Tonight's game against the Buds and the Sens was a tight checking example of semi-elevated play. Yeah, it wasn't the best that we have ever seen, but there was enough passion to keep the knotted game from being totally boring to watch. Toskala made some amazing stops at key times else the game would have been a routing! Not bad for a cocky little twerp only 200 games into his career and sitting third worst in the league... Not bad at all.
Fisher's return to the lineup was felt not only in the game's first and only non-shootout puck in the twine, but also on the body. Just ask Luke Schenn how it felt to be flattened by #12. To the naysayers who claim Fisher isn't worth the money I give you tonight's game as a great example of how he is worth every penny. He hits the ice with such passion and ferocity that even if he doesn't have a scoring chance he still makes sure his presence is felt.
Vermette and Heatley, however, are so gingerly stepping around other players and clutching the sticks way too tightly as of late. Loosen up the play boys and just keep playing your game ... you'll get your biscuits behind the backstop sooner or later. Toskala was murdering the chances, but you can't let that get to you!
Speaking of Toskala, how about Alex Auld? Over shadowed only because Toskala is playing absolute trash hockey as of late, but Auld made some great saves in his own right. Flashing the leather a couple of times and getting back into position when it was needed the most. Like Toskala, if Auld was even a fraction off of his game the score could have been quite different; the Leafs did have their chances.
Overall it was a good game and like Mendez said at the top of the program the Sens "need to get back to remembering how to win". Step one accomplished ... Hard fought win gained. Now let's see a string!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Increased traffic means increased posting I guess...
It's game day and I am sitting here procrastinating one of three papers. I figure it should write itself based on my disconnected thoughts, but telepathy can only go so far. Instead I chose to cruise the sites and see what was in the wind.
1) Bouwmeester is one of the big names on the blueline that Murray would like to see. JC at SensChirp.ca has posted about it twice now in a short period of time, but now it just remains to be seen if we get a shot at him or not. I'll revist this throughout the post.
2) Jacques Martin's problems with Ottawa. That was between Mucks and him to be at all honest. Martin would be insane not to want to cultivate some of the young talent that comes out of Ottawa knowing full well the potential our scouts have. He may not have liked or agreed with Spezza when he was younger, but it is hard to argue -- for example only -- that Spezza is leagues ahead of the average player. What is Martin looking for?
3) Vermette, Lee & 1st or 2nd round pick. That's what it is going to take just to get J-Bo into a Sens jersey. Atop of that there needs to have some cap space cleared in the big club just to accomidate him.
4) Already I have read one account stating that Richardson is now on Waivers. His small salary could be enough to soften up the cap space for a trade, but truthfully Luke should have retired last year ... He wasn't terrible, but the game is just out of his legs really.
So what's all this business about trade rumours in Ottawa? Murray has been shopping around. He is looking for a blueliner and will continue to do so. No doubt he wants another top six forward, but the reality is that the Sens need to have less shots going to their net and more puck movement up the ice in shorter periods of time.
More to come as it comes out I suppose.... and of course, my post-game reaction after the Sens and Leafs battle tonight.
1) Bouwmeester is one of the big names on the blueline that Murray would like to see. JC at SensChirp.ca has posted about it twice now in a short period of time, but now it just remains to be seen if we get a shot at him or not. I'll revist this throughout the post.
2) Jacques Martin's problems with Ottawa. That was between Mucks and him to be at all honest. Martin would be insane not to want to cultivate some of the young talent that comes out of Ottawa knowing full well the potential our scouts have. He may not have liked or agreed with Spezza when he was younger, but it is hard to argue -- for example only -- that Spezza is leagues ahead of the average player. What is Martin looking for?
3) Vermette, Lee & 1st or 2nd round pick. That's what it is going to take just to get J-Bo into a Sens jersey. Atop of that there needs to have some cap space cleared in the big club just to accomidate him.
4) Already I have read one account stating that Richardson is now on Waivers. His small salary could be enough to soften up the cap space for a trade, but truthfully Luke should have retired last year ... He wasn't terrible, but the game is just out of his legs really.
So what's all this business about trade rumours in Ottawa? Murray has been shopping around. He is looking for a blueliner and will continue to do so. No doubt he wants another top six forward, but the reality is that the Sens need to have less shots going to their net and more puck movement up the ice in shorter periods of time.
More to come as it comes out I suppose.... and of course, my post-game reaction after the Sens and Leafs battle tonight.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Fiver, rumours and ... Gerz (who, right?)
The number five seems to be something the Ottawa Senators have issues with right now. Five losses in a row with only scoring five goals in total. While the ship is sinking fans are scrambling to make sense of it all. So, what is there to look forward to?
It is unlikely the Senators will face another 1994/95 style season and will most likely rebound, but in order to do so they may need to make a deal and shake up the room. There are players in the room that have absolutely no confidence -- Vermette? Break away failed and then was put in a shoot out situation? There are others that are brimming with so much confidence that they carry on with individual play -- Spezza? Nice that you can undress the blue liners, but bad when you can't pass the puck without first knitting a sweater to prove how awesome you are. The Senators need to return to what works for the Senators before it is much too late. Play their game, their tempo and play for the jersey not the name. If they must play for a name then play for either Alex Auld or Jarkko Ruutu ... easily the best Senators on the ice as of late regardless of losses and/or suspensions. At least they are not quitting on themselves or the team.
Who would we trade into the club and who would be leaving? I have been reading and hearing about Boumeester from Florida... de Vries from Nashville.... Ohlund from Vancouver and even the return of Forsberg to the NHL here in Ottawa. However, for any of these players the club would need to give up a snakebitten player and sweeten the pot in most cases (de Vries could be a straight up trade though and Foppa would be a matter of moving cap space) just to get the deal done. Is Bryan Murray ready to do what Muckler did not have the back bone to do and make the blockbuster? He has done it in other markets, but I am a little apprehensive to say he's going to go for gusto and get the Senators a big deal. Murray has long said he is looking for a puck moving blue liner, but there isn't the market or movement he is willing to do. He also stated in the off season that this is a season of retooling the club. We just have to wait and see.
Moving on to this Gerz character. Stop reading here if you don't want to read me trash someone from Hockeybuzz.com or you have sensitive sensitivities. Mmm, redundant!
Who the hell is Gerry Bourdeau and how come he blogs on Hockeybuzz.com for the Ottawa Senators fans? The latter I am not entirely sure, but the former I am dead positive about! From his patriot "Don't Tread on Me" facebook picture to his Boston Red Socks and Boston Bruins jersey, he is a son of Massachusetts. Now, his profile claims he is from Ottawa, but the circumstantial evidence is a little unnerving. It would not shock me that the site that hosts Eklund and his wondrously wrong predictions also has a jerk from Boston posting for the Ottawa Senators blog. What happened HB? Did JC at SensChirp tell you to stuff it? Rightly so if they did too!
Oh on that note: congratulations to SensChirp to getting a real domain name! Must be nice.
It is unlikely the Senators will face another 1994/95 style season and will most likely rebound, but in order to do so they may need to make a deal and shake up the room. There are players in the room that have absolutely no confidence -- Vermette? Break away failed and then was put in a shoot out situation? There are others that are brimming with so much confidence that they carry on with individual play -- Spezza? Nice that you can undress the blue liners, but bad when you can't pass the puck without first knitting a sweater to prove how awesome you are. The Senators need to return to what works for the Senators before it is much too late. Play their game, their tempo and play for the jersey not the name. If they must play for a name then play for either Alex Auld or Jarkko Ruutu ... easily the best Senators on the ice as of late regardless of losses and/or suspensions. At least they are not quitting on themselves or the team.
Who would we trade into the club and who would be leaving? I have been reading and hearing about Boumeester from Florida... de Vries from Nashville.... Ohlund from Vancouver and even the return of Forsberg to the NHL here in Ottawa. However, for any of these players the club would need to give up a snakebitten player and sweeten the pot in most cases (de Vries could be a straight up trade though and Foppa would be a matter of moving cap space) just to get the deal done. Is Bryan Murray ready to do what Muckler did not have the back bone to do and make the blockbuster? He has done it in other markets, but I am a little apprehensive to say he's going to go for gusto and get the Senators a big deal. Murray has long said he is looking for a puck moving blue liner, but there isn't the market or movement he is willing to do. He also stated in the off season that this is a season of retooling the club. We just have to wait and see.
Moving on to this Gerz character. Stop reading here if you don't want to read me trash someone from Hockeybuzz.com or you have sensitive sensitivities. Mmm, redundant!
Who the hell is Gerry Bourdeau and how come he blogs on Hockeybuzz.com for the Ottawa Senators fans? The latter I am not entirely sure, but the former I am dead positive about! From his patriot "Don't Tread on Me" facebook picture to his Boston Red Socks and Boston Bruins jersey, he is a son of Massachusetts. Now, his profile claims he is from Ottawa, but the circumstantial evidence is a little unnerving. It would not shock me that the site that hosts Eklund and his wondrously wrong predictions also has a jerk from Boston posting for the Ottawa Senators blog. What happened HB? Did JC at SensChirp tell you to stuff it? Rightly so if they did too!
Oh on that note: congratulations to SensChirp to getting a real domain name! Must be nice.
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