The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 6-3 (Ottawa leads 1-0)
Ottawa Goals: Meszaros, Kelly, Preissing, Heatley, Neil, Comrie
Making Sens: Alfredsson, Phillips, Volchenkov
Lacking Sens: hard to name anyone
It was over when: Heatley comes out 9 seconds into the third to bang in a rebound off Alfie’s tip, giving us a 4-1 lead
It was definitely over when: Baby Crosby’s goal is disallowed 15 seconds later, meaning that we keep momentum and that he is a boy in a man’s game, to quote an old friend.
Message in a Molson bottle: Dominating forecheck and exploiting the weakness between the pipes, we came out flying in this game and never let up until we spent the last 12 minutes or so shorthanded. This wasn’t as close as the score suggests as we most certainly showed experience, grit, finesse, and the ability to win and win big. Saturday gives us an opportunity for our first ever 2-0 series lead. Can you believe that we’ve never led a series 2-0?
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=270411014
Grab a Timmy’s double double and listen to what really happened:
Optimistic Ophelia
Areas that we can watch on tape and carry into next game were the outstanding forecheck and consistent pressure. Dumping and chasing will work in this serious simply because Pittsburgh’s only strength is at forward. If we dump it in and hit the balls of their defencemen, we’ll continue to get chances on Fleury. By the way, could you imagine watching this game on Versus in the US and they actually show a highlight clip of his saves at the end of the game? I could have sworn we put an unconverted touchdown past him, but I digress. The forecheck is key in this series and we MUST come out with the exact same intensity on Saturday afternoon as we did tonight.
Pessimistic Patty
Hi, I’m Bill, the guy that works in the Ottawa penalty box, it’s been really nice hanging out with you tonight. We cranked out a cool 10 penalties today and when you consider that a key to the series was to keep the play on the 5-on-5, this math doesn’t add up. I think we’ll learn the lessons from this and get over the opening day jitters to settle down enough and stay out of the box. If not, then we’ll see more of these 9-goal affairs.
Upbeat Ursula
Emery was solid, we hit hard, and didn’t retaliate when their idiots came out in the third to try and start some shite. After 10 years in the playoffs, we can now be seen as an experienced team and it showed tonight. We need to continue on this path.
Debbie Downer
Alfie is snakebit again. He played a hell of a game in terms of effort and creating plays, but he had 8 shots on goal and a ton (tonne) of great scoring chances and either missed the net or was stopped cold. It’s only one game, but how nice would it be for everyone involved if he potted a pair in the first period on Saturday?
Keys to the next game
- Match tonight’s first period intensity and domination
- Continue to control neutral zone
- Keep your sticks on the ice and out of Penguins’ faces
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Playoff Blog Coming Soon
The dynamic duo returns for what will hopefully be a long and prosperous postseason of Senators hockey. Check back soon.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Sens Game Report - Ottawa @ Buffalo - 2.7.07
I don’t like Buffalo one bit.
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Buffalo wins 3-2
Ottawa Goals:
McAmmond (6) knocking in a rebound that got away from Biron on a Corvo shot
Schaefer (9, pp) picking up the garbage in front of the net on the PP
Making Sens: Neil, Spezza, McAmmond, Volchenkov (minus the one turnover)
Lacking Sens: Corvo, Redden, Fisher
It was over when: Redden takes the lazy hooking penalty with 5:30 to go and we give up the powerplay goal
It was definitely over when: A high stick on Schaefer went uncalled with a minute to play and we stayed shorthanded until it was too late to get a last minute rush
Message in a Molson bottle: This was the one game against Buffalo we were supposed to win as they were playing on no rest and should have lost their legs in the third. Instead, we looked like the lazy team in the last few minutes and showed the same tendencies that have been evident since the All-Star Break: spotty backchecking and suspect defence. Let’s be able to call this team out when necessary – our great run of 2007 hasn’t been so great since the Break and we are dangerously close to ninth place.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=270207002
Next Game: Thursday night hosting Montreal for a home and home (back end on samedi)
A pair of storylines to wow your friends over a Timmy’s double double:
A brief, sort of, periodic breakdown in judgment
Buffalo’s first goal was on a disgusting handoff from Volchenkov that was so simple that I’m sure Vanek was surprised to get it. Buffalo’s second goal was Afinogenov having an open one-timer because Comrie and Neil didn’t get back in time to backcheck. Buffalo’s third goal came while we killed off a very lazy hooking penalty from our highest-paid player. I truly believe that a lot (not all) of the Senators have bought into the blue collar mentality that Muckler had last summer and Murray has preached all year, but we abandoned that attitude too often tonight against a team that is best known for skating hard and fast. Letting up against the Sabres leads to goals against – three tonight, to be exact. This team needs backchecking from the forwards to win games. Volchenkov can't block every shot.
Whose Line is it Anyway?
Kelly started between Alfredsson and Heatley again. By the third period, everyone was playing with different linemates except the fourth line of Schubert, McAmmond, and Eaves (which was probably our most consistent). Murray has all the pieces a coach could want but so far, it seems like we’ve been unable to find the right combination to produce three consistent scoring lines. Spezza’s talent is wasted playing with a guy like Schaefer, who has been lollygagging since he signed his 4-year deal and always had a reputation for not shooting. Comrie needs more icetime than what he gets in a third line role (11:40 tonight). I’d like to see Comrie spend some time with Heatley and Alfredsson and let Spezza play with Vermette and Fisher for a bit. Match their talents. As Muckler said on the radio this afternoon - all the tools are there and there a ton of line combinations and we don't really have the luxury of spending the next 25 games finding what works. We're two losses out of being outside the playoff cutoff. Speaking of lines, don’t ask me what to do with Peter Schaefer because my suggestion would probably anger the NHLPA in some way. It would involve violence and BBQ ribs and a stern talking-to. “…but now you’ve got your damn unions.” Name the movie. In all seriousnes, I'm not a fan of Schaefer this season. Why are all of our long-term deals from the summer blowing up in our face?
Beavertail droppings:
1. Neil was one of our best players and he didn’t even get 8 minutes of icetime. I agree that the slow backchecking on the Afinogenov goal left a lot to be desired, but Neil is our energy player and when we should be outskating the tired team in the third period, it is a textbook Chris Neil shift that could turn it up a bit.
2. Mike Comrie needs to buy into the program and backcheck and skate hard. I like the guy a lot and I think he knows his role on this team, but we don’t want him to be the rich man’s Tyler Arnason. Get him in shape and get him working his ass off like Heatley does.
3. Mike Fisher has yet to return to his form that he showed right before the injury.
4. 33 Buffalo giveaways and we only had one even strength goal. Boooo.
5. Buffalo is either the worst team at balancing on skates or they’re divers. Since they are all NHL-caliber players, I guess that means they are all turning into little Derek Roys. I hate them all.
6. Spezza goes 20-10 in the faceoff circle; mindblowing.
7. The latest trade rumours have Ottawa looking at any of the following: Gary Roberts, Martin Gelinas, Chris Simon, Brent Sopel, Aaron Miller, Geoff Sanderson. No game breakers, but that isn’t what the team needs. Just a nice 7th defenceman and a forward with some playoff success. I’m in the majority that would love to see Roberts in Ottawa.
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Buffalo wins 3-2
Ottawa Goals:
McAmmond (6) knocking in a rebound that got away from Biron on a Corvo shot
Schaefer (9, pp) picking up the garbage in front of the net on the PP
Making Sens: Neil, Spezza, McAmmond, Volchenkov (minus the one turnover)
Lacking Sens: Corvo, Redden, Fisher
It was over when: Redden takes the lazy hooking penalty with 5:30 to go and we give up the powerplay goal
It was definitely over when: A high stick on Schaefer went uncalled with a minute to play and we stayed shorthanded until it was too late to get a last minute rush
Message in a Molson bottle: This was the one game against Buffalo we were supposed to win as they were playing on no rest and should have lost their legs in the third. Instead, we looked like the lazy team in the last few minutes and showed the same tendencies that have been evident since the All-Star Break: spotty backchecking and suspect defence. Let’s be able to call this team out when necessary – our great run of 2007 hasn’t been so great since the Break and we are dangerously close to ninth place.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=270207002
Next Game: Thursday night hosting Montreal for a home and home (back end on samedi)
A pair of storylines to wow your friends over a Timmy’s double double:
A brief, sort of, periodic breakdown in judgment
Buffalo’s first goal was on a disgusting handoff from Volchenkov that was so simple that I’m sure Vanek was surprised to get it. Buffalo’s second goal was Afinogenov having an open one-timer because Comrie and Neil didn’t get back in time to backcheck. Buffalo’s third goal came while we killed off a very lazy hooking penalty from our highest-paid player. I truly believe that a lot (not all) of the Senators have bought into the blue collar mentality that Muckler had last summer and Murray has preached all year, but we abandoned that attitude too often tonight against a team that is best known for skating hard and fast. Letting up against the Sabres leads to goals against – three tonight, to be exact. This team needs backchecking from the forwards to win games. Volchenkov can't block every shot.
Whose Line is it Anyway?
Kelly started between Alfredsson and Heatley again. By the third period, everyone was playing with different linemates except the fourth line of Schubert, McAmmond, and Eaves (which was probably our most consistent). Murray has all the pieces a coach could want but so far, it seems like we’ve been unable to find the right combination to produce three consistent scoring lines. Spezza’s talent is wasted playing with a guy like Schaefer, who has been lollygagging since he signed his 4-year deal and always had a reputation for not shooting. Comrie needs more icetime than what he gets in a third line role (11:40 tonight). I’d like to see Comrie spend some time with Heatley and Alfredsson and let Spezza play with Vermette and Fisher for a bit. Match their talents. As Muckler said on the radio this afternoon - all the tools are there and there a ton of line combinations and we don't really have the luxury of spending the next 25 games finding what works. We're two losses out of being outside the playoff cutoff. Speaking of lines, don’t ask me what to do with Peter Schaefer because my suggestion would probably anger the NHLPA in some way. It would involve violence and BBQ ribs and a stern talking-to. “…but now you’ve got your damn unions.” Name the movie. In all seriousnes, I'm not a fan of Schaefer this season. Why are all of our long-term deals from the summer blowing up in our face?
Beavertail droppings:
1. Neil was one of our best players and he didn’t even get 8 minutes of icetime. I agree that the slow backchecking on the Afinogenov goal left a lot to be desired, but Neil is our energy player and when we should be outskating the tired team in the third period, it is a textbook Chris Neil shift that could turn it up a bit.
2. Mike Comrie needs to buy into the program and backcheck and skate hard. I like the guy a lot and I think he knows his role on this team, but we don’t want him to be the rich man’s Tyler Arnason. Get him in shape and get him working his ass off like Heatley does.
3. Mike Fisher has yet to return to his form that he showed right before the injury.
4. 33 Buffalo giveaways and we only had one even strength goal. Boooo.
5. Buffalo is either the worst team at balancing on skates or they’re divers. Since they are all NHL-caliber players, I guess that means they are all turning into little Derek Roys. I hate them all.
6. Spezza goes 20-10 in the faceoff circle; mindblowing.
7. The latest trade rumours have Ottawa looking at any of the following: Gary Roberts, Martin Gelinas, Chris Simon, Brent Sopel, Aaron Miller, Geoff Sanderson. No game breakers, but that isn’t what the team needs. Just a nice 7th defenceman and a forward with some playoff success. I’m in the majority that would love to see Roberts in Ottawa.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Sens Game Report - Ottawa @ Nashville - 12.14.06
Gross
Hard to really put this game into the typical format just because nobody made any sens(e) tonight and the report would be more of an angered rant than a piece of literary genius. For the fifth straight game, Alfredsson was out and his teammates looked like they were somewhere else, too. All the players that you exepct will step up with increased ice time are actually floundering worse than when they had third line time. Again, it is hard to pick out a particular player that had a disappointing game because they were all terrible. The silver lining, if you can call it that, is that after Emery was pulled, Gerber didn't allow a goal. That isn't to say that he looked good in there, but the puck stayed out. The problem is that is too pressure free to get any confidence out of that. Suer, his job was to stop the bleeding, but its a pretty different game at 6-0 then it is at 0-0.
The question now is to figure out why this team is so lifeless out there. And it isn't the road trip because they've played like this for five games now!
Hard to really put this game into the typical format just because nobody made any sens(e) tonight and the report would be more of an angered rant than a piece of literary genius. For the fifth straight game, Alfredsson was out and his teammates looked like they were somewhere else, too. All the players that you exepct will step up with increased ice time are actually floundering worse than when they had third line time. Again, it is hard to pick out a particular player that had a disappointing game because they were all terrible. The silver lining, if you can call it that, is that after Emery was pulled, Gerber didn't allow a goal. That isn't to say that he looked good in there, but the puck stayed out. The problem is that is too pressure free to get any confidence out of that. Suer, his job was to stop the bleeding, but its a pretty different game at 6-0 then it is at 0-0.
The question now is to figure out why this team is so lifeless out there. And it isn't the road trip because they've played like this for five games now!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Sens Game Report - Ottawa @ Detroit - 12.12.06
How the BALLS did we win this one?
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 3-2
Ottawa Goals:
Spezza (17) takes a Lang giveaway in alone and roofs a beauty over Hasek
Neil (9) tipping in a Schubert blast – I’m getting used to these goals now
Spezza (18, pp) on a goal you need to see, splitting the defence and blowing past everyone. Tell Pierre McGuire to watch this one, too. He glides, Pierre.
Making Sens: Emery, Eaves, Vermette
Lacking Sens: Volchenkov, Corvo, backcheckers, Schaefer, Fisher, Neil, etc.
It was over when: The horn sounded. We had no business winning this game
It was definitely over when: Someone told Emery that no more shots were coming.
Message in a Molson bottle: A combination of amazing goaltending and a kiss on the cheek from the hockey monkeys allows us to leave Detroit with a much-needed win. Its hard to build off this one because everyone was terrible in this game, save the goalie. The ice looked terrible and we were literally a step behind the entire night. This looked to be a tentative team out there, terrified of shooting the puck into the stands or icing it, because our transition game was left in Kanata, probably shopping at Bayshore or something. Ugly game, much needed win, thank goodness we have at least one goalie.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=261212005
Next Game: Thursday in Nashville, Alfie might be back.
Three storylines to wow your friends over a Timmy’s double double:
A brief ray of sunny optimism
There are team wins and then there are games like this one. Emery finished the night with 43 saves and they weren’t those dumb ones like a dump in or Lalimey-type shots. He made some lights out saves and completely upstaged the q-tip in the other net. Based on the past two games, I have officially jumped the Gerber Wagon and am climbing aboard the Emery Express. I choo choo choose him to be our number one, a solid month after the rest of the fans did the same. This guy was awesome. If the Gerber for Cujo trade is at all possible, can I personally make the call to Wayne to accept? Great job, Rayzer.
Part Time Hero
Remember that old commercial that showed a young Chef Boyardee in an orphanage saying, “sister, why must everything that is so good for me…taste so bad?” It was genius, see, because it was motivation for the young toddler to grow up and create wonderful high-sodium pasta meals that are ready in just under three minutes. Hooray! I’ve obviously digressed here. I want someone to say to Jason Spezza, “Spezz Dispenser, why must your offensive creativity be so good for us, but your defensive play taste so bad?” His two goals are highlight reel variety and he follows that up with some ridiculous turnovers in our end. I still love what he does and continue to give him a long leash because he’s so young and tender, but when the frig is he going to be a Steve Yzerman and backcheck properly? By the way, the Detroit announcers asked him during a TV timeout what he got from Hasek for giving up #39. I guess he didn’t give him anything because Spezza netted two beauties on the guy. Shoulda just given him $20 or some hair gel or something.
A white elephant among the forwards?
I’m putting it out there for you all to toss around and do with it what you want. I think Peter Schaefer is a floater and is actually making his linemates worse. I thought he held Alfredsson and Vermette back and now I think he is holding Fisher and Neil back. He is never in the right place and he just seems to be lollygagging through the corners and skates away from pucks. Is he going to coast for the duration of his new contract? I think Schaefer was best in the past when he worked hard in the corners and dug pucks out and worked the boards, but he doesn’t even do that anymore, except in our own end before coughing it up to the opposition. What bothers me most is I don’t know if there is a player in the room right now that will pull him aside and give him one of those Jake Taylor-Roger Dorn speeches about tagging plays, regardless of his sty in the eye. Coffee, anyone?
Beaver Droppings
1. Detroit was credited with 13 takeaways, but they looked a lot like we just handed it over politely. Hey, that’s the Canadian way.
2. Hi, I’m Jason Spezza. I’m known to be good in the faceoff circle but tonight I won 3 of 16 (18%). I’ll try and do better next time because I’ve been told that my line isn’t so hot when we don’t have the puck.
3. Chris Phillips with 9 blocked shots. That’s wearing the C and wearing some pucks.
4. I think the practice tomorrow needs to really work on the Hennessy/Payer/Hamel line. Just kidding, they won’t see much of the ice tomorrow or Thursday night.
5. Badly outplayed in the first and third period, outshot 30-8 in those periods, 45-22 in the game.
The Balance in the Bank:
Final Score: Ottawa wins 3-2
Ottawa Goals:
Spezza (17) takes a Lang giveaway in alone and roofs a beauty over Hasek
Neil (9) tipping in a Schubert blast – I’m getting used to these goals now
Spezza (18, pp) on a goal you need to see, splitting the defence and blowing past everyone. Tell Pierre McGuire to watch this one, too. He glides, Pierre.
Making Sens: Emery, Eaves, Vermette
Lacking Sens: Volchenkov, Corvo, backcheckers, Schaefer, Fisher, Neil, etc.
It was over when: The horn sounded. We had no business winning this game
It was definitely over when: Someone told Emery that no more shots were coming.
Message in a Molson bottle: A combination of amazing goaltending and a kiss on the cheek from the hockey monkeys allows us to leave Detroit with a much-needed win. Its hard to build off this one because everyone was terrible in this game, save the goalie. The ice looked terrible and we were literally a step behind the entire night. This looked to be a tentative team out there, terrified of shooting the puck into the stands or icing it, because our transition game was left in Kanata, probably shopping at Bayshore or something. Ugly game, much needed win, thank goodness we have at least one goalie.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=261212005
Next Game: Thursday in Nashville, Alfie might be back.
Three storylines to wow your friends over a Timmy’s double double:
A brief ray of sunny optimism
There are team wins and then there are games like this one. Emery finished the night with 43 saves and they weren’t those dumb ones like a dump in or Lalimey-type shots. He made some lights out saves and completely upstaged the q-tip in the other net. Based on the past two games, I have officially jumped the Gerber Wagon and am climbing aboard the Emery Express. I choo choo choose him to be our number one, a solid month after the rest of the fans did the same. This guy was awesome. If the Gerber for Cujo trade is at all possible, can I personally make the call to Wayne to accept? Great job, Rayzer.
Part Time Hero
Remember that old commercial that showed a young Chef Boyardee in an orphanage saying, “sister, why must everything that is so good for me…taste so bad?” It was genius, see, because it was motivation for the young toddler to grow up and create wonderful high-sodium pasta meals that are ready in just under three minutes. Hooray! I’ve obviously digressed here. I want someone to say to Jason Spezza, “Spezz Dispenser, why must your offensive creativity be so good for us, but your defensive play taste so bad?” His two goals are highlight reel variety and he follows that up with some ridiculous turnovers in our end. I still love what he does and continue to give him a long leash because he’s so young and tender, but when the frig is he going to be a Steve Yzerman and backcheck properly? By the way, the Detroit announcers asked him during a TV timeout what he got from Hasek for giving up #39. I guess he didn’t give him anything because Spezza netted two beauties on the guy. Shoulda just given him $20 or some hair gel or something.
A white elephant among the forwards?
I’m putting it out there for you all to toss around and do with it what you want. I think Peter Schaefer is a floater and is actually making his linemates worse. I thought he held Alfredsson and Vermette back and now I think he is holding Fisher and Neil back. He is never in the right place and he just seems to be lollygagging through the corners and skates away from pucks. Is he going to coast for the duration of his new contract? I think Schaefer was best in the past when he worked hard in the corners and dug pucks out and worked the boards, but he doesn’t even do that anymore, except in our own end before coughing it up to the opposition. What bothers me most is I don’t know if there is a player in the room right now that will pull him aside and give him one of those Jake Taylor-Roger Dorn speeches about tagging plays, regardless of his sty in the eye. Coffee, anyone?
Beaver Droppings
1. Detroit was credited with 13 takeaways, but they looked a lot like we just handed it over politely. Hey, that’s the Canadian way.
2. Hi, I’m Jason Spezza. I’m known to be good in the faceoff circle but tonight I won 3 of 16 (18%). I’ll try and do better next time because I’ve been told that my line isn’t so hot when we don’t have the puck.
3. Chris Phillips with 9 blocked shots. That’s wearing the C and wearing some pucks.
4. I think the practice tomorrow needs to really work on the Hennessy/Payer/Hamel line. Just kidding, they won’t see much of the ice tomorrow or Thursday night.
5. Badly outplayed in the first and third period, outshot 30-8 in those periods, 45-22 in the game.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Sens Game Report - Ottawa @ Columbus - 12.10.06
Hard to want to write a game report after this debacle. Five PP goals against, Martin Gerber pulled mid-second, a complete disaster in all three zones of the rink, and penalty trouble again.
I'm starting to question my own opinion on Gerber as he jsut undid everything he had recovered in the past three weeks with this performance. It was bad.
Meszaros took a five minute penalty and a game misconduct for a hit from behind that I didn't think was that bad. It looked like Picard turned late and Meszy couldn't pull up. Of course, we were frustrated with the 3-0 deficit so I'm sure the refs figured Meszaros was taking out his frustrations, but the ensuing powerplay put us away for good.
Again, we are reminded of what a mistake it would have been if Alfredsson had been traded during the previous losing streaks. We are lost without him and Redden.
This makes three straight sub-par efforts from the team and we now have Detroit, Nashville, and Buffalo this week.
I'm starting to question my own opinion on Gerber as he jsut undid everything he had recovered in the past three weeks with this performance. It was bad.
Meszaros took a five minute penalty and a game misconduct for a hit from behind that I didn't think was that bad. It looked like Picard turned late and Meszy couldn't pull up. Of course, we were frustrated with the 3-0 deficit so I'm sure the refs figured Meszaros was taking out his frustrations, but the ensuing powerplay put us away for good.
Again, we are reminded of what a mistake it would have been if Alfredsson had been traded during the previous losing streaks. We are lost without him and Redden.
This makes three straight sub-par efforts from the team and we now have Detroit, Nashville, and Buffalo this week.
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