Today has been a bit of a downer for young Geoffrey and me. As much as I want to believe that this deadline will be as exciting as times past, it is becoming clear that it wont. Too many teams believe that they are still in the hunt. Usually, even teams that were close would still cut their losses, realizing that even if they did squeak in their venture would be fruitless. Unfortunately the Toronto Maple Leaves have come out saying that they believe that they will make it to the dance and Don Waddell has gone as far to guarantee it. What? I hate to break it to any Leafs sympathizers but if you have are more than 4 points out at this point - the season is over.
Today I will attempt to clear the air on the other teams in the NE division for you.
Montreal: Expect the Habs to add a strong defencemen if they can. Don’t be surprised to see Willy Mitchell in the red, blue and white come Friday. Les Habitants are also in the market for a good second line centre – but who isnt? Expect a prospect to go the other way.
Toronto: Expect JFJ to ADD at the deadline. I have it from a good source at MLSE that JFJ has been told that he cannot hold a fire sale and he is to try and improve this team at the deadline. You may see the Leafs try and land Witt and Arnason. He will not move his first round pick but will part with a number 2 or any number of prospects – including Matt Stajan.
Buffalo : Expect Noronen to be moved if they get a good return. The Sabres are in great shape for the playoff's as is - expect very little action.
Boston: Boston is not averse to moving Sampsonov but they are right in the hunt at this point and may want to make a late push. The one guy that I can see being moved is Raycroft. If they do move Raycroft it will be to the Oilers. The Oilers will give the Bruins what ever prospect they desire (not including Schremph).
Monday, March 06, 2006
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Sens Game Report - Ottawa at Toronto - March 4, 2006
Photo from CP and www.tsn.ca
That makes seven thus far, Shooter.
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 4-2
Ottawa goals: Eaves (12) lays a bodycheck behind the Toronto net and walks in front to bang in a rebound, Pothier (4) for his third in three games with a shot from the point, Heatley (36) with the game-winner, a one-timer from his Pizza linemate that showed flashes of brilliance, Chara (12) with a short-handed empty netter to cap it off.
Making Sens(e): Spezza, Heatley, Emery, Eaves
Not much Sens(e): Redden, Alfredsson
It was over when: Heatley blasted a shot high side before Belfour moved, putting us up for good.
It was definitely over when: Fisher’s faceoff win to Chara in our zone was lifted into the empty net for a short-handed goal to ice the win.
Message in a Molson bottle: At times a lackluster effort, the Sens did just enough to put the once-rival Leaves away with solid goaltending and timely goals. Solid Toronto effort wasn’t enough, showing that we can occasionally win games with an average performance.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260304021
Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:
Muckler calls off goaltender issue
Three games have passed and our brutally honest GM has officially called off any question about finding a new backup goalie. And rightfully so. This was the biggest game of his young career and he gave us the best performance of his young career. This game was never more than a one-goal affair, and Rayzer kept us in it throughout with timely saves and excellent composure. The Emery of January gave up goals in bunches (or as some of his teammates referred to it, in racks of ribs), often letting one bad goal lead to a mental breakdown. This time, he stuck with it and refused to let the pressure of playing a Hockey Night in Canada game in Toronto negatively affect him. Some reports show Hasek coming back in a week, others say it might be longer, but the last three games have proven that so long as it is before the playoffs, we’ll be fine. Great job, Rayzer.
Sometimes Alfie can’t make it on his own
As I have repeatedly said in the past, I hold Alfredsson, Chara, Redden, Hasek, Spezza, and Heatley to a higher standard than everyone else. These are our best players and since they are Senators, doesn’t that make them some of the best in the NHL? No bias there, eh? But seriously, it is always easier to notice Alfredsson and Redden on an off night then it is, say, Schubert and Varada. Alfredsson had shots stopped that usually go in. He plays his heart out each and every game but sometimes he just doesn’t find the back of the net – that’s okay because we have the depth for others to pick up the goals. No major statements here other than that Alfie usually scores on those same shots that were saved in this game. Moreover, I thought Redden lost way too many battles in our corners tonight. I understand he isn’t a physical defencemen like Chara and Phillips, but he was very soft this game and I hate to say it, but this has been too regular lately. Redden in one of the best d-men in the league and is in for a huge raise, I just expect him to be at his best and strongest in these final games leading into the playoffs. Both of these guys will be fine in the post-season, but I just wish they’d be at the top of their game for a HNIC in Toronto appearance.
5 Keys to a Long Playoff Run
Since the Battle of Ontario doesn’t have much left to talk about, here’s a new idea. Let’s really break down the five keys to a successful journey to 16 playoff wins. Please let me know whether you agree or disagree with any of these points in the comments box.
1. Hasek’s best performance ever. Dominik won a Cup with Detroit on a team that was so much better than everyone else. Frankly, I could have backstopped that lineup to at least the Conference Finals. This time around with competition tough in both conferences, Hasek will need to play the best hockey of his Hall of Fame career, bar none. He is the hardest working man in sports and will come back 110%, and then the burden is on his shoulders to stand on his head from April until June.
2. Pizza Line feeding Ottawa fans regularly. It is no secret that when these guys score, we win games, and when they are bad, we lose games. The Spezza-Heatley game winner last night was exactly what we will need going through the post-season and let’s hope that their early season chemistry will re-appear again in time to win us some slices of ‘zza. In a related story, Baton Rouge will begin offering a free bbq rib everytime Chara has six bodychecks and the Sens win.
3. Fisher to earn the ‘A’. Without offending Redden and Chara (and I’m still convinced we re-sign them both), I would love to see Mike Fisher wearing the A next season. He needs to earn it in the playoffs. He has always been a solid performer in the postseason and this needs to be his best ever. He is our second line center right now (trade deadline is Thursday at 3pm), and is becoming a leader in the dressing room. His passion and drive is a motivating force for his line and his team and he truly has the ability to turn a game around. That’s right – I just called
Mike Fisher a gamebreaker in the playoffs. Dig it.
4. Rookies grow up fast. Meszaros has already been promoted to be Redden’s partner. Eaves was told to get a place in Ottawa. Emery is once again the future of the Sens goaltending. Schubert plays well enough to be a forward or a defencemen. Kelly is on the top penalty-killing unit. Even McGrattan can be stuck on the ice in the third period of a close game without the fear of making a mistake! The composure of these rookies must continue to increase in the postseason as they have proven to give us such depth when the top line slows down and picked up the heat when the defensive leaders go soft.
5. Alfredsson must win the Conn Smythe. You didn’t think I could get through five of these without touching on Alfredsson, did you? As I have said before, only one non-Canadian captain has ever won the Stanley Cup – that was the American, Derian Hatcher with Dallas. That will all change this year when the Super Swede takes what he learned in Torino and applies to the greater goal, Lord Stanley. Alfredsson has been getting better and better each year and this will definitely be his finest moment in hockey. His leadership is among the top in the NHL and the same can be said about his raw skill and talent. He can take over a game in one shift, he can calm his entire team, and he can score before you even know the game has started. #11 has to be our best player until mid-June and has to be there to shake Bettman’s hand for the Cup and for the Conn Smythe. Fill out your deposit slip and take that to the bank. Or use your bank card, either way.
Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items or less
- Physical game – 70 total hits.
- Toronto is now 7 points out of the playoffs and has to go 16-6 to get to the magical number of 90 points that is said to usually ensure a postseason berth.
- That tribute to Tie Domi was ridiculous. He made a longer speech for playing his 1000th game than LaFontaine did when they retired his number the night before. I’m going on strike if the CBC doesn’t give me those 15 minutes back. On the other hand, it is truly amazing that such a terrible player lasted that long.
- Havlat is said to be back for the first week of April
- While my co-blogger Matt Williams is the trade expert, my two cents is that Keenan finally caves in and trades Jokinen to us for a 1st and 2nd round pick on a pure rental basis. The reason we get him is because Muckler is the only GM to agree to not go after Jokinen in the off-season. With the promise that Jokinen will return to Florida in the summer, we rent him for a few months at the expense of draft picks. We also get Barnaby and Derek Morris and sadly, Schubert and McGrattan take to the press box.
- Chris Kelly made his first major bonehead turnover of the year that led to Toronto’s second goal. He has earned the mulligan and all is forgiven.
- Don’t forget to check this site daily and post your comments and arguments– http://www.northeasthockey.blogspot.com/.
Upcoming Games
Monday at Tampa Bay, 7:30pm
Wednesday at Florida, 7:00pm
Friday at Atlanta, 7:00pm – should I go? Vote now at americanidol.com
That makes seven thus far, Shooter.
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 4-2
Ottawa goals: Eaves (12) lays a bodycheck behind the Toronto net and walks in front to bang in a rebound, Pothier (4) for his third in three games with a shot from the point, Heatley (36) with the game-winner, a one-timer from his Pizza linemate that showed flashes of brilliance, Chara (12) with a short-handed empty netter to cap it off.
Making Sens(e): Spezza, Heatley, Emery, Eaves
Not much Sens(e): Redden, Alfredsson
It was over when: Heatley blasted a shot high side before Belfour moved, putting us up for good.
It was definitely over when: Fisher’s faceoff win to Chara in our zone was lifted into the empty net for a short-handed goal to ice the win.
Message in a Molson bottle: At times a lackluster effort, the Sens did just enough to put the once-rival Leaves away with solid goaltending and timely goals. Solid Toronto effort wasn’t enough, showing that we can occasionally win games with an average performance.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260304021
Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:
Muckler calls off goaltender issue
Three games have passed and our brutally honest GM has officially called off any question about finding a new backup goalie. And rightfully so. This was the biggest game of his young career and he gave us the best performance of his young career. This game was never more than a one-goal affair, and Rayzer kept us in it throughout with timely saves and excellent composure. The Emery of January gave up goals in bunches (or as some of his teammates referred to it, in racks of ribs), often letting one bad goal lead to a mental breakdown. This time, he stuck with it and refused to let the pressure of playing a Hockey Night in Canada game in Toronto negatively affect him. Some reports show Hasek coming back in a week, others say it might be longer, but the last three games have proven that so long as it is before the playoffs, we’ll be fine. Great job, Rayzer.
Sometimes Alfie can’t make it on his own
As I have repeatedly said in the past, I hold Alfredsson, Chara, Redden, Hasek, Spezza, and Heatley to a higher standard than everyone else. These are our best players and since they are Senators, doesn’t that make them some of the best in the NHL? No bias there, eh? But seriously, it is always easier to notice Alfredsson and Redden on an off night then it is, say, Schubert and Varada. Alfredsson had shots stopped that usually go in. He plays his heart out each and every game but sometimes he just doesn’t find the back of the net – that’s okay because we have the depth for others to pick up the goals. No major statements here other than that Alfie usually scores on those same shots that were saved in this game. Moreover, I thought Redden lost way too many battles in our corners tonight. I understand he isn’t a physical defencemen like Chara and Phillips, but he was very soft this game and I hate to say it, but this has been too regular lately. Redden in one of the best d-men in the league and is in for a huge raise, I just expect him to be at his best and strongest in these final games leading into the playoffs. Both of these guys will be fine in the post-season, but I just wish they’d be at the top of their game for a HNIC in Toronto appearance.
5 Keys to a Long Playoff Run
Since the Battle of Ontario doesn’t have much left to talk about, here’s a new idea. Let’s really break down the five keys to a successful journey to 16 playoff wins. Please let me know whether you agree or disagree with any of these points in the comments box.
1. Hasek’s best performance ever. Dominik won a Cup with Detroit on a team that was so much better than everyone else. Frankly, I could have backstopped that lineup to at least the Conference Finals. This time around with competition tough in both conferences, Hasek will need to play the best hockey of his Hall of Fame career, bar none. He is the hardest working man in sports and will come back 110%, and then the burden is on his shoulders to stand on his head from April until June.
2. Pizza Line feeding Ottawa fans regularly. It is no secret that when these guys score, we win games, and when they are bad, we lose games. The Spezza-Heatley game winner last night was exactly what we will need going through the post-season and let’s hope that their early season chemistry will re-appear again in time to win us some slices of ‘zza. In a related story, Baton Rouge will begin offering a free bbq rib everytime Chara has six bodychecks and the Sens win.
3. Fisher to earn the ‘A’. Without offending Redden and Chara (and I’m still convinced we re-sign them both), I would love to see Mike Fisher wearing the A next season. He needs to earn it in the playoffs. He has always been a solid performer in the postseason and this needs to be his best ever. He is our second line center right now (trade deadline is Thursday at 3pm), and is becoming a leader in the dressing room. His passion and drive is a motivating force for his line and his team and he truly has the ability to turn a game around. That’s right – I just called
Mike Fisher a gamebreaker in the playoffs. Dig it.
4. Rookies grow up fast. Meszaros has already been promoted to be Redden’s partner. Eaves was told to get a place in Ottawa. Emery is once again the future of the Sens goaltending. Schubert plays well enough to be a forward or a defencemen. Kelly is on the top penalty-killing unit. Even McGrattan can be stuck on the ice in the third period of a close game without the fear of making a mistake! The composure of these rookies must continue to increase in the postseason as they have proven to give us such depth when the top line slows down and picked up the heat when the defensive leaders go soft.
5. Alfredsson must win the Conn Smythe. You didn’t think I could get through five of these without touching on Alfredsson, did you? As I have said before, only one non-Canadian captain has ever won the Stanley Cup – that was the American, Derian Hatcher with Dallas. That will all change this year when the Super Swede takes what he learned in Torino and applies to the greater goal, Lord Stanley. Alfredsson has been getting better and better each year and this will definitely be his finest moment in hockey. His leadership is among the top in the NHL and the same can be said about his raw skill and talent. He can take over a game in one shift, he can calm his entire team, and he can score before you even know the game has started. #11 has to be our best player until mid-June and has to be there to shake Bettman’s hand for the Cup and for the Conn Smythe. Fill out your deposit slip and take that to the bank. Or use your bank card, either way.
Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items or less
- Physical game – 70 total hits.
- Toronto is now 7 points out of the playoffs and has to go 16-6 to get to the magical number of 90 points that is said to usually ensure a postseason berth.
- That tribute to Tie Domi was ridiculous. He made a longer speech for playing his 1000th game than LaFontaine did when they retired his number the night before. I’m going on strike if the CBC doesn’t give me those 15 minutes back. On the other hand, it is truly amazing that such a terrible player lasted that long.
- Havlat is said to be back for the first week of April
- While my co-blogger Matt Williams is the trade expert, my two cents is that Keenan finally caves in and trades Jokinen to us for a 1st and 2nd round pick on a pure rental basis. The reason we get him is because Muckler is the only GM to agree to not go after Jokinen in the off-season. With the promise that Jokinen will return to Florida in the summer, we rent him for a few months at the expense of draft picks. We also get Barnaby and Derek Morris and sadly, Schubert and McGrattan take to the press box.
- Chris Kelly made his first major bonehead turnover of the year that led to Toronto’s second goal. He has earned the mulligan and all is forgiven.
- Don’t forget to check this site daily and post your comments and arguments– http://www.northeasthockey.blogspot.com/.
Upcoming Games
Monday at Tampa Bay, 7:30pm
Wednesday at Florida, 7:00pm
Friday at Atlanta, 7:00pm – should I go? Vote now at americanidol.com
Friday, March 03, 2006
St. Barnaby Pt. 2
After receiving much criticism for my Barnaby post I think the boys would be wise to look at my backlogged posts. 1st priority is a scorer period. If Muckler can get his hands on Jokinen, he will. Problem with Jokinen is that there are about 7 teams trying to get him right now, which drives up the cost considerably. Do I want to give up Havlat and a second for this guy? Do we want to give up Volchenkov and a first? It depends. Question 1: Can we sign him, because Havlat and a second is a lot to give up for a guy who may be with us for two months. Question 2: If we sign him, what happens to Redden and Chara. If we give this guy an extension you can all but say goodbye to one of the two stalwarts we have on the backend. Itdefinitelyy makes you think.
Number 2 priority is goaltending. Hasek will be healthy come playoff time and he will be ready to roll. It is imperative to give Emery a couple more games to prove himself. If he falters at all, an insurance goalie becomes priority number 1. Possible suitors: Roloson and Cujo. Nobody in the east will trade a goalie to Ottawa, which leaves two. Cujo does not want anything to do with Hasek and will do anything in his power not to come to Ottawa. Roloson has had an off year but a change of scenery would do him good. If Muckler decides to get a backup, I think it will be Roloson for a pick.
Finally, priority number three is characters and grit. You can never have enough. Barnaby is all character and ultra grit and would be great in Ottawa. It would be nice to have someone who can handle the media and take a bit off pressure off Alfie. Dallas Drake is another possibility but I truly believe Muckler wants Barnaby. We all know how he loves his old Buffalo boys.
"Muckler will be the most active GM this trade deadline" TSN
Number 2 priority is goaltending. Hasek will be healthy come playoff time and he will be ready to roll. It is imperative to give Emery a couple more games to prove himself. If he falters at all, an insurance goalie becomes priority number 1. Possible suitors: Roloson and Cujo. Nobody in the east will trade a goalie to Ottawa, which leaves two. Cujo does not want anything to do with Hasek and will do anything in his power not to come to Ottawa. Roloson has had an off year but a change of scenery would do him good. If Muckler decides to get a backup, I think it will be Roloson for a pick.
Finally, priority number three is characters and grit. You can never have enough. Barnaby is all character and ultra grit and would be great in Ottawa. It would be nice to have someone who can handle the media and take a bit off pressure off Alfie. Dallas Drake is another possibility but I truly believe Muckler wants Barnaby. We all know how he loves his old Buffalo boys.
"Muckler will be the most active GM this trade deadline" TSN
Sens Game Report; Washington at Ottawa; Thursday, March 02, 2006
Photo from CP and www.tsn.ca
Touchdown!
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 7-1
Ottawa goals: Fisher (19) sent in alone on a pass from Meszaros, Redden (9) on the backdoor powerplay pass, Vermette (13) shorthanded after Kelly’s shot went off the end boards, Spezza (15) on the powerplay from the goal line, Schaefer (15) in alone shorthanded, Pothier (3) from the point on the powerplay for his second in two nights, Smolinski (13) on an absolutely beautiful snap shot from the side boards.
Making Sens(e): Meszaros, Mostly everyone
Not much Sens(e): McGrattan (healthy scratch)
It was over when: Vermette scored shorthanded only 31 seconds into the second. Funny that a 2-0 lead can go either way, but that third goal to open the second period always seems to put it away.
It was definitely over when: Pothier made Ottawa locals fatter with the pizza goal.
Message in a Molson bottle: People had warned Ottawa, including myself, that their level of play wouldn’t cut it against an upstart Capitals team. Luckily, nobody warned the Capitals that the Sens can occasionally have the best team in the NHL again.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260302014
Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:
Eddie Vedder says, “Can’t find a better win.”
Finally, a complete effort from end to end as we quickly took down….the second worst team in the conference. No matter, let’s take the good from this win and show a little bit of glee that Ray Emery made 30 saves in what was definitely his best performance of 2006. For the time being (the next 24 games until playoffs), this situation can work. If Emery can just hold us in games long enough for us to put up 3 or 4 goals, then he’ll be loved in Ottawa. People will quickly forget the cockroaches he ate, the tattoos he gets, the hair he colours blonde, the sex offenders he paints on his masks, and the GAA of over 7.00 he has during January. His job now and until Dom gets back is to keep us in games. Leave the job of stealing games to Hasek, Emery just needs to keep us in it. He did that tonight and the offence found its stride and its special teams with a converted touchdown. 3 of 5 on the powerplay and two more shorties helped out (we lead the league with 19 now). The most encouraging news of the game was in the completeness of the effort. Emery was sharp, the defencemen didn’t give up the chances, and the forwards made scoring chances into goals. Now if we can just do this against the Carolinas and the Philadelphias…
Back to our roots
Chris Neil of old, we missed you. Neiler managed to pick up for the healthy-scratched McGrattan with a pair of bouts and really made sure that Washington couldn’t gather up any momentum from a winning fight. It didn’t help the Capitals that the first of the two fights came with the score 6-0, but I guess that’s why they are second last in the East. Chara was also back to his old tricks and absolutely crushing people with each chance he had. Even the faithful Washington broadcasters that I had the pleasure of watching were scared of him! Sorry guys, it’s da ribs. Smolinski played well and his point-after goal (if it didn’t go of Witt’s stick), just unreal. Now Brian, I’ve told you enough times now, get the puck up and good things happen. Brent Johnson didn’t even know that he had replaced Kolzig when this puck flew over his shoulder and into the top drawer of the net. And Alfredsson was at his playmaking best, working the powerplay and having a nice, fun time out there. Shocking is that Alfie was only one of two Sens to not record a single shot on net (Eaves left the game).
Whoop-de-doo, Basil, what does it all mean?
Well, Austin, this means that our heroes can now rejoice in the fact that they aren’t as bad as we were starting to think they were. Some may play this game off as a nice practice session against a terrible team. But practice makes perfect, so by this game’s result, we are back on track towards perfection, right? To use an old sports cliché, the only team that can really beat us consistently is ourselves. Boooooooo, sports cliché, booooo. But seriously, there rarely is a loss where we really played at the top of our game and got beat. The times that we lose, you can see Spezza floating up in the rafters and Chara hailing a cab for dinner at the Kanata Centrum and Muckler calling the Swiss Elite League for replacements. In other words, we lose games because we play lazy, sloppy, and stupid. The truth is, though, we aren’t a lazy or sloppy or stupid team, so when we just play our own game, we shouldn’t have a problem. Let’s take this game for what it really is – a nice step in the right direction that helped out rookie goalie get some more demons out of his head, helped out #1 center get his second goal of 2006, helped Meszaros add to his league leading +/- total, helped Mr. Muckler get an idea of what type of deals he needs to make before next Thursday, and helped the millions and gazillions of Ottawa fans around the world sleep better knowing that somewhere, deep down inside, we still have the ability to make another NHL team look completely out of place. Sigh.
Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items or less
How does Alfredsson finish +2 in a 7-1 romp, but his linemates on the Pizza Line finish -1? I guess since 5 of the 7 goals were special teams.
Our best faceoff man tonight – Antoine Vermette was 2 for 4. Ouch. We were creamed in the faceoff circle 38-19, the biggest faceoff coming on our poweplay but after an icing call – it led to Ovechkin zinger.
I wish I could make a case to put Neil back in front of the net on the powerplay, but he didn’t get a second of PP time and we went 3-for-5, so I guess that’s why Coach Murray is behind the bench and I’m in South Carolina second-guessing things.
For those that missed the pregame show on the team1200, Bob McKenzie, the self-proclaimed “most knowledgeable hockey analyst on the planet,” said that not in a million years will Mucks trade Chara or Redden before the deadline if he doesn’t think he can sign them this summer. For those that haven’t followed this story, I’ll speak louder so you can hear this under your rock. Chara and Redden are unrestricted free agents this summer and with Toronto once again screwing up the market by giving Kaberle $4.25 million, we risk losing one of our defencemen to free agency as teams will likely be willing to throw $6-7 million at either one of these guys if they are still unsigned by the free agency date of July 1st. Wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate Canada Day with a Molson Canadian tall boy, a downtown Ottawa concert, and the knowledge that our blue line is intact?
Brian Pothier had over 20 minutes of ice time and had the second most powerplay time of any player on the team (behind Spezza). I like it – it will get even our #6 d-man ready for the tight games.
Don’t forget to check this site daily – www.northeasthockey.blogspot.com and post your thoughts, arguments, or praise.
Upcoming Games
Saturday at Toronto, 7:00pm
Monday at Tampa Bay, 7:30pm
Wednesday at Florida, 7:00pm
Friday at Atlanta, 7:00pm – should I go? Vote now at americanidol.com
Touchdown!The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 7-1
Ottawa goals: Fisher (19) sent in alone on a pass from Meszaros, Redden (9) on the backdoor powerplay pass, Vermette (13) shorthanded after Kelly’s shot went off the end boards, Spezza (15) on the powerplay from the goal line, Schaefer (15) in alone shorthanded, Pothier (3) from the point on the powerplay for his second in two nights, Smolinski (13) on an absolutely beautiful snap shot from the side boards.
Making Sens(e): Meszaros, Mostly everyone
Not much Sens(e): McGrattan (healthy scratch)
It was over when: Vermette scored shorthanded only 31 seconds into the second. Funny that a 2-0 lead can go either way, but that third goal to open the second period always seems to put it away.
It was definitely over when: Pothier made Ottawa locals fatter with the pizza goal.
Message in a Molson bottle: People had warned Ottawa, including myself, that their level of play wouldn’t cut it against an upstart Capitals team. Luckily, nobody warned the Capitals that the Sens can occasionally have the best team in the NHL again.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260302014
Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:
Eddie Vedder says, “Can’t find a better win.”
Finally, a complete effort from end to end as we quickly took down….the second worst team in the conference. No matter, let’s take the good from this win and show a little bit of glee that Ray Emery made 30 saves in what was definitely his best performance of 2006. For the time being (the next 24 games until playoffs), this situation can work. If Emery can just hold us in games long enough for us to put up 3 or 4 goals, then he’ll be loved in Ottawa. People will quickly forget the cockroaches he ate, the tattoos he gets, the hair he colours blonde, the sex offenders he paints on his masks, and the GAA of over 7.00 he has during January. His job now and until Dom gets back is to keep us in games. Leave the job of stealing games to Hasek, Emery just needs to keep us in it. He did that tonight and the offence found its stride and its special teams with a converted touchdown. 3 of 5 on the powerplay and two more shorties helped out (we lead the league with 19 now). The most encouraging news of the game was in the completeness of the effort. Emery was sharp, the defencemen didn’t give up the chances, and the forwards made scoring chances into goals. Now if we can just do this against the Carolinas and the Philadelphias…
Back to our roots
Chris Neil of old, we missed you. Neiler managed to pick up for the healthy-scratched McGrattan with a pair of bouts and really made sure that Washington couldn’t gather up any momentum from a winning fight. It didn’t help the Capitals that the first of the two fights came with the score 6-0, but I guess that’s why they are second last in the East. Chara was also back to his old tricks and absolutely crushing people with each chance he had. Even the faithful Washington broadcasters that I had the pleasure of watching were scared of him! Sorry guys, it’s da ribs. Smolinski played well and his point-after goal (if it didn’t go of Witt’s stick), just unreal. Now Brian, I’ve told you enough times now, get the puck up and good things happen. Brent Johnson didn’t even know that he had replaced Kolzig when this puck flew over his shoulder and into the top drawer of the net. And Alfredsson was at his playmaking best, working the powerplay and having a nice, fun time out there. Shocking is that Alfie was only one of two Sens to not record a single shot on net (Eaves left the game).
Whoop-de-doo, Basil, what does it all mean?
Well, Austin, this means that our heroes can now rejoice in the fact that they aren’t as bad as we were starting to think they were. Some may play this game off as a nice practice session against a terrible team. But practice makes perfect, so by this game’s result, we are back on track towards perfection, right? To use an old sports cliché, the only team that can really beat us consistently is ourselves. Boooooooo, sports cliché, booooo. But seriously, there rarely is a loss where we really played at the top of our game and got beat. The times that we lose, you can see Spezza floating up in the rafters and Chara hailing a cab for dinner at the Kanata Centrum and Muckler calling the Swiss Elite League for replacements. In other words, we lose games because we play lazy, sloppy, and stupid. The truth is, though, we aren’t a lazy or sloppy or stupid team, so when we just play our own game, we shouldn’t have a problem. Let’s take this game for what it really is – a nice step in the right direction that helped out rookie goalie get some more demons out of his head, helped out #1 center get his second goal of 2006, helped Meszaros add to his league leading +/- total, helped Mr. Muckler get an idea of what type of deals he needs to make before next Thursday, and helped the millions and gazillions of Ottawa fans around the world sleep better knowing that somewhere, deep down inside, we still have the ability to make another NHL team look completely out of place. Sigh.
Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items or less
How does Alfredsson finish +2 in a 7-1 romp, but his linemates on the Pizza Line finish -1? I guess since 5 of the 7 goals were special teams.
Our best faceoff man tonight – Antoine Vermette was 2 for 4. Ouch. We were creamed in the faceoff circle 38-19, the biggest faceoff coming on our poweplay but after an icing call – it led to Ovechkin zinger.
I wish I could make a case to put Neil back in front of the net on the powerplay, but he didn’t get a second of PP time and we went 3-for-5, so I guess that’s why Coach Murray is behind the bench and I’m in South Carolina second-guessing things.
For those that missed the pregame show on the team1200, Bob McKenzie, the self-proclaimed “most knowledgeable hockey analyst on the planet,” said that not in a million years will Mucks trade Chara or Redden before the deadline if he doesn’t think he can sign them this summer. For those that haven’t followed this story, I’ll speak louder so you can hear this under your rock. Chara and Redden are unrestricted free agents this summer and with Toronto once again screwing up the market by giving Kaberle $4.25 million, we risk losing one of our defencemen to free agency as teams will likely be willing to throw $6-7 million at either one of these guys if they are still unsigned by the free agency date of July 1st. Wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate Canada Day with a Molson Canadian tall boy, a downtown Ottawa concert, and the knowledge that our blue line is intact?
Brian Pothier had over 20 minutes of ice time and had the second most powerplay time of any player on the team (behind Spezza). I like it – it will get even our #6 d-man ready for the tight games.
Don’t forget to check this site daily – www.northeasthockey.blogspot.com and post your thoughts, arguments, or praise.
Upcoming Games
Saturday at Toronto, 7:00pm
Monday at Tampa Bay, 7:30pm
Wednesday at Florida, 7:00pm
Friday at Atlanta, 7:00pm – should I go? Vote now at americanidol.com
Thursday, March 02, 2006
St. Barnaby
Photo from tsn.ca
Matthew Barnaby, the leagues ultra super pest, has said repeatedly that he would like nothing more than to play for the Ottawa Senators. Seeing as the Hawks are selling, this seems like the perfect fit. I do understand that the Senators have more pressing needs but personally I beleive that Barnaby would be an excellent pick-up by the Senators and could play a major role in a long playoff run. If Muckler can secure a goalie I would suggest that Barnaby would follow in short order. So here it is: I GUARANTEE THAT MATT BARNABY WILL BE TRADED TO THE SENATORS before March 9, 2006. Yep, i said it, feel free to chastise if this does not happen.
Matthew Barnaby, the leagues ultra super pest, has said repeatedly that he would like nothing more than to play for the Ottawa Senators. Seeing as the Hawks are selling, this seems like the perfect fit. I do understand that the Senators have more pressing needs but personally I beleive that Barnaby would be an excellent pick-up by the Senators and could play a major role in a long playoff run. If Muckler can secure a goalie I would suggest that Barnaby would follow in short order. So here it is: I GUARANTEE THAT MATT BARNABY WILL BE TRADED TO THE SENATORS before March 9, 2006. Yep, i said it, feel free to chastise if this does not happen.
Sens Game Report - Ottawa at Pittsburgh - Wednesday, March 01, 2006
photo from CP and tsn.ca
Picking up where we left off – being bad
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 4-3
Ottawa goals: Schaefer (14) on a generous rebound of Fisher’s shot, Alfredsson (35) on another generous rebound from Meszy’s point shot, Pothier (2) on a slapshot from the point, Heatley (35) on a textbook 2-on-1 feed from Alfie.
Making Sens(e): Alfredsson, Heatley, Fisher
Not much Sens(e): Redden, Spezza
It was over when: Heatley scored Ottawa’s 4th – we are now 34-0 when scoring four goals. I’ve got an idea! We should try and do that every game.
It was definitely over when: Coach Murray tore the bench a new one after three unanswered goals from the Penguins made a game out of this laugher.
Message in a Molson bottle: Our performance tonight was so mediocre tonight that there is only one team in the NHL we could have beaten. Luckily, we were playing that team. Still, it is Murray that has his work cut out for him and not necessarily Muckler.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260301016
Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:
And down the stretch they come…
But the Sens came out of the gates much like they had just gone into the break – playing just well enough to beat the lowly Penguins. This game was sloppy and occasionally ugly. The guys didn’t play terrible, but they didn’t play great, either. And after a two week hiatus and led by our gold-medal captain, didn’t we all expect to come flying into the last 26 games with the same excellence that we had in October and November? But instead, the game kind of just happened out there. Nothing special, some powerplay goals, killed some penalties, and Emery had a few get by. If this game was a French expression, it would be “comme-ci, comme-ca.” If this game was the afterlife, it would be in purgatory. If this game was an item at Bed Bath and Beyond, it would be on a shelf in the Beyond section. If this game was one of the Baton Rouge ribs on Zdeno Chara’s plate, it would be that small burnt one at the end that you aren’t sure if you should eat or not because it might ruin the taste of the rest of them. And if this game was the first of the 26 games in the Sens homestretch, then you’d say that these guys need to step it up and play a lot better in the next 25 of them, because this performance won’t beat other teams anymore and it certainly won’t win in the playoffs. Snap.
The Usual Suspects
Jason Pezz Dispenser Spezza picked up right where he left off in early February – playing like an idiot. I’m not sure if Jason spent the Olympic break with the team in Italy or somewhere in the Ottawa Valley practicing his moves in Junior B games, but you’d think he would have learned his weaknesses by now. For some reason, his skill continues to improve but his mentality is the same as when Jacques called him a boy playing in a man’s game. Ah, forgiveness please, M. Martin. Spezza has fun out there, which is a good thing, but he can sometimes be way too careless out there, which is a bad thing. This is the time of year when everyone tightens up their game and somebody forgot to mention that to our #1 center. Alfie, can you take care of this, please? Thanks, buddy. Knock him upside the head with your one pound golden donut or whatever those things were that they handed out in Torino. Meanwhile, on the blue line, Wade Redden looked like he was still playing in Italy. Not much more to say on that one other than that it looked like Meszaros was bailing out Redden way too often than a rookie should need to be doing. Redds needs to get his game back now. Alfie, you know the drill.
A Ray of Light?
Not really. It appeared through the first 45 minutes of the game that Emery might pull off a much-needed shutout that would not only get us the win, but do absolute wonders for his psyche going into this little streak of starts he is about to get. Imagine that – a potential goaltending issue in Ottawa and Emery answers the critics with a shutout. But sure enough, as we’ve noticed by now, Rayzer doesn’t ever let just one goal get by. He must have the same mentality that Lalime had after letting one in – the flood gates open and you start to wonder if he’ll actually make a save for the rest of the night. Granted all three goals can be attributed to poor defensive work, I would just once like to see Emery make a highlight reel save or even better, let in one goal and then stop everything other puck he sees all night. Pittsburgh was a tune-up. Washington is a tougher test and a faster team. And Saturday in Toronto will be the pressure cooker that he has been waiting his whole life for. Um, yes, Mr. Muckler, I am almost finished the assignment titled, “do we need to trade for a goalie” but can I turn it in on Sunday instead? I should have all the information I will need. Thanks.
The Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items of less
Alfie was good. He looked a little tired at first, but he does what a good captain does and became one of the best players on the ice. Good chemistry with Heatley. Like it a lot.
Mike Fisher, is there anything you can’t do? I’m starting to think that he might have overtaken Alfredsson for the most dangerous wrist shot on the team (Havlat’s hurt). Fisher with the puck inside the circles will automatically lead to a scoring chance because either he’ll put it in or his shot will catch the goalie off guard and the poor positioning will lead to a juicy rebound on Schaefer’s stick.
Smolinski showed some spark at times throughout the night. It sometimes looks like Smoke turns the passion switch on and off throughout the game whereas a guy like Fish has it turned on and then broke the switch off. Smoke is a third liner now and should be in a position to dominate the opponent’s third lines. Should.
Havlat is practicing with the team with no contact and might be ready in a month. Hooray, yippee. This might be better than any trade deadline acquisition. Unless Havlat is the trade deadline victim.
I concur with Redden when he says that Phillips will be the best defencemen leading into the playoffs. Over the past few years, Phillips has been by far our most consistent spring season d-man.
We were outshot 14-7 in the third period. And we’re supposed to be the best third period team in the NHL.
Upcoming Games
Tonight hosting Washington, 7:30pm
Saturday at Toronto, 7:00pm
Next Monday at Tampa Bay, 7:30pm Be there.
Picking up where we left off – being bad
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 4-3
Ottawa goals: Schaefer (14) on a generous rebound of Fisher’s shot, Alfredsson (35) on another generous rebound from Meszy’s point shot, Pothier (2) on a slapshot from the point, Heatley (35) on a textbook 2-on-1 feed from Alfie.
Making Sens(e): Alfredsson, Heatley, Fisher
Not much Sens(e): Redden, Spezza
It was over when: Heatley scored Ottawa’s 4th – we are now 34-0 when scoring four goals. I’ve got an idea! We should try and do that every game.
It was definitely over when: Coach Murray tore the bench a new one after three unanswered goals from the Penguins made a game out of this laugher.
Message in a Molson bottle: Our performance tonight was so mediocre tonight that there is only one team in the NHL we could have beaten. Luckily, we were playing that team. Still, it is Murray that has his work cut out for him and not necessarily Muckler.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260301016
Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:
And down the stretch they come…
But the Sens came out of the gates much like they had just gone into the break – playing just well enough to beat the lowly Penguins. This game was sloppy and occasionally ugly. The guys didn’t play terrible, but they didn’t play great, either. And after a two week hiatus and led by our gold-medal captain, didn’t we all expect to come flying into the last 26 games with the same excellence that we had in October and November? But instead, the game kind of just happened out there. Nothing special, some powerplay goals, killed some penalties, and Emery had a few get by. If this game was a French expression, it would be “comme-ci, comme-ca.” If this game was the afterlife, it would be in purgatory. If this game was an item at Bed Bath and Beyond, it would be on a shelf in the Beyond section. If this game was one of the Baton Rouge ribs on Zdeno Chara’s plate, it would be that small burnt one at the end that you aren’t sure if you should eat or not because it might ruin the taste of the rest of them. And if this game was the first of the 26 games in the Sens homestretch, then you’d say that these guys need to step it up and play a lot better in the next 25 of them, because this performance won’t beat other teams anymore and it certainly won’t win in the playoffs. Snap.
The Usual Suspects
Jason Pezz Dispenser Spezza picked up right where he left off in early February – playing like an idiot. I’m not sure if Jason spent the Olympic break with the team in Italy or somewhere in the Ottawa Valley practicing his moves in Junior B games, but you’d think he would have learned his weaknesses by now. For some reason, his skill continues to improve but his mentality is the same as when Jacques called him a boy playing in a man’s game. Ah, forgiveness please, M. Martin. Spezza has fun out there, which is a good thing, but he can sometimes be way too careless out there, which is a bad thing. This is the time of year when everyone tightens up their game and somebody forgot to mention that to our #1 center. Alfie, can you take care of this, please? Thanks, buddy. Knock him upside the head with your one pound golden donut or whatever those things were that they handed out in Torino. Meanwhile, on the blue line, Wade Redden looked like he was still playing in Italy. Not much more to say on that one other than that it looked like Meszaros was bailing out Redden way too often than a rookie should need to be doing. Redds needs to get his game back now. Alfie, you know the drill.
A Ray of Light?
Not really. It appeared through the first 45 minutes of the game that Emery might pull off a much-needed shutout that would not only get us the win, but do absolute wonders for his psyche going into this little streak of starts he is about to get. Imagine that – a potential goaltending issue in Ottawa and Emery answers the critics with a shutout. But sure enough, as we’ve noticed by now, Rayzer doesn’t ever let just one goal get by. He must have the same mentality that Lalime had after letting one in – the flood gates open and you start to wonder if he’ll actually make a save for the rest of the night. Granted all three goals can be attributed to poor defensive work, I would just once like to see Emery make a highlight reel save or even better, let in one goal and then stop everything other puck he sees all night. Pittsburgh was a tune-up. Washington is a tougher test and a faster team. And Saturday in Toronto will be the pressure cooker that he has been waiting his whole life for. Um, yes, Mr. Muckler, I am almost finished the assignment titled, “do we need to trade for a goalie” but can I turn it in on Sunday instead? I should have all the information I will need. Thanks.
The Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items of less
Alfie was good. He looked a little tired at first, but he does what a good captain does and became one of the best players on the ice. Good chemistry with Heatley. Like it a lot.
Mike Fisher, is there anything you can’t do? I’m starting to think that he might have overtaken Alfredsson for the most dangerous wrist shot on the team (Havlat’s hurt). Fisher with the puck inside the circles will automatically lead to a scoring chance because either he’ll put it in or his shot will catch the goalie off guard and the poor positioning will lead to a juicy rebound on Schaefer’s stick.
Smolinski showed some spark at times throughout the night. It sometimes looks like Smoke turns the passion switch on and off throughout the game whereas a guy like Fish has it turned on and then broke the switch off. Smoke is a third liner now and should be in a position to dominate the opponent’s third lines. Should.
Havlat is practicing with the team with no contact and might be ready in a month. Hooray, yippee. This might be better than any trade deadline acquisition. Unless Havlat is the trade deadline victim.
I concur with Redden when he says that Phillips will be the best defencemen leading into the playoffs. Over the past few years, Phillips has been by far our most consistent spring season d-man.
We were outshot 14-7 in the third period. And we’re supposed to be the best third period team in the NHL.
Upcoming Games
Tonight hosting Washington, 7:30pm
Saturday at Toronto, 7:00pm
Next Monday at Tampa Bay, 7:30pm Be there.
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