Daigle Or Bust

Senators 5 Thrashers 1

2008-12-04T01:59:00.003-05:00

Jeremy at Black Aces points out that the lacklustre loss to the Isles on Saturday now appears more like a blip than a return to apathetic play, and I tend to agree. The Senators have been playing spirited hockey for the more than two weeks, dating back to a November 17th game against the New York Rangers (though the real breakout is more noticeably traced to the 4-1 victory against the same Blueshirts on the 22nd). Last night's game against the Atlanta Thrashers was another meaningful step toward competitive play, a 5-1 landslide which was effectively won by (who else?) the top line in the first period.

It's too early to get excited, of course, but the slowly improving play over this six game stretch offers the most balanced play the Senators have offered since the 2006-07 playoffs. Consistent goaltending? Check. A punishing group of blueliners? Check. Defensive commitment from all five skaters on the ice at any given time? Check. Penalty killing prowess? Check. A threatening powerplay? Check. Dominating offensive pressure? Check (once in a while, maybe).

Last night's victory was only a win against the lowly Thrashers, but in a season where the Senators have managed to cede critical points to the Lightning, Panthers, and Islanders, the win is an occasion worth noting. Especially because, the Senators have a tendency to play up, or down to their opponent, regardless of their own standing. It is why, the Senators can look like a unstoppable force against the Penguins or Rangers, yet turn around with mindboggling effortless and passionless play against the Islanders or Maple Leafs. So that the Senators have managed to put aside this crippling misjudgement and throw everything at a dire opponent, is a small step forward in and of itself.

Second, the team was finally able to generate substantial offense for only the second time since late October; its five goals were the most since the November 22 win against the Rangers, and before that the Senators had not managed to top four goals since an October 27th outing against the Buffalo Sabres. Though the papers, and myself, will attribute this win mostly to the efforts of the big three of Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza (and rightly so), the team received offense from other, encouraging sources. Three of the four forward lines contributed offense (aside from the big three, Shean Donovan, Mike Fisher, Ryan Shannon and Jaarko Ruutu contributed a point each), and a full half of the defense figured on the scoresheet (Brendan Bell with his first goal and first assist as a Senator, and Filip Kuba (x2) and Christoph Schubert with assists). It didn't amount to the offensive breakouts that this team wants, and requires, from Antoine Vermette, Chris Kelly and Mike Fisher, but it was a long-awaited step forward.

Defensively, the team continues to excel, mostly but not exclusively due to the play of Alex Auld. In the aforementioned game on Nov 17th against the Rangers, I recall Rogers Sportsnet flashing a graphic about elite goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and his goal totals in recent games; while the exact stats understandably escape my memory, he had played something like 8 out of the previous 10 games with two goals or less allowed. Dean Brown remarked that that kind of goaltending was a Godsend; that on any given night, Lundqvist provided the kind of goaltending that would give his team, more than their fair share of an opportunity to win each game. I recall looking at the stat with a bit of jealousy, that if only Ottawa could that kind of reliable goaltending, the team would really have a chance.

Here we are two weeks later, and TSN flashed a nearly identical statistic for Auld - he had allowed two goals or less in 6 of his previous 8 starts. Because of the Senators lack of offense, they hadn't been able to capitalise on their goaltender's stellar play in the way the Rangers had, but Auld was providing the opportunity nonetheless. And as the Senators offense (fingers crossed) begins to turn a corner, Auld shows no signs of letting down his guard. In the second period, faced with back-to-back 5-on-3s and a sniper in Ilya Kovalchuk who had made quick work of many Senators goaltenders in the past, Auld yielded absolutely nothing. Auld has done nothing since taking over in late October, except keep the team in each and every game, including many where the team didn't seem to want to be there in the first place. Regardless of where the Senators sit in the standings, Auld consistently creeps up the statistical charts.

Quick notes: The Senators ditched their alternate pant shells for tonight's game - no worries, they didn't seem to affect the lucky streak...Jesse Winchester recorded his first NHL fight, and his second. The last time a Senator recorded two fights in a game they went on to sign a 6-year, $39-million dollar contract the next season - best of luck with that, Winnie... As TSN conveniently makes clear, the last time the big three each recorded a goal in the same period was in October, 2005. Back when the Sens had Chara, Havlat, Hasek and Redden - times flies...Patrick Wiercioch and Jim O'Brien were both named to the preliminary Team Canada and USA junior teams, respectively. Best of luck to both, in addition to the presence of Erik Karlsson and Andre Petersson this will be the first junior tournament of interest from an Ottawa Senators perspective in quite a while.

November Player of the Month

2008-12-01T17:23:00.002-05:00

After another losing month, there are not many players who can lay claim to having particularly positive November. Alex Picard made excellent strides after being paired with Filip Kuba and switching to the left side; Daniel Alfredsson recorded 11 points and was a +6 on a team that has been absolutely dire at even strength. But other than those two, the only decent performance rests at Alex Auld, the surprise starting goaltender whom the Senators can thank for a good dozen points in the standings.

In the month of November, Auld recorded a not-so-sparkling 4-4-3 record, however the struggling win column belies his stellar performances in providing the few wins Ottawa did have. Through 11 games in the month, Auld put up a 1.94 GAA and a .924 save percentage. Most impressive, he only allowed the opening goal of the game on three occasions, giving Ottawa the opportunity to establish a lead almost every night.

Auld provided the Senators with reliable, consistent goaltending, allowing the team to establish confidence from the blueline out. No longer did defensemen flail all over the ice like dead fish, attempting to block each and every shot for fear that a shot on net would result in a sure goal. Auld's reliability allowed Hartsburg's defensive system to flourish, with defensemen playing smart positional hockey instead of panicking in an effort to minimise goaltender exposure. Unfortunately, the offense failed to flourish in the same manner as the defense, with the Senators providing one goal or less in 6 of the 12 games (including a 2-1 loss to Carolina which featured Martin Gerber in nets), and two goals or less on 10 of 12 nights.

Among goaltenders who have played 10 games or more, Alex Auld currently ranks 7th in save percentage, even though his team allows the 8th most shots per game. He ranks 4th in goals against average.

If the Senators had been able to provide offense, it wouldn't have been surprising to see them finish the month with 4 or 5 more victories; as it stood, the few it earned were by the hand of Alex Auld. And for that reason, he deserves player of the month honours.

Canadiens 3 - Senators 2 (SO)

2008-11-21T01:11:00.002-05:00

What a disappointing end to a really well played game. This game was all Sens and it's unfortunate they came out on the wrong side of things, but a bad call in the second and some intense play from the Habs in the final five of regulation was enough to be the difference. I think the Senators are really starting to put things together and though it's not reflected in a very comforting way on the scoresheet or in the standings, it doesn't feel like this team just lost its 6th game. They are playing very good hockey right now and it will start to pay dividends soon enough, they just need to keep the energy up.

For years the average fan has claimed that they would gladly and eagerly swap regular season dominance for playoff effectiveness. That they don't care at all about wins in October or November or December, as long as they can play tough hockey when it matters. But when the Sens do exactly that, swap personnel for a team more geared to playoff success but which is going through a requisite growing process in the regular season, people freak out and want half the team gone, along with the coach and GM. The team is taking baby steps towards competitive hockey and though it's not easy or delightful to watch the process unfold, in the end it will be so much more preferable to this team throwing in a couple 7-4 games to inflate the stats and mask bad habits and ineffectual play which will come back to haunt us in the spring - the Senators are taking the right approach.

For the first time in this losing streak that now stretches an unfortunate two weeks, I left the game disappointed about the loss but not ashamed, infuriated or confused about the performance. The Senators played a win-worthy game tonight, even moreso than on Monday against the Rangers. While again, it is little comfort to say the Senators "played well" or "tried hard" when looking at the standings, it is important to keep in perspective the length of the season. A good stretch of games half as long as this losing streak, and the team will be an a playoff position.

Most important to keep in mind, is the way the Senators have been losing games. Offense has been hard to come by, which has lead to a bevy of 2-1 or 3-2 defeats, but the Senators defensive play from all skaters remains impressive, Auld continues to place among the league's best goaltenders in the relevant statistical categories, and the penalty kill continues to shut down the opposition. Last year's weaknesses have become this year's strengths under Hartsburg. While the lack of offense is frustrating if not worrying, the Senators continue to out-chance the opposition and create multiple "sure" goal opportunities on a nightly basis - it is not a lack of effort, creativity, chemistry or talent that is leading to a lack of goals, simply a lack of finish. Is it reassuring? Far from it, but as all of the league's top players attest, as long as a player or team is generating chances, it is only a matter of time before the pucks start going in, and once they do, they rarely stop.

The Senators have an opportunity on Saturday afternoon to continue to their streak of good play, only this time attempt to broaden the performance to include a victory, in a rematch against the New York Rangers. It will be veteran defenseman Wade Redden's Rangers debut at Scotiabank Place, so anticipate a spirited effort from both sides. In addition, the Ottawa Senators will debut their black alternate jerseys, and if mustache contests aren't enough to generate wins for this team, perhaps a lucky third jersey will be.

Reunited and It Feels So Meh

2008-11-17T12:27:00.003-05:00

With the Senators marred in a four game slide marked by inconsistent offense (to put it gently) and lackadaisical play, head coach Craig Hartsburg is opting to reunite the big line of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson in anticipation of tonight's tilt against the New York Rangers. Though, like Bryan Murray and John Paddock before him, Hartsburg came into this season with a view to spread offense by rotating Alfredsson to the second line, like his predecessors he found the split ineffective. Heatley and Spezza have yet to generate any offense of note over the four game slide that began in Carolina on November 7th, and Alfredsson, though an assist machine, has yet to score a goal since October 24th against the Anaheim Ducks. And so, 17 games and 6 wins into the season, Hartsburg is trying his luck with a line that is never impotent for long, if ever.

And still, the potential of improved offense merely by way of reshuffling is not as alluring as it should be to a team that celebrated an eventuallly meaningless third period goal against the NYI like an OT winner. Because, while we know the capabilities of the pizza line when together, the league's most dominant line at its best, it doesn't put the team in the greatest position for long term success. The arguments for the reuniting are simple, and to most points rational. The Senators will score more; more goals means (ideally) more wins. Offensive pressure, goals, and wins all generate confidence, which will trickle down the lineup. Alex Auld won't play with the worry that he needs a shutout just to keep his team in the game; Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette won't be gripping their sticks trying to live up to their new contracts and new roles. A weight of pressure will be lifted off the shoulders of all involved, including the big three, whose positioning, quick reaction, passing ability, cycling pressure and all-around battle level is always highest with each other.

But there are legitimate concerns to be addressed whenever the three are put together, which all go back to the reason they were split apart in the first place. The first, is that Heatley and Spezza should be able to produce on their own, with or without each other and certainly with or without Alfredsson. With the personnel the Senators have, there is no reason Hartsburg can't find two equal offensive lines with which to work. The second reason follows: without splitting up the big three, the Senators are a one-dimensonal threat which, if neutralised by a strong defensive centre or a couple tough blueliners, will make the team uncompetitive at every turn except against the weakest or most injury-riddled club. By placing Alfredsson on the second line, they force the opposition to defend against two equal threats, either splitting their defensive effectiveness, or still ganging up on the top line and allowing the second some freedom. Then there is the matter of allowing the Senators' secondary producers (Fisher, Vermette, Kelly, Foligno) the opportunity to play with a decent playmaker, something they lack in their own abilities.

Unfortunately, when the Senators are playing the way they currently are, with the big three snake-bitten and ineffective offensive, neither option seems particularly appealing. Reunite them, and you are only playing into the belief that the Senators cannot possible function without loading up the big guns, and that Heatley and Spezza cannot generate anything without Alfredsson there to guide them. And even if the reuniting is successful, once they meet punishing opposition and Hartsburg attempts to split them up, the panic and uninspired play will return, because everybody believes this team can only succeed with Alfredsson on the top line. But keep them apart, when everyone is failing offensively, and the lack of confidence breeds all the same, along with frustration which rarely seems to be a motivator for this team, only a roadblock.

Clearly, the situation is not an easy one for Hartsburg to address. More concerning still, is what will happen if the big three do not immediately show results upon being reunited. This third scenario is more alarming that anything, but fortunately history shows the opposite. If Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson can begin to generate some even-strength offense, it will be the first step in getting this wayward season back on track.

Post-Montreal Thoughts

2008-11-12T22:57:00.003-05:00

The Senators are nearing a potential crossroads in the season, as frustration boils over. Players are snipping at the media (Heatley), bickering with each other (Heatley and Kelly), being torn apart by the coach and media (Spezza), glumly shuffling through the daily routines (Gerber), being suspended for in-game antics (Ruutu), and, at the point of culmination today, smashing arena glass after a failed practice drill (Alfredsson). Despite a 4-0-1 streak that ran through Thursday night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers and seemed to breathe life into a see-saw start to the early season, the Senators are again suffering from anemic offense and scattered defensive zone play which leaves the goaltender helpless and the coach dumbfounded.

All is not lost, of course. As witnessed with this team in the past, sometimes all it takes is a good kick when down to remind the team of its abilities. As the cliche goes, it is always darkest before light. But was last night's 4-0 steamrolling by the Canadiens the final straw or merely an early reminder of the listlessness and inconsistency that will define the 2008-09 Ottawa Senators season? Despite the tough loss, it is hard not to still see signs of hope. The power play was horrendous; 5-on-5 play was probably worse. The Senators were confused in their own zone and lacked chemistry offensively. Even sniper Dany Heatley failed to score on a third period breakaway, hitting the post.

Over the past few days, there have been panicked proposals recommending benching, trading or waiving over nearly half the roster. Bearing the most noticeable brunt of criticism are Antoine Vermette and Jason Spezza two thirds of a top line that has produced little (other than two called-back goals) even when the Senators were having team success. The Vermette criticisms range from confounding to justifiable - yes, he has clamoured for a significant offensive role for years now, and yes he has done little with the opportunity. But no, the make-shift winger should not shoulder the blame for the Senators poor start, nor has he failed to live up to his earth-shattering $2.76 million salary. Spezza's role as the Senators whipping boy was wholly forseeable, however misguided most criticisms levelled at the star have been. People claim they would gladly sacrifice 20 or so points of his offense in exchange for simpler and more responsible play - only to turn around and cry foul about his lack of production when he follows through on the wishes of his coach (and fans). It is possible to be a defensive stalwart, physical beast and 100 point producer? It certainly is for about two or three NHLers, but it was not an easy nor a quick path to reach that point for any. Any problems with the failure of Spezza to become the singlemost dominant and versatile player in the history of professional sports rests solely in the hands of those creating the expectation, not Spezza. He is playing the rudimentary dump-and-chase game that everyone demanded - stellar offensive results will not come immediately for a player who has spent his entire career playing a different style.

This doesn't mean that criticism of players is inappropriate or unhelpful. The team played a horrible game against Montreal, blew a win against Carolina on Thursday and had stretches of poor play even in their victories early last week against Washington and Philadelphia. Singleling out players with rough games is easy, as is crying out about the need for a #1 puck-moving defenseman or elite goaltender. It's a lot harder to support the players when they are most in need of our confidence. The team has two ways to go right now - they can either feed into the frustration and play a frentically impatient game which erases their strengths, as they cede points and games to the opposition, or they can recommit to the ethics preached so vocally at the beginning of the season - structure, accountability and contributions at both ends of the ice from every player. Last night's Montreal game will be a lynchpin in either direction.

Work in Progress

2008-11-01T19:12:00.001-04:00

I'm trying to fix up the design for the site, but bear with me as I work through the kinks. I realise it looks awful on wide-screen and not much better regularly, but I should have it fixed soon.

And now, off to listen to the dulcet tones of Dean Brown and Gord Wilson on the team 1200.

October Player of the Month

2008-10-31T17:53:00.004-04:00

With honourable mentions to Jason Spezza and Alex Auld, who brought their A-games to most matches this past month, my consideration for the best Senator in the month of October goes to recently acquired blueliner Filip Kuba. Traded to Ottawa along with fellow defenseman Alexandre Picard and San Jose's first round pick in exchange for young rearguard Andrej Meszaros, Kuba was regarded as a warm body and not much more. He was accepted as a competent blueliner, who could play a handful of minutes and not embarrass himself, but there the expectations ended. However, Kuba has established himself as Ottawa's most consistent and versatile defenseman ten games into the young season.

Kuba has averaged just a second short of 25:00 per night, in the range of players like Nik Lidstrom and Chris Pronger (and Meszaros). He leads Ottawa by a significant margin, playing almost 3 minutes more per night than the next closest Senator, Chris Phillips. His 6:13 powerplay time per game is good for fourth in the NHL. Kuba eats up minutes like a #1 defenseman, and doesn't show cracks in his game, poor decisionmaking, lazy shifts or third period lethargy as a result of his heavy workload.

He has suprisingly established himself as an effective powerplay quarterback. Though he does not have the notable tools of the elite defensemen of the game - inspired creativity, a cannon shot or pin-point accurate passing, his displays a knack for making the simple, effective plays which breed results. Rather than looking to unload a laser from the point, he lobs low, heavy shots on net which can be deflected or kicked out by the goalie to create rebounds. Unlike previous Senators defensemen (namely Joe Corvo and Meszaros), he doesn't look to be the star of the power play but rather a tool at the disposal of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. So far, it's been succesful - Kuba recorded 11 points, all assists, in the first seven games of the NHL season to break an NHL record set by Brad Park in 1982. He currently leads the NHL is assists and points for a blueliner, and is within 2 points from 5th in the Art Ross race.

It hasn't been all roses, of course. Kuba has received crticism for his lack of physicality, despite his ample stature - he has recorded just 3 hits through ten games. However, he has shown a commitment to making sacrifices elsewhere - his 22 blocked shots are good for 3rd on the team. Kuba is also at fault for some of the defensive struggles of the Senators so far his season, however he has been far and away the most effective defenseman at clearing the zone, distributing the puck to the forwards, and has been the least exposed by the opposition. Through ten games, he carries a +3 rating, one of only five players presently on the team with a positive rating (defenseman Brian Lee is a +1 but is currently in the AHL).

Still, on a team that is struggling to find consistency at both ends of the rink, Filip Kuba has been one of few reliable shining lights. While he is not flashy or awe-inspiring, he plays a simple effective game, eats up minutes without wearing down, and sets a good example for the younger players on the team. For that, Filip Kuba earns my player of the month honours.

Honour mentions to Jason Spezza, Alex Auld and Shean Donovan, who performed admirably this month and whose efforts should not go unnoticed.

Alfredsson Signs Extension

2008-10-30T12:53:00.007-04:00

In a wholly anticipated move, the Ottawa Senators locked up captain Daniel Alfredsson to a four-year contract which will likely see him play out his final days in the same uniform he has worn through the entirety of his NHL career. Taking in $21.6 million, for a cap hit of $5.4 million, Alfredsson will remain the third highest paid player on the team, after linemates Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza. The actual structure of the deal is a little complicated as it includes signing bonuses and payoff for old bonus clauses, but he will essentially make $9.1 million the first year, $7 million the next, then $4.5 million, followed by $1 million in the final deal. [late edit: numerous sources are now reporting the bonus payoff might not count against the cap, so the tentative cap hit is now in the region of $4.8 million]. The deal also includes a no-movement clause, which not only prevents the Senators from trading him, but also from placing Alfredsson on waivers or in the minors. Effectively, unless Alfredsson says otherwise he will remain an Ottawa Senator through his fourtieth birthday (at the minimum).

Alfredsson and his agent J.P. Barrie had been in negotiations with Bryan Murray since September, with both sides agreeing a deal would get done, the delay was simply a matter of determing how long Alfredsson wanted to continue playing, and how to manage the cap hit to best serve the team. In the end, Alfredsson's cap hit will be just $1.1 million more than his current one, when it kicks in at the beginning of the 2009-10 season.

Drafted in the sixth round of the 1994 NHL entry draft, Alfredsson fell far down the priority list of prospects with a nascent NHL franchise whose hopes initially rested on Alexei Yashin and Alexandre Daigle. While the former enjoyed extended success in his early years with the Senators, culminating in a Hart trophy nomination in 1998-99, it was Alfredsson who emerged as the heart of the franchise, even in the shadow of two far more talented players. Alfredsson was awarded the Calder trophy in 1995-96 as the rookie of the year, leading the last-placed Senators in scoring. The following year, Alfredsson recorded 71 points in co-leading the Senators to a seventh place finish and their first playoff berth in franchise history. In the playoffs, he recorded a remarkable 5 goals and 2 assists in a 7 game defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres.

The mid-nineties saw Alfredsson struggle with injuries, missing 100 games over a 4 year stretch, and despite his solid post-season production he was unable to lead the Senators to any playoff success, as the Senators won just one series over the time.

In 1999-00, following a heated contract dispute with captain Yashin, the Ottawa Senators named Daniel Alfredsson the fifth captain of the young franchise, officially handing the reigns of the team to the 27-year old Swede.

Years of playoff disappointment followed, with the Senators unable to defeat the rival Toronto Maple Leafs despite excelling against other teams, most notably the Philadelphia Flyers. The Senators seemed to finallly make their mark when, amid bankruptcy, relocation uncertainty and an ailing Roger Neilson, they won the President's Trophy as top team in the league and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002-03. The team was eventually defeated in the 7th game by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils. The team, and Alfredsson, returned ignited in 2003-04, but were again defeated in the first round by Toronto.

Following a lockout season in 2004-05, Alfredsson and the Senators became the hottest post-lockout team, thanks to the acquisition of Dany Heatley and the emergence of Jason Spezza. Despite Alfredsson's advancing age, the trio excelled and earn countless nicknames, the most popular of which were the "Cash line" and the "Pizza line". Despite missing five games to a rib injury, Alfredsson cracked the 100 point mark for the first time in his career, and recorded a career high 43 goals, and lead the Senators to first place in the Eastern Conference. He also enjoyed international success, leading the Swedes in scoring as they triumphed with a gold medal at the 2006 Olympics. However, the Senators season would not end so jubilantly, as they were defeated in the second round by the Buffalo Sabres.

The 2006-07 season began difficultly for Alfredsson. He recorded a single goal in the first month of play, into an empty net no less. As the Senators struggled with offense, defense and goaltending, rumours swirled about potential moves. One particularly egrerious suggestion, begun by a Montreal radio station and picked up by the Toronto media, had Alfredsson all but signed, sealed and delivered to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Craig Conroy. Thankfully, no such insanity ensued, Alfredsson eventually picked up pace and, after a meeting with the team leaders, began a mad dash toward the playoffs. He was far and away the best Senator from Christmas on, ending the season with 29 goals and 87 points. His hot streak continued in the playoffs, recording 14 goals and 8 assists as the Senators demolished the Eastern Conference before meeting the end against the Anaheim Ducks in the Stanley Cup Final. Despite the unfortuante end, Alfredsson established himself as one of the premier all-around players in the NHL, capable breaking up a highlight reel play in his own zone, storming up the ice with the puck, and completing the play at the other end.

The Senators did not miss a beat at the beginning of the 2007-08 season, recording the best start in NHL history. Though they faltered as the season wore on, it was no fault of Alfredsson, who lead the NHL in scoring at the all-star break and despite playing through injuries that would hospitalise a mortal, finished the season with 40 goals and 89 points. His legend was only increased when, after suffering a 3rd grade torn MCL just two weeks prior, Alfredsson took the ice in game 3 of a first round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, trying in vain to save the Ottawa Senators season. From January on, Alfredsson played through a tweaked hip flexor, cracked vertebrae, torn MCL, whiplash, and a probable concussion. On one notable shift, his leg split open while blocking a shot on the penalty kill; Alfredsson shook it off, went to the dressing room for "repairs" and returned minutes later to kill off another penalty.

Alfredsson's legend continued in 2008-09, as the Senators faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in his native Sweden, but first journeyed through the captain's hometown of Gothenburg for a tilt against the Frolunda Indians. Before the home opener against the Detroit Red Wings, Alfredsson announced he would miss the game to undergo arthoscopic knee surgery, as a result of a hit suffered late in the second Sweden game. He was expected to be out two weeks, though some sources predicted as much as a month. Instead, Alfredsson missed a mere six days and one hockey game. He returned October 17th against the Phoenix Coyotes and recorded two assists; through the young season, he has 9 points in 8 games, and is just 5 points shy of a point per game average over his career. As of today, his career numbers are 861 games, 334 goals, 522 assists, 856 points, and one city and team who could not wish for a better, more dedicated or more exemplary captain.

Thoughts on Spezza

2008-10-29T18:18:00.004-04:00

To say I have sympathy for Jason Spezza and his treatment by the fans and media would be more than an overstatement. He is a professional athlete who is being more than fairly recompensed for his abilities. He is expected to conduct himself with maturity and decorum in interviews and on the town, play flawless shift after flawless shift and answer for himself and his teammates when things do not proceed according to immense expectation. All the above is well and good, and Spezza himself understands better than anyone the level of scrutiny, judgement and expectation that follows a superstar in a one-team city. But while the criticism levelled at Spezza is fair to a point, certain accusations about his character and commitment often reach such absurdity that I feel compelled to defend the Senators offensive catalyst.

Jason Spezza is a weak player who avoids contact and plays like a pussy.

Spezza is not a physical player and will never be one. He will drive a player when given the opportunity, but he will not openly search to physically punish a player when a better option is out there, such as taking the puck and steaming up the ice to relieve pressure, or taking the puck and burying it. He has blocked shots in the past, broken up 2-on-1s as the lone man back, scored shorthanded goals, stripped star players on the backcheck and dropped the gloves when prompted. He will never block 200 shots or leave an opponent lying in a pool of his own blood and vomit. I can't speak for others - I don't want all five of our players on the ice flailing around like dying fish trying to play goalie. I don't want my star forward forgoing a prime offensive chance to deliver a late hit on an irrelevant opposition player. I don't want my first line centre in the box because of a manly, heroic fight when the guy he took on was a fourth line scrapper. I want Spezza to lead my offensive charge, not be Volchenkov.

Spezza giggling in interviews signals immaturity and lack of character.

I take particular issue with this claim. First off, I don't believe off-ice behaviour has a major impact on a player's on-ice abilities. For example, players like Jaarko Ruutu and Mike Fisher project as a bookish intellectual and a pretty boy off the ice, respectively, but one is a dirty pest the other a ferocious battler on the ice. At times it seems like Senators fans would rather have Spezza be a third line checker who spouts cliches than a first line forward who has a little personality. Spezza giggles when asked a playful question about visiting Melnyk on the back of a win, not when asked why he turned the puck over in overtime. Follow Spezza on the ice and realise he is one of the most intense, focused players on the ice. How he responds to a question after a game has absolutely no impact on what happened before nor on what will follow.

Spezza is a defensive liability.

This is commonly heard from casual fans, or fans of teams other than the Senators. They hear criticisms of Spezza's play and translate it into him being a defensive nightmare who the Senators can't trust in their own end. This is not remotely true; Spezza's biggest issue is with offensive or neutral zone turnovers, which not only negate an offensive opportunity for the Senators but provide the opposition with a chance toward the Senators end. It is understandable to chalk up this offensive error as a defensive mistake, but it is far from the misconception that he is lost in his own zone. As for his actual defensive play, Spezza has shown great progress over the seasons. He is relied upon to take crucial faceoffs, including late in the game and in the latter half of a penalty kill. He tracks his man well through the zone, and has shown increased positional awarness over the years. He is also a deceptively effective stick-lifter and routinely uses his long reach to poke the puck out of danger. He does not have the aggressive or hyperintelligent defensive abilities of his teammate Daniel Alfredsson, but Jason Spezza is absolutely not a defensive liablity.

Spezza has shown no commitment to improvement - he is the same player he ever was and will never get better.

Again, not remotely true but often spouted. When Spezza was drafted second overall in 2001, he was a one-dimensional offensive forward with limited speed, weak faceoff ability and no defensive acumen. After five NHL seasons, he has one of the strongest skating strides among one of the speediest forward groups in the league, improves his faceoff abilities yearly, continues to perfect a deceptively hard and accurate shot, has become one of the league's most proficient puck deflecters, and is routinely relied upon as a defensive forward to protect leads late in the game. Each season he has come into camp noticeably better, faster, stronger and more fit than the previous time around, and shows no sign of lessening this commitment to improvement. Spezza is a cocky player who has every ambition to be the greatest Senator of all time, a Stanley Cup champion, Hart winner and HHOF member; those who think he is not committed to yearly improvement to make these goals attainable, is sincerely mistaken.

The Senators should trade Spezza before his NTC kicks in.

Two words: Joe Thornton. The Boston Bruins are just now recovering from the loss of their young star centre, and even then are nowhere near the team they could be with his presence. Star-for-star swaps such as the Heatley/Hossa deal are the exception rather than the rule in the NHL - is a package including borderline first line centre, flawed prospect, and a pick worth the loss of the best centre in franchise history? Spezza has his flaws, there is no doubt. As do comparable players like Getzlaf, Staal, or Crosby. Senators fans witness Spezza on a daily basis and so view his flaws with microscopic focus. But Spezza is a blossoming player who is still working to balance the creativity of his brain with the realities of the NHL, and needs help rectifying the ambition of his goals with the practical steps needed to reach them. But he also an endlessly gifted, peerlessly driven, superbly committed player who is determined to bring the Senators to glory. And no half-assed package deal could ever replicate that.

A Return to Form

2008-10-29T17:41:00.005-04:00

After almost a year of inactivity, I've decided to start this blog back up again. I don't think I'll be doing regular post-game updates, just random posts about my thoughts on the play of the Senators, or reposting lengthy comments I have left on the forums.

The Senators have clearly been off to a shaky start since the return from Stockholm, but despite the rarely altered win column, have shown signs of the better structured team game fans can expect to see past the twenty game mark. It is a work in progress, and those expecting the addition of Hartsburg and the new personnel to play immediate dividends were clearly getting ahead of themselves (myself included). But when all is said and done, we can expect a Hartsburg team to battle every night, win or lose.

Some key points of anticipation:

Opponents will be forced to earn their victories. The Senators aren't going to win every game, not even close. But they can make the opposition earn the two points. Since the return from Sweden, this team has handed the opposition an early lead, then provided brief bursts of feigned intensity and pride, but never put the result in doubt. Worst still, they've all been on home ice. I trust he can instill it over time, but a Hartsburg team needs to be on that makes the opposition earn every possession of the puck, every entrance in our zone, every shot on net, and every goal. They must be physically bashed, offensively frustrated, and psychologically intimidated. We have Smith, Volchenkov, Ruutu, Neil, Fisher, Phillips, Schubert - there is no way Ottawa can't be a team that is painful and difficult to play against.

This team will stop being mentally weak. Far too often as Senators fans, we see that go-ahead goal by the opposition, that we know this team will simply never counter. Whether it's scored 30 seconds or 30 minutes into the game, some nights you just see this team sink at the thought of facing the improbable, overcoming a deficit. We see it all around the league - teams overcoming one, two, even five goal deficits. But with this team, Gerber lets in the opening goal and you just know - no matter how many strong shifts, no matter how many PP opportunities, no matter how many unmissable setups - this team will just not get it done. Why? There is no reason. Hartsburg can reignite the cockyness in these players. Heatley, Alfredsson and Spezza are intimidating players who can, and should, score at the drop of a hat. He needs to bring back the belief that the Senators are out of a game when the fat lady sings, not when an unfortunate goal bounces past Gerber 20 seconds in.

As I said, I believe a Hartsburg team can provide these elements, and I believe we have the personnel to deliver it. While, as with any team, there are areas of weakness that can be improved upon, well-coached teams can rise above unideal rosters and get results. The Senators have shown a need for a more consistent and reliable goaltender, and for a fabled "puck moving defenseman" and some consistent secondary offense. However, even in the absence of these roster improvements, the players currently on the team have shown the ability to step in and play a role admirably even when they might not be the ideal candidate on paper - see Kuba, Auld, Picard and most surprisingly Donovan.

It is still young in a long season and we have seen this team start off equally shakily and go on to the best finish in franchise history. I look around the league and see good, perhaps great teams like Anaheim and Philadelphia struggling. I see elite goaltenders like Kiprusoff and Turco playing like sieves, but were I a fan of their teams would have no panic or fear about their ability to get it on track. *As a Senator fan, I of course have much more emotional investment about our team and get far too angry about Gerber's first goal or ecstatic about Alfie's goal or depressed about Vermette's last minute attempt. But when I allow myself to step back a bit, I am less fearful. I see plenty of great elements on a team that just needs to connect the dots.

Without being too optimistic, I will say that Hartsburg and the Senators have been provided with a great opportunity to see their flaws in full light, have ample time to fix mistakes, patch roster holes and implement an effective system. It is not game 78 and this team has not been on a 5 month slide. This team has not been winning games through luck, hot streaks and favourable opponents, masking deep problems and creating false confidence. The weaknesses are in full light, but so are the strengths. This will be a harrowing start that will require patience, temperment, and a little blind faith, but it will not be for naught.

*The main gist of this article was written almost a week ago, and we can already see that these teams and players have turned the corner.

Quarter-Pole Grades

2007-11-25T17:33:00.001-05:00

I've tried doing different formats before, but this time I'll keep it simple, with letter grades.

Daniel Alfredsson - A+
Hopefully I made my thoughts quite clear in the article entitled "Daniel Alfredsson is the best player in the NHL". Accordingly, he's also the best player on the best line on the best team in hockey. Alfredsson is unequivocally the most valuable player on the Senators, the heart and soul of this team, and his contributions are irreplaceable. Powerplay, penalty kill, even strength, playmaking, sniping, defending, leading his team - he does it all, and he does it better than anybody else in the league. Alfredsson has been on a tear for nearly a full calendar year now, and though the recent groin injury kept him out of a game, he seems cleared for Wednesday and should be all systems go to lead his team back to invincibility.

Dany Heatley - A
Alfredsson aside, Heatley has been Ottawa's most consistent and reliable forward by far. He seems determined this year to flesh out his game, to evolve beyond his limited role as Spezza's triggerman. While he's hardly perfect, and there is still room for improvement, he has shown improved skating, physical play, take-charge leadership on the ice, and playmaking. His defensive game at even strength has lacked focus, but he has adapted well to a newfound role on the penalty kill. Often overlooked is that he is in the top tier of leaders in ice time, and that he can play 26 minutes or more per night without wearing down. Without really understanding Heatley's game, he can look a little indolent on the ice, but his offensive contributions are incomparable. The sniper, playmaker, or simply the body on the ice who draws attention and creates room for his linemates - Heatley's role on this team is underestimated and I think we'd have almost as difficult a time finding wins without him as we do without Alfredsson and Redden. Fortunately, Heatley has not missed a game since early 2004, so it's not a plight the Senators are familiar with.

Spezza - A-
Unfortunately, the world-beating Spezza we saw in preseason downgraded to the merely elite Spezza once the season began. He's had a journey of a season to start, beginning with his seemingly endless quest to find a goal, then an ever extending injury, then something of a slump (2 mediocre games is a slump for Spezza, isn't it?), then a seemingly endless quest to find his second goal (the third one didn't take quite as long to obtain, it turns out). There hasn't been much development on the Spezza front, sadly. The improvements he displayed in the preseason - improved skating, speed and agility - seem to have fallen by the wayside, though it's still early days and the groin injury surely had an impact. Even the commitments from late last season - better defensive awareness, a pride in being reliable in his own zone, a willingness to shoot and keep defenders honest, avoiding the pass-only mentality- have not been present in his game of late, at least not to the degree I'd find favourable. However, this takes nothing away from what he is bringing to the table. After a couple games adjustment upon return from injury, Spezza began to make his impact. The anemic powerplay began not only generating momentum, but offense (finally!). Heatley ended his scoring drought, conveniently, when Spezza returned. Spezza and his linemates singlehandedly won us a game against Montreal; he and his linemates also kept us in games against Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It is no secret that the team has learnt to function without Spezza, but no one can replace his offensive zone wizardry.

Fisher - B
Inevitably I'll feel I'm being unfairly harsh, but here goes. Fisher is our second line centre. Who cannot generate offense unless he has one of the best players in the NHL on his line. What gives? I'm all for spreading offense, and love the chemistry Fisher has with Alfredsson, and with Heatley, going so far as to advocate he play with the latter full-time. But all the players mentioned but Fisher can generate on their own. Even Vermette and Kelly have had the majority of their goals come either through individual effort, or opportunities with fellow third liners. We can't really say the same about Fisher. He is on pace for 18 goals. The other stuff - the intensity, physical and defensive play, it's usually there on a consistent basis, and that's why he's receiving a favourable grade. But for our second line pivot to be practically incapable of generating offense on his own accord - it's slightly worrying.

Vermette - B
Most of my issues with Vermette are merely with his use. He is perhaps our most creative forward outside of the big three. He is defensive responsible, almost to fault in the eyes of the coaching staff, apparently. He can play any forward position, can slide in on any line, though he has made it clear he would like more offensive responsibility. And yet Paddock sees fit to play Robitaille in Vermette's stead on the second power play unit. Paddock is enough a fan of Vermette's offensive abilities that he is the team's first choice shootout option, but he won't allow Vermette to work that creativity on the powerplay. Eaves, Fisher, Robitaille, Neil, and McAmmond have all received first unit power play time with Heatley and Spezza at some point over the past season. Why not Vermette?

Kelly - B
The hands of stone make my nights awfully frustrating with infuriating regularity, but other than that, Kelly is money. Kelly plays smart, safe, and effective.

Neil - C
Robitaille - C
Donovan - B
McAmmond - B
McGrattan - B
Schubert - C

Phillips - A
Volchenkov - A
Redden - B+
Meszaros - B+
Corvo - C
Richardson - C

Gerber - A
Emery - C-

Explanations to follow.

Daniel Alfredsson is the best player in the NHL

2007-11-10T23:33:00.000-05:00

To preface, there are plenty of NHLers who could lay a very legitimate claim to being the best player in the league at present. A player like Mats Sundin defies age and an inadequate supporting cast to slot among the league's leaders; Ilya Kovalchuk has reclaimed his position as the league's top goalscorer and is currently carrying a hopeless team back to respectability, even as his teammates don't seem to be that interested. Sidney Crosby, of course, has refound his offensive touch and it can't be argued last season's Hart winner and Art Ross recipient has lost any of his passion or creativity. Joe Sakic, while not burning up the stats sheet like others, provides the leadership and clutch play required of any superior player. Henrik Zetterberg, perhaps the greatest competition of all, has supplemented scoring dominance with some of the best defensive play in the league, continuing his torrid pace from last season.

And while all of the above might be superior to Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson on the stats sheet (if only by a measly point or two), it is hard to think of a player in the league who possesses all the qualities required of a great player, more than Alfredsson. Kovalchuk might be a better sniper, Sakic might be far more experienced, Sundin might be a more effective physical presence, but no one at present embodies all attributes more fully and completely than the Senators captain.

At the time of writing, Daniel Alfredsson is second in the league in goalscoring, and tied for third in points. He is third in the league in ice time among forwards. He leads the league in several statistical categories, including shorthanded goals and points. He leads the Ottawa Senators in every quantifiable fashion, from goals to post-game 3 star selections. While he began last season sluggishly, recording only one goal in his first month of play, it is no surprise that his revival coincided with the end of his team's slump. By the time of the Spezza injury in late 2006, Alfredsson was back on track and quickly earned player of the week honours, the start of a resurgence that would see his team recorded the best record for the second half of the season. He lead the Stanley Cup playoffs in goals and points, and was the odds on favourite to win the Conn Smythe should his team have won. In the 78 games he has played in 2007 (including playoffs), Alfredsson has recorded 46 goals and 55 assists for 101 points. If the preseason were included, the numbers jump to 51 goals, 57 assists, 108 points, in 81 games. He is on pace to finish in the top 10 in NHL scoring for the third time in four seasons, and to not only crack the 50 goal mark for the first time but obliterate it.

Offensively, there is simply little to criticize about Alfredsson this season. Even on a team with elite superstars like Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza, it is Alfredsson who leads the attack, who organises the entry into the opposition zone, who quaterbacks the powerplay from the point, the half-wall, the hashmarks - really, anywhere the coach wants him to be. It is he, not elite sniper in Dany Heatley or star playmaker Jason Spezza, who is counted on for the tying or go-ahead goal. More importantly, he provides it. When the team needs a spark, a clutch goal there isn't just a hope and a prayer that Alfredsson could, maybe, possibly provide it. He does it, and he's done it from the first drop of the puck October 3rd in Toronto to the final buzzer at Scotiabank Place this afternoon. And he'll do it again, and again, and again.

If offense were all that Alfredsson could provide, perhaps the argument might end there. Instead, he is also among the league's elite defensive players. If the Selke consideration year after year isn't convincing, his play this year certainly should be. At even-strength, he is the first forward back in the zone, and never stops hustling. Senators coach John Paddock matches strength against strength, and as such Alfredsson is expected to defend the league's best, matching up against the Ovechkins and Jagrs and Kovalchuks. While you might expect a poor +/- because of the dangerous (some might even say, unstoppable) stars he is forced to face, Alfredsson instead was second in the league in plus/minus last season, and is +8 so far this year. He plays a pivotal role on a top 10 penalty kill, turning it from a nail-biting opportunity for the opposition to capitalise, into an advantage from the Senators. Even if he doesn't score shorthanded (which he often does, by the way - he leads the league in short handed goals with 3 so far), he's being aggressive, putting the opposition on their heels, making them look over their shoulder, hesitate. He generates momentum just by stepping on the ice. Alfredsson is the first-choice forward to defend 5-on-3s, even though he is not a centreman, even though the team boasts Kelly and Vermette and Fisher and McAmmond, all peerless penalty killers in their own right.

Not only does Alfredsson play in all three situations, he does it more often then all but two forwards in the league. After Tampa Bay forwards Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards, Alfredsson leads all attackers in ice time, averaging 23:27 per game. Early in the season he was relied upon more heavily; while his ice time lowered as the team sorted out its line combinations enough to roll four with regularity, in the absence of #1 pivot Jason Spezza, Alfredsson has stepped up further. Against the Canadiens, Alfredsson logged almost 27 minutes; a handful for a defenseman, let alone a 34-year old forward. Still, it's no surprise. Alfredsson has consistently been among the top 10 in forwards for icetime, a fact that is routinely overlooked when assessing his impact on each and every Senators result (which, lately, has been a whole whack of victories).

Equally overlooked when assessing Alfredsson is his ability to be a catalyst. When Alfredsson is shuffled down to the second line, it is to provide a more balanced attack, as Fisher tends to score more when placed with Alfredsson. In fact, most players do. When the team is trailing and the top line is not clicking, it is Alfredsson who is moved around, not Heatley or Spezza. This is not a punishment to Alfredsson, or an approval of Heatley/Spezza's play. Quite the opposite. The coach simply knows that his other lines need a boost, and Alfredsson will inevitably provide it. Place Alfredsson on Heatley and Spezza's wing, and you have the best line in hockey. Place Alfredsson with Chris Kelly, and you've got yourself a 140 point player. Put Alfredsson with Vermette, or McAmmond, and you find instant chemistry. Put Alfredsson with Todd White, or Bryan Smolinski, or Magnus Arvedson, and you can fool yourself into thinking you've got more than scrubs. He makes poor offensive players competent; he makes star players elite. Alfredsson is the heart of the Senators offense, whatever line he's on, whoever he plays with.

Then there is leadership. While Alfredsson has had his knocks over the years, well documented, his leadership in 2007 is unquestionable, and anybody who opposes is simply misinformed. In late 2006, with his underperforming Senators reeling, Alfredsson rallied the troops. He identified his leadership core, assembled them, and laid it out bare - if the Senators did not improve their play on the ice, their commitment to team defense specifically, this team would not make the playoffs. Past accolades, pre-season projections, talent, none of it matter a lick. And he made another thing quite clear to his peers Heatley, Phillips, Fisher and Redden - if those five, Alfredsson included, weren't the ones to pick up the team by the bootstraps, nothing would improve. And so, following Alfredsson's lead both on the ice and off, the team rallied to a dominant second half, before storming through the Eastern Conference playoffs on the back of the captain. In game 5 against Anaheim, as the Cup drifted ever further out of reach, Alfredsson refused to give up, notching a marker. Even as Senators defenseman Chris Phillips responded by knocking the puck into his own net to put the Senators further behind, Alfredsson let his effort on the ice speak for itself. Shorthanded, Alfredsson fought through a mauling Ryan Getzlaf the length of the ice to pocket a goal over JS Giguere's shoulder. The look on his face afterward said it all - win or lose, Alfredsson was not going to go down without fighting, and he wouldn't accept his team to do otherwise.

Early in the 2007-08 season, as Senators GM Bryan Murray painlessly locked up his future core, all three of the major signings (Fisher, Heatley, and Spezza) identified the presence of Alfredsson, for the next few seasons at least, as a key reason why they were committed to remaining in Ottawa. The little things Alfredsson does as a leader are rarely noticeable. According to reputation, he's not one for pre-game speeches or intermission rallying cries. He acts by example on the ice, never giving a drop less than complete effort. While there have been criticisms of a too-quiet Senators locker room in the past (accurate or not? we fans will never know), but there have been revelations of late that indicate Alfredsson is getting vocal. With the Senators coming out flat in 2 consecutive games for the first time all season, and only a period remaining to wrest control of a still in reach game against Montreal, Alfredsson stood up in the Senators room and demanded more effort from his players. They delivered, of course, but it was mostly the effort of Alfredsson that made the difference. He is measured with his words, perhaps, but Daniel Alfredsson's on-ice leadership speaks for itself.

I pretend no lack of bias. I've seen every Senators game for the last number of years, and much as I try to pay attention to the other teams in the league, I won't pretend for an instance I watch enough of their games to truly notice the immeasurable contributions of all players league-wide. Like all passionate hockey fans, I have a place in my heart for the captain of my team, and it no doubt colours my viewpoint. But I see what I see, and in 2007, there is no better all-around player in my estimation than Daniel Alfredsson.

Heatley should play with Fisher

2007-11-03T23:01:00.000-04:00

First off, besides maybe St. Louis and Lecavalier or Cheechoo and Thornton, it can hardly be argued that any duo in the league has better chemistry than Heatley and Spezza. Spezza is a #2 or #3 set-up man, and Heatley is a #1 and #2 sniper. They feed off each other like no other, and probably put up better numbers than either player ever will playing with any other player. But Heatley is a player who adapts to his linemates. We all know that when he plays with Spezza, he floats and disappears, then appears out of nowhere to strike. From an offensive perspective, there is perhaps no better strategy - witness him leading the league in goals since the lockout, and coming fourth in points. Including the playoffs, only Joe Thornton has scored more points than Dany Heatley over the past three seasons.

But as we witnessed in the Finals, perhaps we need a bit more versatility, physicality and visible competitiveness from a player who will be our highest paid man and go-to guy over the next half-decade. Can he bring this added edge with Spezza? Possibly, but the only time he's ever done it consistently was during Spezza's injury last season. During that time, he adjusted to playing without Spezza and became the catalyst on his line, instead of a passenger.

So far in 2007-08, he's only played two games without Spezza, and I can't say he's been any more dominant or noticeable than usual outside of his offensive numbers. But offensively, with Robitaille and Fisher as his centres, he's marked 1 goal and 3 assists over that time.

The thing is, Heatley has a tendency to mimick the style of his linemates. Spezza plays a finesse, pass-heavy, offensive-minded style that looks for the perfect goal. Fisher plays a physical, speedy, forecheck-minded game that's more intent on maintaining pressure and possession than making the highlight reels, and is equally content to drive the net and get garbage goals. With our mind this season, not so much on obliterating the opposition offensively, but instead preparing for the hard work, pressure and physical presence that will be required for the post-season, I think it's in everyone's best interest if, perhaps, Heatley is centered by Fisher at ES. They're already 4-on-4 partners, and have shown great chemistry in the limited time they've had together. Playing with Fisher this season, Heatley netted the OT goal against Toronto, the PP goal tonight against Boston (Fisher was a distraction in front of the net), and set up Fisher's game-winner tonight. Last season, Fisher was stellar in the two games he played centering Heatley and Alfredsson against the Isles and Flyers around Christmas, before going down to injury.

Heatley just seems to have a different mindset when he plays without Spezza. More hustle, more relentless at both ends of the ice, a better playmaker, and just generally more involved in the game. He could still play with Spezza on the PP (although, even with a small sample size, perhaps he's better suited to play with Fisher there too, considering the team's poor PP to start the season!), but maybe it's finally time to fully investigate whether splitting up the duo is not in the best interest of the team. It's been talked about, it's even been done for a period in February and a game in June, but maybe it's time to get Heatley in the playoff mindset and have him focused, not on the hat-trick, not on the Rocket Richard, but on mimicking the intensity of a centreman like Fisher and bringing that all-around, two-way, ferocious-on-the-forecheck game we've only seen glimpses of in the past.

Heatley is going to be one of the highest paid players in the league, and the highest paid in the league. We can settle for him being a "mere" one-way forward who leads the league in goals and competes for the Art Ross. This is hardly a bad thing. But we've got a guy who has potential to be a beast, so let's groom him to be just that. Put him into the full-time PK rotation, change his ES mentality by putting him with a player like Fisher, and give him the opportunity to be a Hart challenger and the guy who will lead us to a Cup, instead of merely an amazing, but secondary, contributor.

The impact this will have on Fisher should be considered as well. Fisher is now our second line centre in all manners now, even if he has been our #4 forward in terms of ice-time over the last few seasons, he is expected to increase his offensive output with his increased paycheck. However, without providing him with superior players to those who he has played with over the years, where is this extra offense magically supposed to come from? If he gets to play with a guy like Heatley, who will alter his focus to become a playmaker instead of simply a sniper, Fisher doesn't have to be the primary set-up man on his line. Heatley can set him up for his great shot unlike any player (beside Alfredsson) who Fisher will have the opportunity to play with. You want Fisher to get 30 goals, 60-70 points, putting him with a Heatley-calibre player will give him a far better shot than Foligno and Neil.

Re: Ottawa Sun Design Contest

2007-10-20T00:24:00.000-04:00

The Ottawa Sun ran a contest over the past couple weeks encouraging entrants to conjure up new and improved designs for the Senators jerseys. The contest itself seemed pretty silly, but I had seen a few fantastic designs floating around the internet at sites like sportslogos.net, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately you had to pick up a paper to see the winning design along with the runners up and the honourable mentions, but suffice it to say, I would definitely support a team that had a hand-drawn Spartacat (aka the hobo lion) as its main logo. Others were just as, um, interesting.

Just wanted to put that out there. Hopefully someone can scan a copy.

2007-10-19T23:33:00.000-04:00

With Emery expected to, finally, make his first start of the young NHL season tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers, it seemed an opportune time to weigh in on the Senators' goaltending situation. Note I fail to use the terms controversy, or dilemma, or problem, for presence of two capable Senators netminders is hardly something to fret over. But while the situation is nothing but win-win from a fan's perspective, regardless of whether one goaltender gets the majority of the starts, they platoon, or one is traded, these possibilities do present some interesting consequences.

It is impossible to know which solution is best, of course, until Emery suits up for his first full game since game five of the Stanley Cup Final, a game which is distant in the memories of some but far too clear in the minds of others. And for still others, the 50-some preceding games in which Emery lifted this team from its worst slump in reason memory to the best second-half record in the NHL, matters far more. And so it should.

But with only a period of action in the near-five months since that final game, due to recuperation from an off-season surgery to repair a wrist he injured just prior to his rescuing of the team, Martin Gerber was offered the opportunity to step up in Emery's absence, and did not disappoint. Even rookie netminder Brian Elliott, fresh out of college, shone in his NHL debut against Atlanta, putting to rest any fears about the state of the Senators goaltending future.

Instead, it is the goaltending present that is far more unclear. Elliott was the evident odd-man out, and was demoted to Binghamton upon Emery's decision to make himself available to the Senators again last week. While the Senators have seen little action since the decision was announced, the little time to display results on the ice has left plenty of time to analyse potential results. While Gerber started last night's game against Montreal and it is only logical that Emery start tomorrow against Florida, how the starts play out afterward is anyone's guess. And so, an outline of potential solutions, evidently working off the assumption that both goaltenders play at their expected level:

Ray Emery gets the majority of the starts; Gerber is the backup.

Returning to status quo, the status quo which earned the Senators a 105-point season and the franchise's first ever berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. This solution is certainly the easiest to accept. Emery earned his starter's position by leading this team from an uncharacteristic early season slump, to a strong finish. The Senators' rise can be tracked to the exact moment that Ray Emery became this team's starting goaltender - November 15, 2006, in a win against the Buffalo Sabres. He earned the position with his 15-game march to the Stanley Cup finals. While he was rarely our best player, he was never our worst, and turned in at least one jaw-dropping game per round to secure the team a quick pass to the finals. He was stellar in the first two games against Anaheim, and while his performance in the final games left much to be desired, evidently the coaching staff felt he was more suited to the task than Gerber. Emery has the confidence of Senators GM Bryan Murray, who opted to play him from that November 15th marker onward, at every possible opportunity. He was re-upped with a three year contract this summer by Murray at market value, a clear indication that Murray saw Emery in the future plans of the team. It is an unspoken rule that you should never lose your position due to injury, regardless of how well your replacement plays. If this holds true and Emery performs at the level of last season, he will be the starter, despite how well (or poorly) Gerber may play.

While Gerber has played exceptionally to start the season, he lost his starting job in the Fall of 2006 and, until Emery does something to lose it, he cannot gain it back. Still, his contract does not present a problem until next season, and Gerber has far more experience than Glass, therefore the best solution may be to keep him on the bench in case of further injury to Emery. Gerber may take exception with being sidelined without consideration to his play, of course, but has traditionally been willing to take one for the team, as it were, even if he is personally unsatisfied.

Emery and Gerber split the starts, more or less 50/50.

In some senses this is the most logical, yet it might leave both netminders disgruntled. Neither is interested in being a backup, of course, but both might see a platoon system as equally unsatisfactory. While Senators coach John Paddock will likely run with this strategy for at least the next few games, leading us into the first week or two of February, a favourite will emerge and we will see one of the other solutions begin to take hold.

Martin Gerber gets the majority of the starts; Emery is the backup.

Evidently Emery's absence makes this statement a bit hairy, but the facts are simple - the Senators are the best team in the league at present. They have been lead to a 7-1 start by a consistently stellar Martin Gerber, who has lost a sole game in regulation in all of 2007. Gerber leads the NHL in wins, and is among the leaders in goals against average and save percentage. According to Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, Gerber has been the best player on the team so far this season (his majesty excluded, we assume). While it may not be particularly "fair" for Emery to lose his starting job because of injury, the fact remains, hockey is about wins. And no goaltender is more reliable in securing wins at present, than Martin Gerber. With the absence of Emery and Gerber's shaky reputation gained from his poor start last season, it would have been entirely understandable if Gerber had yet again crumbled under the pressure of being "the man" in a hockey city. It wouldn't have been acceptable or tolerable, of course, but it would be, on some level, expected. Instead, he took the opportunity given to him and seems to have put the April 2006-December 2006 stretch of injury, illness, lack of confidence, bad luck, and downright mediocrity behind him. He is finally performing like the goaltender the Senators expected when they signed him to a 3-year deal in the summer of 2006, and, in some roundabout way, is simply reclaiming the starter's job that was his in the first place.

Start Emery, trade Gerber

If Emery performs well over the next few weeks, this could very well come to pass. Since Murray makes the decisions on team management, and not Paddock, his preference of Emery over Gerber will play a huge role. While teams will give their current netminding solutions a little more time to work themselves out, a particularly bad slump or perhaps an injury could lead to a market for Gerber opening up. He has performed well enough as an audition of sorts, to prove his worth as an NHL starter again. He might even be acquired for a valuable asset, if he maintains his standard of play in the starts he will get. While there is no rush on this solution, it would not be at all surprising to see it come to pass.

Start Gerber, trade Emery

The real argument to be made here is simply that Emery commands more trade value than Gerber. He is seven years younger, and has not even approached his potential. He has three years remaining on his contract. He has shown consistency at the NHL level and is not prone to streakiness like Gerber. He might even draw some fans in, presenting value as a marketing tool. This will likely never happen mind, with the relationships Emery has with Ottawa stars, and with the unpredictabililty of Gerber as a long-term netminding solution.

While it's interesting to mull over the possibilities, the real solution is quite simple - whoever plays best, will be the starter. Whoever gives the team the best chance to win, he will be given the opportunity to do so. And unless one of them does a 180, both Emery and Gerber are up to the task. No, it isn't a controversy. It's a godsend.

Preseason Recap

2007-10-01T20:19:00.000-04:00

After the Ottawa Senators unbeaten preseason came to a close with a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals Sunday evening, Senators coach John Paddock whittled down the roster to a final 22 players, bringing to a close a training camp which saw the anticipation of new beginnings withered down to a hope of "maybe next season". Though Nick Foligno's impressive camp earned him a spot on the Senators roster - a formidable achievement for the 29th-overall pick straight out of junior - other hopefuls did not sway Paddock. Among the highly touted prospects making their way to the Senators' farm team at Binghamton on the last day of cuts were defenseman Brian Lee and forwards Ilya Zubov and Alexander Nikulin, in addition to forwards Danny Bois, Denis Hamel, and blueliner Lawrence Nycholat.

While the preseason is mostly about assessing the development of the younger players and experimenting with different line combinations among the veterans, every player enters with expectations from themselves, their coaches, the management, and the fans. I hope to give a outlay of my expectations for each player entering training camp, a brief summary of my impression of their play, and both a prediction of what role I expect them to play this season, as well as what role I think they should play. They will be grouped in three categories: exceeded, met, and fell below my expectations. I will not discuss the play of AHL-only players such as Tyler Donati and Denis Hamel.

Exceeded Expectations

Shean Donovan - While I was initially skeptical of the trade that brought Donovan to Ottawa in exchange for inconsistent forward Peter Schaefer, he seems likely to prove to be a valuable addition at a reasonable cost. Much like Senators every-men Dean McAmmond and Chris Kelly, while he may not have the offensive instincts of a star player, he can sub in on any line in any situation, and find instant chemistry with his linemates. His speed and grit will be an asset, to be sure, but I think it will be his versatility and flexibility which will prove most valuable to the team over the course of the season. With many comparing the acquistion of Donovan to the seemingly inconsequential signing of McAmmond summer, a move that paid out in spades, before the season has even started the move looks to have been a wise one on Murray's part. In ditching an inconsistent forward who expressed disinterest at being in Ottawa, for a forward to epitomises the playing style and character Murray has been preaching, it appears a no-loss situation for all involved parties.
Donovan should play on the fourth line. He will be a key penalty killing forward and played as a defensive conscience on a higher line when the situation calls for it.
Donovan will start on the third line in place of McAmmond; his play in McAmmond's absence will determine whether he will remain there or be demoted to the fourth line when McAmmond returns. He could see time on the first line right wing as part of the revolving door of wingers to play with Spezza and Heatley.
Projection: 82GP 7G 11A 18P

Patrick Eaves - Shrugged off by many as a one-trick pony, incapable of replicating his 20-goal rookie season let alone besting it, Eaves proved many doubters wrong this preseason. He looked equally strong playing with the best offensive players the team has to offer, as he did playing with AHL callups. Invariably, Eaves was a key part of the Senators' strongest line of the night - regardless of whether the other members of the line were Donati, Kelly or Heatley. While I did expect him to make a reasonable case for a permanent role in the Senators' top six, the manner in which he asserted himself was wholly unexpected. Eaves scored goals against all four teams the Senators faced in the preseason, including overtime powerplay winners against Ottawa's biggest rivals in Toronto and Montreal. While the players who assisted those winners had a lot to do with the results - Eaves had little to do but call for the puck or, in the case of the Toronto goal, keep his stick on the ice while Spezza deflected a shot off it - his unabated presence in front of the net was what really drew the attention of observers. I've long praised Eaves for the fearless manner in which is drives to the net, digs in the corners and buzzes around the offensive zone, with little regard for his own safety or health (as attested to, perhaps, by the concussion-inducing hit he suffered at the hands of Colby Armstrong in "death valley" during the 2007 playoffs). While his style of play may lead to many more injuries of a similar ilk, and perhaps a regrettably short career to follow if he continues in the reckless manner, the intensity and enthusiasm with which he plays cannot be belittled. While Eaves lacks the stature or bulk to be a threatening force in the offensive zone, he is, in a word, "buzzy", and provides an infectious forecheck and tireless dedication to creating traffic that we can only dream some of our more talented forwards would learn from.
Eaves should be given an opportunity to start with Heatley and Spezza. After a 10-15 game tryout, if things have not progressed as expected, he should be dropped to the second line - note, I did not say the fourth line to play six minutes a night. And, regardless of who he plays with at even strength, Eaves should feature on the power play as our body in front of the net. Heatley and Spezza (and Alfredsson) have obvious chemistry with Eaves, let them play it out.
Eaves will start on the second line with Vermette and Fisher. While he will probably be given an opportunity to play on the top line (read: two shifts on October 14th), it is probably more likely we will see him (undeservedly) on the fourth line sharing duties with Schubert and McGrattan than it is we will see him score 25+ goals playing with Spezza.
Projection: 77GP 23G 23A 46P

Brian Elliott - the list of NCAA achievements reads like a lifetime of accomplishments rather than the result of a remarkable four-year career at one of the most reputed hockey programmes in the US, at the University of Wisconsin (alma mater of Dany Heatley and Mike Eaves, father to Patrick). After four years of college hockey, the 22-year old Canadian finds himself the most promising goaltending prospect the Senators have had in the history of their system (not shabby, for a 9th round pick in a system that includes current Senators starter Ray Emery). Elliott is a remarkable technical goaltender who also possesses tremendous athletic ability. Though he was not called upon much this preseason, with Martin Gerber shouldering much of the load, Elliott's lone start was an impressive 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals Sunday evening, where Elliott undoubtedly stole the game for an undeserving Senators club and earned first star honours for his work. In his only other action this preseason, near two weeks ago against the same Capitals in Ottawa, Elliott let in only one goal and made 14 saves in just a period of action to preserve a 5-4 victory for the Senators. While I had expected Elliott to be solid, his game-stealing performance on Sunday far exceeded any expectations.
Elliott will start the season in Binghamton, and should be their starting goaltender. While the development of Jeff Glass might take priority over Elliott shouldering the majority of the load in Binghamton, there should be no doubt as to who is the starter.
Projection: I don't want to be cruel.

Nick Foligno - Before the preseason began, some of the more optimistic observers were penciling in Foligno for a starting role on the Senators. While I considered him a promising mid-season injury call-up, I thought it far more likely that Hennessy would grab the lone open forward spot without incident. While it seemed my conservative prediction could prove right early in training camp, when Paddock announced himself unimpressed with Foligno's play, the former Sudbury Wolves' star responded in such a fashion that left little doubt as to his desire to make Ottawa's opening day roster. Foligno began the preseason with a bang and ended it likewise; he finished second on the Senators roster with 3 goals and 8 points, including a three point performance in the opening game of the preseason at Philadelphia, and a two point game two nights later against Washington. While his offensive game tailed in the middle of the preseason, Foligno was instead practicing the gritty, grinding playing style that Paddock emphasised Foligno would need to embody should he wish to make the club. There has been some reluctance to praise Foligno's play in the preseason, citing Brandon Bochenski as a case of counting your eggs before they hatch. Still, Foligno had a strong preseason as both an offensive force and a gritty forechecker; he'll need to bring both games night in and night out if he wants to stick with the Senators.
Foligno should start on the third line. His play in the preseason has merited such a position. If he is going to be on the fourth line, I believe he would be better served getting top line minutes in every situation in Binghamton, even if only for a month or two until he really adjusts to the pro level. Still, he could stick to the roster all year and I wouldn't be surprised.
Foligno will start on the second line on Wednesday, but will likely drop to the fourth soon enough. While it may appear at times that he is on a short leash based on comments Paddock will make in the media, it seems instead that Paddock is simply ensuring Foligno is pushed to succeed - he is clearly a player who has a future in Ottawa, and the coach wants to ensure he stays motivated.
Projection: 53GP 9G 8A 17P

Jeff Glass - Despite a decorated junior campaign, which included winning CHL goaltender of the year and backstopping Team Canada to a junior gold medal, Glass was thrown to the wolves in 2006-07, platooning behind an absymal Binghamton Senators team with Kelly Guard (since released from the organisation). Still, Glass did nothing to garner sympathy, playing as equally poorly as his last-place team on most nights. While some would figure Glass' reputation as all but shot, and his future as a NHLer perhaps finished with the thrashing his confidence received throughout the 06-07 campaign, expectations were low for Glass coming into camp. Any thought of a look at the Senators rosters was shot, of course. Still, Glass was playing for the starting position in Binghamton, or perhaps just an extension on his contract when his entry level deal expires next summer. Though he saw limited action, Glass held on to a 2-1 lead against Montreal early in the preseason, making 12 saves and letting in no goals in one period of action against a desperate Habs team. While the twenty minutes were hardly enough to evaluate him fully, he did look poised and large in the net, giving a circling Canadiens team no hopes of a comeback, despite their best efforts. If nothing else, Glass demonstrated that the Binghamton reigns will not be handed to Elliott without a fight.
Glass should be given a fair shot at starting in Binghamton.
Glass will be the backup to Elliott, and must impress in his few starts to have any hope of remaining in the Senators organisation past this season. At this point, he has two high-potential young goaltenders standing in his way, and no amount of junior credentials are going to bump him up the depth chart.
Projection:

Brian Lee - While Lee will definitey not be ready for the NHL level on a team like the Senators in two day's time, he was more solid than I was expecting. There had been a lot of talk of his regression this year, talk which seemed mostly unfounded when I did some digging (mostly, people just recoil at the sight of non-spectacular offensive numbers). While he exhibited some of the nerves you would expect from a kid playing his first professional games, for the most part he was poised, showed good decision-making, never got caught in a bad position or with a bad pinch (though he did have a couple of whiffs that led to turnovers, it is hardly a matter of concern five exhibition games into his professional career). He was often the steadier of his pair, and when he had the confidence to carry the puck up, he looked poised and not at all uncomfortable or panicky the way an offensive player like Joe Corvo can tend to. He was solid and steady, didn't make mistakes but didn't take chances either, is the best way to describe it. I have really high hopes for him, in that he can be an eventual top 4 two-way defenseman. But I don't think he should be rushed. I think he will be ready for a top 4 role in 09-10, but he might be capable of handling bottom pairing duties next year.
Brian Lee should/will start the season in Binghamton, playing on the top pair and earning ice time in all situations. The experience and exposure will do him far more good than sheltered minutes on Ottawa's bottom pairing could ever do. Because the Senators could lose Nycholat to re-entry waivers, Lee will probably be the Senators' first call-up in case of injuries. Expect him to get between 1 and 5 games at the NHL level.
Projection AHL: 75GP 2G 22A 24P
Projection NHL: 3GP 0G 0A 0P

Brian McGrattan - McGrattan simply looked like a player who has dedicated himself to improvement. He looks quicker, lighter, and more mobile. While I still don't believe he will be an impact player at this level, his commitment to improvement shows good signs, and he no longer seemed a liability out there (though, we'll see the real story come preseason). I wasn't blown away by his game, I simply had very low expectations and was happy with what I saw.
McGrattan should/will play all or most games prior to the all-star break before slowly being phased out the lineup. He is evidently hoping to be considered a regular player (aka, one trusted enough to appear in the playoffs) - I'm not convinced he's there yet. Even if he is, there are better choices available within the organisation, nevermind by trade.
Projection: 48GP 0G 3A 3P

Alexander Nikulin - Nikulin became something of a fan favourite thanks to his blogs (shoutout to thirtyfive and his tireless translating work), but the bigger surprise than an unheralded Russian gaining an unprecedented fanbase before he even set foot on the ice, was the fact that he earned all the attention and consideration he received once the games were on. While it took Nikulin a few games to get used to the pace and style of the North American game, by the end of the preseason his adaptation to the transition had been noticeable. However, it still wouldn't be advisable to give Nikulin a starting roster position at the point, with assignment to Binghamton to further acclimatise to the North American game being the best course of action. Still, he proved himself as being a team player who did not take unnecessary chances or endanger the team defensive; he also showed unexpected drive and battle, and great puck control on the power play. While he did not adequately assert himself at even-strength, he never looked out of place whether playing with superstars or pluggers. A near-full season in Binghamton will do wonders for his game; if he has the patience, he could play a key role in the Senators roster by next season if the contract situations prove dire enough.
Nikulin should/will start the season on Binghamton's first line, with plenty of PP time. He should be the first or second call-up in case of injury, depending on how Zubov and Hennessy shake out. Presuming he plays in NA the full season:
Projection in AHL: 76GP 14G 38A 52P
Projection in NHL: 3GP 0G 1A 1P

Christoph Schubert - to emphasise - he exceeded expectations as a defenseman. While it was only one game in particular where he really impressed, Monday night against Toronto, it's near impossible to impress any more than he did on that particular night. With two goals, had it not been for heroics from Spezza and Alfredsson in other games, Schubert's performance that night might have been the highlight of the preseason. I trust the judgement of Paddock and Murray, but this is one issue on which I can't help but disagree. The facts, in my eyes, are simple. Schubert, while versatile and selfless, is not a very good forward. He is capable yes, doesn't look lost, yes, won't lose you a game playing forward, sure. I'm sure Volchenkov wouldn't lose us a game playing forward either. But does it make it the correct move? Schubert is, on the depth chart, our 5th our 6th best defenseman. Paddock himself seemed to indicate that he was pleased enough with Schubert's preseason performance to put him in the top four, quite a compliment. He is considered at best our #3 penalty killer and at worst our #5. He is our #4 power play defenseman. All this indicates that he should be in our top six, on a nightly basis. And yet.
No one can deny the value of having Schubert dressed as, essentially, our 7th defenseman (only having him play on the 4th line instead of sitting on the bench or messing up the defense pairings). The fact remains, Schubert is more valuable than a 7th defenseman or 4th line forward. It's like having Chris Phillips in 2007-08, playing on the fourth line because of the value he brings in case a defenseman gets injured. Well yes, that's a great value and all, but he is more valuable as our #1 defenseman, is he not? While the leap from Schubert to Phillips is something of a stretch, the logic remains the same. And that logic astounds me.
Schubert should be dressed as the 5th-6th defenseman, paired with Corvo.
Schubert will alternate between 4th line forward and bottom pairing defenseman, some time on the same night. He will see time on the penalty kill, and possibly on the power play. He will again remark that he has trouble making the mental transition between forward and defense. He will continue to contribute greatly to the team as a defenseman and not so much as a forward. I will continue to be annoyed.
Projection: 82GP 9G 17A 26P

Jason Spezza - Without a doubt, the MVP of the Senators preseason. I have remarked before, how truly amazing his preseason has been. Over the past two seasons, Spezza has established himself as one of the absolute premier players in the game, a playmaking centre of the highest order and one of the bright lights of the league who makes this game fascinating to watch night in and night out. He is considered by many to be a top 5 (if not top 3) centre in the league, and among the top 20-25 players. Objectively, he has placed within the top 15 in scoring each of the last two seasons, and tied the playoffs for the lead in scoring. He showed a heretofore unseen goalscoring prowess last season, and he would have hit 40 goals were it not for injury. I could go on for hours. The point is, as much as Spezza had established himself prior to this preseason, he came in this year looking on a whole other level to the superstar who was already among the league's elite. As stellar as he was before, he's stunningly better now. He is no longer deceptively quick - he is fast, shifty, and mobile. His movements are fluid and he seemed to have been playing the game at a different pace to every other player on the ice, including his own linemates. As many have remarked, he is already in midseason form while others are just waking up. There are many things to be excited about as a new season dawns. But most of all, I find myself imagining what Spezza will dream up night after night. Challenge for the Art Ross? The bugger might just win the thing.
Spezza should start in Binghamton.
Spezza will put on some regular season fireworks. But he should know by now that matters for little, besides the entertainment factor. His job this year is not to prove he can put up points, score goals, or light the league afire. His job is to show he can hack in when the going gets tough, for as long as it takes, not just the first three rounds. Regardless, we'll enjoy the journey still.
Projection: 77GP 41G 73A 114P

Met Expectations
Daniel Alfredsson
Cody Bass
Danny Bois
Joe Corvo
Martin Gerber
Dany Heatley
Chris Kelly
Andrej Meszaros
Dean McAmmond
Chris Neil
Lawrence Nycholat
Wade Redden
Anton Volchenkov
Ilya Zubov

Fell Below
Josh Hennessy
Luke Richardson
Antoine Vermette

N/A
Niko Dimitrakos
Ray Emery
Mike Fisher

Heatley's Contract Negotiations

2007-09-27T12:01:00.000-04:00

As everyone in Ottawa knows, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk will be joining GM Bryan Murray at Scotiabank Place today, in order to officially set out contract negotiations prior to Heatley's impending free agency in the summer of 2008. While it likely isn't their first meeting (Murray has mentioned casual talks with Heatley's agent J. P. Barrie over the summer), it is certainly an indication that the negotiation is far more than casual at this point. What makes today's meeting particularly intruiging is Heatley's refusal to discuss his contract during the season, preferring the business-side not interfere with the chemistry in the dressing room or the performances on the ice. Heatley has set a deadline of the start of the season, October 3, after which point he will not negotiate until the end of the season. Should a contract not be hammered out in the next week, there will only be a three-week window for negotiating with Heatley before he hits the open market, should the Senators go as deep in the playoffs as they are expected.

Heatley, one of the games premier forwards and almost without doubt the best goalscorer in the game, is negotiating from a position of strength whether he wants to talk contract today, in December, or on June 30th. His back-to-back 50-goal, 100-goal seasons put him in a category with the likes of Pavel Bure and Mario Lemieux historically. He has yet to miss a game in a Senators uniform, lead the playoffs in points (alongside linemates Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson), and was named to the first all-star team as a right wing (and very nearly made it as a left wing), in addition to receiving Hart, Selke, Pearson and perhaps even Conn Smythe consideration. In just two seasons as a Senator, he holds more Senators records than anybody but Alfredsson. The statistics are all very impressive, no doubt. While they're amusing to disport in defending Heatley's elite status, they almost become troubling when it comes time for contract discussion.

The simple fact is, whatever Heatley wants, he will get. If he wants league maximum or very close to it, there are teams across the continent who will make room for him. Vancouver, Phoenix, Florida, perhaps even his childhood favourite team St. Louis - all could become instant playoff contenders (if not Stanley Cup victors, in the case of Vancouver) with the simple addition of Heatley. While he doesn't have the game-changing ability of a Sidney Crosby, he far eclipses the likes of this year's free agent crop, who earned as much or more money as the elite players of the game on the open market, even if their play on ice will be leave much to be desired when their overbloated, overlong salaries are considered. When a 13-goal scorer makes $7 million, Heatley will be given league max without the blink of an eye.

If Heatley wants to stay in Ottawa, he need only name the price, and Eugene Melnyk will ensure it happens. If Heatley wants to leave, there is not a team in the league that won't be looking over their rosters and seeing if they can't make room for him.

The question then becomes, what does Heatley want to do? This is the most intruiging part of the whole negotiating process from my perspective. The numbers have meaning from a cap perspective, of course, but it is Heatley's intentions and desires that reveal the stature of the Ottawa Senators franchise among the elite players of the hockey world.

Heatley's acquisition by the Senators came under atypical circumstances, to say the least. Without regugitating a story everyone knows, it was pure coincidence that the Senators' troubles in negotiating a cap-favourable contract with Marian Hossa occurred coincidingly with a troubled young star's request for a change of scenery from a city that had treated him with nothing but forgiveness and charity, but a city nonetheless in which Heatley seemed incapable of returning to form as both a hockey player and person. In a way, the trade fell into former Senators GM John Muckler's lap, but the consequences remained all the same. The Senators signed Hossa to a 3-year $6 million deal in the morning just minutes prior to a scheduled arbitration hearing; by afternoon, Hossa was a Thrasher and Heatley was a Senator.

Some make an argument that Heatley was "rescued" or "resurrected" by Ottawa, and as such owes the team and city something of a discount, or favour. Others argue that it was Heatley (or Waddell) who rescued the Senators - they were in a difficult financial situation, and Heatley's trade request fixed a problem. Either way, whatever the team or the player "owed" each other (as if such a system of imbalance could exist), it's been more than paid back in spades at this point. Ottawa provided Heatley with an exciting, fresh and young Stanley Cup contending team. They gave him one of the league's premier playmakers to centre him and one of the league's best two-way players and captains to anchor the other wing. They gave him a city that breathes hockey and idolises its players, but respects their privacy all the same and, aside from a few quack reporters, lets the issues of Heatley's past be simply that, issues of the past. At the same time, Heatley provided the team and the city with excitement, and probably the biggest star this city has ever seen. He burst out of the gate in the pre-season in 2005 and never looked back. He set Senators records for point streaks, goals in a season, points in a season, points in a playoff run. He represented Canada at the Olympics. He achieved the highest individual honours in Senators history, being named to the first and second all-star teams. He has brought us 8-0 victories against the Maple Leafs and hat tricks against the Buffalo Sabres and 26.3 seconds remaining goal-tying goals in the playoffs. He finished 4th in league scoring two seasons in a row. Including the playoffs, he is behind only Joe Thornton in points since the lockout. No one has more goals than him in the last two seasons. He made the pizza goal six instead of five. Even if Heatley walks away after this season, there can be no hard feelings about the entertainment he brought to this city; about the memories he provided us and the joy we experienced every time he stepped on the ice.

Heatley owes nothing to Ottawa. He is a player whose promising career very well could have been over at 23, and no one would have been surprised. Some would say that, since Ottawa was the city and team where he experienced his playing rebirth, he should show some loyalty. But can't the argument be made that he knows the fragility of a player's career? That if it wasn't the emotional scars left by the crash, that it could have been the knee injury sustained in the accident that ended his career? Or the near-blinding eye damage he suffered during the lockout? A player cannot and should not be vilified for looking out for his best interests.

At the same time, there is something to be said for happiness. If an extra million or two playing in a market where they don't care quite as much about you or your team, where your name doesn't get so elatedly cheered at the home arena or so viciously booed on the road, where a playoff series victory is paragraph at the back of the sports section and a regular season loss is never mentioned at all, if that would leave Heatley equally satisfied, then what can be done. If taking an extra million more than "necessary" in Ottawa equals the loss of Chris Kelly, or Patrick Eaves, or even Jason Spezza, and possibly precipitates the decline of the Senators from Stanley Cup Finalists to April-golfers, then that's unfortunate for us.

The realistic "right thing" in the eyes of a Senators fan, is a contract in the $7-8 million range, for a term of 4-6 years (the unrealistic "right thing" being that he plays for us for free out of the goodness of his heart, for ever and ever and ever). According to various reports from the likes of Darren Dreger and Bruce Garrioch, the expected starting demand from Heatley's camp is an $8.5 million offer, presumably over a six year period or more. It would be a shock if his demands did not also include a no trade or no movement clause. According to Garrioch, the Senators' expectations rest in the $7 million, 6 year range. The two sides are really not far apart, and if Heatley is really interested in staying in Ottawa, there is no reason something can't get done before Wednesday's debut against the Maple Leafs.

Still the question remains: not can the Senators afford it, not can Heatley get more elsewhere, but does Heatley want to be in Ottawa, and how much of the Senators competitiveness is he willing to sacrifice to make it happen?

A Word on the Fisher Resigning

2007-09-22T19:38:00.000-04:00

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I thought it an appropriate time to offer my opinion on Fisher's new long-term contract.

To preface, it is difficult not be a huge fan of Fisher and what he brings on the ice, in the dressing room, and to the city. Many make the argument that he's the best third liner in the league, and I have trouble disagreeing. Though he has struggled with injuries for the entirety of his NHL career, never playing a full season, there is never a question that he gives every ounce of effort when on the ice, and plays through pain as much as any player in the league when the situation requires it. Were the salary cap not a consideration, were I in Bryan Murray's position I'd give the 27-year old a blank check and ask only that he do us the favour of making the contract life-long. I won't for a second pretend that I am anything but enthused at the prospect of seeing Fisher in a Senators jersey for the next five years, and I am equally happy to see such a selfless player rewarded both financially and temporally for his sacrifice over the past eight years.

However, the Senators operate in a league which has a mandatory budget in place. In such a league, the salaries allotted to the role players need to be as carefully considered as those allotted to the stars. It is excessively easy to point to the struggles of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the difficulty they have encountered in having a significant portion of their cap wrapped up in three star players, providing little room for satisfactory depth players (and the above-league-minimum contracts they require).

Still, there is an equal risk in overpaying for these vaunted role players, Mike Fisher among them, whose overinflated salaries can cause the loss of difference makers like Dany Heatley. It should be noted that Fisher's $4.2 million contract alone, will not mean the difference between keeping or losing Heatley, nor, certainly, will it mean the difference between the Senators being or not being competitive. However, it can become an awfully slippery slope. First Fisher makes $4.2 million because he has plenty of heart, and is loved in the city, and makes every night difficult for the opposition; next, Sami Pahlsson becomes the highest paid player on the Anaheim Ducks because he brings the same qualities and then some? Chris Kelly makes the same as Fisher because, despite his relative lack of physicality, he has a superior mental knack for the game to Fisher, and brings the consistency in conditioning lack Fisher lacks? Cody Bass gets a Dustin Penner-level offer sheet in three years time? You keep rewarding the thankless role players, and eventually there is no room for them in a salary cap world, nor the star players.

Fisher will be earning just under 10% of the Senators cap next season, with the expectation that he will be a second line player. He will be given the opportunity to play with Daniel Alfredsson, or perhaps a star UFA picked up should Heatley orbit out of the Senators' price range. He will inevitably miss 15 or more regular season games, and other players will be required to take his place for nearly 20% of the season. His injuries should not be held against him, as they come as a result of the fearless game he plays, but they are a factor nonetheless. Fisher has never eclipsed 50 points, however he has never had a full season of playing with capable offensive players (though, as the Senators 4th forward in terms of ice time and leader of the second power play unit, he has been given opportunities in terms of ice-time to make things happen). He is 27-years old, in his prime, and one would be overly optimistic to assume that he will explode offensively at this point, even given the opportunity to play with star linemates like Alfredsson; still, stranger things have happened and it would be unwise to suggest it impossible.

I hope that Fisher earns every penny of his contract; I hope that he shines in his role as second line center and provides the missing depth offense our team has so desperately needed in the post-season. I hope that Fisher's market level contract does not interfere with the signing of players who really make the difference on this team - the 50 goal scorers, the 100-point playmakers, the 30-minute defensemen. It probably won't. But what if we have to pay market value for a 22-year old top 4, physical, offensive defenseman capable in playing in all 3 situations? A 25-year old skilled, speedy playmaker who puts up similar goal totals to Fisher and plays a more pivotal role on the penalty kill than some of the best defensive players in the game? A 23-year old sniper who could very well hit 30 goals this season? A 27-year old defensive player who can play on any line, with any type of player, in any situation, and not look an inch out of place? Every player mentioned above is coming up for a contract next season. Many observers are banking on discounts from these players to keep the team together. If not, they're banking on poor seasons from these players to keep their values down.

It's a slippy slope, and suffice it to say, I don't envy Bryan Murray.

Senators 5 Capitals 4

2007-09-22T19:32:00.000-04:00

Senators Goals
Alfredsson (1) from Spezza (1)
Spezza (1) from Schubert (1) and Redden (1)
Foligno (2) from Vermette (1) and Schubert (2)
Heatley (1) from Alfredsson (1) and Redden (2)
Kelly (1) from Foligno (3) and Donovan (1)

Team 1200 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Foligno
3. Poti

My 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Foligno
3. Spezza

I didn't get to watch Tuesday's game, so take most of these comments with a grain of salt.

- McGrattan looks like a new man. You talk about rookies showing off for spots, McGrattan was probably the hardest worker out there and is definitely making a statement that he wants to be considered a member of this team past the all-star game. I'm not a huge fan of the enforcer role in hockey, but if McGrattan can keep up this kind of play, I see no reason why Hennessy, Dimitrakos etc. should be in the lineup over him. He's obviously committed himself to improving his footspeed and endurance, and he's a whole new player because of it. He gets top marks from me so far.

- I've been weary of the expectations placed by some on Foligno, thinking he could/should make the team straight out of camp. I know he had a bright performance Tuesday after being ripped by Paddock, but seeing him tonight, gave me some confidence. However, I didn't really see him as that grinding, tireless, 100% effort player that the coach apparently wants him to be, but rather a solid playmaker and skilled player. I liked seeing him on the second unit in the second half of the game. I still think he'll start the season in Binghamton, and I agree that it will be best for his development, but I almost can't help but wonder if his demotion will be undeserved. Also, his goal was sick. I literally jumped up and down when he scored. He now has 2 goals and 5 points in 2 games, not too shabby.

- Nikulin was solid and had a couple really strong shifts, but I'd really have to see more of him. Based on what I saw tonight, he definitely won't make the team out of camp. He was solid but did not stand out.

- I was more impressed with Nycholat than Lee. Having Lee as anything but the #1 defenseman in Bingo would just be wrong, but I think if Nycholat keeps up his play he could earn the #1 slot there just as much as he could win the #6 slot here. Lee was smooth but didn't really stand out. I'll definitely need more time to evaluate him.

- Hennessy did not stand out at all, granted the lack of ice-time didn't help much. If he keeps playing like this, I don't know why he'd deserve the roster spot we've basically already penciled him into. He did have one great drive to the net which he deserved credit for, but he was far less effective at generating energy and momentum than his linemates McGrattan and Bass. He lacks the physical intensity (and intensity of any sort, really) to be a truly effective fourth liner for this team, I'm starting to think a slot on the 4th might be better served by someone else.

- Bass was solid and had a few high energy shifts, though he didn't play much. I enjoy his type of game and imagine he will be a fan favourite some day. A more physical Kelly.

- Heatley was both lazy and hot-dogging, a bad combination. I don't think I've ever seen him actually pull off a dangle, but he tries them at least 3 or 4 times a game. And yet, he scores the goal that put the game away. Ah, the Heater we know and love. He had a couple strong shifts on the PK and I hope he gets a lot of shorthanded minutes during the season. I really think it keeps his head in the game and enhances his gameplay - not that tonight was much evidence of it.

- Spezza was Spezza. I agree he looked speedier, and I look forward to seeing what other areas of his game have improved. Paddock also had him out of the PK for a full shift or two, it will be interesting to see if that was just a wacky experiment or Paddock's actually considering it. His set-up to Alfie, his set-up to Eaves... God I love watching Spezza play.

- Elliott was solid, not much else to say there.

- Alfie is God.

- Vermette's still bambi on ice as people like to say around here. But there is no doubt in my mind that he has what it takes to make it on the second line, especially if Alfie's there. Stop dicking him around Paddock and accept what is right.

- Likewise, Schubert was real solid on the backend tonight, and I actually like the pairing. There's going to be inevitable brainfarts like there were with Redden and Mez, but there's a good mix of positional/physical and defensive/offensive mindsets there. I think it could work. But then it leaves us with Mez/Corvo, and that might be an accident waiting to happen. Anyway, Schubert was very effective back there. Logged almost as much time as Phillips/Volchenkov, and was a +3 (actually, he was on the ice for no goals against). Please, please, please keep him on the backend full-time Paddock.

- Donovan was unimpressive throughout the first half, but seemed to get going about midway. The good thing is, even when things weren't really clicking, he was always skating. At best he'll be a light McAmmond; at worst, we've got a speedy hard worker who won't let bad things happen in his own zone, and I can live with that.

- Volchenkov owned Ovechkin every second of the night. He is completely awesome. Same goes for Phillips, just please shake the whole bad luck thing... broken stick, own goal - it's game 5 all over again. Come on hockey Gods, Philly deserves better.

- Kelly and Vermette were badass on draws. Why can't they both be centres?

- The jerseys look real sharp in action. I still hate the socks but to be honest I didn't even notice until I thought about it. The striped pants are still sick, I love them. Washington's jerseys are pretty nice too, I'm so glad they went back to their old colours. Some teams really downgraded (Edmonton, Florida) but Ottawa and Washington both have sweet jerseys right now, regardless of what they had in the past.

- The crowd was brutal tonight. Not one Go Sens Go chant all night. I know it's preseason, but wake up. Still, my little brother and I had a good time. I think it took until the 3-1 deficit for the big guys to wake up, and, once they did, the whole team was revived along side them. As usual, this team lives and dies by the Big Three.

Rookie Profiles Pt IV

2007-09-10T21:57:00.000-04:00

#66 - Pierre-Luc Lessard
Defense - 6', 198 - Jan 16, 1988 - Thetford Mines, PQ
Drafted in the fourth round in 2006 (121st overall), the 19-year old two-way defenseman had his best season yet in 2006-07, after being traded from the Gatineau Olympiques to the PEI Rocket of the QMJHL. In addition to recording career highs in games played, goals and points, he developed tremendously thanks to the key role he played for the Rocket. Lessard has strong offensive skills, being a creative playmaker who can shoot as well. However, he is also solid in his own end, with good decision-making skills and strong positional play, which offsets his lack of intense physicality in shutting down the opposition. Lessard still has a while to go before he is qualified for the NHL, however his development so far has been positive, and, if he commits himself to developing physically as well as he has skill-wise, Lessard could well see himself in an NHL uniform in the future.
Projection: Lessard will very likely return to the Rocket for a final season, and is unlikely to receive an entry-level contract with the Senators this year. Unless he were to astound if invited to the Senators full-training camp (which is unlikely in and of itself), there is simply no room for Lessard in Binghamton and he would likely be sent back to the Q anyways. He will probably be offered a contract for 07-08 if his development continues to progress, however.

2006-07 Prince Edward Island QMJHL 70 12 22 34 77
7 0 2 2 0

#70 - Andrew Marshall
Defense - 5'9", 205 - Aug 7, 1986 - Niagara Falls, ON
21-year old Marshall joins the Senators camp as an undrafted amateur. Marshall played for the Barrie Colts of the OHL in 2006-07, his fourth season with the team. While he served as alternate captain, he did not have as strong a season offensively as he did in 05-06, but still marked a solid 50 points. Marshall is committed to the University of New Brunswick in 2007. Marshall is far too small to play defense effectively at the NHL-level, even if he seep

Rookie Camp Profiles

2007-09-06T22:59:00.000-04:00

As September has finally rolled around, so begins the first of a constant stream of training and observation leading up to the selection of the Ottawa Senators final roster and, eventually, the beginning of the 2007-08 season. The first item on the docket is the 2007 rookie camp, which began today. Included in the camp is the 2007 Rookie Tournament in Kitchener, ON, against three other teams: Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the rookie tournament beginning Friday, it seems an appropriate time to present a introduction to the players expected to participate. As the furthest thing from a scouting expert, I thank hfboards, hockeysfuture, russianprospects and the Senators official website for most information found below.

26 prospects are expected to participate, with only Cody Bass and Tomas Kudelka having previously participated in a Senators rookie camp before, back in 2005.

You'll likely notice a disproportionate amount of Kootenay Ice players invited on amateur tryouts. They have likely been invited on the advice of the new Binghamton Senators head coach Cory Clouston, who served as head coach of the Ice for a number of years and had been with the Kootenay organisation in some capacity since 1999. While none of them are particularly noteworthy prospects in my eyes, it will be interesting to see how proteges of Clouston perform and how much weight his recommendation carries.

Below are the prospects in alphabetical order. I will give a brief overview of their draft position, 2006-07 season, and a scout report. The statistics listed are for the most recent NHL season and international tournaments (if applicable). Statistics read as follows - Games Played, Goals, Assists, Points, Penalty Minutes. Goaltenders statistics: Games Played, Wins, Losses, Ties/Shootout Losses (if applicable), Minutes Played, Goals Against, Shutouts, Goals Against Average.

#61 - Kevin Baker
Center - 5'11", 185 - March 27, 1987 - Etobicoke, ON
Undrafted, Nick Foligno's teammate in Sudbury has been invited to participate in the Senators training camp. The 20-year old centre was second only to Foligno in Sudbury scoring last season, his fourth season in the OHL. He led the team with 4 shorthanded goals, and also led the team with 7 shorties the previous season. Baker is of average size, and while he is a good skater, solid playmaker and dependable two-way player, he possesses no outstanding abilities.
Projection: cut

2006-07 Sudbury OHL 64 23 35 58 18
2006-07 Playoffs OHL 21 6 9 15 4

#58 - Cody Bass
Center - 6', 211 - Jan 7, 1987 - Owen Sound, ON
Drafted in the 4th round of the 2005 NHL entry draft, 95th overall, Bass is one of the Senators' more dependable prospects and by all observers is expected to make the team within a few years. He is projected as a centre similar in style, intensity and leadership to a Mike Fisher or Chris Kelly, two players he will have the opportunity to join in training camp and is very likely that Bass will supercede one of these players in a couple years' time. He is the most experienced of the Senators forward prospects, having already played 14 games in the AHL over the last two seasons. While Bass is not reputed as the most offensively gifted prospects, he can chip in his fair share of points. However, it is his defensive acumen and physical intensity that make him valuable. Bass is a premiere penalty killer and has received invitations to junior Team Canada tryouts for the rounded game he brings. Bass is reliable on faceoffs, skates well, and has a good head for the game in general.
Projection: Spends the season in the AHL. Could very likely serve as Bingo captain in a season or two before making the jump to the big time. He is one of the Senators prospects most likely to see full-time NHL action in his career.

2006-07 Mississauga OHL 23 5 11 16 37
2006-07 Saginaw OHL 30 5 24 29 49
2006-07 Playoffs OHL 6 1 2 3 10
2006-07 Binghamton AHL 5 0 2 2 9

#64 - Clayton Bauer
Left wing - 6', 203 - Jan 31, 1987 - Kelowna, BC
Similar to Kevin Baker, Bauer joins the rookie camp on an amateur tryout. He remains undrafted after four seasons in the WHL, splitting his last season between the Kelowna Rockets and the Kootenay Ice. The 20-year old left winger attended the Vancouver Canucks' rookie camp in 2006, but was cut. While he recorded career highs in goals and points with Kootenay in 2006, I cannot find enough information to make an assessment of his playing style or potential.
Projection: cut

2006-07 Kelowna WHL 2 0 0 0 0
2006-07 Kootenay WHL 68 24 28 52 90
2006-07 Playoffs 7 1 0 1 9

#68 - Curtis Billsten
Right wing - 6'3", 213 - Sept 10, 1986 - Calgary, AB
Another undrafted forward, 21-year old right winger Billsten is committed to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds men's hockey team, after four seasons in the WHL. 2006-07 was a banner year for Billsten, as he was named assistant captain for the Kootenay Ice, and recorded career highs in goals, assists, points and penalty minutes. Billsten has a massive frame at 6'3", 213, but appears unlikely to pursue professional hockey at a high level at this point.
Projection: While his size and experience might make him most the most attractive prospect of the tryout players recommended by Clouston, as noted above he is committed to university next season and is therefore unlikely to be signed.

2006-07 Kootenay WHL 70 24 40 64 96
2006-07 Playoffs WHL 3 0 1 1 2

#35 - Ryan Daniels
Goaltender - 6'1", 195 - June 22, 1988 - Scarborough, ON
The Senators 5th round selection in 2006 (151st overall) has some familiarity with other Senators prospects, having attended the previous two development camps. The 19-year old has spent the past three seasons as goaltender for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL. He had a solid season in 06-07, dramatically improving his statistics from his first two years, dropping his GAA by over a full goal per game. He was the full-time starting goaltender for Saginaw and his minutes played reflected it. Additionally, he was named OHL goaltender of the month twice last season. Daniels' strength is his positional play, but he also has quick reaction and good instincts. He has a strong glove and is generally technically sound.
Projection: Daniels will very likely return to Saginaw for a fourth a final season. Binghamton is set in net with Brian Elliott, and Jeff Glass will likely be given one last opportunity to at least backup Elliott, if not platoon. There is no room for Daniels and it would be unfit for his development to have him wasting away as a third string goaltender in the AHL when he is set to get plenty of action in the OHL. Long-term, Daniels does not likely fit into the Senators' plans with Emery still young at 24 and Elliott having first-dibs on earning a backup position in the future. However the development of goaltenders is unpredictable and Daniels could find his way up the Senators' depth chart with consistently strong play.

2006-07 Saginaw OHL 60 38 18 3 3,553 174 2 2.94
2006-07 Playoffs OHL 4 1 3 239 13 0 3.26

There's the first 5 profiles, more to follow.

Rookie Camp Profiles Pt II

2007-09-06T16:06:00.000-04:00

#67 - Steven DaSilva
Right wing - 6', 195 - Feb 10, 1987 - Saskatoon, SK
DaSilva had a breakout year in 2006-07 with the Kootenay Ice, recording 91 points and finishing second in the WHL scoring race, ahead of junior stars such as Zach Boychuk, Martin Hanzal and Peter Mueller, and behind only Zach Hamill. He led his team in every major statistical category, including goals, assists, points and penalty minutes. He is an intruiging prospect but went undrafted.
Projection: one of the most likely prospects on tryout to be offered an AHL contract.

2006-07 Kootenay Ice WHL 71 38 53 91 108
2006-07 Playoffs WHL 7 5 5 10 16

#56 - Kaspars Daugavins
Left wing - 5'11" 205 - May 18, 1988 - Riga, Latvia
One of the Senators most exciting prospects, Daugavins was drafted in the 3rd round in 2006 (91st overall), and spent the 2006-07 season with the St. Michael's Majors of the OHL. He joined the Binghamton Senators late in the season after St. Mike's had been eliminated from the playoffs, playing 11 games. Daugavins has substantial international experience, having represented Latvia in 5 tournaments over the past two seasons, including two World Junior Championships and two World Championships, a rarity for a player of his age. Stunningly, 18-year old Daugavins recorded 3 goals and 3 assists in the 2007 World Championships, playing against men over ten years his senior, from far stronger teams. He scored nearly a point per game playing as a rookie for a dismal St. Mike's club, and scored 2 goals for Binghamton later in the season. He was named to the OHL rookie first all-star team. Daugavins' best assets are his speed, skating ability, and playmaking ability. He has remarkable vision and an ability to anticipate the play. Daugavins has held his own at all levels, against peers and older players (in the AHL and WC). He is an extremely driven and determined player who doesn't coast on talent alone.
Projection: Will likely play in Binghamton last year as his play last season earned him the position, and while he is eligible to return to the OHL, it is unlikely he will do so. Daugavins appears to be one of the few forwards in the Senators prospect pool with top six potential, and as such will be given every opportunity to succeed.

2006-07 St. Michael’s Majors OHL 61 18 42 60 64
2006-07 Binghamton AHL 11 2 0 2 9
2006-07 Latvia WJC-U20 5 3 7 10 2
2006-07 Latvia WC 6 3 3 6 0

#41 - Tyler Donati
Right wing - 5'10", 190 - Oct 17, 1986 - Toronto, ON
Recently signed to a one-year AHL contract, Donati had a spectacular season with the Belleville Bulls of the OHL, finishing 3rd in the league in goals and 4th in points, behind only Patrick Kane, John Tavares (Kane was selected 1st overall in 2007; Tavares will be selected likewise 2009), and Sergei Kostitsyn - not bad company. In addition, he was named to the OHL's second all-star team, was named the top overaged player of the OHL, and participated in the OHL all-star game. Donati went undrafted, likely because of his lack of size, though with players like Martin St. Louis and Daniel Briere tearing up the league, it hardly seems an impediment this day and age. However, his remarkable season came as a 20-year old playing against kids as much as 3 or 4 years younger. Donati lacks the two-way play that would make him a likely candidate to make the big team (his AHL-only contract doesn't help matters either).
Projection: Donati is expected to make the Binghamton roster, quite possibly on a scoring line if he impresses in camp. Unlikely many of the undrafted invitees, Donati is not on a tryout and has already been signed to a contract, meaning he fits into the Binghamton Senators' plans for the next season in the eyes of General Manager Tim Murray.

2006-07 Belleville OHL 66 54 75 129 52
2006-07 Playoffs OHL 15 6 20 26 4

#30 - Brian Elliott
Goaltender - 6'2", 206 - April 9, 1985 - Newmarket, ON
Drafted in the 9th round (291st overall) of the 2003 draft, Elliott has been a slow burner but thanks to his remarkable last couple years in the CCHA, has vaulted up the Senators depth chart and is likely their top goaltending prospect at the moment. Elliott spent the full four years at the University of Wisconsin, in one of America's top hockey programmes. Coincidentally, Elliott was coached by Mike Eaves, father of Senators forward Patrick Eaves.

While his 2006-07 numbers weren't as remarkable as his record setting stats in 05-06, Elliott finished his University career with a 1.78 GAA, .931 save percentage, with 16 shutouts. Remarkably, these statistics put him in the top 6 for all-time goaltending statistics in WCHA history. Elliott collected an impressive amount of hardware, including WCHA goaltending champion two years in a row, being named a first-team All-American, NCAA Midwest Most Oustanding Player, being named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament team, and being a finalist for the Hobey Baker award as most oustanding player in collegiate hockey (all in 2005). He has some experience in Binghamton, having played 8 games with the club after his university career was completed in 2007.

Elliott is a tremendous technical goaltender, but also possesses outstanding athletic ability and huge size that allows him to cover a significant portion of the net, with the reflexes to quickly reach the areas his massive frame doesn't cover. He shows great composure in pressure-filled situations, and appears to have a solid head for the game. He has trouble with rebound control and reading the play in scramble-type situations with heavy traffic, however his keen eye and steadiness can probably help him improve in this area. His heart is in the game and it shows when he plays. Elliott should have some familiarity with other Senators prospects and players, having participated in three development camps with the team.

Projection: Elliott has made a career of exceeding expectations. He could very well supercede Jeff Glass as the Binghamton Senators starting goaltender by the time the 2007-08 season begins. It also wouldn't be a shock to see Elliott backing up Emery at the NHL level in two or three years time, though projecting the role of a goaltender is as unpredictable as anything. Still, Elliott's technical proficiency speaks well to his ability to translate his game to the NHL level.

2006-07 U. Wisconsin WCHA 36 15 17 2 2,053 72 5 2.10
2006-07 Binghamton AHL 8 3 4 0 425 30 0 4.24

#62 - Garrett Festerling
Centre - 5'9", 183 - March 3, 1986 - Quesnel, BC
A diminutive centre, Festerling is yet another undrafted player invited on a tryout to the Senators rookie camp. He lead the Regina Pats in points, and finished in the top 20 of WHL scoring. The 21-year old has an adequate offensive skillset but his size looks to be a serious impediment to any NHL aspirations. Garrett is the brother of former Vancouver Giants captain and current Anaheim Ducks property, blueliner Brett Festerling.
Projection: cut

2006-07 Regina WHL 67 22 51 73 46
2006-07 Playoffs WHL 10 5 7 12 16
2006-07 Oklahoma City (Playoffs) CHL 1 0 0 0 0

#71 - Nick Foligno
Centre - 6', 204 - Oct 31, 1987 - Buffalo, NY
Drafted in the first round of the 2006 draft (28th overall), Foligno is in the eyes of many observers, the top Senators prospect. I personally rank him around #3-4, with Hennessy, Lee, Zubov and Daugavins in the same range. The son of former NHLer Mike Foligno (who was also his coach in Sudbury), improved upon his excellent draft year in 2006-07. He lead the Sudbury Wolves in scoring for the second straight season and played a huge roll in his team's visit to the OHL Finals, also leading his team in playoff scoring. He served as Assistant Captain for the Wolves and played in the OHL all-star game.

Foligno is a heart and soul centre in the same vein as Mike Fisher (who, coincidentally, also spent his junior career with the Wolves). Foligno is strong on the forecheck and crashes the net with abandon. He doesn't avoid corners and plays a very prototypical "North American" game. He is a strong physical player even if he needs to add considerable bulk to his average frame. While he needs to improve on his consistency both in effort and execution, Foligno likely has the offensive tools to fight for a top six spot in the future, and certainly has the physical elements which will make him a valuable bottom-six player even if his offensive game does not translate at the NHL level. Still, he needs considerable work on his defensive game and as such time in the AHL is most likely a requirement at this point, before he joins a team like the Senators that relies on the defensive contributions of all of its players.

Foligno has shown a dogged determination to make the Senators roster in 2007. While it is unlikely he will do so as a full-time roster member simply because of the Senators depth, and his inexperience at the highest level, Foligno's determination is admirable and will likely result in a role as an injury call-up should his effort remain consistent. His father was an NHLer and Foligno's long-time coach and this should speak to good bloodlines; however, it will interesting to see how the younger Foligno performs without the guidance (or perhaps helping hand) of his father.

Projection: Foligno still has a year of junior eligibility, but it is unlikely he will return. The most likely scenario is a first or second line spot in Binghamton, with opportunity to serve as an injury callup should his play dictate it. Foligno still needs to bulk up considerably and there is no rush to get him into the Senators lineup, much as he may desire it.

2006-07 Sudbury OHL 66 31 57 88 135
2006-07 Sudbury OHL 21 12 17 29 36

Rookie Profiles Pt III

2007-09-06T13:45:00.000-04:00

#65 - Brett Gallant
Left wing - 5'11", 175 - Dec 28, 1988 - Summerside, PEI
The 18-year old left winger for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL went undrafted and is attending the rookie camp on an amateur tryout. Despite his average height and low weight, Gallant served as the Sea Dogs' enforcer over the past two seasons. Spending his time on the fourth line, he lead his team in penalty minutes in 2006-07 and finished second in the league in that category. Gallant had a remarkable 30 fights in just 48 games last season. While no one will mistake Gallant for a scorer (he has just 7 points in his junior career), it is possible that his fighting skills could draw the attention of Clouston and Tim Murray. However, his unimpressive size makes it unlikely that his career will continue at a higher level. He lacks the size to be a true enforcer and lacks the offensive skills to be an agitator in the vein of a Sean Avery or Chris Neil. However, he is also the youngest player at camp (now that Jim O'Brien is not attending), and should be judged accordingly.
Projection: cut

2006-07 Saint John QMJHL 48 5 1 6 192

#60 - Michael Grenzy
Defense - 6'3", 206 - Feb 6, 1984 - Lockport, NY
Though he was selected in the 9th round of the 2003 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, Grenzy was unsigned by them and arrives at the Senators camp on an amateur tryout. The 23-year old just completed a full four years at Clarkson University. While he didn't have the banner offensive year in 06-07 he did in 05-06 (when he lead the defense corps in points), Grenzy had a solid all-around senior year. Grenzy possesses great size and uses it well, however he has also developed into a smooth skater and strong positional player. He has shown great improvement through his college career but at this point does not project to be an NHL-calibre player at any point. Grenzy quarterbacked Clarkson's power play, but did not put up outstanding numbers while doing so.
Projection:Wwhile he does have an outside shot at earning an AHL contract based on his size and experience, Binghamton already has substantial depth at defense with recent signings, and it is unlikely Grenzy would be able to put his offensive skills to good use as he would likely not see power play time. However, his physical tools are valuable and Binghamton might see a use for Grenzy as a 5th or 6th defenseman.

2006-07 Clarkson ECAC 30 2 12 14 12

#49 - Chaz Johnson
Right wing - 6'1", 210 - Jan 30, 1984 - Montreal
The 23-year old Johnson joins the Senators camp on a professional tryout, after having spent most of the last two seasons with Rockford of the UHL. He also received brief playing time in the AHL on tryouts with Milwaukee and Rochester. Johnson joined Rockford after going undrafted after four seasons in the QMJHL with Rimouski, Val D'Or and Drummondville. Johnson was a relentless agitator in the UHL, racking up 361 penalty minutes in 111 games over two seasons. Humourously, his 248 PIM season in 05-06 was only good for third on his Rockford team. In 17 games in the AHL, he recorded 2 goals and 25 PIM. He has a few fights on his record and seems willing to go toe-to-toe when challenged, but doesn't appear to search for a scrap.
Projection: could possibly sign a contract with Binghamton as he has some AHL experience, however his skills seem to be better replicated by others already in the Senators system. It is unlikely he fits into the team's plans, and will likely be cut.

2006-07 Rockford UHL 45 14 12 26 113
2006-07 Playoffs UHL 17 6 9 15 16
2006-07 Milwaukee AHL 1 0 0 0 0
2006-07 Rochester AHL 8 1 0 1 13

#57 - Mattias Karlsson
Defense - 6'3", 228 - April 15, 1985 - Stora, Sweden
The 22-year old defender was selected in the fourth round of the 2003 draft (135th overall). He has not played in North America yet (having spent his whole career so far in his native Sweden), however he has attended the past three Senators development camps. For the first time, Karlsson spent the entirety of the 2006-07 season in the Swedish Elite League, with Bofors IK. He had his best season in 06-07 and recorded career highs in goals and points by a significant margin in addition to leading his team in points as a defenseman, an appauldable feat as it was his first full season in the SEL. While Karlsson has been working on his physical game, his strength remains his offensive play. He has good passing skills, a hard shot and is a strong skater.
Projection: Karlsson will likely start the season in Binghamton as a #5-6 defender, but should receive second unit power play time, or better if his play dictates it. He isn't likely to challenge for an NHL spot for a number of seasons.

2006-07 Bofors Sweden 44 11 21 32 34

#59 - Tomas Kudelka
Defense - 6'3", 198 - March 10, 1987 - Gottwaldov, Czech Republic
Selected in the 5th round of the 2005 draft (136th overall), Kudelka is one of the Senators more experienced prospects, despite his relatively young age. He has 16 games of AHL experience over the past two seasons, and has competed in the World Junior Championships in each of the past two seasons, in addition to playing in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and competing in the Czech Extraliga as a 17 year old. Kudelka is likely the Senators #2 or #3 defensive prospect, only clearly behind Brian Lee. Kudelka was a key member of a poor Hurricanes team in 06-07 and developed his skills tremendously thanks to the significant role he played.

Kudelka is a strong all-around player, with no significant weaknesses (though his decision-making needs work, it should improve with experience). He is a strong, fast skater, with great offensive ability as both a passer and shooter. Though he could stand to add weight to his 6'3" frame, he uses his size well. He is strong positionally in his own end, but as already mentioned he needs to work on his decision making.

Projection: Kudelka will most certainly start in Binghamton this season, and could very well play a key role on the first power play unit with Brian Lee. He is still a number of years away from the NHL, and likely won't see time as an injury call-up because of the Senators depth on defense (Nycholat, Richardson and Lee will all see time before him, and Senators GM Bryan Murray is reportedly still interested in signing another depth defenseman). However, he is a strong prospect and will likely be a regular NHL rearguard eventually.

2006-07 Lethbridge WHL 59 14 27 41 74
Czech Republic WJC-U20 6 1 2 3 6
Binghamton AHL 11 1 2 3 8

#55 - Brian Lee
Defense - 6'2", 208 - March 26, 1987 - Fargo, ND
The Senators highest pick since they selected Jason Spezza 2nd overall in 2001, Lee fell into the Senators hands at 9th overall in 2005 thanks to a lottery. Knowing the Senators could well risk losing both Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden in the coming years, former GM John Muckler envisioned Lee would develop into a replacement for the latter player, though Muckler admitted Lee would be a project. While on paper Lee did not have the sophomore season at the University of North Dakota that observers may have wished for, especially following his solid freshman debut, he improved with much-needed strength training and focused on improving his play in his own end. While his statistical production was comparable with his 05-06 season, Lee emerged from 06-07 a much more rounded defenseman. He represented the United States in the World Junior tournament for the second straight season, and though he failed to log a point, he did help his team earn a bronze medal. Lee signed an entry-level contract with the Senators in the summer of 2007, forgoing the rest of his college eligibility.

At the time of his drafting, Lee was projected to be a player in the mold of a Wade Redden or, to the particularly flattering observers, Brian Leetch. While he remains an offense-first defenseman, understandable considering his great transition skills, smooth stride, stellar puckhandling and enviable hockey sense, as mentioned he has begun to round out his game, an adapation that should only continue at the professional level. While he has shown great dedication over the past year bulking up his frame, he is still not a physical defenseman, and, much in the vein of former Senator Tom Preissing, appears eager to eschew that part of the game completely. What he lacks in physicality he makes up for in smarts and dedication to his own development. Lee is also truly underrated in his own zone.

Projection: If Lee isn't Binghamton's #1 defenseman by the first puck drop, he will be by the last. While Lee is still not ready for the NHL, he should log huge minutes in Binghamton in all three situations. Ideally Luke Richardson can serve as a mentor of sorts; if not, Lee should get some limited time as an injury call-up that will give him a taste of the NHL. He might be ready for the NHL in 08-09, but I wouldn't expect him to really come into his own until the following season. While the Senators have a number of defenseman who have made the NHL at extremely young ages (Redden, Phillips, Meszaros), it is unreasonable and likely detrimental to his development to expect Lee to make the same jump, despite his draft position.

2006-07 U. North Dakota WCHA 38 2 24 26 69
USA WJC-U20 7 0 0 0 14

Bashkirov Looking Good

2007-09-04T23:15:00.000-04:00

Despite his team's embarrassingly poor showing in a 8-1 loss to the Canadian U20s squad Tuesday night, Senators 2007 second-round draft pick Ruslan Bashkirov made a good impression with his debut on the Russian U20s squad. Serving as a call-up for injured Russian star Alexei Cherepanov, knocked out of the tournament by a Brandon Sutter hit earlier in the series, Bashkirov was clearly the best player on a mediocre Russian side. Though he recorded no points, Bashkirov had a visible impact on the game, was relentless in the offensive zone even as the Canadians swarmed him, and he refused to give up even as the game drifted out of sight for the Russians with each additional goal the Canadians effortlessly notched. He particulary shone in the opening and closing frames, including a close chance in the final period where he drove to the net, tenaciously hacked at the puck, but was ultimately robbed by Canadian netminder Jonathan Bernier.

Since his drafting by the Senators in June 2007, Ruslan Bashkirov has had something of a tumultous summer. Bashkirov seemingly escaped the aversion to the selection of Russians in the draft because he was already in North America, and did not present the troubles of acquring from the RSL that other Russians would have. Ruslan spent the 06-07 season with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, even participating in the CHL Top Prospects game and being named star of the game for his side. Though his twin brother Roman outscored him, Ruslan was reputed as the bigger, stronger, more competitive player, and was expected by most observers to be selected first. Such was the case, with Ruslan going in the second round to Ottawa, with Roman being bypassed altogether.

However, the selection quickly grew sour in the eyes of observers when Ruslan and his brother quit the Remparts team unexpectedly and returned to Russia, signing 5-year contracts with Ak Bars Kazan. It is still unclear as to exactly why the Bashkirov brothers left Canada, either for the substantial pay increase one of the RSL's richest teams could offer them over Canadian junior hockey, or the fact that they were upset over Roman being bypassed in the draft and wanted to ensure they would play together long-term. Regardless of the reasoning, the brothers' tale took an even stranger turn when they mutually agreed to be released from their Kazan contracts just weeks after signing. Though it was as clear at the time of the signing as it was after, Kazan is a deep, successful team and the Bashkirov brothers could not be expected to play substantial roles immediately, if ever.

Ruslan has since signed a contract with Khimik Mytischi of the RSL, according to hockeysfuture.com.

Whether due to his strange movements this summer or not, Bashkirov was not invited to participate in the initial Russian team training camp for the 2007 Super Series against Canada. Accordingly, he was left off the starting rosters for the tournament, but injuries to Cherepanov and Yegor Averin opened the door for his addition to the roster.

There still remain 3 games to play, and Russia has yet to compete with the Canadians for any extended length of time. Though Bashkirov has so far participated in only the lone game, observing his progression should make the remaining games worth watching for those concerned with the future of the Senators, even if the results of the games are not in doubt.

Odds and Ends

2007-08-14T05:09:00.000-04:00

Though the hockey news seems to be slow over the summer, it sure adds up. From gaining a new head coach in John Paddock to possibly alienating their second longest serving player in Wade Redden to restocking the Senators' minor league affiliate in Binghamton, much has changed since I last updated the night of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

While I wish I could retread to comment on the "news", analysing Tom Preissing's departure 6 weeks after the fact isn't of much use. That said, there have been plenty of happenings from the Senators' annual development camp to the trading of Peter Schaefer that I hope to comment on at some point before the season gets underway. I'd like to do as in-depth as possible an analysis of the additions and departures and their potential impact on the organisation, grade Bryan Murray's first three months at the helm, and offer my expectations for player and team performance as training camp comes and goes. In the interim, I'll update on any major signings or moves the Senators make, offer my opinion on the Senators new logos and uniforms (the logos have been leaked; the uniforms will be unveiled on August 22nd at Scotiabank Place), and discuss odds and ends in general.

Despite having a shorter summer than 28 of the other NHL teams, it can't seem to fly by soon enough.

O'Brien Inks Entry Level Contract

2007-08-14T04:37:00.000-04:00

Though rumours have been floating for a good week, Senators GM Bryan Murray made the signing of his first draft pick official on Monday, inking 2007 29th overall draft pick Jim O'Brien to a 3-year entry level contract. The signing is something of an oddity, in that O'Brien is far from NHL-ready. He will be forgoing NCAA eligibility and is expect to join the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.

The reasoning for the young centre's departure from the University of Minnesota is unclear. It was suggested around the time of his drafting that O'Brien might be splitting time at centre and defense for the 07-08 Golden Gophers; it had been more recently insinuated by the Gophers coach Don Lucia that O'Brien would essentially be converted to defense. Some reports insinuate that O'Brien requested the move himself, though his departure seems to indicate otherwise. In commenting on the signing, Murray expressed his concern at the lack of ice time O'Brien was slated to receiving in Minnesota, and confirmed that he would receive further opportunity to develop his offensive game in Seattle. The Senators seemingly drafted O'Brien with the intent that he would end up a centreman, however it was known at the time that he was capable of playing two positions and would likely be used in both positions next season, much like Senators everyman Christoph Schubert was used over the 06-07 NHL season.

O'Brien was the youngest player in the NCAA last season, and at 18 years of age is essentially one year ahead of development.

O'Brien will be attending the Senators training camp in September after having sat on the sidelines at the development camp in July as he rehabilitated from off-season surgery. He is not expected to make the NHL team, with an all-but-full roster already set in Ottawa and a recently replenished Binghamton squad.

"Oh Bryan, why'd you pick me?"

2007-06-22T23:56:00.000-04:00

In the first move of newly-instated General Manager Bryan Murray's tenure, the Ottawa Senators drafted University of Minnesota centre Jim O'Brien with the 29th overall pick in Friday night's first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Columbus. The youngest player in the NCAA during the 06-07 season, O'Brien saw limited ice time with a deep hockey club, playing on the fourth line and receiving no time with the man advantage, though he did factor in with the special teams as a penalty killer.

O'Brien recorded 6 goals and 12 points in 36 games in his debut season with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, one of the most reputed clubs in the NCAA. He was ranked as a second round pick by most scouting sources; only The Hockey News considered him a first round prospect, ranking him at 25. He is expected to be a "project" in the eyes of the Senators organisation, and will certainly not be rushed to the professional level. It probably wouldn't be surprising to see him play out his entire university career before transferring to the Senators' AHL affiliate. O'Brien was drafted as a centreman, but played defense as a youngster and is considered by some to be more adept at the latter position. It is not known whether the Senators have any expectation for what position he will play, or, if like current Senators Renaissance man Christoph Schubert, he will adapt to whichever role suits the needs of the club.

The Senators were just one pick away from defensive beast Nick Petrecki, an American defenseman who was reputed as the most physical of this year's crop. Petrecki, a USHL player headed for Boston College next season, was expected to go early in the first round and would have been quite a steal had the Senators been able to land him. Instead, the San Jose Sharks seized an opportunity to pounce on the big defenseman, trading with the Washington Capitals (the original possessors of the 28th pick) to snatch Petrecki.

Without deviating too much from the focus of the Senators in this piece, the San Jose Sharks made out like thieves in this draft. Originally on the outside looking in after losing two firsts at the deadline in order to acquire Bill Guerin and Craig Rivet (with a first obtained from New Jersey earlier in the season), GM Doug Wilson made a number of draft day moves to obtain picks. Aside from some picks changing hands, the Sharks added Ottawa 67s centre Logan Couture (a player Ottawa residents can surely vouch for) at the 8th spot and, as mentioned, Nick Petrecki. Leaving the SJ fold were Vesa Toskala, a netminder with only a year left on his contract who was almost surely to leave in search of a full-time starting job, and embattled winger Mark Bell, coming off the worst year of his career both professionally and personally, whose salary presented a significant roadblock to Wilson's free agency aspirations.

Other perceived big winners include the Edmonton Oilers, who maintained all three of their first round picks, though they did shuffle the position slightly. Ending up Oilers property were Calgary Hitmen defensive defenseman Alex Plante, college-bound centre Riley Nash, and highly touted playmaking London Knights centreman Sam Gagner. Strangely, the Edmonton Oilers sacrificed later picks to trade up and secure Plante and Nash, however it is widely conceived that neither would have been taken before Edmonton's 30th pick and certainly not before the 22nd. Still, the Oilers have at least two solid players and one potential gamebreaker added to their arsenal.

The St. Louis Blues, also harbouring three first rounders, did some shuffling of their own. When all was said and done, they emerged with Danish playmaker Lars Eller (13th), American defensive d-man Ian Cole (18th), in something of a steal, Quebec league sniper David Perron (26th).

The much hyped early portion of the draft went much as expected. The Chicago Blackhawks picked London Knights everyman Patrick Kane with their first ever #1 selection, as had been predicted the past few months. The Flyers picked American power forward James van Riemsdyk at #2, leaving the door open for Wayne Gretzky's Phoenix Coyotes to select elated BCHL sniper Kyle Turris with the third pick. Like van Riemsdyk, Turris will likely attend college in the fall; Kane has the greatest chance of making the NHL off the bat, but will likely return to his London Knights to play out the season.

First round "benchwarmers" who might have made intruiging picks for the Senators include Bill Sweatt, Oscar Moller, Maxim Mayorov, Joakim Andersson and Akim Aliu. Their destinations will be determined tomorrow as the final rounds of the NHL Entry Draft take place.

Front Office Reshuffling

2007-06-18T17:02:00.000-04:00

In a fully anticipated move after days of speculation, particularly from Bob McKenzie and Bruce Garrioch, culminating in the all-but-official weekend rumours of Muckler's firing, the Senators owner Eugene Melnyk made the move official in a Monday afternoon press conference. The 5-year reign of the Senators' fifth General Manager has officially come to an end, with his position being filled by Bryan Murray, the Senators' head coach since 2004.

Muckler can leave the Senators with his head held high, after achieving the following (thanks to "DiscoStu" for compiling most of these stats):

six playoff series victories (the Senators had won just two prior to Muckler's arrival)
one President's trophy, one Prince of Wales trophy, two Eastern conference titles, two NE division titles, one SCF appearance and one ECF appearance.
Regular record of 195-90-18-25; total record of 227-113-25
Most wins of any team post-lockout
Among only 5 other teams to have made the playoffs every year during his reign
Outside of Daniel Alfredsson's Calder, players under his reign have won the only individual awards in Senators history: first team all-stars for Zdeno Chara and Dany Heatley, second team all-stars for Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson.

While it seems the failure to acquire veteran Gary Roberts from the Florida against express orders from Melnyk may have been Muckler's downfall, he has made some superb acquistions, whether through free agency or otherwise, including Dany Heatley, Dean McAmmond and Mike Comrie. Without attaching opinion to the value of trades during his reign, here is a list of the most major transactions made by Muckler:

2002

Acquired Brian Pothier from Atlanta Thrashers for Shawn McEachern and 6th round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft on June 29, 2002
Acquired Peter Schaefer from Vancouver Canucks for Sami Salo on September 12, 2002
Acquired Vaclav Varada from Buffalo Sabres for Jakub Klepis on February 25, 2003
Acquired Peter Bondra from Washington Capitals for Brooks Laich and 2nd round pick in 2005 NHL Entry Draft on February 18, 2004
Acquired Greg De Vries from New York Rangers for Karel Rachunek and Alexandre Giroux on March 9, 2004
Signed Dominik Hasek in 2004
Acquired Dany Heatley from Atlanta Thrashers for Marian Hossa and Greg De Vries in 2005
Acquired 4th round pick (Ilya Zubov) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft from St. Louis for Patrick Lalime
Acquired Tyler Arnason from Chicago Blackhawks for Brandon Bochenski on March 9, 2006
Acquired Tom Preissing, John Hennessy, Michal Barinka and a 2nd round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft from Chicago Blackhawks for Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski on July 10, 2006
Signed Martin Gerber in 2006.
Signed Joe Corvo in 2006.
Signed Dean McAmmond in 2006.
Acquired Mike Comrie from Phoenix Coyotes for Alexei Kaigorodov on January 3, 2007
Acquired Oleg Saprykin and a 7th round draft pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft for a 2nd round draft pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft.

And the first round draft selections of Muckler:

16th overall in 2002 - Jakub Klepis, currently with the Washington Capitals
29th overall in 2003 - Patrick Eaves, currently with the Ottawa Senators
23rd overall in 2004 - Andrej Meszaros, currently with the Ottawa Senators
9th overall in 2005 - Brian Lee, currently with the University of North Dakota
28th overall in 2006 - Nick Foligno, recently signed with the Ottawa Senators, expected to be with the Binghampton Senators next season

And the following signings of core Senators players:

Daniel Alfredsson, signed in March of 2004 to a 5-year deal with 3 options years. After the post-lockout rollback (a rollback which Alfredsson, as a player executive, helped negotiate), it carried a cap hit of 4.339, making it one of the most economic superstar contracts in the league.
Dany Heatley, signed in August of 2005 to a 3-year deal at a cap hit of $4.5 million.
Chris Phillips, signed in April of 2006 to a 4-year deal at $3.75 million.
Anton Volchenkov, signed in April of 2006 to a 3-year deal at $2.5 million.

06-07 Recap Continued

2007-06-15T23:06:00.000-04:00

Game 5 - Ottawa 3, Pittsburgh 0

In what would emerge as something of a pattern, the Senators took advantage of their first opportunity to eliminate the opposition, turning a 3-1 series lead into a 4-1 series victory. The final victory could not have come in a more decisive manner; thoroughly deflated from their game 4 loss in which they put together their best possible performance but still failed to earn a win, the Pittsburgh Penguins did not put up much of a fight in allowing the Senators to advance.

Their own offensive performance was nothing to speak of - despite lengthy powerplays at the start of the game, including two 5-on-3s as the result of mental lapses on the Senators' part, earning delay of game penalties for shooting the puck over the glass twice in the first four minutes of play. But the Senators penalty killers and Emery in particular came up strong, denying any opportunity for the Penguins to gain momentum and instead frustrating them to the point of collapse.

The Senators left the first period unscathed with a tie match, but exploded in the middle frame to secure their second round berth. Dany Heatley broke the Senators goose-egg (and his own), by notching just his second goal of the playoffs early in the second on a power play goal. Third liners Antoine Vermette and Chris Kelly added goals in quick succession, including a beauty of a Vermette breakaway goal that saw him crash into netminder Fleury, but not before the puck decidedly crossed the line. In an intruiging story line, Kelly's third goal of the playoffs tied him for the Senators lead after one round, seemingly cementing certain observer's assertions that Kelly was due for a "Pisani-like" run.

The Penguins never really mounted much of an attack after the third goal crossed the line, all but ceding the series to the Senators before half the game had played out. The Senators played defensive hockey worthy of their next opponents in maintaining the lead and earning the victory. It was Emery's first career playoff shutout.

The most valuable players of the first round for the Senators were captain Daniel Alfredsson, defensive pairing Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov, and depth contributor and penalty-killer extraordinaire Chris Kelly.

The Senators would have a couple of days to wait to determine their playoff opponent, but it was guaranteed to be one of the New York teams - New Jersey, New York Rangers, or, however unlikely, the New York Islanders. It was soon whittled to NJ and the Rangers before the Devils' six game triumph over Tampa Bay secured an Ottawa-NJ matchup.

The matchup presented some interesting challenges for the Senators. The first was obvious - after beating the "best player" in hockey (if not confirmed by his Art Ross trophy, it was by his Hart and Pearson awarded this week), they would face the best goaltender (again, if not confirmed by his regular season record-setting feats, then by his recent Vezina win) and the best defensive team in the East. They were also running to a red-hot Devils offense, with Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Zach Parise lighting the lamp at an unpredecented rate in the first round.

But there lied deeper intrigue in the slated series. The last time the Senators and Devils met in the post-season, it was during the Senators best (and most heartbreaking) campaign to date. The President's Trophy winning Senators met the dynastic Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals, and found themselves in a 3-1 hole before a game 5 victory on the back of Jason Spezza and game 6 win thanks to a Chris Phillips overtime goal found the Senators just one victory away from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the Stanley Cup Finals. Ottawa would lose the game with just minutes left, and watch on the sidelines as the Devils triumphed over the Mighty Ducks in seven games to take their third Stanley Cup. For veterans like Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Phillips and Wade Redden, no revenge could be sweeter than to defeat the Eastern Conference powerhouse that is the New Jersey Devils.

NHL Awards Review

2007-06-15T00:35:00.000-04:00

Senators sniper Dany Heatley was the lone Senator to receive recognition at tonight's ceremony in downtown Toronto, earning a first-team All-Star spot as RW for his record season. The 26-year old, fresh off his second season with the team, recorded his second consecutive 50 goal season, just two goals behind Rocket Richard Trophy winner Vincent Lecavalier. Heatley added a personal best 55 assists during the 06-07 season, for a Senators franchise record (and personal best) 105 points. He finished 4th in NHL scoring behind three dynamite centres, Lecavalier (108), Joe Thornton (114) and Art Ross, Lester B. Pearson and Hart winner Sidney Crosby. Rounding out the first all-star team were Alexander Ovechkin at left winger, Crosby at centre, Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup Champion Scott Neidermayer and Norris victor Nicklas Lidstrom on defense, with Vezina winner Martin Brodeur in nets. Without a doubt, Heatley finds himself in very illustrious company.

No other Senator managed to place among the top three vote-getters in any category (let alone win one of hockey's celebrated awards), however several Senators did receive consideration for their impressive seasons. They are as follows:

Hart - Most Valuable Player
Dany Heatley 12th (16th in 02-03 with Atlanta and 11th in 05-06 with Ottawa)
Daniel Alfredsson 16th (17th in 03-04 and 5th in 05-06)

Norris - Best Defenseman
Tom Preissing 15th
Chris Phillips 18th
Anton Volchenkov 23rd
(all first-time nominees)

Jack Adams - Best Coach
Bryan Murray 10th (Winner in 83-84, 8th in 84-85, 4th in 85-86, 7th in 88-89 all with Washington; 4th in 91-92, 11th in 92-93 with Detroit; 9th in 05-06 with Ottawa)

Lady Byng - Most Gentlemanly
Daniel Alfredsson 21st (21st in 00-01, 19th in 02-03, 2nd in 03-04, 4th in 05-06)
Tom Preissing 41st

Selke - Best Defensive Forward
Mike Fisher 5th (3rd in 05-06)
Daniel Alfredsson 11th (20th in 02-03, 4th in 05-06)
Chris Kelly 19th
Dany Heatley 47th
Antoine Vermette 50th

Plan for the Off-Season

2007-06-11T01:10:00.001-04:00

Just to give a quick synopsis of what to expect during the first bit of the off-season

-finish recapping the 2007 playoffs, hopefully done by the end of the week
-write detailed "report cards" for each player as well as the GM and coaching staff. These will take a while.
-try to report on the Senators' draft as much as possible; I don't claim to be particularly knowledgeable about less heralded prospects but I can relay the facts, at least.
-and finally, cover the Senators re-signings of UFA/RFAs, and come July 1st, our UFA signings, as the picture for next year begins to emerge.

06-07 Recap Continued: Round One

2007-06-11T00:37:00.000-04:00

Game 1 - Senators 6, Penguins 3

Sometimes, it's about the little things. If Senators needed any indication that this year would be different, that captain Daniel Alfredsson had reignited the internal flame necessary to lead his team to glory, and that for once his teammates were ready to follow his lead, Senators fans need not look further than the moments before the start of game one against Pittsburgh. Inside a raucous Scotiabank Place, flanked by his stalwart linemates and staring down a jittery Penguins starting line (see: Jordan Staal), steely-eyed Alfredsson stood like a warrior awaiting battle. If the captain's dauntless determination wasn't enough to convince skeptics, perhaps the game itself might have been. The Senators came out flying; not even two minutes into the game, the Senators found themselves up 1-0 on a rebound goal by Andrej Meszaros, the first goal of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs. Five minutes later, Chris Kelly added to the Senators lead with his first career playoff goal. Sitting on a 3-1 lead, the Senators opened the third period with a powerplay goal by Dany Heatley, the fastest to start a period in Senators playoff history, at just nine seconds. The final score would read 6-3; in all, 6 different Senators would mark their first goal of the post-season, 14 different Senators would factor on the scoresheet, and three separate players would enjoy a multipoint game. Though Alfredsson recorded a sole assist in the blowout, there was no doubt that the captain was the best player on the ice that night. He registered 8 shots on net, had an additional 5 go wide, and was a frightening offensive threat every time he set foot on the ice. Though he only registered two hits, he was also a punishing forechecker and aggressive in his own end, all but pulling his team by the bootstraps to show them how it's done. Without a doubt, it was not only Alfredsson's greatest performance since the 97-98 NJ series - it was better. At the time, it was hard not to be impressed with the performance. In their tenth playoff, the Senators finally got it right. Among Senators fans there was a general consensus about what the players needed to do to ensure a victory. Come out hard and aggressive, stun the neophyte Penguins with the amped up intensity of a playoff game. Dictate the pace and style of play. Fire anything and everything at a sure-to-be-nervous Fleury. Forecheck like maniacs and play the body like never before. Play a full 60 minutes and never take the foot off the pedal whether the score is 1-0 or 9-0. Now, in a sense these expectations were a pipe dream. How we wished the Senators were capable of playing. After all, through an 82 game season the Senators failed to play a single game where we could say with authority and satisfaction, "they laid it all on the ice". But the Senators did follow the gameplan to a tee, and thoroughly earned their 1-0 series lead.

Unfortunately, the second game did not follow the same script. There were several contribution factors; the three day layoff between games, the atypical afternoon start time, or the fact that the Penguins brushed all first-game jitters out of the way and remember how to be a hockey team.

Game 2 - Senators 3, Penguins 4

Despite the Senators best efforts to mount a 2-0 lead in a series for the first time in franchise history, the Penguins refused to go down without a fight. It could be said the Senators did enough to win, firing 37 shots at Fleury, and a total of 77 shots in the general direction of the Pens net with blocked and missed shots factored in. However, a stellar rebound performance for Fleury and some sharp penalty killing (or poor play with the man advantage from the Senators, it could be argued), left the match tied at two heading into the third.

While Chris Kelly's second goal in as many games seemed to have cemented the lead early in the final frame, the Penguins mounted an impressive comeback on the backs of rookie sensation Jordan Staal and sophomore king Sidney Crosby, with each of the pair scoring a goal just minutes apart as the game wore down. Though the Pens left the Senators with nearly half a period to tie the game, Fleury adamantly refused to let any such comeback occur, stopping a point-blank Fisher shot and a flurry of chances around the net in the final minute of play.

Yes, the Senators played well enough to win, but Fleury, Crosby, Staal and Roberts played better. With the victory, the Penguins stole a game on the road, and in turn robbed the Senators of their hard earned home ice advantage. With the series tied at one heading into Pittsburgh, the Senators found themselves in a precarious position; well as they had played in the opening two games of the series, the Penguins surely had the upper hand, the momentum having swung in their favour with the latest victory, and yet to play a game on their home ice. Fortunately for the Senators, it was the last time the Penguins would seem any particular sort of threat in the series.

Game 3 - Senators 3, Penguins 2

Though the Senators won the third game of the series, they also suffered a loss in the Sunday evening game in Pittsburgh. Making a play behind the net, fourth line winger Patrick Eaves was crushed by agitator Colby Armstrong in a devastating, but thoroughly clean, hit. Seeing his teammate lie lifeless on the ice, an peculiar hero in Dean McAmmond rose to stand up for Eaves by taking on Penguins winger Maxime Talbot. It would be the second and final fight of the Senators' playoff run (with Mike Comrie having battled Armstrong in the previous game), but it was as meaningful as any scrap could be.

If any light could be found in the loss of Eaves to a suspected concussion, it was that, as Neil explained later in the year, the team found a rallying point and resolved to win the game at any cost. After having scored a goal early in the game, McAmmond assisted on an Alfredsson marker late in the second, giving the veteran centre the first Gordie Howe hat-trick of the season for the Senators, with a goal, assist and fight.

As remarkable as McAmmond's game was, if anybody was more impressive in game 3, it was captain Daniel Alfredsson. Effortlessly marking his second and third goals of the post-season, and continuing his intensity in all three zones of the ice as well as continuing to exhibit his physical presence, it could very well be argued that the two veterans single-handedly lead the Senators to victory over a determined if inexperienced Penguins club. On the backs of #11 and #37, the Senators regained home-ice advantage and took a 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 4 - Senators 2, Penguins 1

Looking back on the series as a whole, it can be said with some certainty that game 4 was the game which broke the Penguins back, as it were. Not just because it gave the Senators a 3-1 strangehold on the series or because it meant Pittsburgh had lost both of its "must win" home games, although those were sastifying reasons in and of themselves. Instead, it was the fact that the Penguins played fantastic hockey, and still lost. The Penguins played, very likely, as well as they could possibly play, and still fell to the Senators.

No doubt they were the victims of some poor bounces, especially a fluky Spezza goal early in the game which came as the result of an intended pass which bounced off Jordan Staal's stick and fluttered into the net (no doubt Staal and Fleury had nightmares for weeks wishing Chris Neil's stick had touched the airborne puck). Staal got his revenge, scoring the tying goal midway through the game. It would be last time they could foil Emery, however, and a goal from an unlikely source in Anton Volchenkov (as a result of a highlight-reel pass from Mike Comrie) gave the Senators a lead which they never surrendered.

It was likely the sole game of the playoffs in which Emery "stole" a game, with the aid of his razor-sharp penalty killers. These penalty killers included Christoph Schubert who slotted back to the blueline each time Phillips or Volchenkov took a penalty, which was five times combined, and performed as though he was a #1 blueline and not the fourth-line winger Murray had made Schubert this season.

The Penguins played disciplined, patient and measured hockey, still managed 30 hits and fired 53 pucks toward the Senators net, but managed just one goal and a heartbreaking loss. The Senators would return to Scotiabank Place with a chance to advance to the second round in front of their hometown crowd just five games into the series.

06-07 Recap Continued: Round One

2007-06-10T03:12:00.000-04:00

At various points throughout the season, be it after a particularly disheartening loss or a flatteringly dominant win, fans who skewed both sides of the "glass debate" used it to their advantage in correlating it to the Senators playoff drive. An embarrassing blowout to some indicated that the Senators lacked the heart, drive, grit and determination necessary to compete for the Cup. Or that the Senators' inept goaltending and anemic scoring was clearly insufficient to mount any considerable threat come the post-season. To others, a regular season loss meant nothing, with qualification to the post-season being the sole purpose of the season - the details in how they achieved this were less than an afterthought.

It is a particularly interesting viewpoint, especially if the Senators' dismal start is taken as proof of the players themselves latching on to this philosophy. Frustrated with their quick dismissal in the 2006 playoffs, players and fans alike couldn't wait to get what essentially amounts to an extended exhibition period in the eyes of some over with, to begin the real season - the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Though the Senators exact playoff opponent wasn't officially determined until the last week of the season, the final month of the 06-07 campaign all but established that the Senators would be playing one of two Atlantic division teams: the stalwart, defensive New Jersey Devils or the neophyte Penguins.

Both carried their advantages and disadvantages; the Devils were a world-class organisation awash with veterans, leadership, and Cup-winning experience, still boasted the best goaltender in the world in Martin Brodeur, and continued to play the defensive hockey that had won it three recent Cups. However, they lacked the tenacious defensemen who had made the Devils run - Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko - and were in the midst of a leadership crisis, with the head coach being fired just days before the playoffs despite winning their division crown.

The Pittsburgh Penguins represented a challenge unique to anything the Senators had encountered in past playoffs (except for Gary Roberts). A young team destined for greatness, their naivete, enthuiasm and youthful love of the game was potential enough to push them over the top. Oh, and they have Sidney Crosby. However, the very inexperience which made them such an indeterminable threat may also prove to be their undoing against the war-tested Senators, thoroughly embarrassed in the 05-06 playoffs and unwilling to meet the same disappointing fate again.

Understandably, the debate that raged on among fans mattered little in determining the actual result; the Senators would face Pittsburgh no matter how well they matched up against them.

The days leading up to the start of the 2007 playoffs were wrought with considerable tension in Ottawa. First, the general nervousness in anticipation of the unknown - the Senators could be swept in 4, win the Stanley Cup with an unprecedented 16-0 run, or end up somewhere in the expansive gulf between. After nearly a full year since their last opportunity to challenge for the Cup, there was considerable impatience. Second, the layoff between the conclusion of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs left a little too much time to reflect on past playoff disappointments in the Ottawa media. Of particular notoriety was an Ottawa Citizen article in which columnist Allen Panzeri labelled the Senators "choking dogs"; the comment opened the floodgates. Jason Spezza responded to criticism of past Senators attempts, and by association, the "inevitable" choke this year, but explaining that the team is entirely different this season, with new coaching staff and leaders. Bryan Murray addressed the media more succinctly: any association between the Senators and choking was, in a word, "bullshit". And with that, the stage was set.

Recap: The Regular Season Part II

2007-06-08T13:59:00.000-04:00

With the Senators failing to bite at the more costly bait at the trade deadline, they emerged much the same team they had been since the Comrie trade. Unfortunately, those ethics established roughly around that time (commitment to team defense, simple plays, acquiring results through effort rather than talent and a vicious killer instinct) seemed to evaporate as the most important part of the regular season loomed. Flush in the race for fourth place and home ice advantage, the Senators teetered on the edge of returning to early November form, blowing third period leads left and right to the likes of Atlanta, Toronto, and in a particularly stunning case, Patrick Lalime and the Chicago Blackhawks.

A 4-1 second period lead against potential playoff opponent Pittsburgh was quickly turned into a 5-4 shootout loss. The only bright spot during a particularly confounding week was a 5-1 thrashing of the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, where role players Mike Fisher and Dean McAmmond offered two-goal performances. Cited for lacking a killer instinct,the core of the team was being questioned as the post-season neared, as was their ability to make any noticeable dent when the playoffs did arrive. If they couldn't beat the floundering Blackhawks, how could they possibly challenge the Buffalo Sabres in the post-season?

With a lengthy road trip looming, it took a come-from-behind win over the New York Rangers in mid-March before any semblance of a dominant team returned. The team lost once again in the shootout to the seemingly impenetrable Penguins, but tight victories over the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues (aided by the referees and video goal judges in this one as much as their own play) gave the team confidence.

The fourth line guided them through a slaughtering of Florida teams, registering 5 goals and 11 points as the Senators outscored the Panthers and Lightning 11-4. Senators sniper Dany Heatley also returned to form, making his quest for 50 goals feasible with 3 goals during the two game stretch, bringing him to 45 with 6 games left to play.

In routine fashion, the Senators lost a close game to all-star (err, third-string) netminder Joey McDonald and the Boston Bruins, before demolishing two teams in the thick of a playoff push, the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders. The team was buoyed by the Mike Fisher line during the three game home stretch, who registered 6 goals and 15 points as the Senators outscored the three opponents 12-7. Heatley continued his 50 goal quest in humorous fashion, registering a goal each of the games, but with two of them floating into yawning nets.

As April dawned, the Senators were guaranteed a fourth or fifth seed, with their exact position and exact opponent (guaranteed to be either Pittsburgh or New Jersey) the only things left to be determined by the three remaining games, two of which would be against the very teams they would meet in the post-season. An April 3rd game against the New Jersey Devils was particularly of note as it came just one day after the firing of Devils' head coach Claude Julien; despite the Senators best efforts in forcing the tight game to shootout, the Devils did their new coach Lou Lamoriello proud in besting Ottawa.

The Devils win, and Penguins loss on the same night to the Buffalo Sabres, ensured that Pittsburgh and Ottawa would meet for the first time in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Fitting then, that the Senators next game and final home game of the season would be against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tempers flared early, as a Colby Armstrong run on Emery resulted in an intense scrum in the Ottawa zone, resulting in a slew of penalties including misconducts to Anton Volchenkov and Ryan Whitney. Things didn't cool down from there, when recent goal-scorer Jason Spezza took offense to a charge from Jarko Ruutu midway through the first period, and decked him cold with an elbow after the two exchanged words. The resulting five-minute major decimated the Senators slim 1-0 victory, as the Pens scored two consecutive power play goals to wrest control of the game. Heatley responded with a power play goal of his own early in the second period, his 49th of the season, and it looked like it might be enough to force the game to overtime. Instead, a slurry of errors in the Senators defensive zone lead to a Maxime Talbot goal with just 10 seconds left in the game. Understandably, there would be no comeback. The loss left the Senators with just one game to secure the fourth seed and home ice advantage, two nights later against Boston.

While there had been talk about getting Gerber in for one last game before the playoffs started, and letting injured stars like Heatley and Redden take a rest, the loss to Pittsburgh made any such rest impossible. In a must-win game, the Senators found themselves down 1-0 just a minute and a half into the opening frame, on a brutal Marco Sturm goal. An equally brutal Mike Comrie goal evened the game, only to have Bruins rookie Petr Kalus return the lead to his team less than three minutes later. The Senators big line would have enough of it; they scored three consecutive goals, two being deflections by Jason Spezza, and one a Dany Heatley blast which deflected off Bruins blueliner Aaron Ward and past netminder Thomas.

It was Heatley's 50th goal of the season, his second such milestone in two consecutive years. Remarkably, it was the second season in a row where Heatley left the 50th until the very last game, as he had notched his 50th against the New York Rangers in game 82 last season. The goal would place him firmly in second in the Maurice Richard Trophy race, just two goals behind Vincent Lecavalier, the only other scorer to mark more than 50 goals during the 06-07 campaign. Heatley also finished 4th in NHL point scoring.

The Senators big line of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson ended the season with a bang, very much a precursor to the strong playoffs they would end up having. In the final game of the season, the trio collected 4 goals of the Senators 6 goals, and 8 points in all. The Senators leading scorers ended with 50 goals and 105 points (a franchise record), 34 goals and 87 points (a career goal-scoring high for Spezza), and 29 goals and 87 points for Alfredsson. All three of the Senators big guns finished in the top 20 in scoring, for the second consecutive year, despite an early slump and Alfredsson and Spezza missing significant time due to injury.

Several other Senators had record years, with Chris Phillips, Christoph Schubert, Chris Kelly registering career highs in goals and points, and Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette setting new points plateaus.

At the end of the 2006-07 regular season, the Senators found themselves with 105 points, good for 2nd in the Northeast Division, 3rd in the Eastern Conference based on points, 4th in the Eastern Conference based on seeding, and 9th in the NHL. They would be facing Sidney Crosby, Gary Roberts and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Recap: The Regular Season Part I

2007-06-08T03:36:00.000-04:00

The Ottawa Senators' game 5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, and in turn the loss of the Stanley Cup Final series, leaves an entire summer for analysis, recapitulation, and the opportunity to wallow in "what ifs". Certainly, as the Senators reflect upon a season which began with them in the cellar of the Eastern Conference and ended with them Champions of it, heads should not be expected to roll, but it is difficult to say that finding oneself just three wins from hoisting the Stanley Cup is no less heartbreaking than not getting the opportunity to challenge at all. Though, as Jean-Sebastian Giguere and his fellow Ducks remaining from their Cinderella run in 2003 will attest, the littlest win is awfully hard to come by the deeper a team treads.

At the end of it all, the Senators should have no shame in their performance this year, neither during the regular season nor the playoffs. Yes, they were ousted from the Finals more quickly than any team since the 2001-02 NHL season, and they lost the final game in convincing fashion, a 6-2 scoreline which left little doubt as to the superior team. As much as the Senators might have wanted it, as hard as they may have worked to achieve their goal, the Ducks were simply a better team. Giguere outperformed Emery; Neidermayer, Pronger and company bested Phillips, Volchenkov and the rest of the Senators defense corps; players like McDonald and Getzlaf outscored the likes of Heatley and Spezza while defensive mights such as Pahlsson and Rob Neidermayer outdueled Alfredsson and Fisher. There is no shame, no regret, no self-pity. The better team won.

After the utterly heartbreaking and equally disappointing second round loss to the Buffalo Sabres in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs, Senators general manager John Muckler set out to assemble a team that could beat the Sabres, a team that seemed built for the new NHL, an assumption only proved true by the 2007 regular season. Muckler assembled a team that could beat every devil they knew, be it Pittsburgh or New Jersey or Buffalo or any other decent team the East could muster. Without a doubt, Muckler accomplished his goal of crafting an Eastern team to be reckoned by its peers.

The Senators swapped slow, lumbering defenseman like Zdeno Chara (lost to Boston via free agency) for smaller, more positionally sound and offensively-abled blueliners like Joe Corvo (acquired via free agency from Los Angeles) and Tom Preissing (acquired from San Jose as a result of the Martin Havlat trade). They avoided potential dressing room issues and fan uproar by neglecting to resign Dominik Hasek, instead bringing in regular season and Olympic showstopper Martin Gerber from Carolina, fresh off a Stanley Cup victory. In what was seemingly a minor deal, veteran centre Dean McAmmond was signed as a free agent.

Though it was the first season in which the Senators made any noticeable splash at all on the free agent market (outside of the 2004 signing of Hasek), it was the July 4th trade of flashy winger Martin Havlat which brought the Senators into the spotlight. Cited as a salary cap move, and with Havlat only interested in signing a one-year contract, Muckler had reportedly been shopping Havlat for quite some time, attempting to package him for Vesa Toskala or, in what would have been one of the most significant trades in NHL history, Roberto Luongo from Florida. When contract negotiations between San Jose and Havlat fell through, the budding star was shipped to Chicago in a three-way trade along with veteran centreman Bryan Smolinski (another cap consideration) in exchange for Tom Preissing and centre prospect Josh Hennessy from San Jose, and a second round pick in 2008 and defense prospect Michal Barinka from Chicago. With the departure of Havlat, Muckler effectively put the Senators future in the hands of Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza.

Missing three crucial elements from their dynamic start to the 2005-06 season in Hasek, Chara and Havlat, the team struggled out of the gate in the 06-07 campaign. The Senators grappled with a lack of confidence, identity and cohesion. In an odd twist of fate, the very factors which accounted for their poor start resurfaced during the poorer stretches of play during the Stanley Cup final, particularly the final game. Rather than playing as a team and being confident and disciplined enough to stick with a gameplan, the Senators reverted to individualistic tendencies, with the superstars attempting to carry the team on their talent to no avail. They were all but lost in their own end, and on the rare occasions when they managed to establish some sort of consistency on the attack, their goaltender was unable to assist them in maintaining a lead or even maintaining pressure and momentum.

The truly poor start was not aided by an early slump from the captain Daniel Alfredsson, who recorded just a single goal in his first month of play - his lone goal being notched on first night of the season, into an empty net no less. Jason Spezza performed as though it was a skills competition, which his no-look passes landing on the sticks of the opposing players more often than not, and on some occasions resulting directly in opportunties and goals on the more unfortunate occasions. Spezza stepped onto the ice to a chorus of boos; even when recording points, the announcement over the loudspeaker at Scotiabank Place was not met with much adulation. At first it was more of an oddity - how could this team, previously so well-reputed during the regular season, be playing like, dare I say it, the playoff Senators in October?

Eventually the quizzical musings turned to venomous attacks. Alfredsson, Redden, Muckler, Murray. Each and every one of them was all but shipped out of town by a ravenous media desperate for a story when apparently there wasn't much else going on in the NHL - only a record-tying streak by the Buffalo Sabres and the collapse and effective dismantling of one of the most legendary clubs in hockey, the Philadelphia Flyers. Much like previous disappointing periods in Senators history, the team leaders stood up to the critics, and answered for their faults. Spezza took full accountability for his missteps. Fisher, Phillips, Alfredsson and Redden answered their critics graciously and pledged to improve, but the results failed to materialise on the ice.

Things didn't get much better when, after a resurgent week with three consecutive blowout victories against NJ and Toronto, it seemed the Senators might be back on track. Instead the team embarked on an extended early November road trip and proceeded to soil the proverbial bed. It didn't help that backup goaltender Ray Emery, at this point perhaps the only shining light in the Senators lineup, injured his glove hand goofing around in practice and would not be available to the Senators for a number of games. A 3-0 first period against Washington dissolved into a 4-3 overtime loss. A 4-2 lead late in the second period evaporates as Atlanta takes the game 5-4. A November 10th 6-3 win over the struggling Pittsburgh Penguins was as satisfying a victory as the team could manage. After an embarrasing 6-3 loss at home to the Montreal Canadiens, the media had all but established that the final straw had been pulled.

A two-game stretch against the class of the league and the Senators most fierce rival, the Buffalo Sabres, was just two days away. With a loss in either of these games, it was rumoured that somebody would be on the line. Whether it was Murray, Muckler, Mlakar or the players themselves who would be sacrificed, only time would tell. And with the future of the organisation on the line, the Ottawa Senators finally stepped up in the November 15th game versus the Sabres. The return of Emery to the lineup (and the beginning of his starting goaltender tenure) didn't hurt matters either.

Things didn't start off easy. At HSBC, the Sabres' co-captain Daniel Briere recorded the first goal. The Senators had two goals waived off, and another (the eventual game winner) was scrutinizingly reviewed for a potential high stick. In what was surely the most tense game in quite some time for the team, when Chris Phillips' long pass from his own end banked off the boards and into the empty net at the other end of the arena in the final minute of play to give the Senators a two goal lead, the Senators understandably celebrated as though they had won the Stanley Cup and not a seemingly meaningless regular season game to the outside observer. Senators owner Eugene Melnyk called a press conference the following day to issue a vote of confidence to his team and organisation, assuring the media that no one would be moved (had the Senators lost, one can only imagine if the "vote of confidence" would have been the kiss of death such announcements tend to be). A few days later, the renewed Senators again overcame a one goal deficit against the Sabres to take a 4-1 lead, this victory capitulated by a Phillips goal perhaps as equally memorable as the one from three nights previous; fresh out of the penalty box, Phillips received a stretch pass from Heatley to break into the Buffalo zone all alone, deke out Buffalo netminder Ryan Miller and snap the puck into the net, short-side.

From their the Senators enjoyed a reasonably successful stretch before encountering injuries to key players, culminating in a short stretch of games where, in the absence of Alfredsson (hip) and Redden (shoulder), Phillips wore the "C" while Fisher and Heatley donned alternate captain patches. Criticised as they may have been, it was clear the two veterans brought much to the team; in their absence, the team suffered 6-2 losses to Washington and Columbus. Though they regrouped briefly with a victory over the Detroit Red Wings thanks to strong performances from Spezza and Emery, and the team enjoyed yet another victory over the Sabres, those would be the last positive moments pre-Christmas. The team suffered blowout losses to Nashville and Boston, and in a November 21st game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Spezza took an innocent-looking hit by Martin St. Louis badly, twisting his knee. Surely the team was doomed.

Instead, apparently Heatley found balls under the Christmas tree; Alfredsson found skates (he might have been looking under Chris Kelly's tree accidentally). With the help of some stellar goaltending from Ray Emery (observe late December consecutive shutouts) and a commitment to team defense in the absence of Spezza, Fisher and Vermette (two players injured shortly after Christmas), the Senators entered the second half of the season with confidence, work ethic and determination. The early January addition of Mike Comrie, traded for an asset entirely useless to Senators in the form of suspended Alexei Kaigorodov, only helped signal a changed organisation.

The Senators proceeded to tear up the league, particularly the top line of Heatley, Kelly and Alfredsson, whose astounding production rates helped earn Heatley player of the month honours (in what was perhaps the best month for Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin). But it was really Heatley's commitment to playing at both ends of the rink, playing physical and forechecking aggressive, and generally being a creative force rather than a recipient of someone else's efforts than made Heatley's month without Spezza truly memorable. He demonstrated that he was a truly gifted player in his own right, not a leach his apparently invisible and lackadaisical play may make it seem. No where was this more firmly demonstrated than in the January 3rd game against the hated Sabres, when Heatley took matters into his own hands and singlehandedly dismantled the Sabres, recording a shorthanded, even strength and powerplay goal and an assist for a hat trick and four-point performance... in the second period alone.

The Senators entered February as one of the strongest teams in the league. After vaulting from the depths of the Eastern Conference into the thick of the playoff race as the new year dawned, the strong month in the absence of Spezza pushed the Senators well into the top reaches of the Eastern Conference, initially challenging Montreal for the fourth seed before, thanks to a horrid stretch of flu and equally horrid personal issues which befell the Habs' dressing room, (oh, and some pretty decent play from the Senators), they found no lesser Northeast division rivals within their vicinity. In fact, it was the Senators who were closing in on the Buffalo Sabres, themselves racked by injuries. Though the Sabres at one point held a seemingly impenetrable 30-point lead on the miserable Senators, by the end of the season the Senators were just 8 points behind the eventual President's Trophy winners.

Speaking of the President's Trophy winners, they proved to provide the most eventful moments of the Senators season. Already touched upon were the two pivotal November games, and of course the early January game which bore the introduction of Comrie. Unbelievably, the best was yet to come. For a two game stretch in late February, war broke out.

It began in a standard hockey manner: Senators mount a 2-1 lead in the second period, continuing their dominance of the Sabres, including physical dominance: Murray's insistence on using Neil to fill the vacant 1st line RW position next to Heatley and Spezza continues; matched against Drury, Neil delivers a devastating hit to Sabres co-captain a split second after he had dished off the puck. Drury collapses to the ground bleeding, Sabres rookie Drew Stafford stands up for his captain by challenging Neil, they briefly scrap, and the matter is settled. Uh, or not.

Infuriated at the blow to his captain, an incensed Lindy Ruff matches Mair, Kaleta and Peters against Heatley, Spezza and Comrie, instructing his goons to, "go out and run 'em". Heatley and Kaleta briefly tussle before the whistle, but nothing comes of it. Things are settled down and the puck is dropped, but no one but Heatley seems to have much mind for the little black disc. Mair mugs a turtling Spezza at the face off dot, Peters runs after Heatley and quickly locks him in a chokehold, while Phillips holds Kaleta at bay. Nothing gets too heated with the skaters, as no Senator is particular interested. The same cannot be said for the goaltenders, with Sabres netminder Martin Biron eagerly gliding to meet Ray Emery at the Senators blueline. Grinning from ear to ear, Emery makes quick work of Biron before the two fall to the ground. Biron makes a light attempt to trip Emery, the two get back up to have another light-hearted go at it. Andrew Peters finally sees an able and willing opponent, and accordingly skates over to challenge Emery. The two have a short battle but nothing much comes of it, with Emery unable to get a clean shot but able to keep his head out of signficiant danger.

However the best battle of the night wasn't even on the ice, but rather between the two coaches. A mortified Rob Ray stood between the benches, his microphone picking up the niceities one would expect to hear from two good friends on such an occasion. Murray stood on the boards to further emphasise his stance; Lindy attempted the same only to fall through (he was not, as some might have assumed, attempting to go after Murray). If there's one thing Murray discovered, it's that you don't go after Ruff's "fucking captain". Period.

With the melee resolved, Martin Gerber and Ryan Miller substituted Emery and Biron. The Sabres alone received 70 penalty minutes in the second period; altogether, 136 penalty minutes were assessed. Though the Sabres eventually won the game 6-5 in the shootout, the Senators overcame a two-goal deficit in the final period to force overtime.

They would return with much vigor in the rematch at Scotiabank Place two nights later, with Brian McGrattan drawing into the lineup for the first time in weeks. McGrattan squared off with Peters while Neil stood up for his teammate Heatley in taking on Mair for alleged comments made. This time, the Senators did not let revenge get in the way of the hockey game, however, and emerged 6-5 victors in regulation.

With an early trade deadline looming, expectations were high on the Senators to acquire a veteran leader to put them over the edge (an acquisition Muckler had consistently failed to make in past years, evidently to little success). Of all the GMs in the league, Muckler was perhaps more on the hot seat than any one. While most of the contenders (Anaheim, Buffalo, Nashville etc.) were considered to have already constructed solid teams, Ottawa's shaky start brought concerns. Additionally, Muckler's poor trade deadline track record (last year's Arnason fiasco a particular blight), signaled to many analysts a reason for him to do something. Though Bill Guerin was of slight interest to outside observers, as was Owen Nolan, it was veteran Gary Roberts who lit a particular spark among those searching to improve the Senators.

Having witnessed him play a huge role in the elimination of the Senators for a number of years in Toronto, and considering his relationship with Spezza, his impeccable work ethic, his relatively cheap price tag and of course the fact that he had publically declared his interest in coming to Ottawa, his acquisition seemed all but a done deal to some observers.

Of course, those observers failed to note that Roberts was Florida Panthers property, and Panthers GM Jacques Martin would not exactly be eager to deliver the potential "missing piece" to his former team and all but secure a Stanley Cup for the team that fired him, if the observers assessment of Roberts' potential impact was even slightly accurate. And of course, even if Martin was interested in delivering that missing piece, he certainly wouldn't do it at a price that didn't benefit his own club substantially, knowing how "desperate" Ottawa must be for Roberts' services. Ha!

Muckler didn't fall for the media bait, and instead acquired depth blueliner Lawrence Nycholat from Washington and depth winger Oleg Saprykin from Phoenix, all for minimal return. Still, certain members of the media could not release their obsession with a Roberts-to-Ottawa deal, guaranteeing that the Senators had made a huge mistake in allowing him to be moved to a potential first-round opponent. Even as the Senators advanced through the playoffs, certain analysts insisted that Roberts was the key, nevermind the fact that he had been golfing for a good 6 weeks at the time of the comments.

Senators 2 Ducks 3

2007-05-29T05:33:00.000-04:00

Senators Goals:
Fisher (4) from Meszaros (5) and Comrie (4)
Redden (3) from Alfredsson (8) and Spezza (14)

2 for 7 on the PP
4 for 4 on the PK

Emery made 29 saves on 32 shots.

Team 1200 3 Stars:
1. Rob Neidermayer
2. Getzlaf
3. Emery
Hardest working: Mike Fisher

Anaheim Media 3 Stars:
1. Getzlaf
2. Rob Neidermayer
3. Moen

NHL.com
1. Moen
2. Getzlaf
3. Giguere

My 3 Stars:
1. Getzlaf
2. Rob Neidermayer
3. Emery

Though the result was disappointed, it could hardly be said that the outcome nor the performance which lead to it was much of a surprise. The nine day layoff between games for the Ottawa Senators left far too much time to discuss the potential impact of said layoff; far too much time to mull over the potential stifling effect of the Pahlsson line, the stamina, intensity and versatility of Pronger and Neidermayer, or the size, creativity and aggressiveness of the so-called Kid line. There is no excuse, of course. For the first time in a number of years, the Stanley Cup final truly matches the best two teams in each conference against each other; nobody gets to this point without understanding how much it takes too win, and how much the littlest mistake can cost. The Senators knew full well that the layoff would likely amount to rust in the first game, not to mention contributing factors such as the time zone difference and unusual start time. They also know full well it would be no excuse. Accordingly, they came more lively than a team in their position perhaps should. Capitalising on the Ducks' lack of discipline early, the Senators converted an oddly deflected Fisher shot into the first goal of the Stanley Cup Finals. The goal was a result of some strong board work by Schaefer and Comrie, the latter who passed the puck to Meszaros, who instantly dished it off for a Fisher one-timer. The puck was bobbled and somehow found its way into the net off the far post, though Comrie was available had the puck not directed itself past the goal line. The goal was just the second of these playoffs for the second power-play unit, but demonstrated that the secondary scoring is more than willing and able to contribute this go-around. Though the Senators controlled the play slightly deeper into the period, the Ducks then affirmably took the reigns, starting with an Andy McDonald seeing-eye marker midway through the period to tie the game. Anaheim welcomed the Senators to the Finals with a shift by the fourth line about 12 minutes into the game, which was as commandingly dominant a shift as one can imagine. Though the Senators were scrambling, they managed to escape with the tie intact at the end of the first, thanks to some strong play by Emery, and sloppiness on the Ducks part. There were easily three or four chances where the Ducks, whether due to rustiness or whatever else, could not capitalise on glorious opportunities that would have surely buried the Senators before they even had a chance to respond. But with the tie in place, the Senators regrouped in the second and emerged a much more composed hockey club. A Wade Redden goal, scored once again on the power play, allowed the Senators to retake the lead. The Senators were furiously peppering everything possible at Giguere; immediately preceding the Redden goal, there were four shots, including a post-dinger from Corvo. Redden's own shot hit the post too, only to bounce favourably into the net. While the Redden goal may have given the Senators a step up in attempting to close out the game, Ottawa failed to capitalise on an extended 5-on-3 power play (about 90 seconds long), and failed to convert their strong play into any sizable lead. Understandably, the Ducks reasserted themselves in the third period, and the Senators found themselves without legs. A regrettable goal of a strong individual effort by sophomore star in the making Ryan Getzlaf forced the tie, and the Senators held on by the string of their teeth until Moen shut the book on game 1 with a goal that came as a result of yet another strong forecheck that found the Senators on their heels. By all accounts, Anaheim deserved to win the game, and ended up with a result that reflected their strong play. But by the same token, the vastly outplayed Senators ended up just one goal (or perhaps 2:51 minutes) from stealing a victory. Like many others observing Anaheim in their Western Conference Final series against the Detroit Red Wings, I felt that it said very good things about the Duck club that they could win games even when being outplayed; while it is difficult to apply the same observation to the Senators when they didn't win, the strength of this club is still apparent.

Though perhaps all too brief a list, the good:

Mike Fisher, Mike Comrie, Peter Schaefer. As Mike Fisher is best known for his consistent efforts, perhaps its not any surprise that he finds himself in the "good" column tonight, as he so often does. The other two, based on their relatively poor performances in the Buffalo series - perhaps they deserve the attention even more. It is no surprise to anyone to mention that Comrie has been fighting through a shoulder injury since the New Jersey series, but it appears if the layoff between series has done anyone good, its this guy. He was without a doubt our strongest player in the offensive zone tonight, combining the creativity he has made a reputation for throughout his career with the grit, intensity and strong board effort he came to embody in the Pittsburgh series. The Fisher goal was created by Comrie's board work, and very well could have been Comrie's goal had the puck landed an inch to either side. Peter Schaefer also rebounded with a strong effort - his ferocity on the boards has been missing for a while now and its nice to see some intensity from a player who seems to typifies lackadaisicalness on the ice, warranted or not. He even - gasp - shot the puck. The most surprising statistic for me was his 4 registered hits, the most of anyone on the team. The line was clearly the best Senators line on the ice tonight, and will have to continue to perform at this same level for Ottawa to have any success in this series.

Phillips and Volchenkov. These guys have had, what, one bad period all playoffs? If Alfredsson weren't on this team, these boys would be frontrunners for the Conn Smythe without a doubt. Perhaps the first ever co-winners. Phillips was first Senator to really stand up to the Ducks physical onslaught, driving Getzlaf to the ice on an early rush. Phillips and Volchenkov combined for a full quarter of the Senators registered hits. Volchenkov registered - wait for it - 10 blocked shots, in what was remarkably not some kind of NHL record or even his best of the playoffs so far. While netminder Emery likes to joke that Volchenkov stops more shots than he does, he isn't far off. Get this - Volchenkov registered 56% as many saves as Giguere... in less than half the time on the ice.

Penalty Kill. This goes out to all parties, even the ones who had rough nights - Redden, Meszaros, Alfie, McAmmond among them.

Powerplay. Talked about earlier, both the first and second unit recorded goals tonight, and though the failure to score on a 5-on-3 was a massive disappointment and a turning point in the game, at the end of the day 2-for-7 is a satisfactory result.

And now, on to the bad.

Spezza line (yes, Alfredsson included). What is something that is found in every Senators loss, and none of their wins? Individuality. In every single Senators loss so far these playoffs, there are tangible incidents of the Senators big three trying to do to much, with too little support, and will their way to a victory. And inevitably, it fails. I'm not sure if their individuality emerges because they are feeling outplayed and they introduce it as an attempted counter, or if their attempted individuality caused them to be outplayed. Either way, whenever it shows up, bad things happen. Spezza has been so good these playoffs about making the simple play. The dump rather than carrying the puck in. The shot rather than the drop pass. The chip off the boards rather than the pass through centre ice. He reverted to an old Spezza, an entertaining Spezza no doubt, but a rarely successful one. It plays like clockwork - he dangles past a defender (ooh!), he drops it back to, uh, a Duck (aah!). He attempts to outmuscle a defenseman individually, is denied, and the play results in a chance for the other team. Alfredsson and Heatley were guilty of much of the same. Though both were playing with as much intensity and determination as I've seen, they were clearly rusty, off-time, and altogether out of synch. Alfredsson had an absolutely brutal giveaway at his own blueline which resulted in a prime scoring chance for the opposition team, and he was getting outmuscles in all zones of the rink. Heatley might have had the best game of the three. He impressed me with his work in front of the net on the Redden goal, and had one of the best chances of the game on a sniped shot from in close on the 5-on-3, and he managed to draw a penalty, but there was the same individual determination to take over a game by himself shared by his linemates which brought his game down. Of course, full credit needs to go to the Ducks for shutting them down. They were given no room, were being attacked physically, and the Pizza line failed to adjust. They'll need to be much, much better in game 2 if they want to have any hope.

Redden and Meszaros. I won't harp on this too much because I felt Redden did enough to win us the game, but he was -3 and, very likely, the cause of the first Anaheim goal. Meszaros had a poor showing, but these two have rebounded well so far in the post-season and unlike others jumping off the wagon or yet again calling for Redden's head (and apparently Meszaros too, at least according to some senile old man on the post-game show), I felt they have performed remarkably well for the majority of this post-season and will not throw them to the wolves for an average performance in a 3-2 game 1 loss. Especially not when one of them scored the go-ahead goal.

Christoph Schubert. I'll post what I mentioned elsewhere: Schubert's an odd one, he can play at his best and his worst in one game. He's obviously versatile, but he's also one of our most physical players, great on the forecheck. But he takes more stupid penalties than Heatley, is useless offensively as a forward, and is just lost in his own zone as a forward. I don't know how someone can completely lose their defensive smarts because they're playing a different position. And yet I find him to be our best physical forward next to Fisher. Despite his poor play the last few series, I find it highly unlikely he will ever draw out of the lineup, because the chance, even the slightest chance, that a defenseman might be injured in-game makes him far too valuable to ever scratch. I've attempted to make my case for Oleg Saprykin's permanent position in the lineup, but it is clear that despite being in the coach's doghouse for much of the season, Murray wants Eaves in the lineup, and has set his mind on the Schubert-McAmmond-Eaves. Barring a disastrously inept performance from one of the fourth line wingers or (God forbid) an injury, I can't for a second imagine Saprykin drawing back in, much as his play might merit it.

Too much typing. Here's to a split. But even if they go back to Ottawa down 0-2, I don't think it's the end of the world. When we lose one on home ice, then the trouble begins. But to take it one game at a time - onward to game two!

Senators 3 Sabres 2 (OT)

2007-05-23T16:38:00.001-04:00

The Ottawa Senators, Your 2007 Eastern Conference Champions

Senators Goals
Heatley (6) from Spezza (13) and Redden (6)
Spezza (7) from Alfredsson (7) and Heatley (14)
Alfredsson (10) from Heatley (15) and Meszaros (4)

0 for 4 on the PP
6 for 7 on the PK

Emery made 27 stops on 29 shots.

NHL.com 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Spezza
3. Afinogenov

Buffalo media 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Spezza
3. Afinogenov

(to be finished later)

Senators 2 Sabres 3

2007-05-16T03:22:00.000-04:00

Senators Goals:
McAmmond (4) from Meszaros (3) and Kelly (2)
Schaefer (1) from Comrie (3) and Corvo (6)

0 for 5 on the PP
3 for 4 on the PK

Emery made 19 saves on 22 shots

Team 1200 3 Stars:
1. Miller
2. Drury
3. Corvo

My 3 Stars:
1. Miller
2. Drury
3. Roy
Honorable Mention to McAmmond

It couldn't have happened any other way. Continuing the parallels from last season's Eastern Conference Semi-Final series between the two teams, Buffalo was all but guaranteed to win game 4 on the road to prevent the sweep. It certainly looked guaranteed when a poor clear by Meszaros just seconds into the game took a bounce off Derek Roy's skate, found its way to Drury's stick and, just nine seconds into the game, into the back of the net. If the victory didn't look signed, sealed and delivered then, it probably did when Afinogenov scored on a 5-on-3 (Buffalo's first power play goal of the series) early in the second. If not then, Emery's deflatingly weak performance on a Drury wrister midway through the second. might have convinced even the most skeptical observer. Despite getting their chances, the Senators were being completely stymied by Miller at the other end of the rink, picking up on his stellar performance from game 3. But as bleak as things looked midway through the game, the Senators found a way to claw back with some contributions from depth scorers (including Schaefer, who notched his first goal of the post-season to bring the Senators within 1 goal by the second intermission). With a McAmmond goal late in the second, the Senators found life and, it could be said, simply ran out of time, they were outplaying the Sabres that much in the final frame. It's no excuse; after all, the Sabres have scored goals with 5 and 7 seconds left in games to erase deficits. But it certainly eases the loss, and there were positives found even in their third loss of the post-season:

Depth scoring. The Big line of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson failed to record a goal (or even a point) among them for the first time this post-season. They claimed they were getting their chances and as such they weren't concerned about being shut down in the future. While this is true, the line demonstrated some individualistic and headstrong tendencies which haven't been in their game since March at the latest. They appeared sloppy and hurried when in possession of the puck and even more lost and impatient without it. Fortunately it seems their (relatively) weak performance was just a blip rather than any indicator of regression. But without maligning the big three for one slightly weak game, my purpose is to emphasise that even in a poor showing from the Senators' stars, the role players found a way to step up and make the struggles of the Big line almost unimportant. The second and third line contributed (McAmmond's goal came as a result of a shift with Kelly and Vermette). Vermette pinged a puck off the post on a shorthanded breakaway opportunity in the third period, a shot which had it been an inch to the left would have resulted in a tie game. Without the contributions from Kelly, McAmmond, Comrie, Fisher and Schaefer, the game might have been the Senators first playoff shutout since the lockout. Now, a loss is still a loss, but the depth production that simply wasn't there in the past is an encouraging sign. The big guns usually find a way to get it done, but it is promising that the role players will step up when the stars can't.

Senators 1 Sabres 0

2007-05-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

I've fallen behind in my game recaps, and since most people don't care to rehash games that happened a week ago, I'll keep the recaps for games 3 and 4 rather brief and to the point.

Senators Goals:
Alfredsson (9) from Heatley (13) and Spezza (12)

0 for 7 on the PP
6 for 6 on the PK

Emery made 15 saves for his third shutout of the post-season

Arena 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Redden
3. Miller

Team 1200 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Redden
3. Miller

My 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Miller
3. Volchenkov

Heading into Monday night's game three, the Senators found themselves in a situation unique to their 2007 playoff run. For the first time in their modern history, the Senators found themselves with a 2-0 lead in a series. Game 3 was evidently a critical junction in the series - should the Senators lose, their lead would split in half to 2-1 and the possibility of a Sabres comeback weigh heavy on their minds. But should they win the third game, the Senators would take a 3-0 strangehold on the series and, almost certainly, punch a ticket to the Stanley Cup finals. Well, Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller did everything in his power to prevent the latter from happening - his teammates, not so much. For, as many strong performances as Ottawa has provided over the course of this playoff run, never in Senators history has a team been so thoroughly dominant. The 1-0 scoreline gives the lacklustre Sabres far, far too much credit; aside from an all-star showing from Miller and some competent penalty killing, the Sabres may well have given up the series at the first drop of the puck. But blaming the loss on a poor showing from the Sabres gives their opponent too little credit - the Senators put on a defensive clinic, and stifled the Sabres penalty kill with a perfection yet unseen. And still, the Sabres remained in the game thanks to outstanding goaltending from their young star netminder. The Senators lone goal came thanks to a wacky rebound of a Dany Heatley shot, bouncing off the boards before deflecting off Miller's glove and trickling through the blue paint, before Daniel Alfredsson tapped in his ninth goal of the post-season. It may have been a tough break for the Sabres, but as Alfredsson stated after the victory, "you make your own luck. If you work hard, you're going to get your bounces". In the playoffs, truer words could not be said.

Senators 4 Sabres 3 (2OT)

2007-05-13T18:13:00.001-04:00

Senators Goals
Alfredsson (8) from Heatley (11) and Spezza (9)
Fisher (3) from Meszaros (2) and Preissing (5)
Redden (2) from Spezza (10) and Heatley (12)
Corvo (2) from Spezza (11)

2 for 4 on the PP
7 for 7 on the PK

Emery made 34 saves on 37 shots in 4+ periods

CBC 3 Stars:
1. Spezza
2. Vanek
3. Corvo

Buffalo Media:
1. Alfredsson
2. Vanek
3. Spezza

Team 1200:
1. Corvo
2. Spezza
3. Miller
Hardest Working: Vermette

NHL.com:
1. Corvo
2. Spezza
3. Briere

My 3 Stars:
1. Spezza
2. Corvo
3. Vermette
Alfredsson, Emery, Vanek, Fisher and Miller could have just as easily occupied slot 3.

Saturday night's double overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres was surely the Senators' most significant victory in over four seasons; though game 6 of the ECF in 2003 might currently occupy the throne as the most important in modern Senators history thanks to Chris Phillips' overtime heroics, some might argue this victory surpasses even that, as early in the series as the win last night may have been. As often as we have heard it this post-season, the facts are all there. This was yet another game that previous incarnations of the Senators would be destined to lose. And yet again, they found a way to win. The Senators found themselves overwhelmed early, not just in play but on the scoresheet. The Sabres came out with everything they had, and overcame an early overturned goal (itself a signal of the early dominance of Buffalo) to take a 2-0 lead before the seven minute mark of the first period, in what would normally be an insurpassable lead for any team. Throughout the 06-07 regular season and playoffs, the Sabres ratcheted up a stunning 46-0 record when leading by two at any point in the game. In the 2007 playoffs, they found themselves 6-0 when marking the first goal. The Senators were 0-8 in game twos after winning the first - every single stat pointed to doomsday for the Ottawa Senators. But rather than succumbing to the expectations set by past failures, the Senators willed themselves to victory by taking command of the game late in the first period, and never surrendering control. Thanks with a late goal by Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson on nice passing play from Heatley and Spezza, the Senators found themselves down by only a goal heading into the first intermission. The Senators emerged a new team, and continued their special teams dominance with powerplay goals from Mike Fisher and Wade Redden (on a 5-on-3 in the dying seconds of the middle frame), to not only claw back from a 2-0 deficit but take a 3-2 lead. Ottawa held the lead well before a final burst from Buffalo, when a deflected puck of the shin of Anton Volchenkov found Sabres co-captain Daniel Briere for an admittedly perfect backdoor goal - with less than 6 seconds remaining in the game. Any other year, perhaps any other team (say, the New York Rangers), and this goal would have been devastating. It was to be expected that the Sabres would carry the momentum to overtime, and like three recent playoff overtimes in Sens-Sabres history, end very quickly in favour of Buffalo. After all, that was the case last year. Instead, Ottawa took it to the Sabres for the entirety of the first overtime, including killing off a potentially costly interference call on Christoph Schubert. The Senators did not get frustrated or impatient, and carried their confidence into the second overtime, when an offensive zone faceoff win from Jason Spezza allowed a feed to Corvo, who one-timed a wobbly blast past surprised goaltender Ryan Miller. Another day, another curse broken. Another testament to Muckler (a summer UFA signing was the goalscorer). Another smart move by the coaching staff (having confidence to put Corvo and Preissing out in that scenario, even though they haven't had the strongest series so far). Another testament to the leadership and character of this team, to claw back from 2-0, to survive a potentially heartbreaking last second goal by the Sabres, and pull out a win. In Buffalo. To take a 2-0 series lead for the first time in Senators history, heading back to Scotiabank Place on Monday. How good it feel to have the shoe on the other foot. From here on out, the Senators are navigating uncharted waters. They've never had a 2-0 lead before. Certainly never approached winning two consecutive opening games on the road. With a victory on Monday in Ottawa, they will find themselves with a veritable strangehold on the series. Should they lose, the series is still 2-1 and the Senators still maintain the home ice advantage they stole from the Sabres with these two victories. Regardless of how things shake out, for the next couple days at least, things are looking good in hockey country.

With such a good playoff run and all things clicking continually, it becomes a redundant to emphasise the good in one game when it's been the same all playoffs long. Alfredsson had a strong physical game. Is it really any surprise any more? Spezza excelled yet again as a smart, back-to-basics playmaker. Redden and Meszaros were for the Nth consecutive time flawless defensively and contributed key roles in the offensive zone. Fisher was aggressive, physical, and has proven again that at least at this point in time, contributing on the scoresheet is not an issue. The fourth line being yet again the most versatile fourth line in hockey. Flawless penalty killing and a lethal power play. Solid goaltending whether we're up or down by 2. On and on and on. Game after game after game. Consistency and dependability at an exceptionally high level. Just the 2007 Senators being the Senators.

All that being said, I would like to pinpoint Antoine Vermette, who easily had his best game of the playoffs and was possibly the Senators best player tonight (he certainly would have been recognised as such had his overtime scoring attempt been aimed at the gaping net and not Miller). Everyone would like some more offense from him, but much like Fisher, when he's on his game the stats never seem to matter much.

As a final note, Joe Corvo deserves a hearty congratulations for his earning his permanent place in the Senators record books. Any playoff goal is something to be proud of; a double overtime playoff goal to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals and put the Senators just two victories from the Stanley Cup finals - that's something to remember forever.

Senators 5 Sabres 2

2007-05-11T16:10:00.000-04:00

Senators Goals
Fisher (2), unassisted
Alfredsson (7) from Corvo (5) and Spezza (8)
Saprykin (1) from McAmmond (3)
Spezza (6) from Redden (5) and Alfredsson (6)
McAmmond (3) from Heatley (10)

2 for 6 on the PP
5 for 5 on the PK

Emery made 18 saves on 20 shots

CBC 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Fisher
3. Emery

Team 1200 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Emery
3. Miller
Hardest working: Fisher

Buffalo media 3 Stars:
1. Spezza
2. Volchenkov
3. Fisher

NHL.com 3 Stars:
1. Spezza
2. Saprykin
3. Fisher

My 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Fisher
3. Saprykin

While Senators fans would be the first to tell you stats from years past should mean less than nothing, with Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, the Ottawa Senators find past stats firmly in their favour. When winning the first game, the Sens have a 5-3 record in winning the series. Conversely, Buffalo has a dismal 1-13 record. The game 2 stats are a bit more muddied for both sides. Ottawa is a laughable 0-7 in game twos after winning the first game of the series; Buffalo is 1-13 in game twos after losing the first. But regardless of past statistics, the Senators put themselves in a good position by winning the first game. With the victory, they find themselves up 1-0 in the series, having stolen a game in Buffalo to coincide with stealing home ice advantage from the President's Trophy winners. At the very worst, the Senators will head back to Ottawa with a split; at the best, they could find themselves with a 2-0 strangehold against their greatest rivals by Saturday night. No matter how it is looked at, the Senators placed themselves in a good position with their strong play Thursday night.

The Sabres came out all guns ablazing in front of their racuous home crowd, even drawing a few early penalties thanks to some, uh, crafty work by Derek Roy. But the Senators got the best of them, generating a McAmmond breakaway off a turnover (and a seeing-eye pass from Alfredsson), before another turnover-created breakaway by Fisher resulted in a goal and a 1-0 lead for the visiting team. The Sabres were thoroughly sloppy with their passing last night, often making tape-to-tape passes directly to the opposing team. By the end of the night they accumulated 18 turnovers, resulting in no less than 3 Sens breakaways. Both of these teams thrive on their transition game and speed in generating an attack out of minor mistakes by the opposition; it isn't surprising that the team that made the most errors was at the losing end of the game.

The Sabres then found themselves in penalty trouble, and the Senators continued their special team dominance when Alfredsson one-timered a Corvo feed past Ryan Miller on a brief 4-on-3. The Sabres got a couple back thanks to a frighteningly strong night by the Roy line, and a poor second period from the Senators. By the third period the Senators regained control, when Oleg Saprykin tipped a McAmmond pass in front of the net past Miller. From there things opened up; Jason Spezza wired a shot through the legs of both Chris Drury and netminder Miller in a front-of-the-net scramble; McAmmond added an empty netter in the final minute to seal the deal.

To focus on the good:

Special Teams. Though the 5-on-5 play could be deemed equal, perhaps even with an edge to Buffalo when the dominance of the Vanek-Roy-Afinogenov line is considered, the Senators thoroughly dominated the special teams play. They went 2-for-6 on the power play, 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, scored a short-handed goal, and in every instance looked the better team regardless of who had the man advantage. A sign of a strong team, to be sure. The Senators have controlled the special teams battle all season long against the Sabres, and that the special teams superiority has carried over to a time where PP/PK strength is all but necessary to guarantee victory, it's hardly a bad thing from a Senators perspective.

Speed and transition game. Buffalo made a lot of errors last night, and the Senators capitalised on them. Ottawa found themselves with breakaways by McAmmond, Fisher (2), Alfredsson and Vermette. It's no surprise that the speedier players on the team were those that found themselves in alone. Though Fisher was the only one to capitalise on the breakaway, several of these plays drew penalties, including the latter Fisher one which drew a Roy penalty, a power play on which Jason Spezza capitalised. The Senators played Buffalo's game and beat them at it.

Redden and Meszaros. I have to keep focusing on these two, because people are still criticising them for a way they haven't played in weeks. I have to keep emphasising it - these two have been good, really good, since game 5 of the Pittsburgh series. They were a combined +3 last night, and it wasn't until Murray switched them with the Corvo/Preissing pairing that the Senators were able to even contain the Roy line - Redden and Meszaros deserve all the credit in the world for this, because that line could have singlehandedly buried the Senators with the way they were being allowed to walk around early in the game. Redden and Meszaros shut down the Sabres strongest line last night.

Anton Volchenkov. He's had one bad game all playoffs (game 1 of the NJ series), but other than that he has been lights-out. A bone-crushing hit on Adam Mair, 3 blocked shots... all in a day's work for Volchenkov. A true blood-and-guts competitor who will sacrifice anything for his team. Gotta love it.

Daniel Alfredsson. Alfie! Alfie! Alfie! What else needs to be said? For the 11th game in a row, he was the best forward on the ice. There is not a player in the league I would want on my team over Alfie right now. Not Crosby. Not Yzerman. Alfredsson is doing everything. And doing it dominantly. He wants it bad this year - and if he keeps playing like this, he'll get it.

Mike Fisher. He's been strong physically and on the forecheck this entire playoffs, but he's starting to ramp up the speed and is finally finding some touch near the net. It was only his second goal of the playoffs, but Fisher could have had 3 more tonight. Another great game from yet another heart-and-soul character on the Senators.

Dean McAmmond. His speed was a utile asset last night, generating a couple of breakaways and an empty-net goal to cement the Senators victory. Oh, and he assisted on the game winning goal. The fourth line had some difficulty in their own zone last night (being paired with the Corvo/Preissing unit, who had an off-night defensively didn't help much), but they more than made up for it with their offensive zone contributions and aggressive and energetic forecheck.

Oleg Saprykin. Game winning goal. Nothing more needs to be said.

The bad stuff:

Corvo and Preissing defensively. Murray did well to get them away from the Sabres' third line, but they need to get it together because any Sabres line could pick them apart with the way they were playing last night.

Sens-Devils Unsubstantiable Predictions Results

2007-05-07T16:09:00.000-04:00

First goal of the series is scored by Dany Heatley.
First goal of the series is scored by Jason Spezza.

Last goal of the series is scored by Brian Gionta.
Last goal of the series is scored by Scott Gomez.

Jason Spezza and Zach Parise will lead their teams in goals.
Half right. Spezza tied for the Ottawa lead with Heatley and Alfredsson (3 each), Gionta lead NJ with 3.

Jason Spezza and Scott Gomez will lead their teams in points.
Dany Heatley had 10 points, Gomez had 5.

Antoine Vermette and Jay Pandolfo will fail to record a goal.
Both got 1 each.

Chris Neil and Paul Martin will fail to record a point.
Half right.

Senators will have a better PP but worse PK than NJ.
Half right. They also had a better PK.

At least one game with 2 goals or less scored.
Correct, Game 3.

I should just give up.

Senators 3 Devils 2

2007-05-06T18:18:00.000-04:00

Senators Goals
Vermette (2) from Preissing (4)
Spezza (5) from Alfredsson (5) and Heatley (8)
Alfredsson (6) from Spezza (7) and Heatley (9)

1 for 2 on the PP
2 for 2 on the PK

Emery makes 29 saves on 31 shots

CBC 3 stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Spezza
3. Emery

Attending Media 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Spezza
3. Heatley

My 3 Stars:
1. Alfredsson
2. Emery
3. Spezza
Very honourable mention to Scott Gomez.

And for the second series in a row, the Senators close it out in 5. For the fourth series in a row, the Senators rest after only 5 games. But unlike the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals of last season against Buffalo, the Senators celebrated a much more favourable conclusion against the New Jersey Devils. Winning on the road for the fourth time this post-season (the most of any team), the Senators upset the second seed in the East, their second series victory against the three-time Cup champions in three attempts. Though the Senators failed to show much of anything for much of the first period, let alone the "desperation" Mike Comrie claimed they would play with, Ray Emery kept them alive until they found some life late in the period. Though he let in a second-effort goal by Scott Gomez nearly 7 minutes into the game, the scoreline could have easily been 2- or 3-0 Devils were it not for a solid performance by Emery. Though he was helped by the post on a Parise rush, he made a highlight save on Patrick Elias on a sharp passing play by the Gomez line, preventing a goal which could very well have ensured this series went to 6. Fortunately, the Senators found their feet at the end of the period and carried the momentum into the intermission. Accordingly, the Senators came out strong in the middle frame and by any objective measure dominated the game for the next 20 minutes. Though they were outshot 11-3 in the first and down by 1-0, they turned the tide with 19 shots in the second, registering 3 goals.

The first came as the result of a frighteningly strong shift from centre Antoine Vermette, who kept the puck in play by a hairline at the blueline only to weave it back into play. The puck found it's way to Preissing who had advanced with one of his trademark pinches. Preissing took a sharp angle shot at Brodeur (cementing what might be another Preissing trademark), by which time Vermette had rushed to the front of the net to deflect it in. Though Vermette has had a difficult season offensively despite the best of efforts, he somehow manages to put the pieces together when it matters most - both of his goals this post-season have come in elimination games against the Pens and Devils. Frequently chastised for his lack of offensive production, Vermette silenced critics with another big game performance. Preissing, as equally unsung as Vermette, used his assist this game to propel himself into the backend scoring lead for the Senators. Finishing with 6 points so far this post-season (a point ahead of equally impressive Corvo and Redden), Preissing illustrates the value of smart positional play at both ends of the rink. It was the second pinch by Preissing in three games that lead to the game-changing goal.

The following goal came on a powerplay, when Jay Pandolfo of all people was nabbed for goaltender interference. Spezza sniped a shot - guess where - high glove side on Brodeur for the go-ahead goal. Assisted by Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley, the goal was yet another indicator of the strength of the Senators' powerplay (best in the playoffs) and the unmatched dominance of the Pizza line (3 of the top 5 scorers in the playoffs, including Heatley at #1. The other 2 have since been eliminated). It was Spezza's 5th of the playoffs, meaning he's scoring at a remarkable 0.5 goal/game pace, not a bad feat for the playmaker of the line and someone who just a season ago only recorded 19 goals.

The final Senators goal of the night, and what would end up the game winner, was a perfect Spezza feed which found Alfredsson alone in the zone with only one defender back. Alfie tossed it through Brodeur's pads without incident. It was his 6th of the playoffs, placing him 4th in the goalscorer's race, and Gionta and Parise ahead of him have since been eliminated. Words cannot express how truly dominant Alfredsson was through this game and series, in all facets of the game. By the end of the night, Alfredsson had been on the ice for 12 of all 15 Senators goals in the Devils series. Ottawa's best scorer, forechecker, penalty killer, and the captain to boot. With his performance in the past two rounds Alfredsson has vaulted himself into a leading position as a potential Conn Smythe candidate. He's been hitting everything that moves, forechecking like a maniac, averaging the most icetime out of any Senators forward, and getting results for all his hard work. Alfredsson has never played this well - in the playoffs, regular season, internationally - this is the best Alfie has ever been.

Heatley registered 2 assists tonight, and though he didn't have the impact last night of his two linemates, he was the Senators' leading scorer with 10 points in the Jersey series. He hasn't failed to register a point since game 4 of the Pittsburgh series; it was the ONLY game of the entire playoffs he failed to factor in on the scoresheet. Thanks to the layoff between series which helped Heatley to rest his ankle, injured late in the season, he came back rejuvenated in the Jersey series and played like the Heatley we all expected. Never has a Senators' top line been so thoroughly dominant and driven. Never has a Senators' top line so steadfastly refused to back down or play nice. Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley's performances in the Jersey series were a sight to behold, truly.

All 6 Senators defensemen performed to their capabilities in the second round, including Redden and Meszaros. They proved yet again that they are, as a 6-man unit, the strongest group of defensemen in the league.

Emery had a solid game, particularly early and late in the game. He had two game-saving stops against Elias at both junctures of the night, first to keep the Senators in the game, then to protect the Senators' lead. He was not spectacular at any point this post-season, but he hasn't needed to be. And still, he has 8 wins and 2 shutouts. He showed great maturity and accountability in admitting he regretted being a distraction to the team with the car incident on Friday; his performance on the ice showed yet again that none of the sideshow matters when the game is on. He's probably the worst goaltender left in the playoffs, I won't disagree. But he's probably the most competitive and driven. He outbattled and beat the best goaltender in the world in 5 games. Here's to the next round.

Though Ottawa's depth had some trouble scoring in this series (as opposed to the Penguins series when they factored offensively in every game), it is important not to let the scoresheet dictate their impact on the game. The strong forecheck and physicality of all 4 lines was essential in wearing down the Devils and keeping the Devils' stars at bay, particularly with players like Fisher, Neil, Comrie and Schubert. The smart, instinctual penalty killing of role players like Kelly, Vermette, McAmmond and Schaefer was key in shutting down the Devils' best chance at offensive success. strong boardwork and cycling of guys like Schaefer and Fisher played a key part in maintaining possession, frustrating the opposition, dictating the pace and style, and forcing the Devils to play our game. The energy and enthusiasm of guys like Saprykin, Vermette and Comrie was important in inspiring our players and keeping the intensity level high. The versatility of players like Schubert or McAmmond to drop back to defense or move up a line as a defensive presence was a key part of holding leads in 5 very close games. Every single player on this team had an important role that cannot be overlooked or brushed aside. This is a team game, and the Ottawa Senators are a team, and any future success they will have will be due to all 20 players contributing just like they did against Pittsburgh and New Jersey.

There were so many encouraging things to be found in this round. The first is just fun stats-wise - three of the Senators four victories were by one goal margins. For a team that lost in the second round last year, all four losses by one goal margins, this is encouraging.

Congratulations to Emery, Heatley and Spezza, their first visits to the ECF as key contributors. Congratulations to Alfie, Redden, Phillips and Fisher for exacting revenge on the NJD, who dashed the hard work of our boys in getting to their first ever ECF four years ago. With that demon slayed, here's hoping for a better result this time around.
Congratulations to Bryan Murray for making it to the Conference Finals for the first time as a coach. There's a first for everything - let's hope it's not your last achievement this year.
Congratulations to the entire Senators team and organisation for making it this far. The players, the coaching staff, management. It's been a difficult year and even at our most optimistic points an ECF berth was looked upon positively as a reasonable goal. Many people said, if they made it this far they'd be happy. Others said if they made it this far while laying everything on the ice, they'd be happy. At the worst points of the season, the hopes became "if we can make the playoffs, I'll be happy". "If we can win another game, I'll be happy". A few months later, we were challenging for the NE Division title, only a handful of points behind a Buffalo team we were once 30 points and 12 teams behind. We've come along way. Muckler made some difficult decisions, lost some important players, brought in some questionable ones, but still he stuck by his decisions. And here we are, months later. Heatley. Comrie. Preissing. Corvo. McAmmond. One of the best backups in the league (err, ok this one still kind of stings). Capable and experienced fill-ins/injury call-ups. He stood by Murray, he stood by Alfie. And here we are. No matter what happens in the ECF against the Sabres... it's been a good year.

Senators 3 Devils 2

2007-05-04T15:40:00.000-04:00

Senators Goals
Alfredsson (5) from Heatley (7) and Spezza (6)
Heatley (5), unassisted
Fisher (1) from Redden (4) and Emery (2)

Spezza Blocked Shot Count:
2 last night, 3 total.

0 for 4 on the PP
4 for 5 on the PK

Emery stopped 29 of 31 shots

Arena 3 stars:
1. Heatley
2. Alfredsson
3. Emery

Team 1200 3 Stars:
1. Heatley
2. Alfredsson
3. Emery

My 3 Stars:
1. Heatley
2. Alfredsson
3. Volchenkov

Thanks to Wednesday night's 3-2 victory, the Senators find themselves with a 3-1 stranglehold on the Eastern Conference semi-final series with the New Jersey Devils. The Senators won both games at Scotiabank Place to maintain the home ice advantage they stole from the Devils, after winning the first game in Jersey.

While it might be misguided to claim Senators netminder Ray Emery has outplayed Jersey counterpart Martin Brodeur, game 4 was perhaps a testament that pedigree and reputation mean quite little in the playoffs; winning is all that matters. Brodeur's heroics in game 3 were a sight to behold, to be certain, yet the Senators gained the W. Emery might have bobbled the puck a number of times in game 4, yet he notched his 7th win of the post-season, while Brodeur mounted his 5th loss. Much was made after the game about a comment by Brodeur, when he claimed Emery "doesn't look too good" when heavily tested. Considering this was a rare occasion where Brodeur lost the game for his teammates, any criticism of the man at the other end of the rink might have been ill-timed.

The delay in writing this recapitulation has caused some of the finer points of the game to elude my memory; however there was one clear moment, already touched on in many articles, which stands out above all else. Though it might not have translated as well on television, roughly four minutes into the opening frame, the boisterous and energetic crowd, fresh off "Razor" and "Go Sens Go" chants, twenty thousand voices strong, united in respect and admiration for the Senators' captain, began an "Alfie" chant. "Alfie! Alfie! Alfie!", the crowd roared. And suddenly, it happens. Heatley's tape-to-tape pass from behind Brodeur's net finds Alfredsson in the slot, who proceeds to one-time it past Brodeur. 4:34 seconds in, 1-0 Senators. Though Alfredsson didn't hear this chorus of cheers, it was a special moment for Senators fans. The goal was his 5th of the playoffs, tying him for second in the playoff goal race. By the time the night was over, Alfredsson's presence on the ice for Senators goals was up to a remarkable 10 for 12.

Alfredsson's goal would be the only one Brodeur might not have been shaking his head over. Taking a cue from both Lecavalier and St. Louis from Tampa, Heatley, standing on the goal-line, fired a would-be pass to Spezza past Brodeur. With the success of would-be passes making their way to the back of the net for the Senators this post-season (think of Spezza's wobbly deflected goal in the Pittsburgh series), perhaps the pass-first mentality isn't so bad after all. It was Heatley's 5th of the post-season as well, and, with the assist on Alfredsson's first period goal, he now finds himself in first place in post-season scoring. A remarkable feat, if you consider his achingly slow start in the Pittsburgh series. New Jersey fans (and fans league-wide, mind) might still say that Lecavalier and St. Louis are the more lethal duo than Heatley and Spezza. I'm still not convinced I disagree, but there is not an inch of doubt in my mind that Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson are the deadliest trio in the league, bar none. Any combination of the three should rank within the top 3-4 deadly duos in the league. And that's just the stats. When you factor in their drive, intensity, competitiveness, creativity, chemistry, clutch play, increased physicality and increased defensive awareness, I don't want any three players in the league over these three.

Fisher's goal, credited to his quick release, was one Brodeur should have had. Still, it marked Fisher's first goal of the playoffs (finally), and his second point in two games. After impressing in all areas but the scoresheet through the post-season, it's good to see him contributing in the manner that matters most. The Schaefer-Fisher-Comrie line has now produced two goals in two games, and though the 3rd and 4th lines still need to contribute offensively, at least the two lines most expected to factor in on the scoresheet are doing so.

Neil had a fantastic game, a definite improvement over the first couple games where he looked rather slow and out-of-place. Kelly and Vermette both had good games, yet Neil was probably the best on the line, so credit to him. A third period individual rush by Neil was impressive, and if he could one day finish, he's got some highlight reel in him.

Volchenkov was his usual shot-blocking madman self, and probably had a bigger role in shutdown the Devils' stars than Emery did. A-Train registered 6 blocked shots to take sole possession of the post-season leaderboard, in his rightful place.

I'd also like to take a moment to give some consideration to Meszaros. He had an exceptionally difficult year, not what anyone was expecting after a strong rookie campaign, but he deserves some credit for the things he has done right this post-season. He and his partner Wade Redden have built up a reputation for poor play this year, whether due to injury or lack of confidence or poor decision making or whatever else. People circle like vultures waiting for them to make a mistake, and then lambast them when they do; when they perform well, no credit is given. I won't claim Meszaros has had a brilliant return to form nor has he had a remarkable post-season, but he has been very solid and done many little things right. For example, Wednesday night he was second to Volchenkov with 4 blocked shots. He now ranks third on the team in blocked shots. He ranks third among defensemen on the team in hits. He was +1 again last night, and still sits second in the league with a +7. He hasn't been out for a goal against ALL SERIES, in fact the last goal he was on the ice for was in game 4 of the Pittsburgh series. He is a key part of our PK, averaging nearly 3:00 per game shorthanded. He hasn't had a PP goal scored against him ALL SERIES. In fact, he hasn't had a PP goal scored against him ALL PLAYOFFS. Give him some credit.

Senators 2 Devils 0

2007-05-01T22:38:00.000-04:00

Ottawa Goals
Preissing (2) from Comrie (2) and Fisher (3)
Spezza (4) from Alfredsson (4) and Heatley (4)

0 for 4 on the PP
5 for 5 on the PK

Emery stopped all 25 shots for a shutout, his second of the playoffs.

CBC 3 Stars:
1. Brodeur
2. Emery
3. Spezza

Team 1200 3 Stars:
1. Emery
2. Brodeur
3. Alfredsson

My 3 Stars:
1. Brodeur
2. Alfredsson
3. Comrie

Something was different last night. Because this, this was the type of game the Senators were supposed to lose. Not only was it precisely the type of game the Senators always lose, but it was a type of game outside observers point out as a reason why the Senators will never have extended post-season success. Couple this with the fact that this type of game is the kind the New Jersey Devils excel at, two periods in to a scoreless battle of the goaltenders, any other night it might have seemed the Senators were doomed. Instead, the Senators got the lucky break on a semi-controversial goal early in the third period, and held on long enough to have Jason Spezza salt it away with an empty netter in the final minute, perhaps making up for his disallowed goal two periods earlier. Martin Brodeur was nothing short of spectacular, and yet his lack of offensive support gave Ottawa the slight edge; though firmly outplayed by his counterpart, Emery recorded his second career playoff shutout (and second of the 06-07 post-season). Thanks to the victory at Scotiabank Place, the Senators take a 2-1 edge in the series, with another game still to be played in Ottawa on Wednesday before the players head back to New Jersey for game 5. The 2-1 lead ensures that, at the very worst, the Senators cannot be eliminated in less than 6 games. On a more positive note, the winner of game 3 traditionally has a 69% chance of advancing to the next round.

Between games 2 and 3, Ottawa's depth scoring was questioned, with the big line of Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson had been the only Senators line to contribute offensively in the first two games of the series, outside of a McAmmond shortie in game 1. Answering the call for more consistency in their attack, Schaefer, Fisher and Comrie line came out guns-a-blazing on the opening shift, setting a strong offensive tone. The line combined for 5 hits and 8 shots, and played a key role in the game-winning goal (Fisher and Comrie both assisted on the scoresheet; Fisher assisted with more than just his pass, as New Jersey fans can attest). Fisher, who has had a strong playoff in all manners but the scoresheet, avoided the penalty trouble that was so costly in the game 2. Though his (accidental) slew-foot on Brodeur brought into question the validity of Preissing's goal, the fact remains had that goal not been scored, fans would be crying out for the Senators' to get in Brodeur's face, cause trouble in his crease to throw him off his game. Fisher's actions were, perhaps, penalizable. And yet, the goal stood. That's hockey. The Senators have witnessed more than their share of agonizingly painful breaks afforded to the other team; that they received a break in their favour last night is not a matter to question from a Senators standpoint.

After a lacklustre opening two games, Comrie emerged with fire in his belly, and was only revitalised after he felt slighted on a non-call after being bowled over by Brodeur. He came out with wheels on the ensuing pair of shifts, and managed to draw a penalty (though appeared in some discomfort after crashing awkwardly into the boards on the play, and left for the bench favouring his shoulder, he did return to the game). His smart play led directly to the Preissing goal.

Schaefer, unfairly criticised for his performance in the opening series versus Pittsburgh but perhaps receiving some due criticism for his invisibility early in the New Jersey series, woke yesterday. His strong board play continued, but rather than cycling endlessly, it resulted in some significant scoring chances. He even (shock and awe) registered two shots on net. Schaefer seems to have settled into a role where little recognition will be received for strong play; he is a crucial cog in the Senators' strong penalty kill, is easily the Senators' best boardman, and is a strong playmaker when his head is in the game. He's also got some great hands, but his refusal to use them to score won't net him many admirers. As a second line winger, I won't disagree that more is expected of him. But like Mike Fisher, who does a lot of little things right and gets praised for it, Schaefer should get some recognition for his play despite the lack of scoring.

The big line of Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson remained frighteningly strong in game 3, further the argument for the arrival of Heatley and Spezza, and (hopefully) the final shedding of any underachiever label for Alfredsson. Murray tried matching the trio against the EGG line, but they also received considerable icetime against the Madden line. There was no significant difference in performance noticed; the Spezza line is determined to dominate regardless of who they're matched up with. A strong Alfredsson net-drive resulted in a goal by Spezza, though it was waived off as the referee had lost sight of the puck. Brodeur, at his best of the entire playoffs, robbed Alfredsson blind on several occasions, and made the save of the night on a beautiful Spezza feed to Heatley, sprawling to avoid a disastrous 2-0 deficit shortly after the Preissing goal. Were it not for Brodeur's stunning performance, the Spezza line would have yet again been the story of the night. Though it took an empty net goal for them to register any points, they combined for 14 shots, 4 hits, and 1 blocked shot (a late game committal by Spezza that offer yet more proof that he's buying in to playoff hockey). Alfredsson was once again the Senators' leader in icetime, and second only to Volchenkov for the lead in short-handed minutes. Heatley continued his resurgence after a relatively weak series against Pittsburgh, very likely caused by a debilitating ankle injury, and now sits tied for second in the league in points. Spezza registered a goal, a blocked shot and 5 shots, all stats which showcase his separation from the offense-only, pass-first player he was as recently as March.

The Vermette line had a much stronger game tonight, and though they failed to register any points, there was evidence that things were coming along. Vermette enjoyed a brief period on the PP, and looked damn good while there. Perhaps Murray is reluctant to use him in offensive situations because the poor kid can hardly buy a goal (and certainly not one that comes before the buzzer), but he assisted on the late, game-tying Heatley goal in game 2, and looked impressive on the PP in game 3. A regular PP spot, over Schaefer or perhaps even Fisher, should not be out of the question when the second unit is not rolling. Kelly continued to be the defensive God we've come to know and love, and with the way he was playing last night, a goal from our first-round leading goal scorer can't be too far away. Neil has looked competent the last couple games and is delivering his standard physical presence (4 hits, tied with Phillips for the most on the team), but his lack of foot speed brings his utility on a speedy line into question.

The fourth line was great again tonight, aside from a brainless elbowing penalty from Saprykin.

Phillips and Volchenkov were much improved, and for the first time all series it felt like all 3 pairings were playing up to their level. Corvo had a potentially costly giveaway in front of the Ottawa net, and Redden had a pair of fumbles, but none resulted in anything for the other team. Redden's play has been extremely strong in the New Jersey series and any gripping about his play is completely unwarranted and either based on unfounded bitterness or blindness. Meszaros has also looked much better this series. Preissing continues his unheralded play, but it was yet another smart pinch by our master smart-pincher than lead the game winning goal.

There has been a lot of gripping about Emery and how he looked shaky, unsure of himself, whatever else. I'll say what I always say about shutouts: he stopped everything that was thrown at him. That's perfect goaltending. Period.

Senators 2 Devils 3 (2OT)

2007-04-29T01:11:00.001-04:00

Senators Goals
Alfredsson (4) from Spezza (4) and Heatley (5)
Heatley (4) from Spezza (5) and Vermette (2)

1 for 6 on the PP
5 for 7 on the PK

Emery stopped 30 of 33 shots.

Attending Media 3 Stars:
1. Langenbrunner
2. Heatley
3. Brodeur

My 3 Stars:
1. Brodeur
2. Langenbrunner
3. Heatley
Very, very honourable mention to Alfredsson.

The typical, and the atypical. Senators fail to take a 2-0 stranglehold on a series; nothing doing here. Senators score in the waning seconds against a team most reputed for its ability to hold on to close leads - perhaps an occasion to celebrate. Until the final score is reflected upon, of course. The line to be oft-repeated from the lips of players over the next few days is surely foreseeable, "we went in for the split in their barn, and we got it". After a difficult loss, perhaps this is all that matters. The score is 1-1, but the Senators have stolen home ice advantage from New Jersey; the series is still young and the Senators have yet play at Scotiabank Place. Certainly, this is a better situation than going to the Mellon Arena with a 1-1 series tie exactly two weeks ago. There are points of optimism to be found in the game - the heart and effort it took to climb back from a 2-0 deficit against, without a doubt, the best goaltender in the world. The best defensive team in the NHL. The best lead-holding team in the NHL. And the Senators clawed through it, on a night that was certainly not their best outside of the top 3 forwards, to force it to overtime. The Senators did not show up in the first, their goaltender let in a weak goal and gave up on another, only one line showed up, and the Senators still managed to give them a significant run for their money. A win would have been nice - a win would have been fantastic. The overtime goal should not have happened, perhaps, but Langenbrunner did exactly what he needed to do - Emery, Neil, Corvo and Preissing did not. Shake it off, build on the good, and come back to a raucous arena on Monday night. The Devils are breakable. They cracked tonight, they broke on Thursday. The performance of the Senators' big line played a large part in it; now imagine the Senators' might if the other 9 forwards can chip in offensively.

The bad will be dwelt upon by the media and fans enough over the next two days, as is the case with any Senators loss. So, initially, to focus on the good:

Daniel Alfredsson. For the second night in the row, Alfredsson was hands down the best player on the ice. No one but Alfredsson knows what's different right now; the fact is, this is the best he's ever played, playoffs or otherwise. Better than his Calder-winning season, better than his early playoffs before he wore the C, better than his Hart-calibre season last year. He's playing with a chip on his shoulder, that little bit of edge he might have lacked in years past. He's carrying this team on his back, and miraculously, unlike in years past, not collapsing under the pressure. He's leading by example and driving teammates to up their game. He willed this team to erase a deficit. He single-handedly killed off the majority of an ill-timed 5 on the 3, drove the second period offensive resurgence (including scoring the first Senators goal on the power play to bring them within one). There's nothing much new here - this is Alfie in the playoffs circa 2007. Gritty and driven. Win or loss, Alfie was not going to give a drop less than 100% tonight.

Dany Heatley. When Heatley dropped to block that shot in overtime, I finally felt he was committed to being a playoff performer. Heatley had come into Ottawa with a false reputation of being that gritty, hard-hitting, hard-working, prototypical Canadian forward, because he'd donned a Team Canada jersey a couple times and was missing a tooth. His first year here revealed some undesirable tendencies in Heatley's game; he often floated, was rarely physical, and relied on Spezza to carry the play. In his first playoff, he performed adequately in the wide-open Tampa series, but was AWOL when the going got tough in the Buffalo series. Come 06-07, his game improved tenfold with the Spezza injury, and it became clear that Heatley was at his best when he was allowed to carry to play, and when he forced himself to get physical. Few people would criticise his play in the second half. Come playoff time, there were still question marks, and a lacklustre Pittsburgh series didn't help to assuage doubtful minds, even with the excuse of a probable ankle injury. But here we are after a week's worth of rest, and Heatley has absolutely exploded. We've got a gamebreaker on our hands. He's understanding what it takes to win, and the crucial role he's been handed in ensuring this happens. Yeah yeah his 10 GWG in the regular season might have proved how flawed that stat was in measuring the elusive "clutchness", but tonight's goal? There's no doubt. That was as clutch as a Senator has ever been. As evidenced by his key assist on the Alfredsson goal, Heatley played as pivotal a role as possible in the Senators' resurgence tonight. It might not have been a victory, but it did show an immense step in the development of Heatley the playoff warrior.

Jason Spezza. Same old same old. Two killer assists that were just "instinct". Typical, typical Spezza.

Wade Redden. He's getting his standard Team 1200 bashing tonight, but I think he's been great since game 5 of the Pittsburgh series. I don't know if it was injuries, lack of confidence, lack of interest or just bad luck, but Redden is slowly curing himself of it to become, thank heavens, Redden. Welcome back.

Chris Neil, Mike Comrie and the Phillips pairing had much better games tonight. Mike Fisher and Peter Schaefer were off kilter. Despite the poor decision to pinch, I was happy with Corvo and Preissing's game.

0.2 seconds!

Senators 5 Devils 4

2007-04-26T23:59:00.001-04:00

I am actually flipping out!! This is a terrible feeling!

Ottawa Goals
Spezza (3) from Preissing (3) and Heatley (3)
Corvo (1) - unassisted
McAmmond (2) - unassisted
Heatley (3) - unassisted
Redden (1) from Spezza (3) and Heatley (4)

2 for 4 on the PP
3 for 3 on the PK

Emery 4 Goals on 30 Shots

"Attending Media" 3 Stars:
1. Spezza
2. Heatley
3. Langenbrunner

Team 1200 3 Stars:
1. Spezza
2. Heatley
3. Parise
Hardest working: Alfredsson

My 3 stars:
1. Heatley
2. Alfredsson
3. Gomez
Very, very honorable mentions to Spezza, Corvo and Redden.

And so it begins. Another playoff round, another blown lead by the Senators. Only this time, unlike game 2 of the Pittsburgh series, the Senators held on. The tale of the tape might say the Senators blew a 4-0 lead, just a goalpost away from being tied 4-4 not twenty minutes later, but the only numbers that will matter come Saturday's game: Senators 1, Devils 0 in a 7 game showdown. Taking notes during the first period, I felt a very familiar pattern emerge, something debuted in game 1 on the Pittsburgh series. "This is the best the Senators have ever played in the post-season". Come game 3, I was correcting myself, "no, this is the best they've ever played". Similar corrections ensued come game 4 and, ultimately, game 5. Each performance better than the last. The issue with a "best" performance is that, well, it's not often supposed to be topped. Yet come tonight's game, just over a minute in, the familiar thought surfaced. This is the best the Senators have ever played. Twenty minutes later, I remembered why it's best not to get ahead of myself, but the fact remains: the Senators had an exceptionally strong start, enough character and goaltending to battle through an exceptionally feeble middle, and enough intestinal fortitude to hang on by a hair to an exceptionally fragile lead. And yet, the series score reads Ottawa 1, New Jersey 0. And so it is.

The Senators came into tonight's game in a curious position. Starting on the road for the first time since 03-04, and coming off a weeklong layover which allowed bodies to heal, but left far too much time for players, media and fans to stew, tonight's outcome was all but impossible to predict. The Senators would have the advantage because of fully healthy bodies; the Devils would have the advantage because they were still on a high from their series victory over Tampa Sunday afternoon. The Senators would have an advantage because they would be on the road, out of the glare of the Canadian media spotlight; the Devils would have the advantage due to home ice. Devils had the better goaltender; the Senators the better offense. On and on the comparisons weighed. The game was expected to be a tight, defensive, disciplined, one-goal game New Jersey has so proudly popularised. It was a one-goal game alright, but the surprise lies in the 5-4, not so much the one goal differential.

On to the positives.

Dany Heatley. He had, easily, his best playoff performance of his young career. The week-long layoff clearly helped him get it together, physically and otherwise. He identified a weakness in the Devils and Brodeur, and lead the charge in exploiting it. He scored a goal on an absolute laser of a shot, and was a key part of the Senators offense tonight, setting up two other goals and driving the powerplay. He was physical, going to the net hard, and much more controlled with his rushes. He was very noticeable on the backcheck. Injuries in the Pittsburgh round or not, this Heatley needs to stay. It's long been said that for the Senators to go anywhere in the playoffs it will be on the back of Heatley. Now, we've gotten a considerable distance with him playing a bit role, but this is the Heatley the Senators need to make any true dent in the playoffs.

Daniel Alfredsson. There is very little that can be said about Alfredsson's recent play that would be revelatory; he's been leading the charge since the first drop of the puck on April 11th, and it was no different tonight. What Senators fan didn't pump a fist when Alfredsson laid out a Devil, leading directly to Spezza's goal just 1:30 in? He was on the ice for all 5 Senators goals, and none of the Devils goals. I know when he doesn't get points, the bashers come out in full force wondering if Alfie is really the guy to lead this team. If only they'd watch him play and ignore the stats sheet; Alfredsson has been night in and night out, the Senators best player this post-season. Exactly what a captain should be.

Joe Corvo. Good news. His fantastic first round play wasn't driven by naivety of how his inexperience was supposed to ensure a disastrous performance; it was driven by being damn awesome. His PP goal was, in short, sick. Congratulations to Corvo on his first playoff goal, here's to many more. See how easy you make it look when you aim 5ft lower than usual, Joe? You know, at the net?

Wade Redden. He looked really good in Game 5 too, so tonight's solid performance was another indication of a substantial turnaround. I have no qualms with saying Redden was our best defenseman on the ice tonight. And it wasn't about Phillips and Volchenkov struggling, making him the best by default, it was about Redden stepping up. On the offensive side, his PP goal just seconds in to the third period was exactly what he needed. It was game-winner, and it was against New Jersey. Here's to hoping his confidence continues to build.

Jason Spezza. I have nothing much new to add here, just the same things I've been saying all playoffs. He's clutch and steps up when the going gets tough. At both ends of the ice. Here was yet another game, with victory on the line, where Spezza was trusted to be out there in waning minutes. Actually, not just "trusted". Depended on. Wanted out there. And suddenly, this is no longer becoming a matter of note or a talking point. On the ice to protect a lead? It's just Spezza being Spezza. Backchecking? It's just Spezza being Spezza. It's taken a very, very long time, but it feels great to say it.

Pizza Line. Just to mention their cumulative nullification of the Madden line checking. The best checking line in the NHL (a title I fully award to the Madden line), was on the ice for 4 of the Senators 5 goals. Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson may have been up against the Leafs' 4th line for all the impact they had. Or perhaps not so - the added challenge probably encouraged the Senators stars to up their game even further - no complaints from this corner.

Dean McAmmond. This guy is built for the playoffs. What a goal. What a player. Please come back next year.

And now, the bad.

Comrie and the Fisher Line. Aside from one great individual power drive by Fisher, this whole line was off tonight. Comrie in particular, who had his worst game since the early March Chicago game. He was solely responsible for the Greene goal, and though he tried to atone for a blueline turnover by blocking the shot, he only ended up screening Emery. He took some pretty weak penalties, including the momentum-shifting hooking penalty to start the third, and could understandably be labeled a goat tonight. Murray seemed to think so, benching him late in the third in favour of McAmmond. He's been so strong for us so far this post-season, there is hope that tonight's game was just an anomaly. Fisher and Schaefer had yet another acceptable game of providing energy and physicality, but that's not sufficient for a 2nd line. Some production is expected.

Phillips and Volchenkov. A difficult night to be sure. I think the layoff had a negative effect on these two; though it did allow the bumps and bruises to heal, all the intensity and momentum has worn off, and it will take them a couple days to ramp it back up again. I have no doubt they will be our stars, it's just a momentary fallout due to lack of play. Phillips in particular looked sluggish and sloppy. Volchenkov wasn't so bad, but the communication between the two was poor and they seemed altogether out of sync. Much better is expected of them Saturday; I don't doubt they will provide it.

Devils Keys to Victory

2007-04-25T21:21:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd try something different. Since every Sens fan and their dog knows the key to an Ottawa victory, I thought I'd try to concentrate on ways in which New Jersey can succeed. The Senators' purpose is evidently to avoid creating circumstances in which the Devils are allowed to prosper.

1. Discipline
The Devils are already the most disciplined team in the NHL, so this is more keeping up good habits than having to radically adjust their game. While Ottawa doesn't have the lights-out power play of 05-06 and years past, they still ranked second overall in the playoffs with 25% efficiency, and a remarkable 33% efficiency on the road. Staying out of the box is the first step to neutralising Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson. Even if they do take penalties, NJ has a top notched penalty kill (4th in the league during the regular season). Keeping up with more of the same will ensure they win at least half of the special teams battle.

2. Assault 2nd and 3rd defense pairings
Phillips-Volchenkov will likely be matched up against the Gomez line, and shoulder the bulk of the ice time. But while Corvo and Preissing had a strong series against Pittsburgh, they can be had. All 4 defenseman not named Phillips or Volchenkov have been shying away from physical contact lately, both in delivering and taking hits. Play them hard and aggressive, and, even if they don't back down, they will make mistakes. Meszaros, Corvo and Redden in particular have proven to have shaky confidence throughout the season, and all it may take is one undressing to throw them off their game. The Parise line in particular can make quick work of any of these guys with a little effort and determination. Get under their skin, rattle them up, and they might just break.

3. Refuse to let Ottawa take control
Unlike teams like Tampa Bay or Buffalo, Ottawa has shown great willingness to play New Jersey's game, particularly in the last meeting between the two clubs on April 3rd. Perhaps Ottawa won't let this happen, but NJ needs to do their best to maintain control of the style and pace of the game. Ottawa has proven they can play defensive hockey, and might be willing to go toe-to-toe with NJ. Problem is, no one does defensive hockey better than the Devils. Force the Senators to play conservative, pounce-on-the-first-mistake hockey, and the Devils will come out on top more times than not.

4. Win the Goalie Battle
This shouldn't be too difficult for Brodeur. He's proven over the past 12+ seasons that he's a Hall of Fame goaltender, coming off perhaps his best ever season. For all of Emery's swagger, Brodeur has the stats, silverware and consistency to back his confidence up. Ottawa has proven time and time again that a hot goalie can be their undoing - a hot all-star goaltender all the more. Hold them off for the first game or two, and they'll fold under their own disappointment.

5. Take Advantage of Home Ice
Over the past couple seasons, Ottawa has been a very strong road team in the playoffs, but only average at home. Since New Jersey has home ice advantage in this series, if they can keep Ottawa in check at the Meadowlands, a series win will not be out of the question. The crucial game 7 will also be in New Jersey.

Sens-Devils Unsubstantiable Predictions

2007-04-25T17:34:00.001-04:00

First goal of the series is scored by Dany Heatley.
Last goal of the series is scored by Brian Gionta.
Jason Spezza and Zach Parise will lead their teams in goals.
Jason Spezza and Scott Gomez will lead their teams in points.
Antoine Vermette and Jay Pandolfo will fail to record a goal.
Chris Neil and Paul Martin will fail to record a point.
Senators will have a better PP but worse PK than NJ.
At least one game with 2 goals or less scored.

Senators-Devils Tilt Confirmed

2007-04-22T22:45:00.001-04:00

With the New Jersey Devils' game 6 elimination of the Tampa Bay Lightning Sunday afternoon, the stage is set for a Senators-Devils matchup in round two of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs. Having met twice previously in the post-season, the Eastern conference powerhouses split the series victories 1-1. In 1998, the upstart Senators defeated the 1st-place NJ Devils in 6 games to advance to the second round; it was the Senators first series victory in modern Senators history. In 2002-03, the two teams rematched in the Eastern Conference Final, a nail-biting series which saw the President's Trophy winning Senators claw back from a 3-1 series deficit to force game 7, thanks to an overtime goal from stalwart defenseman Chris Phillips. Despite holding a lead on home ice in the final game of the series, the Senators allowed the Devils to tie the game and, eventually advance to the Stanley Cup final on the heels of a Jeff Freisen goal in the waning minutes of the game. The Devils went on to face the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the finals, winning their 3rd Stanley Cup with another 7-game victory. Though more recent Ottawa-NJ regular season games have gained reputation as cautious, defensive chess-matches, their playoff encounters have proven to be anything but boring or unexciting.

In the 06-07 regular season, the Devils outmatched the Senators, as Ottawa fell 1-2-1 in the season series. While the Senators feeble record in one-goal games was highlighted against the Devils (all 3 losses were by a single goal), there were encouraging signs in this year's games. First was a late October game, in which the struggling Senators seemed to be revived against a (usually) unflappable Brodeur; Ottawa thoroughly embarrassed NJ in a 8-1 thrashing, the Devils worst loss in over 15 NHL seasons. The following three games proved to be much less one-sided, however. A late November game saw the Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner line single-handedly force an early 3-0 deficit, even as the Senators were playing well. Though Ottawa clawed back to within one, as expected the Devils' unflinching defensive play secured a 3-2 victory. In an early January afternoon game, during a strong stretch of Senators play in the absence of Jason Spezza, Emery's valiant efforts were not enough to withstand yet another 3-2 loss. The two teams did not meet again until the last week of the season, when the Devils were battling for the Division crown, and the Senators were looking to secure home ice advantage with the 4th seed. The game was particularly of note as it came just one day after the firing of Devils' coach Claude Julien. The game was perhaps not the most energetic, and it wasn't until a minute-long stretch in the middle of the third period that any goals were scored (only two, one by each team). The game went to overtime and then a shootout, and though the Senators stretched it to a 6th shooter, John Madden foiled Emery to give the Devils the game, ultimately securing the Atlantic title and forcing a Senators-Penguins first round matchup.

The series is expected to start Wednesday or Thursday. Scheduling is not yet confirmed, and with the New Jersey Nets' NBA playoffs series against the Toronto Raptors taking place coincidently, there is a possibility of back-to-back games or two-day layovers. However, it is to be expected that a Saturday night game will take place, likely at the Continental Airlines Arena.

In the days leading up to the series, I will attempt to offer a playoff "preview" of sorts, with keys to victory for both teams, and possible predictions for what will surely be a tightly contested series.

Final Update on My Prediction Results

2007-04-22T17:24:00.001-04:00

green=correct
red=wrong

First goal of the series is scored by Mike Comrie.
First goal of the series is scored by Andrej Meszaros.

Last goal of the series is scored by Evgeni Malkin.
Last goal of the series is scored by Chris Kelly.

Most goals in the series are scored by Jason Spezza and Evgeni Malkin.
Most goals are scored by Daniel Alfredsson/Chris Kelly/Sidney Crosby/Jordan Staal.

Most points in the series are scored by Jason Spezza and Sidney Crosby.
Half right. Most points by Daniel Alfredsson, followed by Sidney Crosby.

Ray Emery records a better GAA but worse Save % than MA Fleury.
Half right.

Jocelyn Thibault will make one appearance in relief.
True.

2 games will go to overtime; Mike Fisher and Maxime Talbot will record the game winners.
Nope.

Daniel Alfredsson and Mark Recchi will be held goalless.
Half right.

Ottawa's highest scoring defenseman will be Joe Corvo; Sergei Gonchar will fill this role for the Pens.
True, although Anton Volchenkov was (unbelievably) tied.

Anton Volchenkov and Josef Melichar will be held without a single point.
Half true.

Chris Neil and Gary Roberts will record the most penalty minutes.
Not even close. Neil had 0 to Roberts' 2 PIM. Colby Armstrong (11), Chris Phillips (10) and Jarkko Ruutu (10) lead the way.

The series will go to 6 games.
Wrong, 5.

There will be at least one game with a combined goal total exceeding 9.
No, although they did hit 9 in the first game.

There will be at least one game where a goaltender records a shutout.
Game 5, Ray Emery.

Stay tuned for the NJ-OTT predictions, guaranteed to be 4% accurate.

Saprykin a cure for Sens PP woes?

2007-04-22T15:02:00.001-04:00

Perhaps woes might not be the most appropriate term considering the Senators' power play ranked 2nd in the playoffs at 25% efficiency (with a remarkable 33% efficiency on the road), there is still much room for improvement. A power play which features such offensive mights as Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza and Redden should ideally be scoring more often than once every four or five opportunities. When Murray feels the powerplay needs a boost of grit and willingness to crash the crease, he throws Chris Neil on as a body in front of the net. On occasions this works and it's certainly not a poor idea to mix things up when things aren't flowing smoothly. In addition to the use of Neil, I propose Saprykin can be a utile tool to infuse an impotent power play with a little energy and enthusiasm.

In the March 3rd game against Chicago, Murray rewarded Saprykin's energetic play (including an impossible-angle goal on Patrick Lalime), with a slot on the powerplay. Saprykin's role was the stand in front of the net and cause trouble; he did just that, giving the defender trouble and distracting Lalime enough to allow an Alfredsson goal. In his two playoff games, he has shown an unexpected tenacity and willingness to shot from any angle, crash the crease with abandon, and generally do whatever it takes. He's been accused of running around like "a chicken with its head cut off". This may be exactly what we need to beat such a sound goalie as Brodeur or Lundqvist; someone unpredictable and unbalanced to get in a goaltender's face and distract him enough to allow the stars to work their magic. If he is given control of the puck, he'll shoot from anywhere and everywhere and Heatley will surely be buzzing around the net to pick up the garbage, or vice versa. It's worth a shot, at least.

Senators 3 Penguins 0

2007-04-19T23:35:00.000-04:00

Ottawa Goals
Heatley (2) from Alfredsson (3) and Preissing (2)
Vermette (1) from Kelly (1)
Kelly (3) from Neil (1) and Vermette (1)

3 Stars from Team 1200
1. Emery
2. Vermette
3. Kelly

3 stars from me
1. Emery
2. Vermette
3. Kelly
(if it isn't broken...)

For the second year in a row, the Ottawa Senators advance to the second round with a well-earned 5 game series win. Despite losing the second game of the series in Ottawa to allow the Penguins to draw even, the Senators went on to win the next 3 games to clinch the series. Though it was only a first round victory, the Senators exorcised many demons; they played aggressive and physical, forechecked aggressively, were absolutely stellar on the penalty kill, and despite a disappointing power play, managed to outscored the Penguins 18-10. Tonight's game was perhaps the most complete game the Senators have ever played in the post-season.

With many positives, I'll try to zero in on a few of the key ones:

Ray Emery. His name is Raaaaaay. First ever playoff shutout, first Senators playoff shutout in 4 years, and exactly the kind of performance we've been hoping for. While he wasn't excellent in the first two games, he was absolutely stellar in the final 3 and made what could have been a very long series into a very short one. He was clearly our #1 PKer and earned every inch of that shutout just based on his play in the first 3 minutes. Pittsburgh didn't give him a whole lot of work, no, but that's a more difficult scenario for a goalie. He stopped everything they threw at them, with no exceptions - that's perfect goaltending.

Penalty killing. Not just tonight, the Senators completely neutralised one of the league's most potent powerplays, not allowing a single power play goal in the last three games. Though it was frustrating to see the team take penalties you just can't take (puck over glass, closing hand on the puck and so on), and giving the typically-stellar Penguins PP two 5 on 3s in the first 5 minutes of the game, the PK shut things down completely. For all the flak our PP has been receiving lately, we can't complain about special teams on the whole; the boys did everything right when a man down.

Antoine Vermette. Only a couple minutes in I could just feel Vermette's energy; I knew he was going to score tonight. He was buzzing on the PK, very aggressive, and was a key reason why the Senators were able to wrap it up tonight. He's had difficulty putting the puck in the net in the second half of the season, despite some great efforts, so it was a great relief to see him finally get rewarded for his great effort. The Vermette-Kelly-Neil line was easily the best on the ice and the Vermette-Kelly PK pairing was stymied the Penguins admirably. To succeed in the playoffs guys like Vermette need to step up - and they have.

Chris Kelly. Most of my comments on Vermette can be applied to Kelly as well. He was buzzing in both ends of the ice, and a key part of our success not just tonight but throughout the whole series. Tied for the team lead in goals with 3, from a guy I've always criticised for having hands of stone? Kelly has stepped up incredibly in this series and deserves all the credit he can get.

Wade Redden. Still not quite there, but he looked much better tonight. He was finally getting physical, and it improved his game exponentially. He was only credited with one hit, but watching the game you could see he was definitely throwing the body around a lot more than 1 registered hit might imply. Give him credit, he was a big part of our PK success, and finished +2 on the night. Hopefully the week's rest will get him back closer to where he should be; he's been a major disappointment this season and this series, but he played decently tonight.

Jason Spezza. 0 points, and it's one of the best games he's ever played. 0 shots on net, 1 brutal penalty, and it's still one of the best games he's ever played. If all the Spezza bashers would please stand up... this guy has developed immensely over the past two seasons. Sure he was still trying to be a little too fancy, and forced a couple passes that just weren't there, especially on that 2-1 with Alfie where a shot would have been a sure goal, but I could not be prouder of Spezza's performance in the series if he had finished with 40 points. He's shored up his defensive game and is just playing smart hockey. Spezza is going to be a Sakic/Yzerman type in another 5 years, I can just feel it. Never let this guy go.

Oleg Saprykin. I love this guy. Muckler was heavily criticised for picking him up instead of Roberts at the deadline, but Saprykin has been fantastic for us in the past two games. It's unfortunate Ottawa is such a deep team, because Saprykin deserves far better than the fourth line, and once Eaves comes back he'll be sitting again. Saprykin has done nothing but give his all every shift, he's got some great hands, and he gets in people's faces after whistles, sticking up for his teammates. He's about as far from the stereotypical heartless Russian as you can get. I'm not arguing he should be taking someone's lineup spot since they deserve it as much or more as him, but Saprykin has done absolutely nothing to merit his spot as an injury fill-in. Still, he doesn't complain about his treatment and gives his everything whenever he gets a slot in the lineup. He makes the fourth line exciting. Regardless of what happens to him next year, I'll be cheering him on. I love this guy.

Peter Schaefer and the Fisher line. I've been ragging on Schaefer all season long, but he's been great so far in the playoffs. He doesn't have many points, so perhaps he's not an ideal second-line winger, but he's been generating chances and looks great out there with Fisher and Comrie. This line may need to score a little more, but they're doing everything else out there. He also deserves major props for yet another night of great penalty killing.

Volchenkov coming out in the last few minutes to protect a lead after (presumably) throwing his shoulder out is just pure bravery and heart.Dany Heatley and Andrej Meszaros had much better games. Hopefully the week off will let Heatley get back to 100%, and Mezzy to keep working on the confidence. He's getting there. Slowly. Oh so slowly.

I don't want to talk about negatives. We're on to the second round! We've got a week of the Toronto media mulling the ways in which we'll choke (or still talking about Roberts); let's just enjoy this for now.

Comrie Finding a Role in Ottawa

2007-04-18T19:53:00.000-04:00

Earlier today TSN.ca ran an insightful article on Comrie's resurgence in Ottawa. The article features some praising quotes from his teammates, including Fisher, Neil and Alfredsson, and is a great read.

Though his slump through mid February to early March (rumoured to be caused by lingering effects of the flu and a nagging shoulder injury) left some fans slightly dissatisfied with the acquisition, Comrie's reliable clutch play and ramped up energy early in the post-season has made the trade look like the steal of the year. Acquired for suspended young centre Alexei Kaigorodov, a promising player but one who had no future with the Senators organisation, Comrie was reportedly the "plan B" move by GM John Muckler as a band-aid for the injury troubles the Senators ran into in late December 2006, when the team found themselves without the services of their top three centres for an extended stretch. Plan A was the acquisition of Petr Nedved from the Philadelphia Flyers via re-entry waivers; Muckler's reluctance to pull the trigger on a Comrie deal was more likely out of salary cap concerns than any coveting of Nedved. Traded on the morning of January 3, 2007, Comrie flew from Carolina (where his former Phoenix Coyotes teammates would be playing the next night), to Ottawa by way of Washington and Toronto, to make it to Scotiabank Place within an hour of the nightly deadline for roster changes. Cleared by Senators medical staff, Comrie dressed that night for a game against the rival Buffalo Sabres. If it weren't for a jaw-dropping performance by his power-play linemate Dany Heatley, Comrie might have turned in the best performance of the night, marking 2 assists.

There had been questions about his attitude and commitment, and concerns about his chemistry with teammates and coaches when he arrived in Ottawa, his 4th NHL city in just 6 seasons. He had posted 2 30-goal seasons, including on the dismal Phoenix Coyotes in 05-06, but had little opportunity to prove his worth on a team with depth, or in an intense scenario like the NHL playoffs. In his limited playoff experience with the Edmonton Oilers, he never ventured past the first round. Comrie was maligned by Edmonton fans following a salary dispute, and among NHL fans there was little desire to risk adding him to their roster, despite his able production.

So while Senators fans approached the trade with some trepidation, glad to have an able injury fill-in, perhaps a temporary second line centre for Daniel Alfredsson, there was little thought that he would truly fit in as an Ottawa Senator. This was almost confirmed in February; the initial excitement had worn off. Comrie was stalled as a third line centre to Chris Neil; he didn't up his game much when playing as a third line winger to Antoine Vermette and Chris Kelly. It wasn't until a late February game against his former team, the Edmonton Oilers (where he recorded a humdinger of a shootout winner) that Comrie rewoke. Still, he struggled through early March, culminating in a disappointing performance in a loss to Chicago, after which Comrie admitted he was afraid to make mistakes on the ice for fear of being marginalised. But as the regular season wore down, Comrie was perhaps the most consistent performer, recording 6 points in the final 5 games. Comrie stepped up his game even further in the playoffs, recording 2 goals and 1 assist, and buzzing around the ice like nobody's business. He's hitting everything with a pulse, being more creative in the offense zone than any other player on the ice (Senator or not), and has even stepped up his defensive play. He's stood up for his teammates on two occasions, first by dropping the gloves late in game one (though the ref restrained his would-be opponent), and then squaring off against pest Colby Armstrong. He set up the game-winner on Tuesday night with a mind-blowingly perfect setup to Volchenkov. He's doing everything right. Right now, there's hardly a Senators fan who wouldn't want Comrie back next year at any price. Well, the lustre may wear off as the playoffs continue or once we've had time to re-evaluate come the off-season, but it can safely be said that a half-season of Comrie was worth far more to the Senators than Kaigorodov ever would have been. All in all? Great move Muckler.

Another Update on my Laughably Inaccurate Predictions

2007-04-18T02:50:00.000-04:00

Green = correct
Red = wrong

First goal of the series is scored by Mike Comrie.
First goal of the series is scored by Andrej Meszaros.

Most goals in the series are scored by Jason Spezza and Evgeni Malkin.
Spezza is in the running but this is highly unlikely to come true.

Most points in the series are scored by Jason Spezza and Sidney Crosby.
Very possible when all is said and done.

Ray Emery records a better GAA but worse Save % than MA Fleury.
Better GAA and only slightly better Save %... it could happen.

Jocelyn Thibault will make one appearance in relief.

2 games will go to overtime; Mike Fisher and Maxime Talbot will record the game winners.
Looking unlikely.

Daniel Alfredsson and Mark Recchi will be held goalless.
Half true so far.

Ottawa's highest scoring defenseman will be Joe Corvo; Sergei Gonchar will fill this role for the Pens.
Still true.

Anton Volchenkov and Josef Melichar will be held without a single point.
Half true. I underestimated my Senators.

We'll have to wait and see for the other predictions.

Senators 2 Penguins 1

2007-04-17T22:42:00.001-04:00

Senators Goals
Spezza (2) from Redden (3) and Corvo (4)
Volchenkov (1) from Comrie (1) and Schaefer (3)

Team 1200 3 Stars
1. Emery
2. Fleury
3. Volchenkov
Hardest working: Phillips

Pittsburgh media 3 stars
1. Volchenkov
2. Emery
3. Staal

Mellon Arena's 3 Stars
1. Volchenkov
2. Staal
3. Emery

CBC's 3 Stars
1.Emery
2.Staal
3.Spezza

My 3 stars
1. Emery
2. Comrie
3. Staal
Hardest working: Saprykin (!)

For all the flak Ottawa received losing Game 2 on Saturday and failing to take a 2-0 series lead for the first time in Senators history, it would be nice to see an equal amount of praise for taking a stranglehold of the series with two consecutive wins on Pittsburgh ice. It wasn't the perfect performance by the Senators, which makes the victory all the more impressive. Pittsburgh came out strong, continued strong, and finished strong. They were aggressive, physical, much more disciplined, and Ottawa still clawed out a win. Pittsburgh might have even deserved a victory here with their strong play, but Ottawa got it instead. And notice the final scoreline? The dreaded one goal game? Mark a rare one in the win column for the Senators.

Were this a Penguins blog I'd focus on the strong performances from Staal, Fleury and Roberts. As it is not, I'll keep it short and say these guys are giving it their all, and I'd take any one of them on my team any day. After shaking off the nerves of game 1, Fleury has been equal to or better than Emery on almost every occasion. Staal is playing like a grizzled veteran; this is a guy who was on the brink of demotion in early October. He's dominant at both ends of the ice and I find myself more nervous when Staal is on the ice than any other Pittsburgh player. Roberts is being Roberts, irritating and borderline... everything you expect him to be. Crosby was shut down completely tonight, though he played well, and Malkin has been invisible the entire series.

Now, to focus on some strong play which lead to the Ottawa victory:

Mike Comrie. His creativity lead to the game-winning goal, but he's been buzzing all series and this has come to be expected. He has been a fantastic fit with Fisher and Schaefer, and this has become an energy line that, with Comrie's offensive creativity, can be a much more dependable and consistent scoring line than having Neil as the winger. Now, these guys haven't been filling the net like superstars, but they fill valuable offensive minutes ably.

Ray Emery. I haven't at all been with his play so far in the series, but he did step up tonight. With the help of his teammates, tonight Emery held the Penguins to a single goal, making the score look like a defensive chess-match when in reality the play was anything but. Throughout long stretches, both teams traded chances and the score could have easily and justifiably been 6-5. He didn't make too many super-human saves, but he did his job and avoided getting in the position where he needed to make the impossible save. The Pens failed to mark a single powerplay goal, and all in all Emery played the way he will need to for the Senators to succeed consistently.

Anton Volchenkov. The amount of penalties were disappointing, and unlike in Phillips' case I don't feel as though any were necessary to prevent scoring chances. Still, he performed fantastically while on the ice (including penalty killing while Phillips was in the box), and managed to shutdown the Malkin-Crosby-Recchi line completely by forcing perimeter play. Oh and he scored the game winning goal or something. Yeah, Mr. "1 goal in the Regular Season" is the reason the Senators have a 3-1 series lead. So this guy is the man, more or less.

Chris Phillips. As with Volchenkov, the penalties were frustrating but the hooking penalty he took early in the second to prevent a Crosby break was a perfect demonstration of a "good penalty", if there can be such a thing. He also made a game-saving move late in the third, lifting Staal's stick to prevent a sure goal.

Joe Corvo. Unpack the boxes, and enjoy your stay in Ottawa over the next three years, because you are not going anywhere. The skating, oh the skating. If he takes target practice over the summer, this man will be unstoppable.

Jason Spezza. Nevermind the Montreal goal from last year... this is the Spezza goal to remember. Why? Because he just shot it. Throw it at the net and see what happens. He's learning. It wasn't a pretty play - it was about as far as you can get from a pretty play. But it sure looks nice on the scoreboard. He's still doing the "stupid" drop passes - and no one's complaining, because they're working. He's being responsible and judging what is appropriate and when. For once, Spezza's play is not dictated by his points. He had a brain fart late in the game, failing to clear the puck, but paid the price for his error by blocking the shot that resulted. He's buying in to playoff hockey, and I could not be happier.

Peter Schaefer. I've been tough on him all season long, feeling he looked disinterested and just going through the motions, but he really stepped is game up in late March and hasn't descended since. He had a game-saving crease clear, had some creative moves in the offensive zone and some decent scoring chances, and just generally played with good energy and speed.

Christoph Schubert. Just consistently fantastic. I haven't liked his borderline hits from the past few games, but he cleaned it up tonight. He's versatile, energetic and, man, that 4th line was buzzing tonight. Another very strong game and a big part of our 100% PK.

Special teams. Thank you for waking up PP, and thank you for staying up, PK.

Oleg Saprykin. Oleeeeeeg, Oleg Oleg Oleg. There is no rush to get Eaves back in the lineup. At all. I want this guy to stick around. He's got energy, drive, some great hands, and turned the 4th line into a significant scoring threat.

Neutral things:

Dany Heatley. At least he looked better tonight. He's still slow as a one-legged turtle sloughing through mud, and his windup slapshot still leaves Pittsburgh with enough time to change lines, rehydrate, and have left over for the Ice Girls to clear Fleury's crease, but at least he's trying. I like that he's trying to be the playmaker, but Heatley's a shooter, he's paid to shoot, so shoot. (And score, please). He played well defensively tonight, did well to clear the zone late in the game, and set up some great chances, but I cannot say I'm at all impressed with his play so far. I can buy that he has an injury, which is unfortunate, but it's no excuse. If the Senators are going to go far, Heatley needs to be January Heatley.

Negative things:

Wade Redden. I was happy to see him back on the 1st PP, and he looked good there. Elsewhere - just not right. Meszaros is the better player in this partnership right now. Yeah, it's that bad. He's an assistant captain and he's playing like December Corvo. But with everyone's complaints... this team wins when he's in the lineup. That's all that we need to care about in regard to Redden right now.

Now, I don't have many negative things to point out. The problem with this game was that Pittsburgh played really well. This is not something Ottawa can really prevent, although we can make their good play meaningless. Which we did tonight. I still don't think it was the best we can see from Pittsburgh, but I do think it was their game so far this series. Pittsburgh controlled the play for long stretches in the game and, I'd say, "won" the second period. This game wasn't about Ottawa dominating and decimating their opposition. It was about Ottawa being confronted with a challenging opponent, with a goaltender playing strong, with hard-hitting, driven, playing-on-the-edge players, and Ottawa being able to come out on top. An 8-0 victory gets us nowhere; a 2-1 victory over a Penguins team playing great hockey - that's a win that matters.

Congrats on the 3-1 lead boys, now close out the series on home ice in front of your loving fans!

Senators 4 Penguins 2

2007-04-17T21:54:00.000-04:00

ALFIE ALFIE ALFIE ALFIE

Penguins 4 Senators 3

2007-04-17T16:22:00.000-04:00

Senators Goals
Jason Spezza (1) from Daniel Alfredsson (2) and Anton Volchenkov (3)
Daniel Alfredsson (1) from Dany Heatley (1) and Jason Spezza (2)
Chris Kelly (2) from Dean McAmmond (1) and Andrej Meszaros (1)

I would love to do a big write up but unfortunately I was out of town for the weekend and the game has blended with others. I guess it's just one I would like to forget. Suffice it to say showing up for one period will never cut it.

Alfredsson was everything we need and expect him to be. And then some.
Comrie is proving his worth. Many Senators fans insisted on waiting until the playoffs to assess the Kaigorodov trade. Well, here we are.

Out of town for the Weekend

2007-04-17T15:26:00.000-04:00

But I will update on this weekend's Senators games tonight.

Adami - Ottawa Fans "Classless" for Booing Crosby

2007-04-13T15:26:00.000-04:00

From the front page of this morning's Ottawa Citizen, comes a gem of an article from sports"writer" Hugh Adami, chastising Senators fans for booing Sidney Crosby, the opposing team's best player, in the opening game of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Sid, the poor kid, really got it the other night at Scotiabank Place, where boo-birds were perched on every seat of the building, ready to squawk whenever he had the puck.

I have difficultly seeing Sidney Crosby described as a poor kid in any sense, not in his wealth nor in the maturity he shows off the ice, nor the experience-beyond-his-years he shows on the ice, nor the surliness he shows between whistles. While I personally wouldn't boo Crosby, I fully respect the right of others to do so. Crosby is a fantastic player who will serve Canada well in years to come, and who I have no problem admiring and supporting when he's playing any team but my own. But when we're at Scotiabank Place during the playoffs, we're not hockey fans. We're not Canadian hockey fans. We're not Sidney Crosby fans. We're Senators Fans. As such, we'll do everything within our power to support our team, either through cheering them on or denigrating the opposition.

Even when Crosby scored late in the third period, with victory already well out of sight for Pittsburgh, you might have thought that some Senators fans would have had the decency to cheer his first NHL playoff goal.

Funny, how Adami makes no request for Senators fans to ravenously applaud Jordan Staal's first playoff goal. Or perhaps that would be insulting to our team since the game was still within reach for Pittsburgh at that point. So tell us, Mr. Adami, should we applaud Evgeni Malkin's first playoff goal should it come tomorrow at Scotiabank Place? Would it be appropriate only if the game was out of reach? Or would it never be appropriate, since he's Russian (surely he won't receive the Order of Canada)? Inappropriate, because, star as he may be, he's not on the level with Crosby? Should Pittsburgh fans cheer raucously everytime Dany Heatley or Jason Spezza touches the puck? After all, they'll be proudly serving Canadian hockey for years to come as well. Or perhaps only Patrick Eaves, good American footsoldier that he is? Should Pittsburgh writers be up in arms if Penguins fans fail to celebrate a goal by Daniel Alfredsson, especially - heaven forbid - if the game is out of reach for the Senators? Or does this kind of sickeningly-good sportsmanship only apply in Canada? Or only apply to the Senators? Or only apply when the Citizen just wants to sell papers?

The NHL's top scorer this season, with 120 points, and the second best last season, with 102 points, was booed. And booed again when the goal was announced. The game ended 6-3.

I suppose Mr. Adami should inform Toronto Maple Leafs fans that the booing of top scorers such as Daniel Alfredsson is inappropriate? Or perhaps politely make Atlanta fans aware that Heatley, betrayer of their city he might be, should be cheered every he touches the puck, doubly so if he scores? Or is that ok, because neither player is the second coming of Gretzky? Nevermind the fact that both outscored the Phenom last year (this is called a fact. As opposed to a "fact", such as Mr. Adami claiming that Crosby's 102-point campaign was good for second in the league in 05-06).

Was Gary Roberts, a wrecking machine against the Senators when he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, booed when he had the puck or when he let Anton Volchenkov know that he's a pretty good hitter, too?
Nope.
Fans were probably still envisioning how great Roberts would have looked in a Senators jersey had general manager John Muckler been able to get him at the trade deadline from his old buddy, ex-Senators coach Jacques Martin, who is still in exile with the Florida Panthers.

No, Mr. Adami was still envisioning Roberts in a Senators jersey. Fans were well aware that, desirable as Roberts may have been to busybody sports writers, Muckler's "old buddy" had absolutely no interest in dealing with his former team, unless it involved a fleecing that would make the Luongo trade look "kind of alright" for Florida in comparison.

It never used to be this way when big Canadian talent visited Ottawa with their teams to play the Senators. Wayne Gretzky was given such a sendoff in April 1999 when he played his last game on Canadian ice at the then-Corel Centre that the Senators forgot about winning the game and the chance of finishing first in the Eastern Conference. They settled for a 2-2 tie, even though Gretzky did remind them at one point during the third period that they should stop the saluting because they had other business to worry about.

If, in twenty years, Crosby has rewritten every record there is to be written, won every award there is to be won, served his country and teams with class and honour, become the greatest hockey player ever by every objective definition, and plays his final Canadian game at the Scotiabank Place, I will applaud him loudly and proudly. I'll save the adulation until then; for this two week stretch in April, he's just an enemy on the opposition team.

But Crosby said yesterday that the loud, hostile crowd at Scotiabank Place didn't bother him at all and certainly didn't affect his game -- although he didn't have much of one before that third-period goal.

Strange, I would expect him to make excuses and say the reason he didn't have a shot on net for the first half of the game was because the fans were getting in the "poor kid's" head. Or he's a professional, and knows how to deal with it, both in tuning it out on the ice, and in responding to it in the media. Mr. Adami, as much as you are trying to baby Crosby, which do you think is more likely?

Crosby will do his job on the ice; Senators fans will do their job off it. This isn't classless, it's playoff hockey.

Sens-Pens Unsubstantiable Prediction Results Pt 1

2007-04-12T01:19:00.000-04:00

Green = correct
Red = wrong

First goal of the series is scored by Mike Comrie.
First goal of the series is scored by Andrej Meszaros.

Jocelyn Thibault will make one appearance in relief.

Daniel Alfredsson and Mark Recchi will be held goalless.
(so far)

Ottawa's highest scoring defenseman will be Joe Corvo; Sergei Gonchar will fill this role for the Pens.
(so far)

Anton Volchenkov and Josef Melichar will be held without a single point.
Volchenkov had 2 points tonight.