Ottawa Senators

[HockeyProphet]

I didn't say he could buy me a case of Lucky Lager. The beer will go down as smooth as Karlsson's stride. Not bitter like Spezza or Kassian's.

Hey! I grew up on Lucky Lager! Ha. However, I meant it in terms that the beer was only won, as a result of the Sens seemingly missing out on the playoffs--a bitter feeling

[notch4077]

Hey! I grew up on Lucky Lager! Ha. However, I meant it in terms that the beer was only won, as a result of the Sens seemingly missing out on the playoffs--a bitter feeling

I knew what you meant Bro - was just playing with ya.

Oh, and who do you want the Sens to dump from their lineup going into next season? I wouldn't mind walking away from Hemsky, Michalek and Kassian and trading Spezza, Methot, Condra and some prospects - maybe Borowiecki, Prince and Puempel. Wouldn't mine seeing a return on trades being Chris Stewart, Ryan O'Reilly and Jan Hejda to start.

[HockeyProphet]

I knew what you meant Bro - was just playing with ya.

Oh, and who do you want the Sens to dump from their lineup going into next season? I wouldn't mind walking away from Hemsky, Michalek and Kassian and trading Spezza, Methot, Condra and some prospects - maybe Borowiecki, Prince and Puempel. Wouldn't mine seeing a return on trades being Chris Stewart, Ryan O'Reilly and Jan Hejda to start.

Good question. I think this team needs some identity. I'd like a veteran guy, and a more solid blueline. I think losing Alfy, Gonchar, and Benoit even is showing this season. Not to mention either goalie isn't helping out.

I was actually hoping Erhoff was coming over, rather then Stewart! Also I think I'd sign Hemsky as a filler for Milan. Seems to have chemistry with Spezza.

[notch4077]

Good question. I think this team needs some identity. I'd like a veteran guy, and a more solid blueline. I think losing Alfy, Gonchar, and Benoit even is showing this season. Not to mention either goalie isn't helping out.

I was actually hoping Erhoff was coming over, rather then Stewart! Also I think I'd sign Hemsky as a filler for Milan. Seems to have chemistry with Spezza.

What a train-wreck of a season!!!

Hemsky does seem to have some chemistry with Spezza and that in itself, is saying something. But, I'm of the opinion that Spezza is gone on or before the draft, so in that case, I will pass on Hemsky too.

The identity you talk about isn't with Hemsky, Michalek and Spezza so if I had my way, I wouldn't re-sign the first 2 and I would trade the latter. If Methot, Condra and some prospects need to be involved in trades, so be it.

Obvious trading partners in my opinion are Buffalo, Colorado, St. Louis (if they bomb out of playoffs again), Edmonton, NYR, Vancouver, Arizona and Anaheim as the Sens will want their 1st rounder back from the Bobby Ryan deal.

My targets:
Chris Stewart
Christian Erhoff
Patrick Berglund
Jaden Schwartz
Ryan O'Reilly
Jan Hejda
Paul Stastny
Derick Brassard
Carl Hagelin
Alexander Edler
Alexandre Burrows
Kevin Bieksa
Michael Stone
Antoine Vermette
Ottawa's 1st in 2014 back from Anaheim
Andrew Cogliano
Didn't include any Edmonton players because I don't want any.

Spezza, Condra and Borowiecki in one deal with Methot, Prince and Puempel in another. Make it happen GM Murray and change this septic culture. I dare you…please?

[notch4077]

Notch,

It looks like I'll need to get you that case of beer...

Hey, I just noticed in my private messages you did agree to the bet!!! SWEET…but indeed, bitter at the same time. If you do email transfers, you can email the funds to notch4077 (at) me.com

[HockeyProphet]

Oh I would like if they got Bieska! I think they need some leadership that hates losing.. my vibe of spezza as a leader, isn't the passionate type.. I think Alfy has that type of attitude that had the younger kids working harder!

[notch4077]

Oh I would like if they got Bieska! I think they need some leadership that hates losing.. my vibe of spezza as a leader, isn't the passionate type.. I think Alfy has that type of attitude that had the younger kids working harder!

I think Spezza is the exact opposite on the ice and off compared to what the coaching a management has been preaching. This season it is pretty obvious in my opinion. When other players see him doing the opposite of what the coaches expect out of you, it's a tough go.

[HockeyProphet]

I agree. It's frustrating to watch because I don't think they are very far off from being a competitive team. Maybe a bit more responsible defensive play, and a sound goalie. We shall what next season looks like I suppose.

[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.

[HockeyProphet]

I agree with some of the things you say. As for Spezza, I don't have any problem with his game. I like how him and Hemsky are playing together. I'm just talking about some veteran leadership in the dressing room. I think it does have an impact. As for determination, plenty of NHL players slack off here and there. During the playoffs, I saw plenty going to bars after games and what not. So I don't know if thats a fair point that reflects reality, arguably they should all be professional but they also are some young, rich, kids.

Either way though, I think there is work defensively that has to be worked on: that that more important than any changes to their forward group. And I just remarked that somebody like Gonchar could be valuable to a young group of defencemen. Tips on the bench help out. But I probably wouldn't have paid Gonchar that money either for his age and production.

[Big Ev]

Regardless of your opinion on the guy I think there is little to no chance he is on the roster next year. Once he is gone the team will improve immensely from the net out.

You're right, Murray knows exactly what he is. That's why he will trade him. Especially considering he has one year left and isn't a guy you want to throw big money or years at.

The he leadership sucks this year and that's the biggest reason we aren't making the postseason

jason has had enough time here. It's time to clean house.

imo spezza, Methot, Anderson could all be dealt this offseason.

[newfcollins]

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.

...

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.

These two things stand out to me the most in your post:

Last year's Sens played pretty much the same as this year's Sens. The only difference is the goaltending isn't what it was last year. Last year, the Sens gave up 31.3 shots a game, but their save percentage was 93.3 per cent (best in the league). This year, they're giving up 34.5 shots a game, but the save percentage is 90.4 per cent. Even with the increase in shots, that's a big drop off in save percentage. How many times last year were the Sens being horribly outshot, but would score a late goal to win it 2-1 or 3-2? It wasn't because they were the "pesky" Sens, it was because their goaltending was dynamite and gave the team the opportunity to win. Sometimes great goaltending or a playoff series win can mask the inadequacies of a team. That's what happened last year.

In case you're wondering, in 2011-12, they gave up 32 shots a game. In 2010-11, it was 31.2 shots a game. So this has been a bad trend for the Sens for a number of years.

The second thing that stood out to me was the accountability part of your post. Since Murray took over in 2007, the team has won one playoff round (last year against Montreal). They've missed the playoffs three times. People can talk about Murray rebuilding the team, and great drafts, etc. But the fact remains he's had numerous chances to turn this team around. Four coaches, trades, free agent signings, drafting, etc. Yet, the Sens hasn't had any post season success.

If you want accountability, isn't Murray the guy Sens fans should be looking at?

[fulcrum]

These two things stand out to me the most in your post:

Last year's Sens played pretty much the same as this year's Sens. The only difference is the goaltending isn't what it was last year. Last year, the Sens gave up 31.3 shots a game, but their save percentage was 93.3 per cent (best in the league). This year, they're giving up 34.5 shots a game, but the save percentage is 90.4 per cent. Even with the increase in shots, that's a big drop off in save percentage. How many times last year were the Sens being horribly outshot, but would score a late goal to win it 2-1 or 3-2? It wasn't because they were the "pesky" Sens, it was because their goaltending was dynamite and gave the team the opportunity to win. Sometimes great goaltending or a playoff series win can mask the inadequacies of a team. That's what happened last year.

In case you're wondering, in 2011-12, they gave up 32 shots a game. In 2010-11, it was 31.2 shots a game. So this has been a bad trend for the Sens for a number of years.

The second thing that stood out to me was the accountability part of your post. Since Murray took over in 2007, the team has won one playoff round (last year against Montreal). They've missed the playoffs three times. People can talk about Murray rebuilding the team, and great drafts, etc. But the fact remains he's had numerous chances to turn this team around. Four coaches, trades, free agent signings, drafting, etc. Yet, the Sens hasn't had any post season success.

If you want accountability, isn't Murray the guy Sens fans should be looking at?

jeez man.....have you watched the games? I think you are just cherry picking stats.....they are not playing the same, gawd, not even close.

yeah I remeber your little article trashing Murray. You aren't totally wrong with that article. But don't try to tell me they are the same team as last year. That's infuriatingly wrong.

[Big Ev]

On a lighter note, Binghamton just beat Norfolk 6-5 in OT off a Pageau goal. they hold onto top spot in the east division. Pageau and Da Costa both with two goals.

Ryan Dzingel has a goal as Ohio State leads Wisconsin 2-1 after one in the Big Ten championship game. Dzingel was nominated for Hobey Baker this week. Another great pick by Murray's staff.

curtis lazar had a goal and two assists as Edmonton won the first game of their playoffs

[newfcollins]

jeez man.....have you watched the games? I think you are just cherry picking stats.....they are not playing the same, gawd, not even close.

yeah I remeber your little article trashing Murray. You aren't totally wrong with that article. But don't try to tell me they are the same team as last year. That's infuriatingly wrong.

Yes, I've seen the games. It's not cherry-picking stats. The two goalies last year (Anderson and Lehner) had career seasons when it came to save percentage. Anderson last year was at .941, Lehner at .936. This year, Anderson is at .908 and Lehner at .906. Anderson's career save percentage is just .914, so he's actually a lot closer to what he normally is this year versus last year. Lehner's career average is also .914.

This year, the Sens are scoring more (2.8 goals a game against 2.33 last year). Their PP is better (18.4 per cent this year vs 15.9 last year). Their shots for per game is about the same (32.6 this year, 33.1 last year).

Heck, even the real-time stats aren't that far off (29.3 hits per game this year, 27.2 last year; 11.9 blocked shots per game this year, 12.8 blocked shots last year).

Last year, the Sens were just as bad bad defensively, but every time they gave up a scoring chance, the goalies made the save and no one thought more about it. This year, those scoring chances are resulting in goals. That's the big difference. I go back to the playoff series. Anderson made 48 saves in that first game against Montreal, and 30-plus saves in every game except for one. The Habs should have won that first game, but Anderson was pretty much unbeatable.

Maybe the last few games have seen them with a more defeatist attitude. But the fact still remains that they had superb goaltending last year, and just below average this year.