. He is unrestricted at the end of the year, and I wouldn't complain if the Sens saw fit to bring him in to play a 6-7 role on their back-end at the right price, as he seems to be capable of generating offense and playing well on the powerplay. He could be a good candidate to play the role of someone like a Brendan Bell.

TSN showed an interesting stat during their broadcast. With last night's win, the Senators have now picked up 23 points in the 18 games since Cory Clouston took over behind the bench, meaning they have been playing .638 hockey since the coaching change. Obviously it's different playing without the pressure and intensity of playoff expectations, but that stat is nevertheless encouraging. If Clouston can keep the team playing close to that rate for the remainder of the schedule, he will likely be able to count on a new contract with the Senators.

The gents will have their work cut out for them if they hope to continue their winning ways. They flew to Boston following the game to prepare for Tonight's meeting against the Eastern Conference leading Bruins. The Bruins are slumping, going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, but Tim Thomas has given Ottawa's shooters fits since joining the brown bears after the lockout, so the Sens will need to bring their A-game if they hope to be successful.

The Daily Wrap Up - Thursday March 12, 2009

2009-03-12T06:14:00.003-04:00

The Senators won last night in overtime but is it just me or did the second goal on Brian Elliot disturb you? That is honestly one of the worst mistakes I have seen him make. It was an absolutely deflating and energy sapping goal, and I do understand that he's young, but it was totally unacceptable to be allowing a goal from that angle. Good thing the team bounced back or that blunder would have been raised in a 3 column spread in one of the local media.

Philly.com - Gary Bettman is very cautious of the salary cap going forward.

Commissioner Gary Bettman said yesterday that he expects the salary cap to be "about where it was this year" for next season, but there's more uncertainty about 2010-11. The collective bargaining agreement, reached after the 2004-05 NHL lockout, is set to expire in 2011. Players could vote to extend it for another year.

The recent decline of the Canadian dollar will also affect revenues, Bettman said.

I have but two simple points to make on this issue. First, why did the salary cap have to move up so quickly? If it stayed low(er) then players salaries would have adjusted and proportionately it would have worked just fine. Secondly, how is it logical to include a clause that would lower the salary cap? That's the most asinine thing I have seen the NHL do, as teams have signed players to extremely long contracts and while the salary cap goes down, the players salary as a cap hit does not go down. Would it have not made more sense to raise the salary cap at a much slower pace, and ensure that when it was raised, it was to a level where no retraction was necessary? This all comes from the lockout and the need to ensure that owner profits don't take a hit (which is fine), but some forethought to the envitability of an economic slowdown or recession would have been welcome.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning March 11, 2009

2009-03-11T06:55:00.001-04:00

It's Game Day Today!

Don't forget to catch the pre-game coverage.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning March 11, 2009

Note:

The Daily Wrap Up - Wednesday March 11, 2009

2009-03-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

With the battle for Tavares / Hedman pretty much over and the Senators being out of contention (in reality), it's now going to come down to who has the better pick between the Senators and the Leafs. It's going to be a close contest as both teams suddenly have decided that winning is now what's in (they just figured it out now).

THN.com - The weekly power rankings are out, but it's pretty much standard issue number 26 for the Senators this week.

TheLantern.com - Looks like former Ottawa Senator Antoine Vermette is fitting in nicely with his new club.

"I think Antoine's a solid player for us," Hitchcock said. "He looks like a guy that can play in every situation. He's a guy who does a good job on the penalty kill."

"That's where we've needed help, is on the power play," said Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash. "We have the worst power play in the league and we'll take all the help we can get."

"He fits right in," winger Jared Boll said. "It feels like his already been here a while."

The deal really was a mutually beneficial affair as Columbus ditches salary and receives an all around players that can slip into the lineup without changing the dynamic of the dressing room. All I have to say is just wait until he misses his 6th breakaway in a row, or a wide open one-timer before you start singing his praises Columbus. His lack of finish was really what defined his time here so hopefully he can shed that image in Columbus and fulfill some of his potential.

Sens Beat Leafs, Avoid Further Disgrace: Ottawa 2; Toronto 1.

2009-03-09T22:41:00.009-04:00

For only the second time this season - and the first time in regulation - the Senators beat the hated Toronto Maple Leafs. While there was no return of Martin Gerber, the game play was fairly mundane, and the rivals lacked the intensity of meetings past... well I can't find a positive to finish that thought. Still, always nice to beat the Leafs. Both teams had their moments in what was a pretty even game as both teams finished with 26 shots. Jason Smith (lower body injury) and Filip Kuba (flu) missed this one, meaning Brian Lee was called up from the AHL on an emergency basis.

The Senators played a fairly strong first period, outshooting Toronto 11-8. Dany Heatley had two solid chances in the final second of the period: a blistering one-timer that veteran goaltender Curtis Joseph somehow got a pad on, and a shovelled shot that hit the post. Chris Campoli (post) and call-up Peter Regin (Joseph) both failed to score on quality chances as well.

The second frame of this one was god-awful boring for the first 15 minutes or so. The Maple Leafs probably had the edge in play, pinning the Senators in their own end for a stretch of 2-3 minutes in the middle of the period. Captian Daniel Alfredsson brought the Senators even with 4:46 left to go in the middle stanza, capitalizing on an Ian White turnover from a broken play, beating a defender, and putting a floating slapper from a rolling puck short side past Joseph. Heatley tipped an Anton Volchenkov slap shot in the high slot to put Ottawa up by one just before the intermission.

Then there was Chris Phillips brushing away teammate Jesse Winchester like a father restraining his four year old son from an inexplicably attractive dead bird on the sidewalk. The incident followed a Winchester hit from behind on Nikolai Kulemin that drew quite the crowd. Winchester tried to get at Brad May while May was being restrained by the referee, and Phillips stepped in to remove his compatriot from the fray. In a league where grown men are willing to engage in a (often mindless) retaliatory physical altercation with their opponent regardless of how small a perceived slight they inflicted on their teammate, this was definitely something you don't see every game.

The highlight of the scoreless third period had to be Blue Team coach Ron Wilson’s act of desperation as he had Jason Spezza’s stick measured, resulting in a two minute minor to Spezza with 2:15 left to play. The club seemed to rally around what was somewhat of an underhanded move by Wilson. Wilson’s gamble did not pay off though, as Spezza’s teammates put forth a concerted effort to ensure he did not wear the goat horns following a Leafs' game for the second time in nine days. Daniel Alfredsson and Jarkko Ruutu both created turnovers and alleviated what pressure Toronto built in their team’s end, as the Leafs failed to register a scoring chance up a man. A very solid kill.

My three stars in this one were as follows:
1) Daniel Alfredsson: Great on the PK, scored a goal on a fine individual effort. Best player on the ice tonight. (1G)
2) Curtis Joseph: With the leafs outshot and out chanced through two, Joseph kept this one close. The Sens could easily have tied this one during the first period were it not for his heroics. (24 saves on 26 shots)
3) Dany Heatley: Had multiple scoring chances, was effective in the offensive zone. (GWG)

Speaking of Heatley, he has been an absolute juggernaut against Toronto in his career. Put him down for 27 goals and 23 assists in 37 career games against the Leafs. Alfredsson now has 60 points in 61 career regular season games against the Blue and White, while Jason Spezza has 35 assists to go with 8 goals in 34 games against his boyhood heroes. Kind of makes you wish these guys were together during those four playoff showdowns with the Blue Team, though there's a good chance they would have been felled by the same mix of confidence issues, Ed Belfour and/or Curtis Joseph that stymied the group played in those series.

Mike Comrie was also impressive in this one. He made a nice play to set up the maligned Christoph Schubert, and created a turnover or two to put the Leafs back on their heels. While he did not register a point, Comrie made smart plays with the puck and showed good patience in the offensive zone. Comrie finished with one shot on goal in 15:43 of ice time.

Christoph Schubert returned from the press box to show us all why he has spent so much time there. Schubert made a variety of his patented mistakes. On the defensive, Schubert got caught pinching to hit lay a check on a Leaf forward who had long rid himself of the puck, resulting in an odd man rush in which Schubert was the odd man out. The foul up allowed Ian White to walk in on Brain Elliott unmolested and squeak a one timed wrist shot through the rookie’s pads. The two-time German Olympian did not contain his blunders to the defensive aspects of the game, however. Set up for a beautiful scoring opportunity by Mike Comrie, Schubert ripped the puck wide of the net. He did recover the puck shortly afterwards with a shooting lane, and repeated his trademark move. This all occurred in his staggering 4:14 of first-period ice-time. Schubert would play 14:42, last amongst Ottawa defencemen, was the only player on the team with a minus rating, and led the team with 4 shots that did not find the net.

The Sens wrap up their nine game home stand Wednesday night when they host the Tampa Bay Lighting and first-year member of the team ~~Gary Roberts~~ ~~Olaf Kolzig~~ ~~Matt Carle~~ ~~Steve Eminger~~ ~~Radim Vrbata~~ Ryan Malone Wednesday. The Lightning have lost 3 straight and are 2-6-2 in their last 10, meaning the Sens may be in a position to add to their three game wining streak.

I will leave you with an interesting stat:

3 Game Winning Streaks Under Craig Hartsburg: 0.

3 Game Winning Streaks Under Cory Clouston: 2.

I'm just saying...

Anoter Reason To Hate the Toronto Maple Leafs

2009-03-09T14:51:00.002-04:00

TSN.ca is reporting that Ron Wilson has decided that Curtis Joseph will start in goal tonight against Ottawa, at the exclusion of Martin Gerber, robbing fans of both clubs of a very interesting storyline. Thanks, Ron.

Who knows why this decision was made? Was it because the Leafs were afraid Gerber's fragile psyche would melt under the pressure of the ex-home rink's bright lights and chorus of boos? Was it the soft goals he let in Saturday's contest with Edmonton? Or, my personal suspicion, is Gerber's new Leafs gear STILL not ready, and the team didn't want to throw him in net with his Ottawa gear on, as that would just be too much?

Either way, this stinks. Who knows? Maybe the Sens build on Saturday's offensive explosion against Buffalo and we get to see both Joseph AND Gerber. Here's hoping.

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday March 9, 2009

2009-03-09T05:00:00.002-04:00

With the trade deadline sitting pretty in the rear view mirror, the only thing to look forward to is the NHL Entry Draft. I know it's far off, and discussing it now is about as bad as when stores put out christmas decorations before halloween, but it's still something to look forward to.

Hockeysfuture.com - With Ottawa drafting somewhere in the 1-10 range, here's a list of the ISS top 10 ranked players:

1 Tavares, John C 9/20/1990 L 6.00 200 London OHL
2 Hedman, Victor LD 12/18/1990 L 6.06 220 Modo SweE
3 Svensson-Paajarvi, Magnus LW 4/12/1991 L 6.01 200 Timra SweE
4 Duchene, Matt C 1/16/1991 L 5.11 196 Brampton OHL
5 Schenn, Brayden C 8/22/1991 L 6.00 193 Brandon WHL
6 Cowen, Jared LD 1/25/1991 L 6.04.7 218 Spokane WHL
7 Kane, Evander C 8/2/1991 L 6.01 180 Vancouver WHL
8 Kadri, Nazem C 10/6/1990 L 5.11.5 180 London OHL
9 Shore, Drew C 1/29/1991 R 6.02 190 USA Under-18 NTDP
10 Josefson, Jacob C 3/2/1991 L 6.00 187 Djurgarden SweE

I think the top 3 are obvious choices, but after that, it will depend of team needs. I think that Brayden Shenn would be a perfect fit in Ottawa, and should he drop below the fifth spot, would be a huge steal. Imagine just how good the BoO would be with the Shenn Brothers going at it?

Canoe.ca - Chris Neil has begun skating with the team, and with his return looming, someone will need to be removed from the lineup.

Senators RW Chris Neil expects to resume skating with the team today. He has been out since Feb. 11, when he suffered a lacerated calf against the Sabres. His next step will be to get cleared for contact

Of course the obvious choice is Binghamton call-up Peter Regin, but it would be an undeserved bump as that third line (with Comrie and Kelly) has melded together fairly well and will allow Regin some much needed NHL experience. It's a shame that it will probably come down to that, and a shame Neil was not traded when the Senators had the perfect opportunity to get a return for him.

Lalime Treats Former Fans to Free Lunch: Ottawa 6; Buffalo 3

2009-03-07T21:59:00.007-05:00

As a form of thanks for the friendly treatment he received during his time in the Nation's Capital, Patrick Lalime bought 18,444 Sens fans a slice on the occassion of his first return to Bytown. For only the second time this season, the fans at ScotiaBank Place leave the building with free lunch in hand, as the Sens registered a 6-3 victory of their arch-rivals from Buffalo, triggering the PizzaPizza promotion.

You got the impression from the way the Ottawas came out of the gate that this was going to be one of their nights. The Senators came out fast and physical in the first period. Daniel Alfredsson scored almost immediately on the team's first powerplay, affording the club the rare opportunity to play with the lead. The team also set the tempo for what would be a physical encounter; Mike Fisher, Shean Donovan, and Jesse Winchester were all finishing checks early on in this one. Winchester even took Jaro Spacek out of the game for some time with a hard, clean check in the corner behind the Buffalo net. Spacek was levelled again later on in the first by Fisher and Jarkko Ruutu, making for what would be best described as a rough 10 minutes. For a team that generally stumbles out of the gate, the Senators had a very encouraging first seven minutes.

Good game for Nick Foligno. The Senate Committee “Golden Boy” registered his 12th and 13th goals of this season, and 7th since Cory Clouston took over behind the Sens bench. At his current pace, he could hit an even 20 before the season is done.

Foligno’s line, also featuring Ryan Shannon and Mike Fisher, has been impressive. Shannon set up Foligno’s goal with a nice cross-crease pass, and could have had one of his own had Chris Kelly chosen to pass instead of trying to use those stone hands to create offense. The trio is really benefiting from the more free-wheeling style of Cory Clouston.

The CBC actually picked the same three stars as I, choosing Foligno, Alfredsson, and Campoli in that order. I had Campoli ahead of Alfie though, as I thought he played a great game. Campoli picked up a goal and an assist, and he showed great awareness with some apt pinches to keep up pressure in the offensive zone.

How about that Patrick Lalime, eh? The St. Bonaventure, PQ native was beaten twice from the hash-marks along the boards en route to allowing 6 goals on 35 shots. Certainly not the heroic return he envisioned, no doubt. Normally, Lalime’s struggles would fail to raise an eyebrow, but given how well he has played for the Sabres since Ryan Miller went down with an ankle injury, his poor play tonight was actually cause for a double take. To be fair to Lalime, this game didn’t really go off the rails for Buffalo until late in the third, and he had next to no chance on goal five.

The parade of vilified ex-Senator goalies continues Monday, as everybody’s favourite Swiss scapegoat and his teammates roll into the bank to face your Ottawa Senators. That’s right folks, in what could be the most compelling game of the season for Ottawa, Martin Gerber and the Toronto Maple Leafs are in town. I could scarcely contain my excitement when I heard Gerber will henceforth be allowing his very special brand of deflating, inopportune goals in the Blue Team’s duds. Hopefully, motivation notwithstanding, Gerber’s familiar surroundings will trigger some form of subconscious, uncontrollable Pavlovian suck.

Notes

1) Pascale Lecalire was interviewed by Dean and Gary during the second period. Leclaire described his injury in-depth, saying there is some torn cartilage and a bone chip in his ankle. He is targeting April for a return to the ice, which should ensure he is well rested and in game shape for the start of training camp. He talked about being excited about being part of an organization where the team is expected to win, which likely represents the biggest change from his time in Columbus.

The native of suburban Montreal appears to have a good attitude, and looks like he could live up to the expectations the club, fans, and media have set for him. I certainly hope he does, as it would be nice to drive down the 417 towards Arnprior without being confronted by the grizzly spectacle of the team’s starting goaltender being hastily nailed to a cross on the front lawn of the rink by a hurried Bruch Garrioch and Don Brennan as they bemoan being late for their second lunch of the day at the BareFax.

2) Anton Volchenkov was rightly assessed a boarding minor during the second period as he railed Patrick Kaleta into the boards from behind. I understand fully why Volchenkov was penalized and fully agree that it was warranted. What I don’t understand is the NHL’s official policy on hitting from behind. It has become routine for players to hit an opponent into the boards despite being able to clearly see the numbers on his back, but sanction for such action is anything but. I like tot think I watch a lot of hockey, and I don’t see any pattern or consistency in how the officials are calling this. Anybody care to explain it to me?

What is and What's to Be

2009-03-06T13:05:00.002-05:00

Well, my market predictions re trade deadline were embarrassingly contradicted at every turn. Kuba re-signed, Vermette did get dealt for Leclaire, and nobody else moved. GM Bryan Murray did back up one of my prophecies, when he responded to questions as to why he did not deal Chris Neil with claims there was not much of a market for him. So I got one right and a whole bunch wrong. I think this qualifies me to fill Eklund’s position over at HockeyBuzz should he ever fall ill.

In a day that will no doubt live on in infamy amongst the female portion of the Ottawa Senators’ faithful, GM Bryan Murray dealt fleet footed piece of National Capital man-candy Antoine Vermette to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for comparatively unattractive but athletically talented goaltender Pascale Leclaire and a somewhat aesthetically amorphous second-round pick in this year’s draft. Since you are all fans of the team first, I assume you recognize the tantalizing potential of this acquisition, but nevertheless: My condolences, ladies. Regardless of the journalistic impact of the swap, I’d be disapointed off if TSN traded Holly Horton to CJOH for Leigh Chapple, so I feel your pain.

Kuba’s deal is for 3 years with a $3.7mil cap hit over that time frame. Rumours were circulating that Murray had given Kuba a no-movement-clause, but the speculation, according the GM himself, was only 33% true. Kuba has a NMC in the first year of his deal, meaning he can be moved in the latter two if the Senators see the need. While the team’s fan base was anxious to see what the Sens could get for the offensively talented but mistake-prone and physically diminutive rearguard, Murray wisely cautioned that a player like Kuba would be hard to come by this summer, especially at such a price-tag.

Murray addressed the moves he didn’t make in his press conference yesterday, embedded below. As previously mentioned, he determined the market for Neil was not what he was hoping for, and chose to retain the rugged winger in the hopes of working out a new deal. Murray also said he was hoping to move one more body for a pick (presumably Schubert, maybe Jason Smith) for a pick, but could not find a suitable offer.

Seeing how everyone and their dog has broken down then potential pros and cons of the moves, let’s stop living in the past (yesterday) and look to the future (this summer.) The Senators are in need of further tweaks to be a playoff team in April 2010, and major roster moves don’t often happen during the first half of the regular season in the salary cap NHL. This summer will be what makes or breaks this club, so let’s set the stage for the tough decisions to be made over these months now.

The Key Stats:
Cap Hit (based on 2009-10 salaries for the club’s regulars and Ray Emery’s buy-out): $51.01mil
Regulars Under Contract: 19
NTCs (as of July 1st, 2009): 6
$ tied to NTCs: $31.4mil
Notable FAs: Mike Comrie (UFA), Brian Elliott (RFA), Brendan Bell (RFA), Chris Neil (UFA)

Operating under the assumption that the upper cap is within $2mil of this year’s figure, up or down, you get the impression that there will be some salary shed at some point by the Sens. If Comrie is to return, somebody like a Chris Kelly, Jason Smith, or perhaps even Jason Spezza (provided there’s a substantial return) will have to be cleared to make room. There’s also the matter of getting some of Ottawa’s developing prospects signed, and making room for them to be full-time contributors should they warrant inclusion on the roster.

Simply put, Bryan Murray has not given himself a lot of room to manoeuvre, which either means he has a master plan pertaining to the salary structure of the club that we don’t know about and/or hasn’t been fully developed but involves major moves, or he is planning on going another with nearly the same roster that will finish the season amongst the also-rans of the National Hockey League.

I would bet he is planning the former, which would mean quite the exciting summer for fans in the Nation’s Capital.

The Daily Wrap Up - Friday March 6, 2009

2009-03-06T06:08:00.003-05:00

Martin Gerber is still being the ultimate teammate, as with every save he makes for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he puts them one step behind us in the draft lottery. Darth Gerber actually looked pretty good in his first game back, helping the blue death take down the high flying Washington Capitals. Monday will most likely see Gerber face off against his former team so let's hope he still remembers how to let in weak, team deflating goals. Actually I'm absolutely positive he still remembers how to do it, he did it so well and for so long with the Senators that it must be in his muscle memory by now.

pressconnects.com - Finally something positive to report on goaltending prospect Jeff Glass.

On New Year's Day, Glass' record was 1-6-2 with a 4.20 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.

Since then, with more regular playing time after Elliott was recalled in early January, he's gone 7-6-0 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. He's won four of his last six decisions, and it's not a stretch to say he outshined Gerber over the last three weeks.

Jeff Glass's career came into the headlights in 2005, when he helped backstop a talent laden Team Canada to World Championship Gold. Oh and he also got these accolades: WHL West First All-Star Team (2005), WHL Goaltender of the Year (2005), Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team (2005), Canadian Major Junior Goaltender of the Year (2005). For the first time in years, I thought the Senators had a future number one goalie in the system. Unfortunately for Glass, 2006 came around and his play deteriorated as he went to play in the AHL. Since then he has never been able to put up decent numbers, so it's great to see that Glass might have some life left in him.

The Daily Wrap Up - Thursday March 5, 2009

2009-03-05T06:10:00.002-05:00

Skepticism
Skep"ti*cism\, n. [Cf. F. scepticisme.] [Written also scepticism.]
1. An undecided, inquiring state of mind; doubt; uncertainty.
That momentary amazement, and irresolution, and confusion, which is the result of skepticism. --Hune.

Here are five reasons to not be skeptical of Pascal Leclaire.

Entry to NHL - Unlike Martin Gerber, Pascal Leclaire was actually sought after in the NHL entry draft, he went eighth overall in the 2001, compared to Martin Gerber who was drafted in the eighth round in the same draft.
FCG - French Canadian Goalie.
Age - at only 26, he is on the cusp of being in his prime. Goalies always take longer to mature and become consistent, what we are getting is someone who has four years of NHL experience under his belt. Not too shabby if you also consider the three(ish) years he has played in the AHL as well.
Skill - Leclaire has shown that at every level he has played, the ability to adapt and become one of the best. People are worried about him being the next Martin Gerber, because he has only shown he can play well in "one" season. Well that's erroneous as well. Take into account the injuries he has sustained while at the NHL level (also the fact that Columbus has been a horrible franchise) and his numbers are really good. In the 07-08 season, he posted 9 shutouts! Just because he has had some surgery, does not mean his skill has all but disappeared. I seem to remember a player we traded for that had just gotten into a serious car accident, and now look at him.
The Ottawa hockey market - After playing in the QJMHL and for team Canada in the World Championships, he should be able to integrate well into the team, and pressure should not be as big of an issue for him as it was for Gerber (who wilted standing next to warm piece of toast). This may be the most intense hockey market he has played in, but with his pedigree, level of skill and FCG status, he will have every opportunity to be the best goaltender the Senators have ever had.

He could always become a bust, but every indication is that he won't and this trade could really turn around the position that has always been a liability, into one of strength.

The Daily Wrap Up - Wednesday March 4, 2009

2009-03-04T06:16:00.005-05:00

Our good friend (and double cheeseburger eating champion) Mike will be participting in a live blog of the trade deadline today over at The 6th Sens, so check it out for all the up to the minute analysis and banter. The cast will be a medley of people in the know, bloggers and sports personalities.

Last night's game was a great one to see in person, and although there was a huge contingent of Calgary fans, they were nowhere near as bumptious and boisterous as Toronto fans. Unfortunately Alex Auld took the night off, and subsequently ruined the game, but there were a couple of nice goals, and Spezza got in a fight. Crazy!

Also, a game with Calgary seems to draw alot of attractive women wearing cowboy hats out to the game. Picture that woman on the right in a cowboy hat, and that's pretty much what was speckled throughout the crowd. As a result of my new discovery, I have decided the Senators should play Calgary more often.

That's it for this edition of the daily wrap up! With so much of the media covering the trade deadline, I'm sure tomorrow there will be lots to re-hash.

Market Watch

2009-03-03T13:31:00.001-05:00

A wise man once said the secret to happiness is low expectations. If you don’t succumb to outstanding and outlandish anticipation, you will be more easily pleased more often and thus happier, or so the theory goes. Since I love you all so much, I’m here to tailor your expectations for you!

With the deadline rapidly approaching, it’s easy to get swept up in the TSN manufactured holiday, as Maple Leafs Coach Ron Wilson would call it. We north of the 49th have made what is a non-event in other sports into an all-out frenzy. As you may have heard, the Ottawa Senators are playing the role of sellers for the first time in over a decade and many fans have expectations higher than former BNL front man Stephen Page with a stack of rolled up Canadian $50s.

Many fans are hoping the deadline will allow management to completely remake the team and address some of the massive holes on the roster. However, this lofty optimism is likely unrealistic. Teams don’t usually make blockbuster “hockey trades” (that is, talent for talent deals that shuffle the proverbial deck of a team’s roster in a major way) at the deadline, but rather reserve that behaviour for the period in the between the draft and the start of unrestricted free agency. With that in mind, here is an assessment of the market that exists for some of the home team’s players who may be on the move.

BREAKING NEWS: TSN.ca is reporting that Sens GM Bryan Murray is spending Tuesday negotiating with the agents for Neil and Kuba and is hoping to get them signed to new deals. The article states Kuba’s agent has denied he is seeking at least $4.5mil per annum. Personally, I don’t think retaining either one makes much sense, but I don’t get to listen in on trade negotiations, so we’ll assume Bryan knows best.

All statistics in brackets are from the season the trade was made up to the day the player was traded.

Filip Kuba

Well, well, well. Turns out the prediction I made months ago is coming to fruition. Take that, detractors. As I said then, this team can’t afford to lose it’s #1 defender for the third time in four seasons. Kuba has a no-trade clause in his deal, but has communicated through his agent that he will waive it if asked. If the two sides can't get an extension done in the next 12 hours or so, he is as good as gone.

Some similar talents that have been dealt and the return:

Mar. 2nd 2009
- To New Jersey: D Niclas Havelid (63GP, 2G, 13A, +4) and F Myles Stoesz (207th Overall in 2005)
- To Atlanta: D Anssi Salmela (17GP, 3A, +1, 33 SOG)

Feb 17th 2009
- To Montreal: D Mathieu Schneider (44GP, 4G, 11A, 50PIM) and Conditional Pick in 2009.
- To Atlanta: 2nd Round Pick in 2009, 3rd Round Pick 2010.

Feb. 27th 2008
- To Anaheim: D Marc-Andre Bergeron (44GP, 9G, 9A, -14.)
- To NY Islanders: 3rd Round Pick in 2008.

- To Colorado: D Russlan Salei (65GP, 3G, 20A, -5.)
- To Florida: D Karlis Skrastins (43GP, 1G, 3A, -2) and a 3rd Round Pick in 2008.

- To Detroit: D Brad Stuart (63GP, 5G, 16A, -16.)
- To Los Angeles: 2008 2nd Round Pick, 2009 4th Round Pick

Havelid is the defenceman most comparable to Kuba’s this year, but Pierre McGuire said on the Team 1200 this morning that the feeling is Atlanta didn’t get “full value” for the Olympic Gold Medalist. Rumours are circulating that Murray is working to bring a first-round pick back this deadline, and Kuba represents his best chance of achieving that. However, unless someone desperately covets Kuba, a return similar to what LA got for Stuart and Florida for Salei seems more likely. Expect a 2nd rounder and either a low pairing defenceman/bottom six forward, a mid level prospect, or another pick.

Chris Neil

Neil is rumoured to be on the move, as his pay demands ($2.5mil/yr) are roughly $1mil more than Bryan Murray is willing to pay. Chris Neil has always been good in the community, loyal to this franchise, and appreciative of the fans’ affections. He does his job, but his offense has all but disappeared (He has 2 goals and 3 assists in 44 games this year.) While he has always been a stand up guy, it seems like it’s time for both sides to move on.

Comparables for Neil are:

Jan 7th 2009
- To Toronto: W Brad May (20GP, 0G, 5A, 28PIM.)
- To Anaheim: Conditional 6th Round Pick in 2010 in 2009.

Feb 26th 2008
- To Washington: W Matt Cooke (61GP, 7G, 9A, 64PIM.)
- To Vancouver: W Matt Pettinger (56GP, 2G, 5A, -11)

- To Florida: D/F Wade Belak (30GP, 1A, 66PIM)
- To Toronto: 5th Round Pick in 2008.

- To Minnesota: W Chris Simon (28GP, 1G, 2A, 43PIM)
- To NY Islanders: 6th Round Pick in 2008

Some fans may not like having Neil grouped in with Belak and Simon, but given his offensive production in recent months, that’s where he is. Granted Neil is a better skater than those two, but it’s hard to imagine his value being radically higher. Pat uncle Bryan on the back if he gets anything more than a late-round pick or a 4th liner for Neil.

Antoine Vermette

TSN and the Ottawa Sun are both reporting the possibility of Antoine Vermette being moved to the Columbus Blue Jackets, with Pascale Leclaire coming up from the Buckeye state in return. To me, this represents a huge risk. Murray would be adding salary in this deal, as Leclaire has two years left on his contract at a Gerber-esque $3.8M per. With so many free agent goaltenders of roughly the same calibre (Tim Thomas, Nikolai Khabibulin, and Marty Biron) it may make more sense for Murray to wait until the summer. Murray said last week he hold off until golf season to figure out his goaltending.

A few comparables in setting the market for Vermette:

Feb 7th, 2009
- To Carolina: W Jussi Jokinen (57GP, 7G, 14A)
- To Tampa Bay: D Wade Brookbank, D Josef Melichar, and a 4th Round pick.

Nov 24th 2008
- To Toronto: W Lee Stempniak (14GP, 3G, 10A, -3)
- To St. Louis: C Alex Steen (20GP, 2G, 2A, 31 SOG) and D Carlo Colaiacovo (10GP, 1A, -2, 9 SOG)

Feb 26th 2008
– To Washington: C/D Sergei Fedorov (50 GP, 9G, 19 A.)
– To Columbus: D Ted Ruth (47th Overall in 2007.)

– To Carolina: W Tuomo Ruutu (60GP, 6G, 15A.)
– To Chicago: W Andrew Ladd (43GP, 9G, 9A)

It is a little tricky to set the market for Vermette, but these may be the best comparables from the last two seasons. Vermette could realistically fetch one of the following: a mid-level prospect, a mediocre draft pick, a bottom three defenceman, or some spare parts. Stempniak may be the best comparison in terms of overall ability, but unless Murray is able to make a flat out “hockey trade,” that kind of return is unlikely. Adding to the weakness of that comparison is the fact that the deal was made in November, months removed from the distinct climate of the trade deadline. Given his modest $2.76 cap-hit and (frustratingly untapped) potential, they hang on to him unless they can find a cheaper substitute.

Christoph Schubert

Chrtistoph “I’m too picky to play forward in order to stay in the NHL” Schubert will definitely be moved if BM the GM can find a taker. He doesn’t play most nights, is part of the log-jam of defenders that necessitated the demotion of Brian Lee to the AHL, and has become more high-maintenance than Jennifer Lopez and only slightly less so than Alexei Yashin. While there were some laughable rumours that Schubert might have value as part of a package for Jay Bouwmeester, he is a spare part at this point and his value could scarcely be lower.

Schubert could fetch something similar to:

Feb 26th 2009.
- To Montreal: D Doug Janik (11GP, 1A, -2, 2 PIM.)
- To Dallas: W Steve Begin (42GP, 6G, 4A, 27 PIM)

Feb 3. 2009
- To Anaheim: D/W Sheldon Brookbank (15 GP, 0P, +1, 25 PIM.)
- To New Jersey: C David McIntyre (Drafted 138th Overall in 2006)

Feb 27th 2008
- To NY Islanders: D Rob Davison (15GP, 0P, -3, 21 PIM.)
- To San Jose: 7th Round Pick in 2008

- To Florida: D Magnus Johansson (18GP, 4A, -5, 15 SOG.)
- To Chicago: 7th Round Pick in 2009.

Don’t get your hopes up here. The Janik deal was more about Dallas acquiring Begin, and even if the Senators could get someone like that for Schubert, they would have no use for him as they are already flush with 4th line talent. Any kind of draft pick, or even just the removal of Schubert’s full salary from the team’s cap figure for next year, would have to be considered a success.

Jason Smith

Lastly, we come to the veteran Smith. The former captain of two NHL clubs brings experience and leadership to the room, if not speed and skill to the ice. Smith has one year remaining on his deal at a $2.6mil cap hit, which could make him difficult to move given his age and declining play. He is rumoured as a possible trade candidate, though what riches he would garner remains unclear to those circulating such speculation.

An observation of the market tells us Smith could bring something similar to any of the following hauls:

Sept 30th 2008
- To Los Angeles: Sean O’Donnell (82GP, 2G, 7A, 84PIM in 2007-08.)
- To Anaheim: Conditional Pick in 2009

Feb 27th 2008
- To Pittsburgh: D Hal Gill (63GP, 2G, 18A, 52PIM.)
- To Toronto: 2nd Round Pick in 2008, 5th Round Pick in 2009

- To New Jersey: D Bryce Salvador (56GP, 1G, 10A, +12, 43PIM.)
- To St. Louis: W Cam Janssen (Missed 63 games with shoulder injury, 1A, 12PIM in 12 games with St. Louis following trade)

Feb 20th 2008
- To Calgary: D Jim Vandermeer (28GP, 1G, 5A, 27PIM.)
- To Philadelphia: 3rd Round Pick in 2009.

As you can see, there is no player who has been dealt in the last year or so who fits an exact comparison to Smith. His stock may be higher than some of these players due to his leadership abilities, which are reputedly excellent. It may be lower because of his lack of speed and age. Given that the return on the veteran would be low due to his salary for next season, and that Smith is a Murray signing, smart money wagers he stays put.

If they do anything at all, the market history tells us that the Senators will be merely tweaking tomorrow afternoon, and that the major overhaul (if any) will come in the off-season. Nevertheless, I know I'll be sitting home to watch every second of this unfold... God, I'm a loser.

I will be a guest pannelist on The 6th Sens' Celeberity Trade Deadline Day Blog tomorrow. The panel will have a mystery Sens prospect, a former NHL GM, two thirds of TGOR, the loveable Ian Mendes, and many more. I reccomend a visit.

The Daily Wrap Up - Tuesday March 3, 2009

2009-03-03T05:51:00.004-05:00

I just bought my tickets to the Calgary game tonight. Although the Senators won't be going on a cup run this year, it'll still be nice to see them compete and give it a go against the best Canadian team. Hopefully my 45$ will be well spent on a Senators victory, or at least and entertaining night.

The trade deadline is tomorrow, and I don't want to rehash the rumours and speculation this close to it. We all know which players could be dealt (anyone except Daniel Alfreddson and Dany Heatley), with the most likely being:

Filip Kuba

Chris Neil

Antoine Vermette

Jason Smith

Get a good night's rest, hydrate, an get ready to call in sick. Tomorrow is as good as gets for this hockey team.

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday March 2, 2009

2009-03-02T05:49:00.002-05:00

I only wish I could take the day off on wednesday like I used to when I was in school, and watch the trade deadline with some friends. This year figures to be pretty interesting for the Senators.

TFP.com - Trade rumours swirl, and although they are as reliable as your drug using roommate, this time of year you won't have to wait long to see if they come true!

"I'm getting a lot of calls," Murray told the paper.

Murray recently had a face-to-face meeting with Neil to try and get him signed to a new contract, but both sides appear to be far apart on salary.

The Sun claims the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins are all interested in Neil, while it's also been reported that the Calgary Flames are also intrigued.

Kuba, meanwhile, has apparently attracted interest from the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota Wild.

The Senators are also trying to unload defenseman Christoph Schubert, while teams are calling about defenseman Jason Smith and center Jason Spezza.

Pretty much what everyone already knew, but it's interesting to see what teams are involved. It's not a huge surprise that Chris Neil cold fit well on any team at this time of year, but he can no longer be relied upon to put up points. He might fit better on a team like Detroit, who has always found a great role for their grinders, than on a team like Edmonton, who might expect him to put up some PP goals.

Filip Kuba needs to be traded, and quickly, before the wool gets pulled off the eyes of other NHL teams. His play has deteriorated since the first 20 games of the season and he is not even taking shots from the point anymore. Compared to the newly acquired Chris Campoli, his feet appear slow, and his passes slack, so anything over a second rounder + (player or prospect) would be a steal for the Senators as he will be easily replaced.

The Daily Wrap Up -Friday February 27, 2009

2009-02-27T06:08:00.003-05:00

What a disappointing way to lose the game last night after going up 1-0 and dominating the first period. Those are some of the growing pains that you get from playing some of the younger players I suppose.

Pressconnects.com - Martin Gerber has been placed on re-entry waivers. At this point in time with his contract in it's final year and the season almost over, it's not a big deal. But entering a new Martin free era is rather exciting!

The other 29 NHL teams can claim Gerber by noon today for half his remaining salary, and Senators general manager Bryan Murray told the Ottawa Sun there has been some interest.

"There's limited interest from a couple of teams I've spoken with," Murray told the Sun, which estimated there was about $850,000 left on Gerber's $3.7 million salary. "What I'd like to do is put him on re-entry and find out if there's a market."

More than anything, this is a move to keep Eugene Melnyk happy and cut some of the fat off the books. To a team going on a cup run, it could sound enticing to have Gerber take the ride with you. He has shown a history of being a good luck backup for Anaheim and Carolina on their cup winning runs.

THN.com - The debate over trading vs. signing Chris Neil is not really a debate, because signing him would be so monumentally bad, it can't be considered a good argument.

Neil is what is known as a declining asset. He’ll be 30 years old when training camp starts next season and will have come off two straight seasons in which he has missed considerable time with injuries. With just 44 games under his belt this season, Neil has two goals and is minus-12.

With declining numbers every year after the lockout, I have never been less enamored with Chris Neil than at this current point in time. Anything over a second rounder and he should be dealt. He is physical and gritty, but there are many other players our there that can do just that and score more than two goals.

Sharks Subdue Sens OR The Unfortunate Adventures of Stagger Lee: San Jose 2; Ottawa 1

2009-02-26T22:06:00.011-05:00

Well, were you really expecting anything else?

The Ottawa Senators, ever the strong contenders for a lottery pick in this year's NHL Entry Draft, fell victim to the class of the NHL tonight, dropping a 2-1 decision to the fabled Sharks of hockey-mad San Jose.

The turning point in this one was a stretch of eight nearly consecutive minutes in penalties in the heart of the second period, the latter two thirds being the handiwork of rookie (and Senate Committee "Golden Boy") Brian Lee. Lee took three penalties in a row, two of which were understandable, one foolish. His first was the result of a turnover he committed along Ottawa's boards to the right of Alex Auld. The breakdown created a situation where Ottawa's red-clad defenders were outnumbered by white jerseys, and Lee hooked an wide-open Jeremy Roenick. An understandable foul, committed near his own net to alleviate up a threat. The Sens killed that infraction off, and actually had some of the better scoring chances over the two-minute span.

Lee's second faux-pas was a rather suspect holding call for using a free hand whilst finishing a check. Highly dubious. However, Lee's reaction to the poor call was imprudent in a close game against a superior opponent, and resulted in an additional unsportsmanlike conduct minor, giving San Jose a four minute power play. The Sharks took this opportunity by the reigns, potting two goals and never looking back. Sportsnet's Ian Mendes intimated that the coaching staff read Lee that riot act for the foul-up.

The Sens were held the momentum from a strong first period and a series of proficient kills, but this took the wind out of their sails and easily served as the turning point on the night. They were not the same trying to play from behind against the competition best the NHL has to offer.

Hats off to San Jose though. They didn't even play their best game and were still a treat to watch. The Sharks looked smooth and skilled with the man advantage, going two for four. Their second goal, off a Partick Marleau deflection on a Jeremy Roenick shot, was the product of a series of precision passes that simply left the Sens defenders looking flat-footed. For sombody who has had to give up NHL Centre Ice to devote more time to academics, getting to see a team like the Sharks play is truly something to behold. They are one of the main reasons I am looking forward to this years playoffs.

The Sens' PK looked up to the task of containing the Sharks, but eventually wore down in the face of so much time shorthanded over such a condensed time frame. Mike Fisher and Daniel Alfredsson looked like legitimate offensive threats while playing shorthanded, and did a good job of sweeping the puck out of harm's way.

His goal on a deflection notwithstanding, Fisher's improved play of late leads me to believe he may have shaken off whatever was ailing him through the latter half of 2008. He deserved the third star honours he garnered tonight, as he was abuzz every time he touched the puck. And no, I'm not going to attribute his improved performance to anything in his personal life... Frankly, I refuse to even allude to it any further, as it has become the Paris Hilton of Ottawa's hockey story lines - unintelligent, meritless, over-exposed, and boring.

The Ottawas looked poised to tie this one up in the final minutes. Both Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley had quality chances to send this one to overtime, but fired the puck into the pads of Brian Boucher, who made 23 saves in this one. Boucher's play was commendable, as he thwarted several good chances. Kudos to Boucher on a game well played.

So far so good on the Chris Campoli front. I thought he looked good during his 21:03 of ice time. Campoli looks to be moving the puck well, and has been contributing to the club's offensive output in the three games since he arrived from Long Island. He may make Bryan Murray to look very unlike the developmentally delayed cretin many fans perceive him to be. I like his offensive awareness, willingness to join the rush, and his speed, though I feel his size and offensive flair will cause him to make his fair share off mistakes in his own end. This will no doubt draw the ire of the Over the Edgers who want their defenceman to chip the puck off the glass to safety - without any though given to offensive creativity or excitement, for fear of the unforgiveable "turnover" - every time it makes contact with their sticks.

Watching Dan Boyle, you can really see how a No.1 defenceman is the pulse of a team, though. While Campoli is looking like a nice addition, the Senators are still in need of a bona-fide top-flight player on their back end before they can reasonably hope to contend again.

Sens and Leafs Saturday. I remeber a time when those four words were not an invitation to laughter, ridicule, and poorly thought out one-liners... Sigh.

Live Stream Needs New Source

2009-02-26T17:34:00.001-05:00

It looks like our previously reliable source has decided to stop showing NHL games. If you know of any other reliable sources for NHL live streams, post it in the comment section.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

The Daily Wrap Up - Thursday February 26, 2009

2009-02-26T05:46:00.005-05:00

Six days until the trade deadline! this will really determine whether this year was all for draft picks and prospects, or all for nothing (because it's clearly not for the cup this year)

LFPress.ca - The price for Thomas Kaberle has been set, and it's not low.

In Burke’s opinion, any package for Kaberle would have to include, at the very least:

1. “A first-round draft pick.” 2. “A guy who could step in and play for our team right now.” 3. “A (highly-regarded) prospect.”

Said Burke today: “It would have to be a package like I paid to Edmonton for Chris Pronger.”

This really is good news for Ottawa because if they could get a first rounder, OR a top prospect and a second rounder for Filip Kuba, it would be a steal. Kuba really is a poor man's Kaberle, and by Brian Burke setting the price tag so high for him, Kuba might be an attractive alternative at a reduced price. Also, Christoph Schubert should be traded for a prospect given the rate set for Kaberle. That is if anyone wants a defenseman with a heavy but inaccurate shot, and a proclivity for taking the dumbest penalties (and is a known ginger kid). There has got to be a market for him somewhere. I'm thinking Phoenix, who the Senators seem to always dump their useless parts on.

The Daily Wrap Up - Wednesday February 25, 2009

2009-02-25T06:43:00.003-05:00

Just like a girl who gets all gussied up for prom and never gets called, the Senators are looking like a team renewed, but statistically do not have any real shot at getting into the post season.

With eight consecutive games at home coming up, hopefully the Senators can string together a few wins and show the season ticket holders that next year will be better.

MSNBC.com - Rank the Senators 27th in the power ranking but oddly mirror my exact sentiments when it comes to Chris Neil.

If Chris Neil wants $2 million per season, take a draft pick before the deadline and move on.

Chris Neil can be replaced if he leaves. Fighters are only effective if they can find another player to fight with them. If they don't, they skate around like Gorges Laraque and look silly. If the Senators could somehow get a second rounder for Neil, I would be happy like this:

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes February 24, 2009

2009-02-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Don't forget to catch the pre-game coverage.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes February 24, 2009

Note:

The Daily Wrap Up - Tuesday February 24, 2009

2009-02-24T06:32:00.002-05:00

With the trade deadline coming up quickly, moves will be made by Bryan Murray to acquire prospects or picks. He has made no movement with summer UFA's Chris Neil, Filip Kuba and Mike Comrie but insists that they will not walk away for nothing. Comrie can be expected to re-sign, and with the other two, well don't be surprised to see them in new uniforms sometime soon.

Sportsnet.ca - The weekly power rankings are out, and just as surprising that Brianna Banks not being a virgin, the Senators dropped in this week's edition. They drop was from 25 to 26. Shocking, wasn't it?

The Senators finally get a rushing defenceman, Chris Campoli, but only time will tell if they paid too high a price (first-round pick) to acquire him.

This is what happens when you lose three of four games in a week. The Senators are now officially off the "new coach" high, and from here till the end of the season will really demonstrate what Cory Clouston can get out of them. If the answer is not much, then we'll wave Cory goodbye, but if he can stay above .500 then I would suspect him being around to start next season. Pretty simple premise here, but I think logic should always be followed.

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday February 23, 2009

2009-02-23T05:00:00.004-05:00

What a great weekend! Hockey day in Canada just cannot be beat, especially when it involves a keg of beer, pizza and some foosball.

Unfortunately the Senators got blown out by Montreal, but Chris Campoli made a nice debut, and Mike Comrie looked to still be the offensive spark he was a few years ago.

Don't forget the trade deadline is on March 4th, so be sure to take the day off! We'll give your boss a call if need be.

RotoWorld - Cory Clouston is losing confidence in Brian Elliott.

Ottawa coach Cory Clouston has pulled Brian Elliott twice in the Senators' last five games.
It looks as if things are unravelling for the rookie goalie and that Coulston, who coached Elliott in Binghamton of the AHL, may be losing a little confidence in the youngster. Look for Alex Auld to get the team's next start. Keep an eye on this situation going forward.

Brian Elliott has been pulled from games where the team was allowing far too many good scoring opportunities. The team has not played well in front of him those two games, and it was simply a way for Cory Clouston to try and get a reaction from the team. Not to mention that pulling a goalie from a game that was getting out of hand might have saved his confidence.

How did you guys end up spending hockey day in Canada?

Long Painful Boring Death: Montreal 5; Ottawa 3

2009-02-21T17:05:00.009-05:00

Happy Hockey Day in Canada!

As February nears its end, I hope you take time to give thanks for all the manufactured holidays the month has brought us. Valentine's Day, Family Day, Hockey Day, perhaps someday Neighbours Day and Person I Met in the Tim's Line Day. The possibilities are endless. I am going to agree with Steve Warne and humbly ask why we must have 4,729 February holidays, but we can't build a day off into June.

I thought Jarkko Ruutu summed up the afternoon's events well during a 2nd intermission interview with the CBC's Jeff Marek. Ruutu stated that the Senators made too many mistakes and gave the Canadiens goals. An apt appraisal of what was a lacklustre performance. The Sens were, for the second time in as many games, poor in their defensive zone, leaving attackers uncovered and thus digging themselves a hole that proved too deep to allow for escape.

Ottawa gave the enigmatic Alexei Kovalev a lot of space in the first period, allowing him to feed an open Tomas Plekanec for a goal. Kovalev also skated past Anton Volchenkov unmolested to give Les Glorieux a 2-0 advantage. To be fair, Ottawa's gamble made sense, as there was a 50% chance Kovalev was just out for some leisurely exercise before shooting a commercial.

Ottawa countered with two of their own in the middle stanza, creating an enthusiasm tapered only by the fact they surrendered an additional three, essentially taking the Senators out of contention in this one.

Mathieu Schneider scored Montreal's third goal off a bullet from the point that beat a screened Brian Elliott, chasing Elliott from the net. The rookie is going through a tough stretch, allowing 10 goals in his last 5 periods of hockey. Alex Auld did not provide the spark that coach Cory Clouston was looking for, as Ottawa's coverage lapses persisted.

Give the club credit for battling through to the end though, as they peppered Jaro Halak with shots whilst trailing by three. The Ottawas threw the puck at Halak 46 times in this one, including an astounding 21 in the third, a figure aided by three 5-on-3 advantages. The Sens kept up good offensive pressure, but were unable to close the substantial gap they had created for themselves.
Bryan Murray's new acquisitions made their debut in this one. Offensive defenceman Chris Campoli came as advertised. He had a 2-point afternoon, recording second assists on both of Ottawa's second-period goals. Both assists were legitimate contributions to the goal rather than fortuitous statistical anomalies. Campoli's first assist was a pass that created a scoring chance for Jesse Winchester, which created the rebound that led to Jarkko Ruutu's goal off a bad angle shot. The second was a pass to Jason Spezza that allowed for another shot, with the rebound benefiting Dany Heatley this time. Nothing overly fancy, but a fine start none the less.

Returning Senator Mike Comrie was less visible. Comrie skated well, and was often present around the crease, quietly registering 5 shots, but did not compile much in the way of quality scoring opportunities. Hopefully Comrie will be more involved in the team's upcoming games.

Dany Heatley had numerous opportunities in addition to those that led to his two goals. Heatley played his role and did what he does best: create and capitalize on scoring chances. Dany Boy could have had the opener had his stick been at a better angle, as a pass ricocheted off his blade and out of the zone during the first period. The man whose teammates call him Heater had several other close calls. Heatley was particularly useful on the powerplay, where he parked himself in key scoring areas and plied his trade. Heatley finished with 7 shots and 22:36 in ice time.

After winning five straight, the Senators have played two games where they give up a substantial number of unanswered goals and then try to play catch-up. The Sens are also lacking the sense of urgency and energy level that was present on their successful road trip. If the Sens want to keep their playoff delusions intact, these bad habits will have to be beaten like they're Rihanna (too soon?)

The sens get a chance to shake off the doldrums on Tuesday when they host the Hurricanes of Tobacco Row. Until then, enjoy the rest of Hockey Day. I hear some fellow named Mats might be playing tonight in Toronto. Hopefully the media will bring us up to speed on this woefully neglected story.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Montreal Canadiens February 21, 2009

2009-02-21T11:28:00.001-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Don't forget to catch the pre-game coverage.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Montreal Canadiens February 21, 2009

Note:

Vancouver 5; Ottawa 2 / Trade Reaction

2009-02-20T18:09:00.006-05:00

The Game

After picking up points in seven straight games (12 of a possible 14, to be precise,) Ottawa laid a bit of an egg against a Western-Canadian foe. The Sens looked to be putting in the effort, but ended up the victims of an hour-long game of keep-away, as the Canucks dominated puck possession to come away with the 5-2 win.

The story in this one was Ottawa's inability to contain Vancouver's offensive zone pressure. The Canucks sent two men deep into the offensive zone with frequency, and the Sens did not cover their defensive assignments, leaving Vancouver forwards open to make skilled plays.

Filip Kuba did not have a very good game, as he gave away the puck with such frequency that I bean to think he was convinced it carried syphilis. Two very poor clearing attempts by Ottawa's piece of Czech trade bait eventually led to Vancouver's first goal.

Ottawa's entire defence corps didn't have their best overall game. I thought the points on the powerplay were sloppy, as they let a lot of pucks cross the blueline, thus alleviating pressure. To be fair though, on many occasions such breakdowns were the result of panicked plays by the Sens'

Despite what the stats look like, Brian Elliott did not have a poor outing. On two goals he was the victim of the aforementioned poor defensive coverage, as an opponent left open in the slot had an open net to shoot on after receiving a tape to tape pass. Another was a tip of the stick of Jason Smith that handcuffed Elliott, who had committed to the original shot.

Hopefully the effort was the result of the dreaded "first-home-game-after-a-road-trip-effect" and not the beckon ing of the club's return to suck. We shall see Saturday, as a re-vamped Sens squad takes on the Montreal Canadiens. Note the 3PM start time, as the game is the matinee portion of CBC's Hockey Day in Canada.

The Trade

See Details in the Wrap Up.

I still don't know exactly how I feel about this deal.

I was initially ecstatic at the prospect of re-acquiring Mike Comrie, until my brain informed me he was, in fact a UFA this summer. My excitement changed to disappointment, but then back to excitement again, as Comrie gives Bryan Murray a little flexibility.

Murray has a choice: Keep Comrie for the stretch drive, and hope to be able to meet his salary demands with the club having more cap-space this summer; OR flip Comrie to another team as a rental for a package he likes better. Realistically, either one is an option.

On paper, Comrie fills the club's vacancy at centre and could very easily be retained in that role for an affordable amount. However, Comrie has only 20 points in 41 games this year, and 69 in the 117 games he's played since leaving Ottawa. My renewed excitement could still turn back into regret.

Murray said on the Team 1200 that the real reason he made the deal was to acquire Chris Campoli. I won't lie and claim to be an expert on Campoli's play, but from what I gather, he should help to make the Sens' back end more mobile. Campoli puts up decent numbers, but his -20 rating for this year is a big red flag. Granted, he was playing on a terrible team in Long Island, but that number is rather low for my liking regardless of cicrumstance. Time will tell how he will respond to a change of scenery.

Campoli's $675K cap hit through next season is a winner though, as it gives the Sens room to maneuver this summer while still having a mobile puck mover in tow. I'm sure Murray and his scouts feel Campoli is a blooming offensive defenceman who will add to Ottawa's rich tradition of stealing valuable players from the Isalnders' system. I hope for the his sake he's right. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.

The loss of Dean McAmmond is not cause for dismay. I had actually started work on an article listing my reasons for disliking McAmmond a few days ago, and they were as follows: He's small, not as quick as he once was, possesses stone hands, and does not play a significant role on the team. Why the Islanders were even interested in him is beyond me, frankly. I assume his inclusion was on a numbers-basis.

It does sting to see the Senators give up San Jose's first-rounder (likely to be in the 25-20 rnage) in what is allegedly a deep draft. That was a good piece to use for improving this team 5 years down the line.

How history views this deal, and thus Murray, will turn on Campoli's development and the depth of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft,

The Daily Wrap Up - Friday February 20, 2009

2009-02-20T17:11:00.002-05:00

Not exactly what I wanted to return home to.

The trade:

SJ's 1st rounder + Dean McAmmond for Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli.

Initial thoughts: ....wait your joking right?

Then I listened to the team 1200 when Brian Murray phoned in:

He and his scouts have been watching Campoli for a few years.

Gambled that the pick used would only return a 4-5 defenceman at best, and Campoli can already play a 4 spot on many teams.

Campoli is signed to great contract and jut coming into his own.

Comrie loved playing in Ottawa and helps address a need for this season.

Maybe we can resign him next year.

In the end, Meszaros and Dean McAmmond were turned into Comrie, Campoli, Kuba, and Pickard. Taken in that light, not so bad.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Vancouver Canucks February 19, 2009

2009-02-19T06:11:00.000-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Vancouver Canucks February 19, 2009

Note:

The Daily Wrap Up - Thursday February 19, 2009

2009-02-19T05:38:00.003-05:00

The trade deadline is fast approaching, and while it is not as good as christmas (draft day), it can be considered to be inline with a decent birthday.

Currently sitting 13 points out of a playoff spot, Murray had better sell off the UFA's regardless of what is currently happening, as this year's draft is loaded, and we could use some more depth to fill up the pipeline.

SportingNews.com - Ranked the 10th biggest disappointment of the season.

Just two years ago, the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators squared off for the Stanley Cup. Now, both are in danger of missing the playoffs. Of the past six teams to play for the Stanley Cup, the only lock to make the playoffs this season is Detroit. That's crazy.

Ottawa is making a nice run now, but it's too late. Anaheim has enough firepower and veteran leadership to salvage the season. But it had better happen soon.

It's not really all that crazy, perhaps YOU forget about free agency and the amount of turnover it now causes throughout the league. Oh yeah there is also something called a salary cap which doesn't help either. Without those two issues we would still have Zdeno Chara, Martin Havlat and would probably be a solid playoff contender. And NO, i am not at all bitter...

I was going to cite this article trying to make wind of a "goaltending controversy" brewing in Ottawa. But it's pretty obvious how this is going to play out. They will play the hot hand (and if in doubt, go to Brian Elliott), and then if the playoffs elude the team, Brian Elliott will get the rest of the starts. All this is contingent on Brian Murray not making the obvious trades to acquire Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas. But I don't even want to think of a world where Murray fails at landing those two. I for one would be pretty embarrassed if I couldn't get those simple trades done.

The Senators recalled forward Josh Henessy from Binghamton yesterday. He is the last remaining asset from the Martin Havlat trade, which basically amounted to Ottawa giving away Havlat for a few spare parts. Although finding some success in the AHL, the NHL appears to be (like that girl you meet at a party, and you have a very nice conversation with her - she laughs at your jokes, batts her eyelashes - but after the party, never returns your call) ever elusive for him. Maybe under Corey Clouston, he might have a shot at staying with the big club.

The Daily Wrap Up - Wednesday February 18, 2009

2009-02-18T05:00:00.001-05:00

Slow news day...sigh...

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Colorado Avalanche February 17, 2009

2009-02-17T06:49:00.003-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Colorado Avalanche February 17, 2009

Notes:

This is just a link to a stream of the game. We do not host the stream of the game. Any technical difficulties are not our fault. The game will normally begin to stream around 0-5 minutes after the puck drop.

The Daily Wrap Up - Tuesday February 17, 2009

2009-02-17T05:00:00.002-05:00

The Brian Elliott watch has sadly been put on hold as he did not play in last night's contest.

SportingNews.com - The weekly power rankings are out the Senators (27) are somehow still behind the Maple Leafs (26). Apparently winning five in a row is not enough to finally push the Senators ahead of the leafs (who have lost four out of six).

TSN.ca - The over-exuberant and often opinionated Pierre McGuire released his Olympic picks. On that list is Ottawa Senator Danny Heatley. A fairly obvious choice as no one has scored more goals than him in the past three seasons. He also has shown amazing chemistry with Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks. I would put a pretty penny on that line re-uniting for the big dance in BC.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Nashville Predators February 16, 2009

2009-02-16T06:38:00.001-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Nashville Predators February 16, 2009

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday February 16, 2009

2009-02-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

What a great week! Ottawa obtained 6 out of a possible 6 points, and recorded the biggest comeback of the season against the Minnesota Wild.

The upcoming week is a busy one for the team, which is great if you have some free time on your hands.

Monday at Nsh - 8:00 pm
TV: TSN
Tuesday at Col - 9:30 pm
TV: RSN, ALT
Thursday vs Van - 7:30 pm
TV: RSW, RSN
Saturday at Mon - 3:00 pm
TV: CBC, NHLN

I'm sure my cohorts over at Sens Army are pretty excited for Saturday's matchup as it finally gives the Senators a chance to get in on their No Habs No campaign.

Sportingnews.com - The NHL is going to open the season with four teams in Europe and the Senators are not one of the teams. This is great news, as we wasted a home game this year in Sweden. It is not the reason for this year's lack of success, but I would imagine opening the season in NA would be less draining than doing it in Europe.

TheFourthPeriod.com - Contract talks are heating up for Chris Neil.

Senators GM Bryan Murray confirmed that he's held talks with Neil's agent, Todd Reynolds, about a contract extension, but the sides aren't close to a new deal.

There is a pretty tight timeline for negotiations, and if he remains unsigned come trade deadline, he will be moved. Brian Murray cannot afford to let an asset walk for nothing and he is not in any position to gamble anymore after he lost his shirt on a couple of them. I would only want Chris back at a slightly reduced rate, or not at all. His offensive production has been in decline the past two seasons.

Now time for the Brian Elliott watch:

7-3-2

2.51 GAA

.915 Save Percent

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Minnesota Wild February 14, 2009

2009-02-14T12:18:00.000-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Minnesota Wild February 14, 2009

The Daily Wrap Up - Friday February 13, 2009

2009-02-13T06:12:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday the thirteenth!

What a week this has been with the Ottawa winning two games on the road, former coach John Paddock running his mouth carelessly and the media starting to forget the horrible start to the year.

As far as the John Paddock incident, I will not rehash it in detail as Mike gave a good synopsis of it. But what I find interesting is that John had a clause in his contract which prohibited speaking poorly of his former employer. You can kiss that sweet paycheck goodbye now John! You know the paycheck I am talking about, it was the one you got for being fired. It sure must have felt good to get that off your chest and like many a first grader, play the blame game, but why potentially throw away the fistfulls of cash for some comments made in poor taste? Oh well, at least I was entertained.

On the radio, Tim Murray decided to share his thoughts (from HFboards):

Tim also went on to say that at this point teams are simply kicking tires and not offering nearly enough for some of the Sens players.

It's still too far out for many serious offers just yet, but they will come.

He went on to say that he and Bryan have a plan on what they want to do at the deadline and any other GM's that wants a good player is going to pay a high cost to acquire him.

That plan sounds suspiciously like every other non-playoff bound team come trade deadline. Not original, but the logical one. At least this is another signal we will be sellers.

He also said that Eliott is performing extremely well and if he continues for the rest of the season, that he and Bryan think that they have solved the Senators goaltending issues.

I would not be opposed to getting a good young goaltender prospect for one of our assets come trade deadline, just in case Elliott does not work out as anticipated. He's still young and finding his game, but it is becoming more evident that Jeff Glass is not going to pan out, so there is a need in Binghamton for a solid goalie.

He and Bryan have been happy with the recent play of the Sens of late and he contributes that to Clouston. He said that Cory is a different coach from Hartsburg and Paddock because those 2 were more soft spoken and laid back where as Cory is more aggressive and likes to bark like a General. He said that he is pleased that the players have responded well to Clouston.

It's too soon to say whether the success is derived from the shakeup, or his style, but in the next few weeks it will be more obvious.

Good Things Come in Threes, Although Sometimes Only Once a Year: Ottawa 5; Philadelphia 2.

2009-02-12T22:08:00.004-05:00

The Senators have their first legitimate winning streak of the season under their belts, even if it is only a modest one. The Sens looked surprisingly energetic after killing 13 penalties last night in Buffalo, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 5-2 for their third straight victory.

Dany Heatley scored in this one, and therefore played tremendously. Actually, Heatley had only three shots on goal, and the goal he was credited with took a luck bounce of Scott Hartnell. Nevertheless, I thought the pizza line played well in this one. Jason Spezza’s feed to set up Heatley’s shot on Ottawa’s fourth goal was a little piece of genius. He showed patience with the puck, passing it around a Flyers defender, timing it so that it wedged its way perfectly into Heatley’s wheelhouse. The staff in the Wachovia Centre gave the ensuing goal to Daniel Alfredsson, but I get the feeling that Heatley will be given credit.

Spezza also chipped in a goal of his own for the second straight night. Spezza’s marker was nearly identical to the one he registered last night, minus his falling ass-backwards.

Brian Elliott was solid again. Elliott’s glove hand is starting to impress me. After watching Ray Emery and Martin Gerber, who, for their NHL-ish skill sets, both had terrible glove hands. Elliott made a very flashy save during the second period on Jeff Carter’s wrister that was headed top corner on Elliott’s far side.

The Sens got more of that elusive secondary scoring tonight. Hot hand Nick Foligno scored his ninth, and third in his past four games, on a befuddling error from Antero Niitymaki. Niitymaki over-committed blocker-side, allowing Foligno to waltz in and pot the Sens’ third goal.

Antoine Vermette treated us to a taste of what he used to bring to the table more regularly, scoring the team’s final goal on a fast-break. Vermette has struggled to produce those kinds of goals this year, which I credit to the Sens’ lack of puck-movers. Vermette receives less tape to tape passes in stride, which negates his biggest asset: speed.

There was not a whole lot of excitement in this one until the latter half of the third period. Both teams were fairly reserved and the game was not one you would describe as run and gun or particularly intense. Ottawa’s high goal total can be attributed to the poor play of Niitymaki.

The team has tomorrow off, before playing the Wild in Minnesota Saturday night. Look for a more challenging foe for the Senators’ scorers, as Nicklas Backstrom is quietly solidifying his reputation as one of the league’s elite puck stoppers as he heads towards unrestricted free agency this summer. Check back here for a live stream, as this one won’t be televised.

Pad Beef

2009-02-12T12:14:00.008-05:00

Former Ottawa Senators coach John Paddock had some unkind words for his old boss today. Paddock, currently the head coach of the AHL's Phillidelphia Phantoms, holds GM Bryan Murray responsible for the mess that is the current Ottawa Senators, followed closely by the players for being "not very good." The man who oversaw the dynasty that was the Winnipeg Jets of the early 1990s was quoted as follows in today's Camden Courier-Post:

"I think now (Murray's) next in line... We were 14 games over .500 when I
was fired. They're seven under now. Somebody needs to take responsibility for
that. Whether the coaches he hired and fired were good or not, they're his
players and they're either not playing good or can't play, one or the other...
The players are not very good, that's the problem." - John Paddock

I detect a note of bitterness. Somebody care to remind John that he was fired in February, and the team was 14 games over .500 in November, meaning they played .500 hockey for about 4 months under his tutelage, which over 82 games in the 3-point-game NHL, is well below what is required for playoff contention. The team was in a tailspin when Paddock was relieved of duty, and was coming off two ugly blowout losses, so that 14 games over .500 stat is VERY deceiving.

Paddock is right though, the personnel Murray has in place are not the greatest, but as I have routinely pointed out, Murray did not assemble the majority of this roster. Apparently, people in the hockey world have short memories, possibly from all the blows to the head. Blaming Murray for the club's decline would be like crediting Brian Burke for drafting Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaff, and acquiring J.S. Giguere to lead the Ducks to playoff glory... which many people do with annoying frequency.

My pro-Ottawa bias notwithstanding, it is interesting to get the candid perspective of an individual who was a part of this team over their decline. Whether you agree with Paddock or not, he is likely one of the more informed voices who has called for Bryan Murray's head - likely the most.

For more, consult Michael Landsberg on TSN's Off the Record, where he and a panel three or four Torontonians will no doubt spend eight minutes agreeing with Paddock, and lambasting Murray for signing Gerber and trading Chara after the NHL strike.

Penalty Kill Mightier than the Sabre: Ottawa 3; Buffalo 1

2009-02-11T23:04:00.012-05:00

The Ottawa Senators played another complete 60-minutes to down the Buffalo Sabres for the second straight game, this time by a score of 3-1. The victory was Ottawa’s 7th road win this season. For those of you who are baffled as to why the senators are so far removed from a playoff spot, a telling statistic: The Sens now have as many road wins as the San Jose Sharks do regulation losses this season.

Goaltending was a key to this victory, as Brian Elliott was not spectacular, but solid. He got a piece of a top corner Jaroslav Spacek slap shot through a screen in the first period to send it out of play. Not a huge stop by any stretch, but the kind you got the feeling was going when Martin Gerber and even Alex Auld were in net. Elliot also shut down Nathan Gerbe on a breakaway that looked to hold the potential for trouble. TSN showed Elliott working on his rebound control with Sens goaltending coach Eli Wilson. Practice paid off, as Elliott was, as described by Pierre McGuire “a piece of Velcro,” swallowing up Buffalo shots.

The Newmarket native’s low goals against total is more impressive in light of the fact Buffalo had 13 powerplays in this one, including an 11 minute stretch where Ottawa played with four skaters. Elliott was Ottawa’s best penalty killer on this night, finishing with 31 saves.

Jason Smith was given the rare triple-minor penalty for his hit from behind on Patrick Kaleta. I have to side with McGuire in my analysis of this penalty. Smith let up when he saw Kaleta was vulnerable, and Kaleta dropped his gloves, signalling that he was a willing participant in the dust-up that ensued between he and Smith. How Smith got six minutes in penalties, and Kaleta got none is beyond me. Give Kaleta credit though. For a guy who played less than seven minutes in this contest, he made his mark.

Moving on to a different kind of bad penalty, what was Jarkko Ruutu thinking when he ran over Ryan Miller, arguably negating a Chris Kelly goal (it is arguable because Kelly likely would not have scored in the first place without some assistance from Ruutu.) I like Ruutu because, as a general rule, he picks his moments to stir the pot and doesn’t let his desire to be a hir under the collar of his opponent interfere with the welfare of his team. But how did Ruutu rationalize running the goaltender without so much as a shove from the opponent to help his fall? To be fair to Ruutu he was not alone, as Daniel Alfredsson and Nick Foligno also took time out of their busy schedules to drive Miller into his net, receiving two minutes in the penalty box for their troubles.
The intellectual instigator redeemed himself though, executing a masterful screen on Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller to help set up Ottawa’s second goal, and by playing an otherwise solid game. Coach Cory Clouston even rewarded him with a shift or two with Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza.

That second tally for the Sens was the product of a series of smart plays by the club’s fourth line. Deam McAmmond was strong on the forecheck, using his speed and low centre of gravity to fight off a hit and center the puck to Shean Donovan, who made use of Ruutu’s screen and some patience to wire the puck past a handcuffed Miller.

I liked Clouston’s decision to play the Brian Lee-Filip Kuba pairing with the Foligno-Fisher-Shannon line. The club’s two best puck movers playing with some of the team’s best north-south forwards seems like a winning combination to me. Fisher’s line looks to be benefiting from the marriage, as they had another strong game. Antoine Vermette seems like he could fit in well with that five-man unit should Shannon be sent back to the minors. Ditto for Chris Kelly.

The Sens will try for their first 3-game winning-streak tomorrow night when they travel to Philadelphia to face the Flyers. The team’s energy level and offensive presence has remained strong in Clouston’s first four game, which means a victory against Philly is a
distinct possibility.

Notes

I noticed Dany Heatley didn’t score in this one. Ergo, he must have had a bad game. I love how the Sun’s ego maniacal writers are trying to insert themselves into the “story” of the fued between Dany Heatley and or the media that they have manufactured. I will now address each party.

Dany: I for one understand your plight. If I were you, I would hate the guys at the Sun too. Hell, if I had media accreditation to speak with the team personally and thus didn’t need the Sun for quotes and such to do my work here, I would likely not read their work at all. Hook a brother up?

Bruce, Don, Chris, and co.: How about, instead of finding ways to integrate yourself into the story of the team and manufacturing animosity and baseless rumours that never come to fruition, you focus on writing accurate, fact driven, interesting articles about the team. I know this would require “effort” and “talent,” but I’m sure you guys can find a way around that. I mean, you’ve made it this far. Maybe you could call up the guys at The Citizen to ask for tips.

Check out article on The 6th Sens and Black Aces for a more.

General Anlysis of Debatable Worth on a Tuesday

2009-02-10T12:05:00.011-05:00

I failed to write a post game report due to my participation in a McDonald's double-cheeseburger eating contest (I finished in 1st place with 10) following the Sens' 3-2 shootout victory. You would be surprised the level of delerium 20 of those greasy faux-meat-squares can inflict on a man. In light of my glutony, and Andy's participation in the real world is interrupting his once steady flow of morning wrap-ups, I felt it appropriate to provide all 30 of you who read this with anything resembling regularity with your TSC "fix."

A few notes of possible interest:

1) I thought the Sens were great on Saturday, at least compared to the continuous mediocrity we’ve all come to know and love. They peppered Ryan Miller with 42 shots over 65 minutes of hockey, and looked energetic and focused while doing so. While I am not prepared to back this up with "research" at the moment, that has to be one of, if not THE, highest shot count the team has posted all year. Kudos, fellas.

I think what most impressed me was the team's effort in the shootout. I felt all was lost after the talented Mr. Spezza missed on his first attempt but lo, the team rebounded. How about Jarkko-freakin'-Ruutu and that leg kick deke he pulled? We all knew he was good in the shootout, but man alive that was unexpected. Mike Fisher and Daniel Alfredsson also pulled what appeared to be new tricks out of their bag of shootout moves. Chris Yzerman appears to have been spot on.

Since I feel the need to conform to the standards set out by my superiors in the print media, I am going to credit Cory Clouston for the improved shootout effort, and also suggest Bryan Murray should be fired for not hiring a better shootout coach earlier, and also for not getting Jay Bouwmeester for Vermette, Schubert, and a 7th-rounder yet.

2) Did anyone watch Coach's Corner during the intermission this week? If you did not, you missed quite the show. While I will give honourable mention to the disturbing love-letter-esque montage Don Cherry clearly supervised that paid homage to both him and Bobby Orr (while, ironically, never showing the two together at any point) that literally brought Cherry to tears, the highlight of the week had to be Cherry's public shaming of Thomas Vanek.

Cherry intimated that Vanek’s fractured jaw courtesy an Anton Volchenkov slapshot was not, as I had assumed, the product of bad luck but rather the divine providence of the hockey gods. As we all should have guessed, Vanek’s dynamic individual performance against the Maple Leafs, wherein he recorded a hat trick, was in fact the cause of his injury. Apparently, the hockey gods are very similar to most of CBC’s broadcast talent, in that they are thinly veiled Leaf fans. When Vanek “ran up the score.” He earned himself a very painful injury. Had he done so against the hapless Senators, I’m sure the correlation would have gone unnoticed. One implication that I found particularly newsworthy is the revelation that in NHL hockey, apparently, a 5-0 win is now “running up the score.” Had Vanek allowed the Leafs a chance to steal a much needed two points from the Sabres, who are in a tight playoff race, the gods would have spared the Austrian goal scorer. Kids: Remember, if you beat the Leafs, god will break your jaw.

3) The normally competent Allen Panzeri penned what was I consider to be his most glaringly revisionist and sub-standard piece to date for Saturday’s edition of the Ottawa Citizen. I’m usually a fan of his work, so Allen, if you read this (though I’m sure you won’t) know that it’s strictly business, not personal.

Panzeri sought out to assess each transaction the Ottawa has made since the lock-out, grading each one “good”, “bad”, “good deal gone bad”, or “jury’s still out.” I dispute many of Panzeri’s conclusions, such as his decision to altogether omit Muckler’s acquisition of Tyler Arnason, signing of Joe Corvo and giving him a pass on signing Martin Gerber. Equally offensive was his unequivocal condemnation of Murray’s signing of depth offensive defenceman Brendan Bell, and his evaluation of the 2005, 2006, 2007, and particularly the 2008 draft as anything other than “the jury’s still out” as in today’s NHL, one must allow at least 6 or 7 years before judging what a team got out of a draft.

The article, included here, does not have the convenient little chart contained in the print edition, neatly summarizing everything wrong with the club.

That Panzeri feels himself qualified to judge all of the club’s transactions in black, white, blackish-grey and whitish-grey is the height of journalistic arrogance, as each transaction is only given a brief overview, many of which don’t give any in-depth consideration to the salary cap consequences of a move. salary cap figures dominate trade negotiations, and to0 neglect their role in the process is short sighted. How Mr. Panzeri termed the Peter Schaefer (a player who is no longer in the NHL, and had 3 years and $7 million left on his deal) for Shean Donovan (a player who had 1 year, and $800K remaining on his) a failure is beyond me. Talent wise, that may not have been the best move, but cap wise, it was a winner.

Panzeri seems to be joining the growing crowd of people who have chosen to heap the blame on Bryan Murray for the club’s current struggles. This trend is simply unfair.

Nobody was crying foul when many of Murray’s “bad deals” were made. How many of you can honestly look within your souls and say you thought, based on previous performance, Mike Fisher, Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, or Ray Emery should have been let go at the time they signed their deals? How many of you were not in favour of adding Cory Stillman’s scoring and Mike Commodore’s professed defensive prowess, and jettisoning the fragile, moody, and inconsistent Joe Corvo’s cap hit? Patrick Eaves has done nothing since he left for Carolina, and was producing precious little prior to his trade, so don’t cry foul over his loss. And I don’t want to hear that “we should have kept Wade Redden” line out of you, because the team’s fan base was calling for his head and he is being grossly overpaid for his nevertheless under-rated services in Manhattan.

The fact of the matter is, Murray is a good GM who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. John Muckler traded away a 2nd round pick and a prospect (see Brooks Laich) every year he was here, and his scouts uncovered no late-round hidden gems up to this point. He got nothing for key building block Martin Havlat, and based on talent alone, how many of you would do that Heatley for Hossa deal again today? The cap relief that came from Heatley’s reduced salary, and offloading Greg DeVries’ contract, which was what made this deal a winner.

Murray inherited a track record of poor asset management that is readily demonstrable, and while his moves have not been sterling, and his reputation is deservedly un-teflonish, Murray should not be blamed for the gradual erosion of this team’s keys to victory: strong drafting and frugal player personnel decision that garnered maximum value. Murray has new people in place, so give the man a few drafts, and a chance to make and use cap space before casting him into the flames with Mel Bridgeman and Randy Sexton.

4) Nick Foligno and Brian Lee continue to impress. Foligno scored another goal on Saturday off a tip, with credit owing to his willingness to drive the net. Foligno appears to be a huge benefactor of a more aggressive forechecking system, as he has been great in the offensive zone, winning battles for loose pucks and making smart plays. I liked the speed and offensive flair of the line he was one with Ryan Shannon and Mike Fisher.
Lee is looking more and more like he could help the club fill one of their "Puck Moving Defenceman" vacancies from within. One play he made on Saturday night really stood out in this regard. He took a bad pass of the outside of his skate inside his own blueline and, without breaking stride, corralled the puck and hit Mike Fisher with a tape to tape pass just outside the Buffalo zone. In a season where the club has struggled to make those outlet passes, Lee is beginning to get the hang of the trade. The rookie is always willing to take contact to make a play, and shows good patience and hockey sense when he has time with the puck. Lee has been, in my opinion, right behind Filip Kuba as the number 2 option on the club's defensive depth chart since Christmas.

The progress of these two young players this season, coupled with the benefits of an off-season of hard work, provides hope that the sens may see improvements in a few areas of weakness next season: Notably their breakout, secondary scoring, and forechecking.

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday February 9, 2009

2009-02-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lack of wrapping up, just started a new job and life has been hectic!

I will be out of town Tuesday and Wednesday, but after that, normal coverage will resume.

ksfy.com - Anton Volchenkov has finally gone on the offensive. After years and years of blocking shots, he finally decided to exact retribution. Now many people will claim that it was an errant shot, but I firmly believe that it was tactical on the part of Anton. Breaking Vanek's jaw was not only strategic in that game, but could drag Buffalo down into the sinkhole of despair that the Senators are currently mired in.

Buffalo Sabres All-Star Thomas Vanek will be sidelined three to four weeks after having surgery Sunday to repair a fractured jaw.

OUCH! Maybe Anton should send over a blender, or one of those magic bullets....

sportsnet.ca - Chris Neil will be sidelined with his injury for at least 10 days and will miss the upcoming road trip.

Neil suffered a laceration to his right calf late in the second period of Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres. He will not make the team's upcoming road trip, which starts Wednesday in Buffalo.

10 days seems like a very short number given how long Kevin Bieksa was out when he sustained a lacerated calf. Perhaps this injury is more shallow than deep.

and that's the daily wrap up!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres February 7, 2009

2009-02-07T08:40:00.001-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres February 7, 2009

Farmer's Almanac: Ottawa Robbing the Cradle

2009-02-06T11:49:00.001-05:00

Well, it has been an interesting few weeks in Bingo, has it not? First a goaltending shuffle and now a coaching change. What lays ahead for both the Ottawa senators and their farm team remains to be seen, but we'll bring you up to date on what has transpired thus far in this week's edition of The Farmer's Almanac.

One administrative note: The heading for each game recap will now link to the official AHL score sheet, for those of you who into that kind of thing. I find it tedious relaying stats to you, the reader, when essentially all I am doing is re-typing what is already available in a more visually pleasing format. Should there be overwhelming public outcry, I will revert to posting the stats myself.

Thu, Jan 29th 2009 - Binghamton 2, San Antonio 1.

Notes: Martin Gerber was the game's first star, stopping 37 of 38 shots and keeping his team in the game. This was Gerber's first game in the AHL since clearing waivers. Marc Cavosie and Derek Smith had goals for the B-Sens. Then Binghamton coach Cory Clouston had this to say: "They turned it up and we went into a defensive shell and that's not usually what we want."

Fri, Jan 30th 2009 - Houston 3; Binghamton 2

Notes: Binghamton stormed out to an early lead, going up 2-0 in the first 11 minutes. Their effort level dropped off after that, and the Aeros scored the game tying and winning goals in the third. As far as I can tell from fan reaction, the feeling after this one was that the last two goals Houston scored were soft. Defenceman Mattia Karlsson on the loss: "After the first period, we didn't play at all... I am not surprised we lost tonight, they really outworked us." Zack Smith and Greg Mauldin scored for Bingo, while recent Ottawa call-up Ryan Shannon had two assists.

Sat, Jan 31st 2009 - Binghamton 4; Springfield 2

Notes: The team woke up at 5 AM to fly out of Houston, and made it back to Binghamton for 4 PM. That they played the game to its completion is an accomplishment in itself. Newly signed Derek Couture contributed 2 goals and a fight. Couture has certainly made an impression to date, registering 2 goals, 2 assists and 9 penalty minutes in his first four games with Binghamton. Greg Mauldin and Drew Fata had the B-Sens' other goals. Ilya Zubov potted two helpers to boot.

Wed, Feb 4th 2009 - Binghamton 4; San Antonio 3

Playing against the Rampage for the second time in the span of a week, Binghamton took care of business yet again. Tomas Kudelka, Zack Smith, Cavosie, and Josh Hnnessy all scored, while Drew Fata added two helpers. The game marked malcontent Alexander Nikulin's return to the city from which he insisted on being traded. Kudelka got into a bit ox a mix up with Nikulin, resulting in offsetting Roughing minors. When asked about the incident, Kudelka said: "That guy didn't want to be here. We don't want guys that don't want to be on our team. So maybe it was a little message." The game was a chippy one, with 112 penalty minutes handed out between the teams, including ten fighting majors.

Spotlight - Changes in Binghamton

With video of players - other than those chronicling fights - becoming increasingly difficult to find, I decided to switch gears for this week's edition of the Almanac and focus on the biggest issue currently affecting the Binghamton Senators: the pillage of their team that has been set in motion by the parent club.

Fans of the Binghamton Senators are becoming a bit frustrated with the management of the parent club, and justifiably so. The baby Sens looked to be an AHL contender during November of 2008. They had a strong defensive core led by Brendan Bell, Mattias Karlsson, and Derek Smith, and Brian Lee. Goaltender Brian Elliott was poised to build on the moderate success he had last season as he was showing well. The forward core, led by Denis Hamel, Peter Regin, Ilya Zubov, Ryan Shannon, and grinders Cody Bass and Zack Smith, was decimated by injuries but persisted in getting the job done. Coach Cory Clouston was popular with the players, and had the B-Sens firmly in playoff contention. Things were looking mighty rosy.

Things have changed substantially since then. Ottawa's affiliate has lost two of their top three defencemen in Lee and Bell, their game saving goaltender in Elliott, and have missed at least one key forward most of the season due to call-ups. Bass has been lost for the season to an injury he sustained while playing in Ottawa. Clouston's promotion yesterday cost the team their head coach, leaving the team without several key pieces to the success they've had this season. The team has stayed competitive through the turmoil that has befallen the roster, but the challenge of adapting to a new leader behind their bench in the middle of the season will be the biggest hurdle they have had to overcome this season.

The men who run the parent club are completely within their rights, both written and unwritten, to make use of the assets they have in the AHL. They pay the bills for these players, and they need to evaluate the talent they have in order to plan for next season. However, you do have to feel for the fans in Binghamton. It is by all accounts a passionate hockey market, and this is the first season since the lockout that they have really had something to get excited about.

Ottawa has replaced a few of the assets they appropriated from the farm, sending black-sheep Martin Gerber down to the New York town to keep the team's playoff hopes intact, at least between the pipes. Furthermore, they have been reluctant to borrow any of Binghamton's top forwards for too lengthy a time frame, as only Bass (12) and Zubov (10) have games played totals in the double digits with Ottawa . Ottawa's recently fired Assistant Coach Curtis Hunt will take over as the Head Coach in Binghamton. Michael Sharp spoke with B-Sens GM Tim Murray about the decision to offer Hunt the job, and here is what Murray had to say.

He's been a head coach his whole career, basically. And I think Bryan's philosophy is one that he's spoken of often with me over the 16 years or whatever we've been together, that head coaches are head coaches, and assistant coaches are assistant coaches. That's not to say he did anything wrong here as an assistant coach, but he's been a head coach in the Western Junior Hockey League, and he did a good job there. And now the opportunity presents itself, and we have an opening there. And it's somewhat convenient. But he has been a head coach, and we feel comfortable that if he took the job, that he could do a good job.

- Tim Murray

One is left to wonder why the Murrays, given their stated philosophy, chose to hire Hunt in his original capacity within the organization at all. The full skinny on Hunt can be found here.

None of Binghamton's personnel are voicing any complaints at this point, but given that they are all competing for an NHL job, why would they? Nevertheless, this situation has to be frustrating for those who play and/or cheer for the Binghamton Senators.

Binghamton currently sits 5th in the AHL's Eastern Conference with 56 points in 47 games played.

Bruins Edge Sens in Low Scoring Shootout: Boston 4; Ottawa 3 (SO)

2009-02-05T23:05:00.010-05:00

The Senators put forth one of their better effort, probably deserving a better fate, but were edged out by the Boston Bruins in the shootout. The team looked really in sync in the final 40 minutes of this one, battling back from a 2-0 deficit with three unanswered goals. An unfortunate, accidental, but deserved high sticking foul was called on Antoine Vermette, allowing the juggernaut Bruins to tie the game on the power-play. The Sens pressed hard for the rest of the third and much of overtime despite having to kill off another penalty in the supplemental period, but the Bruins got strong goaltending from Tim Thomas, allowing them to shut the door on the Sens' attack and play the probabilities against the Sens' woeful shootout record.

I actually thought Thomas looked very Hasek-like on this night, particularly when stopping Mike Fisher’s breakaway in overtime The Sens had some of the better chances in the shootout, but Thomas was up to the task, stopping a Dany Heatley snap shot that had goal written all over it. The Sens’ shooters have always had a hard time against him, so it was encouraging to see them pot three against their foe, even if the end result was not what they had hope for.

Daniel Alfredsson said before the game that Bruins are not a team to relinquish a lead, thus it was crucial to for Ottawa to get the first goal. While the senators surrendered the first two scores of the game, Alfredsson certainly did his part to remedy the situation. Alfredsson tied the game with a point blank slapper that went top corner. Alfredsson played like a man possessed, registering 7 shots on goal, with his teammates counting 15 between them.

I was vaguely disappointed when Nick Foligno scored a goal, as I had typed some notes on his strong play tonight that I found very observant and pithy. By scoring, he made my noticing the little things he did well less subtle and intelligent. Nevertheless, I thought Foligno was great, even aside from the second period marker. He appeared to benefit from Clouston’s implementation of a two-forechecker system, and used his speed, strong skating, and puck protection skills to make smart plays on the cycle. Foligno’s goal was an objet d‘art, as he beat three bruins to slide the puck past Tim Thomas with outstretched arms. I’m pleased with Clouston’s decision to continue playing him on the second line.

The loss has to sting for this group, but this was another strong effort under the new task master. Given their position in the standings, this team should be assessed in the same manner one would judge a poker player: The result takes a backseat to the process that leads to it. If the process stays sound, the results will come over the long run. The team gets a chance to see if the odds even out against Buffalo on Saturday night.

Notes:

1) Bryan Murray held court with James Duthie during the second intermission. Here are some of the highlights from that interview for those who may have missed it.

When asked about how the senators went from first in goals scored in 2007-08 to last this season, Murray answered that he was dumbfounded at how this happened. He doesn’t believe the team takes enough shots, and used tonight’s effort as an example

Murray thought the team is playing better under Clouston, and thought we may see more success against a “the right opponents.”

He alleged whether he would be a seller at the dealine is contingent on what is offered for the players he is interested in moving, and that not going to clean house completely.

Also said that he had been fielding calls about the Big 3, but insinuated that he was not planning on moving any of them before the deadline barring a gargantuan offer.

2) One trend that has stood out every time the Bruins come to town is the ability of the fans in Ottawa to single out a player every time he touches the puck. It was fine when it was just Bryan Berard, Alexei Yashin, and players of that ilk, but it’s gone too far. Zdeno Chara was once again booed mercilessly tonight. I won’t pretend to have inside knowledge on the process that led to Chara’s departure. Some say Chara chose to leave because he wanted to be the top dog on a team and that was not going to happen in Ottawa. Others have relayed that Muckler flat out chose Wade Redden over soaring Slovak. Regardless of how it went down, booing Chara is asinine.

To loosely borrow the words of the fiery Santino Coleone, the NHL is a business and the fans in Ottawa are taking it very, very personal. The Big Z gave nothing but his best to this organization. He played hurt in the playoffs, was active in the community, has always been a class act when asked about his time in Ottawa, and will go down as one of the best defencemen to play in this city. Bitter boo birds: If you were offered a job that included a more sought after role and more cash by a different employer when your contract ended, you would no doubt take it. That’s all the man did, and he was well within his rights in doing so. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Sens Fail to Score More, Clouston On Hot Seat: Los Angeles 1; Ottawa 0

2009-02-04T21:34:00.006-05:00

The Ottawa Senators were shut out by the LA Kings for the second straight meeting last night. Much of the media has already taken new coach Cory Clouston’s to task for the club’s failure to implement a more offensive game plan. I feel it a bit reactionary to deem his coaching philosophy “more of the same” after only one game. Sens fans should be willing to give the guy a longer showing – at least the rest of the season – before judging him too sternly.

Clouston, while assuring the beat writers he was not pleased with his club’s failure to score a goal, said there were a lot of positives to take form this victory. The Sens had a great second period, out-shooting the Kings by a count of 13-4. Brian Lee, Chris Neil, Dany Heatley, and Chris Phillips all had quality scoring chances in the middle stanza, but each one failed to capitalize. Brian Elliott had a strong game for the Ottawas, making several big saves in the third period to keep the score tied, but his teammates couldn’t reward score a goal for him. The Sens, barring a shaky first period, put forth a good effort, but the execution was not there. If the team plays the way they did last night, however, the goals will come.

That’s not to suggest the evening was a coming out party for the team. The Senator power play seems over-cautious about taking shots. The team looks to be searching for the perfect scoring chance rather than throwing puck on net through traffic. Daniel Alfredsson’s decision to pass up a point-blank shot on goal in the second really stood out, and was part of the reason the team managed only 5 shots on 5 opportunities with the man advantage.

Chris Kelly missed the net completely on a beautiful break-away chance. Is there any player in the National Hockey League who posses the ratio of speed, hockey sense and shiftiness to stone-handedness that Chris Kelly does? Oh well, at least it wasn’t as bad as David Perron’s failed shoot-out move from the other night.

Give credit to Kings goaltender John Quick. A relatively unknown NHL commodity, Quick gave the senators shooters fits. Quick is a great story, as he has gone from playing in the ECHL last season to experiencing NHL success this year. Quick has strong stats, and last night's shutout was his third in 16 games this season. Clouston acknowledged Quick, saying he was the Kings’ best penalty killer.

Notes:
1) I noticed the Sens are running a commercial featuring the roman anthem as part of their “Fans First” campaign (or as I call it, their “We’re SO sorry we suck, please keep buying tickets” campaign.) Coincidence? I think not. It seems as though the club is attempting to curry favour with those who have become disenchanted with the new, worse direction this team has taken both on the ice and inside the marketing department. Hopefully they bring back the side profile logo and some more aesthetically pleasing jerseys as their next act of outreach.

2) Andy has got a new contract with the feds, so the morning wrap-up is on hiatus for this week. It should be back bright and early Monday. Meanwhile, you’re all stuck with me. I know, I know, I don't like it any more than you. frankly, I find your voice nasally and your breath akin to the stench of milk that has fallen behind the heater and gone unnoticed for several months. Nevertheless, we'll have to make it work.

Days of Reckoning Have Begun: Sens Fire Hartsburg

2009-02-02T17:18:00.006-05:00

Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray made a bold move last night, firing coach Craig Hartsburg. This marks the second time in as many seasons Murray has fired a coach before the end of February despite having hired the man during the previous off-season. Binghamton Senators head coach Cory Clouston will finish the season as the Sens' bench-boss.

I for one am somewhat confused by this move. Clouston represents the fourth coach the team has had since they went into their tailspin in December of 2007. I am not around the team every day, and thus my reservations are founded on speculative premises, but it seems like there is more to what plagues this hockey club than simply poor coaching. The team's on-ice personnel is simply inadequate. They are no longer an elite club talent-wise, they do not put in a respectable night's work on a consistent basis, and at times they seem unwilling to play for one another. The defence, the goaltending situation, and secondary scoring personnel are all issues that must be resolved before any coach will have success here. The system is wounded from the mistakes ordered up by John Muckler, and to a lesser extent Bryan Murray, and will not be healed in the immediate future.

That is not to say Hartsburg didn't have his faults. For someone who used the term "accountability" so frequently that it had begun to lose its meaning as a word, there is very little evidence, from the etic observer's perspective, that Hartsburg held his players responsible for their missteps in any meaningful way. Again, I realize I am not afforded the luxury of spending time around the team and I don't know what is said behind closed doors, but short of calling a few players out in the media, I don't really see any examples of the radically increased allotment of accountability Hartsburg preached for. Furthermore, there have been repeated rumblings that the players did not like the system Hartsburg had set up for them. Whether or not this is true, the team clearly wasn't buying in on too many a night, so maybe a change is for the best.

What is most surprising about today's news is not who was fired, but who was hired. You would think, having twice failed in reclamation projects, that Murray would have gone with an experienced NHL coach. Instead, Murray opted to hire from within, and chose a candidate with no NHL experience. To his credit, Cory Clouston has been a winner at every level. His five season with the Kelowna Rockets saw his team qualify for the post-season each year, won the Dunc McCallum Trophy as WHL Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007, and walked away with the Brian Kilrea Trophy as CHL Coach of the Year in 2005. After a tough season in 2007-08, Clouston has the B-Sens back in a playoff spot as of today.

The man had some interesting things to say at his press conference, which I have posted below. A few of the things he said at his introductory press conference struck a chord with me. He mentioned that it was part of his philosophy to make coming to the rink fun, which, looking at the faces on the Sens' bench, might be just what this team needs. The former University of Alberta Golden Bear mentioned the need for the coaching staff to help give the players confidence and make them feel good about themselves. He also stated that while he would like the club to have a plan on the breakout and in the neutral zone, he would also like to see the team play with more firepower. This is a potentially precarious plan (alliteration unintended,) since the team's offensive arsenal is not what it once was. I like his philosophy at first glance, and it certainly seems like a change of pace from what Hartsburg brought to the table.

I am a supporter of Bryan Murray's, as the work he has done elsewhere as a GM has been excellent, but at some point one has to question how much longer he has to live in his current role. Both of the coaches he has hired have been, by his own admission, mistakenly tasked with a job for which they were later deemed unfit. Applying further egg to Murray's face is the fact that both John Paddock and Craig Harstburg had been unsuccessful NHL head coaches before stepping behind the home team's bench at Scotiabank Place. While I feel one needs to give a GM 3-4 years on the job before assessing their performance too critically, and I am not calling for Murray's head by any means, even the highest grade Teflon will eventually peel off a wiper blade. If Clouston doesn't turn things around (which I feel for the reasons listed above, odds are, he won't) do Eugene Melnyk and Roy Mlakar afford Murray the chance to hire another coach? Perhaps more pressingly - was Murray's decision to make this move motivated by his own lack of job security?

Going forward, BM the GM is going to have to give the world some kind of indication that he has a plan, and he will likely be judged by what he does this off-season and at the trade deadline. This team has a talented core, but needs to add a few prospects to their system, as well as moderately priced roster players who can fill immediate needs. If Murray can bring some of these types of assets for players who are not fitting into the vision this team has going forward, while using his cap space wisely this summer, this team could be back in the post-season in 2010. If he makes one bad trade and/or signing too many -given that he works for an owner that doesn't harbour much of a tolerance for losing - one would have to think his job security may be in jeopardy.

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday February 2, 2009

2009-02-02T05:00:00.001-05:00

I'm sure most of you will be killing off the Super Bowl hangover, so until you are ready to eat solids again, you can get caught up with the Senators.

Canada.com - After the Senators lost to Columbus on Saturday, the relatively unknown Jan Hejda decided to take a shot at Spezza.

Afterward, Jackets defenceman Jan Hejda said it "seemed like (Spezza) didn't want to play."

"I don't really care what the guy says," he (Spezza) said. "We're working here and trying to win some hockey games. They didn't have very many chances, either.

This kind of came out of nowhere, and is really being over-blown. It's a young player who is trying to make a name for himself. Anyone heard of him before this? I have, but that's just because he is a free agent in my hockey pool with a very high plus-minus. We are lucky to have a talent like Spezza, and I wish that everyone would take a huge breath, relax, and wait for the draft. Pretty soon we might actually have some talent in the top six to take some pressure off Spezza.

TSN.ca - The power rankings are out and the Senators climb to the 26th spot this week

Hart: Dany Heatley
Norris: Filip Kuba
Vezina: Brian Elliott
Selke: Chris Kelly
Calder: Brian Lee
Breakthrough: Alexandre Picard
Disappointment: Jason Spezza
Key Injuries: D Anton Volchenkov (shoulder).

It's kind of sad that Brian Elliott is this teams Vezina candidate after playing eight games. Also, I would remove Alexandre Picard from 'breakthrough' and put in Brian Lee. Other than that, pretty much bang on.

and that's the daily wrap up!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals February 1, 2009

2009-02-01T12:10:00.001-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals February 1, 2009

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Columbus Blue Jackets January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T10:54:00.002-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Columbus Blue Jackets January 30, 2009

Good Evening Blues: Ottawa 3; St. Louis 1

2009-01-30T02:36:00.014-05:00

The Sens played a strong 60 minutes and got timely saves from their goaltender, allowing the Senators to walk out of St. Louis with a 3-1 win over the Blues. The story lines in this one are pretty obvious, so let's dive in.

Mike Fisher had a monster night even when one discounts the empty net goal that accounted for his second of the night. Fisher had 7 shots on goal, threw 4 hits, and looked like a man possessed. His first goal was the result of following up on his own rebound, and a poor turnover from David Perron. Fisher now leads all Senators not named Heatley, Alfredsson, or Spezza with with 7 goals.

Peter Regin scored his first NHL goal on a nice individual effort. Regin looped around the St. Louis net, and fired a wrister low short side from a tight angle, eluding Chris Mason. While Mason should probably have had the angle covered, give Regin credit, as his patience paid off. Regin also threw a nice hit (I believe on Patrick Berglund, but don't take me to task on that one) in the first period.

Brian Elliott stood tall, allowing only one goal on the 23 shots he faced. I gave Elliott flak Tuesday in New Jersey for having a poor showing, so I will give him credit for not folding and making some nice 3rd period saves. He had absolutely no chance on the Blues' only goal; If Brad Winchester hadn't caught the puck with his skate, Brad Boyes would likely have buried it on the cross-crease pass. Elliott was making his 7th straight start, and will get a well deserved break tomorrow night when Alex Auld starts against the Blue Jackets. I would like to see Auld push Elliott for playing time with a strong performance, as I am a firm believer in the desirability of healthy competition between a team's two goaltenders.

Watching the Senators on the power play during the first period gave me flashbacks to Tuesday night. The Blues succeeded in the keeping the puck away from the Sens for extended periods of time, and got the best scoring chance over the combined four minutes of Ottawa's first two opportunities with the extra attacker courtesy of a David Backes rush. Ottawa also failed to capitalize on 1:34 of 5-on-3 time during the second period. The inconsistency and intermittent futility of the Sens power play will have to be rectified if the Sens want to spare Melnyk the embarrassment of having to live down his various mid-season assertions that the Sens will make the playoffs.

While the Sens did have a strong effort, I feel it is important to taper any excessive optimism with a reminder that the St. Louis Blues are, in fact, now just one point behind the Senators in the NHL's futility bowl. This team has yet to win three games in a row all year, so let's keep this victory in perspective. The Sens need 53 points in their final 36 games to reach the hypothetical 94 point standard that will likely serve as the cut-off for playoff participation. That means the Sens have to pick up points at a .736 clip. The silver lining for those of you who still hope to see the club qualify is that, having picked up 9 of a possible 12 points over the last 6 games, the Sens are currently accumulating points at the right rate. Whether that is sustainable remains to be seen.

Notes:
The NHL Network's broadcast - featuring Bill Clement, Gary Green, and some other dude - was just awful. A brief sampling of their many sins.

Bill Clement compared the St. Louis Blues to "hyenas on hamburger." While I am unclear on exactly how he dreamed up such a witty, complex analogy, Bill was humble enough to break it down for us, "The Blues being the hyenas, and the opponent being the hamburger." Thanks Bill, for catering to my inferior intellect by explaining your complex use of similes. He went on to reference the comparison at least twice more. Has anyone ever seen a pack of hyenas come into contact with ground beef (prepared in any manner) in their lifetime? If so, please let me know.

Bill also referred to the line of Antoine Vermette, Mike Fisher, and Chris Kelly as the "Helicopter Line" as there are "no wings," an admittedly vaguely clever way of noting that all three are natural centres. Clement pointed this out during the first period, and then near the end of the second, stated "I know I called them the 'Helicopter Line' earlier, but did I mention it was because they have no wings!?" with the utmost sincerity. Yes, Bill, you did, and it was almost an apt remark until you ruined it.
The other dude (aka the guy who did the play-by-play) mentioned that Andy Murray loves intensity, and actually uses Carlo Colaiacovo as an "intensity barometer." A baffling statement, one I felt required much explanation. No clarification ever came, though the comment was succeeded by a comical, 10 second long awkward silence amongst the broadcast team.
The audio feed cut out for the first 2 minutes of the second period, an error in which I took great pleasure. I thought back to the SRC announcer strike before the lockout when Radio-Canada still carried the Francophone Saturday night hockey broadcast. I always enjoyed watching the game without commentary, as it forced you to pay more attention to the game if you wanted to know what exactly was happening. The technical difficulty was a nice vacation from the blithering of these three stooges.

The broadcast crew did have one interesting tidbit of information. In speaking with Sens GM Bryan Murray, they learned that Murray feels the biggest mistake the Senators organization ever made was letting Zdeno Chara walk away. Murray was a year away from being named GM when Chara chose to sign with Boston in July 2006, so this amounts to a pretty stinging criticism of his former boss John Muckler.

Farmer's Almanac: All-Star Karlsson Does it All for B-Sens

2009-01-29T17:17:00.003-05:00

You're in for a double-dose of Almanacky goodness this week (I have been busy with school, sue me) as we cover the B-Sens through the period that saw tumultuous reign, brief exile, and subsequent return of one Martin Gerber. Off the ice, there are rumours floating around that this could be the last season the Senators prospects will spend in Bingo. The conjecture posits that that Rangers are seeking to return to Binghamton, and that the Senators are moving their operation to Syracuse. The Columbus Blue Jackets - who are currently the affiliate for the Syracuse Crunch - are rumoured to be setting up shop in nearby Cincinatti. Binghamton ownership vehemently denies the rumour, but apparently a lot of people are talking about it. Check out this blog entry by Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin columnist Michael Sharp for more.

Fri, Jan 16th 2009 - Binghamton 6; Wilkes-Barries/ Scranton 4
Key Contributors
Peter Regin - 2G, 5 SOG, -1.
Shawn Weller - 1G, 1A, GWG
Ilya Zubov - 1G, 2A, +1

Key Stat - Goaltending
Martin Gerber - 43 SV, 4 GA
John Curry - 25 SV, 6 GA

Notes: Gerber played well in his Binghamton debut, keeping the B-Sens in a contest where they were badly outshot. B-Sens coach Cory Clouston on Gerber's maiden voyage: "Sometimes he didn't get a lot of help from us. You know, he hadn't practiced in a long time, so it was good for him to get a game like that under his belt, where he's got a lot of shots. I thought at times he just looked a little bit shaky, but overall, he was probably our best player..." Zack Smith (2A) Danny Bois (2A) and captain Denis Hamel (1G, 1a) also had multi-point nights.

Sat, Jan 17th 2009 -Bridgeport 3; Binghamton 1
Key Contributors:
Danny Bois - 1G, 2 PIM, -1
Denis Hamel, 0P, 7 SOG, 6 PIM.

Key Stat - Goaltending
Martin Gerber - 26 SV, 3 GA
Nathan Lawson - 29 SV, 1 GA

Notes: Gerber was out-duelled by undrafted goaltender Nathan Lawson. Clouston on the team's effort: "I think we played better (Saturday) than we did (Friday in a 6-4 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). We had some breaks around the net last night, and tonight we didn't. I thought that it was a very even hockey game. They just capitalized on a couple bounces around the net on rebounds, and tonight we didn't."

Wed, Jan 21st 2009 - Binghamton 3; Philadelphia 0

Key Contributors:
Ryan Shannon - 2A, 2 SOG, +2
Marc Cavosie - 1G, 1A, +2
Zack Smith - 1G, 7 SOG, +1

Martin Gerber - 32 SV, 0 GA

Key Stat - Shots on Goal
Binghamton - 41
Philadelphia - 32

Notes: In his 3 starts, Gerber was 2-1-0 with a 2.37 GAA and .935 sv%.

Sat, Jan 23rd 2008 - Albany 4; Binghamton 1
Key Contributors:
Josh Hennessy - 1G, +1, 2 SOG
Ryan Shannon - 6 SOG

Jeff Glass - 26 SV, 4 GA

Key Stat - Power Play
Binghamton - 0/8
Albany - 3/8

Notes: Michael Sharp describes this one as a close game where Binghamton's effort fell off the rails due to a five minute stretch of futility at the beginning of the thrid period. the B-Sens were tied with the River Rats after 40 minutes, but gave up 3 goals in the first five minutes and nine seconds of the third with two of those comming eight seconds apart. Binghamton never managed to put together a reply.

Sun, Jan 24th 2009 - Hamilton 5; Binghamton 3
Key Contributors:
Josh Hennessy - 2G (1 PPG), 3 SOG
Ilya Zubov - 1G, 1A, 3 SOG
Matt Carkner - 2A, 5 PIM, +1

Key Stat - Goaltending
Jeff Glass - 18 SV, 4 GA
Cedric Desjardins - 32 SV, 3 GA

Notes: Jeff Glass was pulled after allowing his aofrementioned allotment of goals. He had been crusing along nicely through the first two periods before giving up two goals in nine seconds for the second striaght outing. Backup Mitch O'Keefe stopped all five shots he faced in relief. Clouston was at his wits end with his Jeff Glass: "We need Jeff and/or Mitch to step up. I mean, people talk about opportunities, you can't get much better of an opportunity than this... Jeff has to come up with a big save."

Spotlight - Mattias Karlsson
Position: D
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 228 lbs
Birthdate: April 15th 1985
Hometown: Orebro, Sweden
Drafted: 2003 4th Round, 135th Overall

With the All-Star break having just wrapped up, it seems a fitting occasion to shine this week's Spotlight on the only Binghamton Senator to attend the festivities - 23 year-old Mattias Karlsson. Karlsson is a product of Sweden, having played the bulk of the last four years in the Sweden's Tier-2 pro league, AllSvenskan. In 117 regular season games in the league, Karlsson recorded 21 goals and 37 assists to go with his 146 PIMs. Karlsson has played sparingly in the Swedish Elite League. Oddly enough, his longest stint in the league came when he was 18, playing 39 games for Bryans IF Galve, recording no points. His best season to date in Swedem came with Bofors IK of AllSvenskan in 2006-07 when he registered 11 goals and 21 assists in 44 games, earning him an entry level deal with the Senators.

Karlsson was invited to the Senators' main camp in the fall of 2007, and assigned to Binghamton to start the year. Karlsson was dealt a blow in the pre-season when he suffered an injury, and was unable to earn a spot in Binghamton's regular defence corps. He was encouraged to Sweden after playing only two games in the AHL, where he split last season between Bofors and Bjorkloven of the AllSvenskan and Farjstads of the SEL. He finished the year in the SEL recording 2 goals and 2 assists in 12 regular season games, and a goal and a goal and 3 assists in the playoffs. While Karlsson was disapointed to be sent back to Sweden, Cory Cloutson insinuated the demotion was not a reflection of Karlsson's ability "The fact that he had hurt himself. ... Really had no time to condition. Skated for, I think, five or six days up in Ottawa. Came down here, had one practice, and then had to play. And just, it was a real tough situation for him."

Karlsson has caught fire in his first full year in North America. He is playing on the power play and killing penalties, and has arguably become the team's number one defenceman in the wake of Brian Lee and Brendan Bell being called up to Ottawa. He has accumulated 4 goals and 25 assists in 38 games, and was chosen to represent the PlanetUSA side in the 2009 AHL All-Star Game. He recorded 3 assists, and allegedly scored a goal that he was not credited for.

Karlsson has a big frame, uses it to put weight behind a rather impressive slapshot. He placed thrid in the hardest shot event in the AHL All-Star Skills Competion, clocking in at 94.9 mph. Karlsson is an offensive minded defenceman at heart and apparently has a willingness to play a physical game. Clouston gave a brief scouting report on Karlsson in a feature article last month.

"He's got to work on his foot speed, but what he makes up with a lack of his foot speed is his positional play. And he's a big strong guy, so because he's in good position, he's able to make guys go around him and go through him. And he's able to muscle guys off the puck."

But that's one thing he's really got to work on, is his foot speed. And then, over the next couple years, if he can really work on that ... he's got a real bright future ahead of him. Because he's been able to adjust to the North American game very quickly." - B-Sens Coach Cory Clouston

The only video of Karlsson I could find was him taking his pre-game warm up. Oddly enough, there are several videos consisting solely of Karlsson's pre-game routine on YouTube. I included a longer one if you care to view it, but you really don't get much of a sense of how he plays the game.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. St. Louis Blues January 29, 2009

2009-01-29T11:42:00.003-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. St. Louis Blues January 29, 2009

the Daily Wrap Up - Thursday January 29, 2009

2009-01-29T09:18:00.003-05:00

TSN.ca - Chris Neil landed on Darren Dreger's "10 payer's to watch at the trade deadline" list.

Ottawa forward Chris Neil balances a measure of skill and toughness many teams are seeking. Neil is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in July and the senators may not have the cap space to re-sign him.

Great! He should be worth a good amount come trade deadline, so that will help with the rebuild. I hope that Brian Murray and Eugene Melnyk finally allow for the rebuild, and we can start by shipping off Chris Neil and his staggering six points. He has seen a huge decline in his production from a career high of 33 points, in 2005-06. Many fans still love him and his fights, but realistically I would rather have a skilled guy in for him as many of his fights are pre-meditated affairs and are not as a result of defending his teammates.

and that's the daily wrap up!

Deals for Ottawa Senators vs. Boston Bruins February 5, 2009

2009-01-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

Purchase a ticket for Thursday, February 5, to see your Sens take on Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins and SAVE with this exclusive promotional offer!

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VS
Thursday, February 5 @ 7 pm

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The Daily Wrap Up - Wednesday January 28, 2009

2009-01-28T08:57:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, It's beginning to start to feel repetitive with these morning updates. It's either something Gerber related, or it's nothing at all these days.

So I decided to change it up, here is a video clip of the the never maligned Spartacat.

Also, there is a certain scene where it looks like he took his co-workers hostage. Not quite sure though.

While They May Take On Pleasing Forms, Sens Still Themselves: New Jersey 4; Ottawa 1

2009-01-27T23:11:00.009-05:00

Out-shot, out-chanced, out-goaltended, and all together outplayed, the Ottawa Senators dropped a contest with the New Jersey Devils for the third time this season. While the Senators had their chances, the Devils were the better team on this night and reaped the spoils that follow. As was the case the last time the Sens played Jersey, their play was not terribly bad, but they were simply not able to find a way to get the two points against a superior opponent. The Ottawas, as Craig Hartsburg mentions below, were plagued by their inability to play a full 60 minutes, as they seemed to go to sleep in the final frame.

Ottawa had a number of scoring chances, but only managed to beat Scott Clemmensen once on an Alex Picard one-timer that came on the man-advantage (though they did hit a post as well.) I found Clemmensen to be the superior netminder on the night, which is not intended to be a knock on Brian Elliott. The Sens had some quality chances in the first two periods, and Clemmensen shut the door. Elliott had his moments in the game, making a very noticeable glove save in the second period - the result of a self-inflicted rush he created with an errant stretch pass that led to a turnover. However, the rookie tender also allowed a shaky goal or two. Personally, I would like to see more poise and consistency from Elliott, and that may come as he adjusts to life in the NHL.

For me, the Sens were dead in the water when they failed to sustain any meaningful pressure on their third period four minute power play, courtesy of the dastardly Brendan Shanahan's malicious high stick on our lord and saviour Daniel Alfredsson. While Our Father Who Art in Kanata was sitting on the bench with gauze in his lip, his teammates were the victims of a schoolyard-style game of keep away, with the New Jersey Devils playing the role of older, taller, cretinous bullies. Down two goals, Ottawa needed to use that opportunity to get back into this game by either scoring a goal or gaining some momentum. They accomplished neither, not even registering a shot, and the remainder of the match was nothing more than a figurative whimper.

The Senators will likely silence the Over the Edgers who, being incapable of seeing more than 3 days into the past, espoused renewed optimism towards Ottawa's prospects of a playoff push. The Sens will get a chance to pick up some more points Thursday and Friday, when they face fellow doormats the St. Louis Blues before travelling to the capital of the buckeye state to take on the newly plucky Columbus Blue Jackets.

Notes:

1) I was surprised that Craig Hartsburg drew Jason Smith out of the line-up, though not mystified. Ottawa is looking more and more like they are evaluating what they have in terms of assets with an eye on next season, and Smith doesn't seem to be a piece that fits into the overall puzzle going forward. The club appears to be looking to strike a balance of four offensive defencemen and two stay at home guys; That is to say, the ratio they dressed back when they still won playoff games. It will be interesting to see how the situation plays itself out over the next few weeks. I'd wager Smith will find himself back in the line-up before too long, likely at the expense of Brendan Bell.

2) Martin Gerber has been sent back to Binghamton for the time being. I have a hard time believing Gerber will find a new home in the NHL given his contract and inability to perform reliably even in short spurts. While Gerber would help the Baby Sens stay in contention in the AHL's Eastern Conference, the logical move for the organization is a return to Europe. Eugene Melnyk is probably about as keen to eat Gerber's salary in the minors as he is to share Frank Clair Stadium with Ottawa's 409th CFL franchise. Moreover, the front office needs to decide what they have in Jeff Glass as a deep draft approaches. The best way to do that is to let the man play regularly.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. New Jersey Devils January 27, 2009

2009-01-27T10:22:00.002-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. New Jersey Devils January 27, 2009

The Daily Wrap Up - Tuesday January 27, 2009

2009-01-27T10:08:00.005-05:00

TSN.ca - Brian Murray will have a decision today with regards to Martin Gerber.

I have no idea whether [Flames general manager Darryl Sutter] is pursuing Gerber or not, but I think it's out of the question. His contract is a little heavy. If you look at contracts and players available in that position, I think that [Curtis McElhinney] is the best solution for us.

I have very strong doubt that it is Calgary making a move for Gerber, it's just that his inconsistency has removed his status as reliable backup, and I do not understand why any team would take him on in that capacity. I have a funny feeling that Brian is projecting a suitor, in hopes that a real one will come out and make a play.

Canada.com - GM Darryl Sutter tries to settle down the trade talk and puts an end to this rumour.

We signed Curtis McElhinney to a one-way contract because he's an NHL goalie, and he's our goalie," Sutter stated. "We are not interested in acquiring any other goaltender".

McElhinney is on a one way contract, and has played pretty well this season. In all likelihood, this rumour of Calgary being interested is going to turn into a dud. The inquiry for Gerber most likely came from another team or never happened. I tend to think its the latter.

and that's the daily wrap up!

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday January 26, 2009

2009-01-26T08:27:00.003-05:00

The all-star weekend is over. Great! Back to the regular season and good hockey.

Canoe.ca - This just in, a rumour involving Martin Gerber! and it's about a team actually wanting to pay him money instead of Ottawa trying to find ways not to.

The Flames are rumoured to be considering bringing the veteran in as insurance in case workhorse Miikka Kiprusoff succumbs to a late-season injury.

We'll even give you a shooter tutor, in case he doesn't workout as anticipated.

TorontoSun.ca - Ottawa will be getting an all-star game sometime in the future, possibly 2012.

Eugene was promised an all-star game when he bought the team and there has just been a series of circumstances that have pre-empted us from getting the game," said Mlakar, who was in Montreal for these all-star festivities.

I've always wondered if maybe the all-star game would actually be intereting should I happen to be at the game. Maybe I can find out, or maybe I will find 20 different excuses to not waste money going to watch a bad game of shinny. Either way, It looks like it's coming to Ottawa.

Sens Waive Goodbye to Gerber

2009-01-22T20:37:00.000-05:00

Martin Gerber was placed on waivers by the Ottawa Senators this afternoon. This revelation is about as shocking as finding out an adult actresses has "had some work done". Given that Gerber was sent to Binghamton a week ago on a "conditioning assignment," the writing was pretty much on the wall as per his future with the organization. The Swiss national will no doubt clear waivers as the market for $3.7M back-up goaltenders has dried up. These are tough economic times, after all. Once he goes unclaimed, you would have to think he will be hopping on a plane to Europe. While playing in Binghamton is an option for ol' Marty, the Senators would probably rather give the playing time Gerber would receive to their developing prospects. Although both of their AHL goalies are sub-standard, and the B-Sens are in playoff contention for the first time since the lockout year, so anything is possible. Bryan Murray will sit down with Gerber Monday when the two will plot out his future.

Count me among those who are disappointed with how the Martin Gerber Saga has played out. While I became one of his detractors many moons ago, there was once a time when I mistakenly believed him to be just what this franchise was looking for. I will be the first to admit I thought bringing Gerber in was a good move at the time. It was before I had Centre Ice, and thus before I got the chance to watch a lot of Hurricanes games. My scouting notes on Gerber while he was in Carolina were comprised of one dominating performance against team Canada in Torino, a few impressive nights against the Sens, and maybe one or two more games here or there. I mean, ya I saw him flake out in the playoffs against the Habs, but everyone said he had the flu and his stats were great in Anaheim. What could go wrong, right?

Well, apparently just about everything. Gerber never really performed consistently and ended up being surpassed by three different goalies during his stay with the Senators. 2007-08 was likely his best year, one where he was the club's starter by default as Ray Emery imploded. Gerber was lights out during the Ottawa's 15-2 run in October-November of 2007, and played pretty well in the playoffs despite Ottawa losing to Pittsburgh 4-0. However, Gerber was unable to play up to his potential on a regular basis, and he drew the ire of fans and analysts accordingly. Gerber's huge salary acted as a weight tied to the ankle of GM Bryan Murray and John Muckler before him, limiting the ability of those men to make roster moves, particularly since he made himself un-tradable by preforming poorly. With all the talk about how gosh darn perfect Detroit is, people should be reminded that numerous media outlets reported Detroit offered this guy more money than Ottawa in July 2006. It would be interesting to see where both teams would be right now if Gerber had taken the pay day rather than opting for the pressure of a Canadian market. Coulda, shoulda, woulda, though.

Gerber's reign in Ottawa has been synonymous with soft, deflating goals and he can now add an unceremonious departure to his legacy. If I had to sum up his exodus in a sentence, I would look to the words of King of the Hill's Kahn Souphanousinphone: "Long, painful, boring death!"

Deals for Ottawa Senators vs. New Jersey Devils January 27, 2009

2009-01-22T19:52:00.000-05:00

With a valid student ID, purchase a 300-level ticket for Tuesday night's game against Zach Parise and the New Jersey Devils and receive a second ticket of the same value - free!

VS
Tuesday, January 27 @ 7:30 pm

Here's how to score your seats:

Visit www.capitaltickets.ca/promo and refer to code: ELLIOT

To claim your seats:

You must possess and show your valid student ID card at the Scotiabank Place Box Office.
One ticket per student ID.

The Daily Wrap Up - Thursday January 22, 2009

2009-01-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

TheHockeyNews - Has an interesting article about how certain teams have avoided a massive rebuild, and it's because of solid drafting.

But Ottawa’s depth has been undermined by its inability to continue finding players of that quality.

In the virtually idiot-proof first round of 2003, Ottawa drafted Patrick Eaves 29th overall. Boston took Patrice Bergeron with the 45th pick and Nashville hit a home run with Shea Weber four slots later at No. 49. The year before that, in 2002, Ottawa took Jakub Klepis No. 16 overall. Oops.

Detroit, meanwhile, has drafted Niklas Kronwall, Jiri Hudler, Tomas Fleischmann, Valtteri Filppula, Johan Franzen and Kyle Quincey since 2000. The highest pick of that group was Kronwall, who went 29th in 2000.

Clearly not everyone organization can boast what Detroit has done, but it is a fine reminder that exceptional players can be found anywhere in the draft. John Muckler really dropped the ball when it came to drafting, as we have not had a "steal" in a draft since Havlat (excluding the possibility of Elliott).

PeterboroughExaminer.com - Mike Fisher wants fighting in hockey, as be believes it helps police the players.

"I think the fans for the most part enjoy (fighting). It keeps guys honest, too," Fisher said.

"If you take out fighting, there's going to be more stick penalties, there's going to be more guys taking head shots ... there's a little bit of policing with fighting in the game. It helps, I think."

Not a big shock as Mike has been known to drop the gloves when his temper gets the best of him. Fighting will remain in hockey, it's just the vogue issue of the moment and is garnering all too much media attention. The players will get the final say on the issue (PA), and it will not be removed.

And that's the daily wrap up!

Sens Heating Up: Ottawa 3; Washington 2

2009-01-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

The Ottawa Senators earned their seventh point in their last four games, defeating the high flying Washington Captials 3-2. Brendan Bell returned from his banishment to the press box to provide the heroics with a late goal while Dany Heatley scored twice, giving him 4 in his last two games. The Senators, while victorious, deviated from their "Play 60 Minutes" plan, as the Captials were dominant in the second frame. To the Senators' credit, the Caps did spend almost half the middle stanza on the power play courtesy four Senator infractions, which helps to account for Washington's 19-3 shots on goal advantage.

The other two periods saw the Senators play quite well, out-shooting Ovechkin and co. 31-12 in the first and final 20 minute segments. It was nice to see Antoine Vermette get rewarded on the score sheet. While the former Victoriaville Tigre has been offensively anemic for much of the season, he managed to pot 3 assists last night. Vermette's play has been improving since Christmas, and he will need to keep contributing and improving if the Senators are going to make a serious push for the post-season.

The Senators' power play has been re-invigorated ever since Craig Hartsburg moved Dany Heatley to the second unit to provide more balance. The Sens have scored 5 goals with the man advantage in the four games since the shuffle, with another two or three coming within seconds of Carolina returning to full strength during Tuesday's game. That the power play can be a fickle lady is cause for concern going forward, but the Sens will take any momentum they can get at this point.

Game 44 for the Senators marked the NHL debut of Danish prospect Peter Regin. Regin looked strong on the puck and showed good wheels in spot duty for the flu-ridden Chris Neil. It looks as though the 2004 3rd rounder might need some more seasoning in the minors, but I for one liked what I saw.
Brian Lee's play is getting more and more impressive as time passes. After getting off to a horrendous start to this campaign that resulted in his being sent down to Binghamton, Lee is adjusting to the speed and intensity of the NHL game. I have been particularly impressed with Lee's willingness to take contact to make a play. Last night he skated into a devastating check to make a nice breakout pass that led to an Ottawa rush during the second period, a scene Sens fans are being treated to with increased frequency. Lee has also quietly demonstrated a willingness to throw himself in front of shots. He blocked two last night, and has been picking up numbers in that department, intercepting 15 in the Sens' 9 games so far this month. While the his development is still ongoing, its nice to see that he is willing to compete and sacrifice to make it in the bigs. While the Ottawas aren't likely to be playing hockey after mid-April, Lee's progression gives the club another piece to build with going forward.

I have discovered that the Sens' website posts Hartsburg's post-game presser after each contest. You can find it there, but I'll keep embedding them for your viewing pleasure.

The Daily Wrap Up - Wednsday January 21, 2009

2009-01-21T08:37:00.003-05:00

TheFourthPeriod - With the injury to Pascal Leclaire, all the conjecture surrounding him coming to Ottawa can be put on hold.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Leclaire will have right ankle surgery and miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season.

This rumour has already been called into question, but now can be cast aside (until the summer), as his trade value has gone the way of Enrique Iglesias's mole.

WinipegSun.com - There had been some talk of the Senators taking a gamble on goalie Curtis Sanford when he hit waivers, but he cleared them and went down to the AHL.

There were rumours a team like the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders or Ottawa Senators might pick him up but Sanford ultimately cleared and was assigned to the Moose

With the recent strong performance of goaltender Brian Elliott, clearly this move made no sense. At least this rumour has been put to rest now and we can all resume our normal lives after all the hype surrounding it...

Globeandmail.com - Viewership is up for CBC's hockey coverage, averaging 1.206 million per game.

And the CBC, despite losing three Toronto Maple Leafs telecasts in its new NHL deal, is drawing prime-time audiences that are up 4 per cent from last year, to 1.206 million a game.

The Leafs traditionally drive the CBC's audiences, but the network did not lose much without them in the three telecasts.

So the CBC reduced the amount of Toronto games and they saw a 4% increase in their audience? Sounds like a good trend to me!

And that's the daily wrap up!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals January 20, 2009

The Daily Wrap Up - Tuesday January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T05:00:00.003-05:00

Happy inauguration day!

Today also happens to be a Senators game day!

Canoe.ca - Spezza left practice early yesterday with back pain.

The Senators centre was troubled by a sore back that was bothering before practice today. He decided not to take any chances, considering the team has just one game before the NHL all-star break, Tuesday against the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Place.

Spezza has a history of back problems, but they generally clear up fairly quickly. I would agree with his assessment and think him very likely to be in the lineup for tomorrow. Don't be surprised though if he doesn't play the entire game, or has his minutes reduced. Backs can get tweaked very easily, and I remember a time when Spezza injured his by getting out of a car after a fun day of shopping.

SportingNews.com - The NHL power polls are out, and the Senators see no change in their status. They remain at a solid 28.

28. Ottawa Senators (28): Give Martin Gerber credit about how he's handling his assignment in the AHL. No public griping and he made 43 saves in his first game with Binghamton.

Not quite as good as 27, but definitely better than 29. That's all the insight I have on that gem, great wasn't it?

Fewer than 250 tickets remain for the game tonight, so if you want to go, better hurry up!

And that's the daily wrap up!

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T08:33:00.005-05:00

Sportsnet.ca - Those nasty Jason Spezza rumours have been put to rest as Brian Murray has publicly stated that he is not on the trading block.

I don't know that you'd ever not trade anyone, but Jason is not on the trading block," Murray told Sportsnet prior to Saturday's home game against the Montreal Canadiens. "He is a guy that you should be able to build a hockey team around.

Either Brian Murray has been learning Eric Cartman's "You can't come to my amusement park" strategy to bolster Jason's trade value, or Jason is not leaving Ottawa. The latter would be preferable since he is only 25 years old and signed long term to a reasonable contract.

Canoe.ca - Martin Gerber got his first win of the season in the AHL this past weekend, making 43 saves in a 6-4 victory over the Wilkes-Barre Penguins

I wasn't really getting that much ice time up there. And, the way it's been, you know with three guys, we kind of figured it would probably be best to get down here and get some games in your legs and then see what happens,

We all know that Gerber is a class act and I'm happy that he got the win (as I dont think his confidence can take many more hits). He probably won't see any more game time this season with the Senators, but on the bright side, he is now one of the highest paid AHL players. Congrats.

I'm Sorry, It's My Fault: Montreal 5; Ottawa 4 (SO)

2009-01-17T21:42:00.011-05:00

Suffice to say I should have known better. The hockey pool this year, she has been rough. Generally, when I decide to gamble on an unproven commodity, I get Darren McCarty'd. So, hindsight being 20/20, I am now puzzled as to how my stupidity led me to believe it was a good idea to start my recent free agent pickup Brian Elliott against a red-hot Habs team. While I am not one to confuse correlation with causation, I should have known disaster was certain to unfold. Sorry, Sens fans. This one's on me.

Elliott didn't exactly do himself any favours, mind you. The rook had his moments, stopping breakaways from Tomas Plekanec and Robert Lang in the second period, and making a handful of other nice saves. However, Elliott also gave up two bad goals. The first - late in the opening frame - squeaked by him short side off an Andrei Koistitsyn shot. I looked at a few replays and still have a hard time figuring out exactly how it got through Elliott's gear. Nevertheless, Elliott should have been tight to the post and had that one covered. The Habs' fourth goal, coming with the Sens trailing by one in the third period and pressing for the equalizer, could only be described as Gerberesque. Tom Koustopolous' bad angle shot squeaked through Eliott's legs and trickled across the goal line before Elliott could recover. He simply has to have that shot. The Wisconsin alum seemed to lose his confidence after that weak goal, and fought the puck for much of the remainder of the game. Elliott also went 0-2 in his first NHL shootout, which suggests the former NCAA champion may not be the saviour the HNIC cast made him out to be.

Fans can find cause for optimism going forward in the team's performance, though. While they have normally wilted under the heat of adversity this season, they battled back from a two goal deficit to force overtime. Mike Fisher scored a skill goal, converting on an opportunity late in the third period to tie the game. Fisher has been struggling to bury his chances, but that shot was a thing of beauty. Fisher had a good overall game, showing his typical willingness to get involved physically.

Jesse Winchester's impressive second effort resulted in a nice Jarkko Ruutu feed on which Chris Kelly converted to open the scoring for the Senators. The trio combined to create offense when the potential for a goal was slim. Winchester showcased his reputed prowess along the boards to beat two Canadiens defenders, while Ruutu made a great pass and Kelly's shot was hard and well placed. That was not the trio's only scoring chance this evening.

Dany Heatley, who has not been playing his best hockey recently, scored twice, including a quick reply after Elliott's second mistake to bring the Ottawas within a goal. Typically, the Sens surrender those kinds of goals rather than making them for themselves. Heatley was an offensive force, registering 7 shots on goal, while the Habs blocked 3 more of his attempts.

Greg Millen -for possibly the first time in his inexplicably long and amply painful career in broadcasting - made a good observation. He correctly noted that the Senators gave this game away by not paying enough attention to detail. Their effort level was good, but the club's lack of focus led to little mistakes, resulting in turnovers and failures to clear their zone and alleviate pressure. Greg Carvell told Elliott Freidman that he felt the Senators lost their structure after taking several penalties in the first period, essentially concurring with the normally clueless commentary of Millen.

Give the Habs credit though; they played as advertised. Montreal made the most of their opportunities, and kept the Ottawa defence on it's heals with their speed, skill, and puck possession in the offensive zone. The Senators did their best to match the Canadiens in the run and gun department for much of the first 20 minutes, but le Tricolore simply outclassed them.

Before and after the game, Ron MacLean interviewed NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly. Among other things, Kelly said that the NHL and NHLPA had more or less agreed on staging another World Cup of Hockey in September of 2011. He also stated that the player surveys the PA distributed this fall indicate that players of all creeds and nationalities are overwhelmingly in favour of the NHL's participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The league's head office is rumoured to be against going to the games, which nicely illustrates the ineptitude of the NHL's business sense. With the league trying to branch out to overseas markets, the opportunity to secure the level of exposure the NHL would get on such a global stage, in the backyard of a newly formed competitor no less, seems to make participation a no-brainer. Should the NHL turn down the invitation, you can bet the KHL will send its athletes.

Also, is it just me or does Bob Cole actually sound like he is pro-Ottawa when covering their games against Montreal. The excitement in his voice dropped perceptibly whenever the Habs scuttled Ottawa's offensive pressure, and he sounded like his mother had just died after Alexei Kovalev's brilliant shootout goal. Moreover, when the Montreal-dominated crowd started doing their "Ole" chant in the third, he remarked with vitriol "I don't know what are they doing chanting that stuff in a one goal game." While the Leafs will always be Bob's darlings, he appears to hate symbols of Francophone pride even more than he hates the Senators - and that's really saying something.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Montreal Canadiens January 17, 2009

2009-01-17T10:12:00.002-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Montreal Canadiens January 17, 2009

Deals for Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals January 20, 2009

2009-01-16T16:45:00.001-05:00

Sens Student Rush Ticket Offer!

With a valid student ID, you can get a standing room ticket for Tuesday night's game against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals starting at only $15 - taxes included!*!

VS
Tuesday, January 20 @ 7:30 pm

Here's how to score your seats:

Visit www.capitaltickets.ca/promo and refer to code: CAPS

OR

Call Capital Tickets at 613-599-3267 or 877-788-3267 and refer to code CAPS.

To claim your seats:

You must possess and show your valid student ID card at the Scotiabank Place Box Office.
One ticket per student ID.

Farmer's Almanac: Glass Doesn't Break

2009-01-16T14:01:00.004-05:00

Hello Internet,

In case you have not already been asked 471 times today: Cold enough for you? Remember to wear layers, I worry. Something to warm you up: Fresh from the Senate Committee's Binghamton bureau, it's another edition of the Farmer's Almanac!

Well, as you likely know by now, Brian Elliott has been recalled to Ottawa, leaving the Binghamton Senators with the legendary tandem of Jeff Glass and Mitch O'Keefe to tend goal. Thus far, the results have been surprisingly passable.

The winds of change rustle amongst the branches in a wintery up-state New York as Martin Gerber will arrive in Binghamton tomorrow. Gerber will presumably start in Binghamton's goal Friday against Wilkes-Barrie/Scranton. While he will surely be disappointed to have lost his job in the NHL, Darth can take solace in the fact that he is now a legitimate threat between the pipes again. Sorry Marty. You seem like a nice guy but you aren't an NHL No. 1. Cheer up, though. I bet those 11.1M American Dollars will go a long way in Russia next year. I hear the gas is cheap and they don't care if you buy an alarm clock.

Fri, Jan. 9th 2009 - Wilkes-Barrie Scranton 4; Binghamton 2.
Key Contributors:
Peter Regin - 2A, +2, 2 SOG
Denis Hamel - 1G, +1, 5 SOG
Greg Mauldin - 1G, +1, 6 SOG

Jeff Glass - 31 SV, 3 GA

Key Stat - Power Play
Binghamton - 0/5
W-B/Scranton - 2/4

Notes: The entire B-Sens team called themselves out after this one

Sat, Jan. 10th 2009 - Binghamton 4; Rochester 2
Key Contributors:
Denis Hamel: 2G, 2A, 7 SOG
Greg Mauldin - 1G, 2A, 7 SOG
Peter Regin - 3A, +3, 3 SOG

Jeff Glass - 23 SV, 2GA

Key Stat - Shots on Goal
Binghamton - 46
Rochester - 25

Notes: Binghamton's top line of Hamel, Mauldin, and Regin was dominant and this one, combining for 10 points. They kept up a hot streak in to this one, amassing 17 points in 3 games as a group. The win was Jeff Glass' first in 10 tries dating back to October.

Wed, Jan. 14th 2009 - Binghamton 4; Rochester 1
Key Contributors:
Ryan Shannon - 3A, +1
Denis Hamel - SHG, +1, 4 SOG
Zack Smith - 1A, fight.

Key Stat - Goaltending
Jeff Glass (BNG) - 36 SV, 1 GA
Chris Beckford-Tseu (ROC) 24 SV 3 GA

Notes: B-Sens Coach Cory Clouston on the game: "I thought we were pretty sloppy tonight, to be honest... We played well at the start, and then we just lost our focus. ... Give them credit, they didn't quit." On Glass: "I thought he played very solid. I'd have to say that might be his best game of the year so far, and definitely something to build on. And he's a hard critic on himself, so I'm sure he'll look at some of the saves, and some of the video, and make adjustments and move on from here."

Spotlight - Jeff Glass
Position: G
Catches: Left
Height: 6-2
Weight: 182 lbs
Birthdate: Nov 11 1985
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
Drafted: 3rd round, 89th overall, 2004

Glass played his junior hockey with the Kootenay Ice of the WHL where he had a very successful career. In 143 games with Kootenay, Glass went 75-47 and posted a 2.16 GAA, .918 sv% while shutting out his opponent 17 times.

Glass' best season with the Ice came in 2004-05 when he was paired with current B-Sens coach and then Ice head coach Cory Clouston. Glass compiled a 34-11 record, 1.76 GAA, .932 sv% and 8 shutouts in a league where netminders often have a tough time. His heroics helped the Ice to a first overall finish in "The Dub." The playoffs were a disappointment for the team, but the Calgary native went 10-6 with a 2.28 GAA .916 sv% in the WHL playoffs, leading the Ice to the Western Conference Final before falling 4-2 to the Kelowna Rockets. Glass walked away with the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL's best goaltender and earned ADT CHL Goaltender of the Year Honours to boot.

Most people will remember Glass as the backstop to arguably the best WJC team of all time. Glass shared a dressing room with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, Brent Seabrook, Bryadon Coburn, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Patrice Bergeron (quite the team, eh?) and did not look out of place. Some critics bemoaned that Glass was the weak link on the team, and never had to do any real work because of the all-star cast he had playing in front of him. Nevertheless, Glass went a perfect 5-0 at the tourney, and looked like he was destined to have an NHL career.

Glass has struggled since turning pro. He spent most of the 2005-06 season in the ECHL and posted so-so numbers. His career numbers with Binghamton have not been strong, though Glass did show some improvement last season, posting a .913 sv% and 2.88 GAA and 2 shutouts in 45 appearances with a bad Binghamton team. He has struggled so this year while serving as Brian Elliott's back up. Glass is 3-7-2 with a 3.68 GAA and .895 sv% this season. Glass summed up his thoughts on his struggles in a recent article in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, believing much of his troubles have to do with a lack of routine playing time.

"I think I struggled a little bit not being able to play every night. And maybe having a good game or a bad game, and wanting to get back in there, and having to wait weeks to do that...To be perfectly honest, the hardest part for me was every game I got into, the first period I felt like I was adjusting... Whether I played good or bad in the first period, I didn't ever really feel comfortable. ... It wasn't so much the frustration of not getting to get back in again (right away), as it is, when I did get in, I maybe over-thought the first period. Or it just took me a while to get warmed up. And then once I settled into a groove it was either too late, or it felt like we were always chasing. So that was the hardest part for me." - Jeff Glass

Seeing as Glass has been thrust into the spotlight in Bingo this week, the time seemed right for a profile. Glass is shaping up to be a bit of a disappointment as an NHL prospect, but there is still time for him to turn things around. The Senators organization showed faith in Glass last summer, re-signing him to a one year deal, though their patience may wear thin after this season. Glass figures to back up Martin Gerber for the forseeable future. He really has no NHL prognosis.

NHL.com was being difficult, so the only video I could find of Glass was this appearance he did on MTV's Cribbs... What? You say it's a spoof for the B-Sens' website? Well the production is just so good I would never have known! Honestly though, unless you are trying to kill six minutes, don't waste your time.

Apparently Jeff does a lot of his "best thinking" when he is constantly moving between every room in his house and his car

The Daily Wrap Up - Friday January 16, 2009

2009-01-16T09:10:00.007-05:00

Pressconnects.com - Looks like Martin Gerber isn't even guaranteed to be the starter on his two week conditioning stint.

The B-Sens will welcome goaltender Martin Gerber from Ottawa today, as he starts his two-week conditioning stint. Coach Cory Clouston said Thursday that a decision will be made this morning whether Gerber or Jeff Glass will start tonight's game.

On a normal "conditioning stint" it is for the player to get back into form to help the big club. In this case, it is just to get Gerber out from under foot. Gerber will surely see some action on his stint, but I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Glass got most of the starts. I don't pity him at all as there are 3.7 million reasons not to.

So for those of you following the departure of Martin Gerber, it can take a few paths:

1) After the conditioning stint many NHL teams begin to clamour for the darth lord to come sit on their bench, so Brian Murray trades him.

2) He get's waived and picked up by another team.

3) He get's waived and plays in Binghamton.

4) He get's waived and claimed off re-entry.

Maybe Gerber should start working on his jedi mind tricks so he can convince another team that he can play hockey.

And that's the daily wrap up! Check back Monday for more of the goodness.

EDIT

Giving a quick shoutout to:

http://theempirescoresback.blogspot.com/

Welcome to the blogging community!

Sens Edge Thrashers, Season Now Saved: Ottawa 3; Atlanta 2

2009-01-15T13:37:00.005-05:00

A belated "Merry Sensmas" to you on the occasions of this - once common, now rare - two game winning streak.

Ottawa managed to knock off a hapless Atlanta Thrashers tgroup last night. While they secured the victory, the Sens were far from dominant against one of their cellar-dwelling colleagues. This was partly because of their 4AM arrival in Atlanta after playing the Hurricanes Tuesday, and also partly because they are still the same team that picked up 3 of a possible 16 points on a season-defining road trip.

Brian Elliott did not have a Teflon performance by any means, as Pierre McGuire frequently pointed out. Elliott bobbled a few rebounds he should have held on to but, other than the shot that led to Atlanta's second goal, they did not come back to haunt him. Elliott looked solid, and the team appears to be rallying around his effort.

Dean McCammond scored for the second straight game, this time from the seat of his pants. His effort has been evident of late, and it's nice to see him getting results. The Senators also got big contributions for their first line, as Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson both had powerplay markers.

The mix of adequate defensive play and first line scoring the last two games makes you wonder where this level of execution has been for the last few weeks. If the Sens had struck this balance on their road trip, they might still have a realistic shot at the playoffs. While the wins are encouraging for the guys in the senators' dressing room, the only meaningful upward mobility these wins are likely to facilitate at this point is the kind that pushes the Sens up the draft order into a number 7-12 spot.

The Sens are off until Saturday night, when they will host the Montreal Canadiens. Les Glorieux have been red hot of late, going 9-2-1 in their last 12 outings, propelled by an offense that has scored 47 goals over that span. The Senators will need a very complete effort to contain the Habs' offense while finding time to score some goals themselves.

The Daily Wrap Up - Thursday January 15, 2009

2009-01-15T08:41:00.005-05:00

TheSpec.com - It looks like all those 'Pat Quinn to Ottawa' rumours that popped up after the WJC were a bit premature.

But neither Shero nor Melnyk, Quinn says, spoke to him about the National Hockey League during the world junior tournament, although Melnyk was a main sponsor and Quinn has known Shero since he was a boy. And there's been no contact since, from Ottawa, Pittsburgh or anywhere else. "Not a thing from anyone," Quinn said. "Not a phone call. Not a hint, no wink, no nudge-nudge. "This has all been media-driven, I guess."

It looks like that rumour has been laid to rest, at least for now. It's not to say that it won't happen in the future, it's just highly improbable to happen in the immediate future. Hopefully Melnyk and Murray both realize that this teams needs some stability behind the bench, whether that be from Hartsburg, or someone else.

Sportsnet.ca - Doug MacLean grades Ottawa, and the other Canadian teams. For those of you at work:

sad situation...
secondary scoring non-existent...
not enough offense from the back-end

A pretty fair appraisal of the team.

*****

Here are some photos of Brian Elliott's new helmet. Click to enlarge.

Good to see he's a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Casey Jones was no Leonardo, but he did have his moments......

The artwork is by daviddarrigo.com (please don't sue, we'll remove any photos upon request).

And that's the daily wrap up!

What were your favorite Ninja Turtles?

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Atlanta Thrashers January 14, 2009

2009-01-14T14:06:00.001-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

(Edit by Mike, haha nice try)
Our very talented coulmnist and my personal friend Mike will be participating in a live blog over at Scarlett Ice. Check it out, and pay him the respect and praise we all know he is due.

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Atlanta Thrashers January 14, 2009

Panthers Waive Cory Murphy?

2009-01-14T13:31:00.006-05:00

TSN.ca is reporting the Florida Panthers waived Kanata native Cory Murphy Monday. The Panthers website mentions nothing of this, instead stating he was recalled from a two-week conditioning stint. Murphy, who has somewhat of a flair for the offensive side of the game, was thought by some pundits to be part of a deal Ottawa's Bryan Murray was discussing with Panthers GM Jacques Martin.

Since 48-hours have passed since he would have been waived, it's safe to say that the Sens won't be claiming him. You would have to think that if he was waived and the Senators were willing to give up anything of value for him, they would have pulled the trigger on this one. That they didn't likely scuttles any notion that Murray was pursuing Murphy. The Panthers' defender is injury prone, having missed 60 games over the past two seasons due to shoulder injuries, but has put up decent offensive numbers in the NHL last season when healthy. He will be a UFA July 1st, and his price tag is what remains on his $825K deal.

If he has been waived, it would be nice to see BM the GM take a flyer on him. The risk is fairly low as the Sens can walk away from him at the end of the year, and he does bring a bit of what the Sens need to the table. At this point in the season there's really no reason not to look at what's out there when the price is right. Murray has shown a willingness to bring in guys with local connections for the right price (Shean Donovan, Brendan Bell, Jesse Winchester, Luke Richardson, Alexandre Picard) so don't be shocked if the Sens use some of their cap space during the summer to secure his services. He may be a suitable replacement for someone like Brendan Bell if Bell is not brought back.

The Daily Wrap Up - Wednesday January 14, 2009

2009-01-14T12:12:00.004-05:00

Faceoff.com - The Ottawa Senators have been voted 'most dissapointing' at the halfway point of the season.

No, it's not just because we live here. The Senators' fall from the Stanley Cup final of 2007 to the nether regions of the standings as the lowest-scoring team in the NHL really is prize worthy. The only team to come close to being as disappointing is Ottawa's expansion partner, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Well, I really can't argue with that article as the team is severely underperforming. Any team with the likes of Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson shouldn't be anywhere near the bottom of the league in scoring. Tampa is also mentioned as being close to Ottawa in terms of disappointment, but I would argue they are more disappointing, given the amount of hype that surrounded the team in the offseason.

Canada.com - Apparently Rob Vanstone just bought a new pair of hindsight 20/20 glasses and decided to use them while ripping into Craig Hartsburg.

The Ottawa Senators are floundering with Craig Hartsburg as head coach. What else would you expect? Hartsburg, who was unexceptional during previous head-coaching stints with the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks, is observing that rich tradition in Ottawa.

The slagging of Craig Hartsburg continues, this time by Rob Vanstone, a "lifelong Reginan and football enthusiast".

Thank you Mr. Vanstone for your informed oppinion on the matter, but I am pretty sure that the people who hired Craig have a little bit more insight into hockey than you do. It was not quite as obvious as you have stated it to be, nor is it wholly factual that it is entirely the fault of Craig. But thank you for trying to place the entire team's failure on the back of the coach.

And that's the daily wrap up!

Freak Storm: Ottawa 5; Carolina 1

2009-01-14T02:07:00.006-05:00

Where on God’s green earth did that kind of dominance come from?

Sens fans were treated to a taste of the kind of play they were once familiar with, tonight. The Senators ran roughshod over the Carolina Hurricanes, defeating Tobacco Row’s hockey heroes by a score of 5-1. Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette each tallied, while Jason Spezza executed one of his much maligned drop passes to perfection to open the scoring. Ottawa had several odd man rushes against a Carolina defence that just looked porous.

It will be tough for Craig Hartsburg to go back to Alex Auld - let alone Martin Gerber - after another solid start from Brian Elliott, The AHL all-star looked cool, calm and collected, controlling his rebounds and challenging shooters. Elliott may be ready for full-time service with the big club, provided he can sustain this level of play.

The only negative for Sens fans was having to watch Joe Corvo’s idiot smile after he recorded his fifth goal in three games against his old club. In both pre-game coverage and on the ice he looked pretty cocky for a player who once came within a wisher of weeping on the post-game show after turning the puck over to cost his team the game in overtime. On New Year’s Day 2007, Corvo shit the bed at the Atlanta Thrasher blue line, turning the puck over to Slava Kozlov, who proceeded to score the game winner on the hapless Martin gerber. Corvo was inconsolable when interviewed on the Team 1200’s post-game show, proclaiming himself to be “just a defensive liability out there, I guess” and bemoaning how the media reports about the goal would surely damage his ego for some time to come. Andy and I listened to it on our drive home from the game, and couldn’t help feel a mix of pity and contempt for the man.

By the way Joe, the number 77 is supposed to be for great players. Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque wore it with the utmost class and set a standard of excellence. Hell even Adam Oates pulled it off. It looks ridiculous on you to be honest. Same goes for Todd Gilbert and Pavel Kubina. You wouldn’t wear 66 or 99, and most people tend to shy away from 88, so let’s throw 77 in the “don’t touch” category to pay homage to the great players who have worn it. If you intend to wear duplicate digits past 44, you better back it up with your play. The three of you are on notice.

The question we must ask ourselves after this rare win is: Is it even good that the Senators won? Unless the club wins at close to a .700 clip from here on out, the playoffs are a pipe dream. I for one am not convinced the club can pull off such heroics, and even if they do they will be weaker for it. Shouldn’t they just go Mel Bridgeman and shoot for that high draft pick? Any thoughts?

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes January 13, 2009

2009-01-13T11:25:00.001-05:00

It's Game Day Today!

Live Stream Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes January 13, 2009

The Daily Wrap Up - Tuesday January 13, 2009

2009-01-13T11:10:00.001-05:00

The Guardian - Ottawa Senators head coach Craig Hartsburg will juggle the Senators powerplay tonight to get bodies in front of the net. Dany Heatley, Antoine Vermette and Nick Foligno will be on a unit together, while Daniel Alfredsson will be with Jason Spezza, and Chris Neil or Mike Fisher.

“When (Heatley, Alfredsson, and Spezza) play together, they’re on the perimeter too much and not enough people in front of the net,” Hartsburg said. “So we’ll make a change and try to create to more garbage around the net and get more pucks to the net.”

The powerplay has been a huge disappointment this year, and that is one area that started off so well for the Senators. Now, like everything else on the team, it is in a slump and things need to be changed to get out of it. I don't like splitting up the big three though, put the best talent together and let them work it out!

Docsports.com - Well at least someone out there believes the Senators can still win the cup. Good ole Bodog, looking to make a dollar off a long shot team.

28) Ottawa Senators (24) 85/1 - Las Vegas still believes this Senators team has a chance to make a run. I just do not see it happening. The team has rarely been able to hold leads after two periods and when it does it is worst in the NHL when it comes to closing out a game

I'm honestly shocked that the odds are only 85 to 1, its actually horrible value has only the slightest chance of getting into the playoffs. I find it very humorous that the Leafs are considered 200 to 1 on winning the cup. Even in a year where they beat expectations and are doing better than the Senators, they still are apparently a longer shot to win the cup.

And that's the daily wrap up!

Ottawa Senators vs Carolina Hurricanes Deal Jan 13, 2009

2009-01-13T08:34:00.000-05:00

With a valid student ID, you can get ticket for tomorrow night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes starting at only $13.04* - a savings of 50% off our regular gate price!

Tuesday, January 13 @ 7:30 pm

Here's how to score your seats:

Visit www.capitaltickets.ca/promo and refer to code: CANES

OR

Call Capital Tickets at 613-599-3267 or 877-788-3267 and refer to code CANES

To claim your seats:

You must possess and show your valid student ID card at the Scotiabank Place Box Office. One ticket per student ID.
One ticket per student ID.

The Daily Wrap Up - Monday January 12, 2009

2009-01-12T11:59:00.001-05:00

What an utterly abysmal week for the Senators, losing all four contests.

Canoe.ca - Daniel Alfredsson has a problem. He is not a good gambler, but continues to want to do so!

After having to wear a Team Canada jersey to practice last year and losing a snow-shovelling wager to Shean Donovan this year, Alfredsson was asked if he'd ever bet against Canada again. "If it's against Sweden, I probably will, but otherwise no," he said.

Oh yeah, he also still believes in the playoffs, but questions whether it's realistic. Reality must be faced and players need to see just how big of a hole they put themselves in. I hope Murray is kept around as he did a terrific job at last years draft, and it looks like this year we will have some high picks!

Sun.ca - The Oilers are more interested in Fisher than Spezza.

While league sources say the Oilers have a mild interest in Ottawa's top centre, the man Edmonton general manager Steve Tambellini really wants is Mike Fisher.

So we don't have to give up Spezza, and we can unload Fisher? How is that not great news!? When rumours are reported to the public they are most likely dead, however, I am extremely excited about this one. If we could get Gagner (or Cogliano) and a pick, I would be overjoyed! Then again this rumour is courtesy of Bruce Garrioch, so take it with a grain of salt.

And that's the daily wrap up!