Originally Posted by
Achilles
I don't really know why the "pesky Sens" were winning more last year than this. Is it because it was a wonky half-season without a training camp? Was being huge underdogs a huge motivational X-Factor? I am not sure.
What I do know is that I don't agree with the suggestions above that the team was missing Gonchar, or that Spezza is the problem.
First of all, the Sens offence is near the top of the league in goals/game, very near the top in shots/game, and has a reasonable PP percentage. Where they are terrible is in team defence - shots allowed/game and GA/g indicate that this team has been terrible defensively. I don't really know for sure whether the problem is system or personnel. I would have thought that Karlsson, Cowen and Methot would have all been solid in their own end. Phillips is aging, but still a quality player on most nights. Perhaps it isn't the defensemen, but rather the forwards or the scheme - don't know for sure.
I do know it's not Spezza. Jason Spezza's primary role is to score points. He has always been an offensive player. He is not a grinder, he is not an agitator, he doesn't hit a lot, and he barely fights. That has been the case since they drafted him, and when Murray assembled this team at the start of the year, he knew exactly what to expect from Spezza. Spezza has delivered this year. The notion that he doesn't have the right "identity" or "leadership ability" seems, and I am sorry if this is harsh, complete BS. People need to stop trying to make Spezza into something he is not. What he does bring to the team is a playmaking ability up front that far surpasses any of the other forwards. That is reflected in the fact that Ottawa can, in fact, score a lot of goals. What they need is to stop allowing so many.
I really don't understand how anyone could think losing Gonchar led to this year's problems. Gonchar is too old. He's not the player he was when the Penguins had him. Even when he played for us, I thought he was a liability in his own zone. Quite frankly, Ceci is already better than Gonchar was last year. I was happy to see him go. Great career, maybe a hall of famer, and he deserves a lot of respect...but he's done.
As for Alfie...of course it hurts to lose him. I love Alfredsson as much as anyone, but let's not look back with rose-coloured glasses. This is a team that was, for several years, a regular-season powerhouse that always choked in the playoffs. A lot of people were calling Ottawa soft and questioning Alfie's leadership until the Sabres series in 2007, when he appeared to take the team on his back and willed him through that series. But when they faced the Ducks, they were beat up, bullied, and humiliated. (I will try to refrain from giving you my thoughts on the wisdom of the hockey culture's insistence that penalties should not be called in the May the way they are in November.) Now, Alfie does not deserve all the credit for beating Buffalo, and he doesn't deserve all the blame for losing to the Ducks. But the fact remains, Ottawa did not win the cup during his tenure, and they consistently choked in the playoffs....they had some great teams when Alfie was the captain....far better than the team on the ice this year.
Last year Alfie let it slip that he did not believe they could come back and defeat the Penguins. To me, if that was really his mindset, then it was time to move on. I want a Captain that believes the Sens can win, even if most people would call the belief delusional.
Spezza has had one year as captain. He has won faceoffs, and scored points. He is not the problem. As for his teammates 'watching how he plays', or not working as hard for him as they would for Alfie.....I mean come on. These are professional athletes, making millions, most of whom know what hard work and commitment is (If they didn't, they never would have made it to the NHL). If they need Spezza to motivate them to do their jobs well, then they should probably find a different career. Every single one of them knows about sacrifice, determination, persistence, and hard-work.
I don't buy that Spezz is the problem.
Improve the defence. Murray will have to decide if that means personnel or system. The worst thing they could do is blame it all on Lehner and give up on the kid.
One last thing - Bieksa is one of my favorite players in the league and I would be beside myself if he got traded to Ottawa....but I can't see the Canucks moving him unless they are really going to blow it up and move the Sedins.
This sucks! They lost to Dallas again today! People need to be accountable for this "train-wreck" of a season, but laying the blame at Spezza's feet would be an irrational cop-out. Stop expecting Spezza to be Toews or Iginla. We know what he is. Murray knows. Its Murray's job to put guys around Jason that can lead to team success.