Sens Lose 3-1 to Ondrej Pavelec

by DarrenM on Oct 31, 2009 5:04 PM EDT in Senators recaps Comment 10 comments

The problem with spending up to the salary cap? Not enough money left for Ottawa to buy a goal.

Sorry, that was a horrible joke, but it was the story of the game. Despite outplaying the Atlanta Thrashers by a wide margin during the game, Ottawa could only get one puck behind Ondrej Pavelec, and that was from Mike Fisher on a 5-on-3 late in the game. Ottawa outshot Atlanta 51-21 during the game, and only allowed 8 shots in the final two periods. Pavelec was more than up to the task though, putting forth one of the best regular season goaltending performances I have ever seen. He made huge, timely saves to keep the Thrashers in it. The Senators played a great game at both ends of the ice, but simply could not find the finish they needed.

In Ottawa's net, Pascal Leclaire had a mostly solid night, making some enormous glove saves in the first period. The first two goals were not his fault, as they were unlucky bounces that he had no chance on. However, it would have been huge if he stopped Maxim Afinogenov's breakaway goal with less than two minutes remaining, a five-hole goal that Leclaire could have (and should have) had.

Despite the result, there are a lot of things to be pleased with here. Ottawa dominated a game, even without Jason Spezza and Anton Volchenkov. Furthermore, on Ottawa's end, there were some big games from people who needed to have them. Ryan Shannon was all over the ice, using his speed and great stickhandling ability to create an unbelievable amount of chances, including seven shots of his own. It was the Shannon that fans grew to love last year, and one that hasn't been present in the early season. Brian Lee also had a much better game than his first one back, being stronger on the puck and creating some nice outlet passes. Chris Neil threw his body wisely, and generated a lot of chances, as did Matt Carkner.

Outside of a shaky first period, Ottawa deserved to win this game, and it's kind of astounding that they didn't. Full credit to Pavelec, though, who was absolutely phenomenal in net for the Thrashers.

(Read Peter's take after the jump... )

Peter's take: Darren hit the nail on the head, chalk the loss up to a goalie the Senators just couldn't beat, despite all sorts of chances in the second and third periods. Ottawa did look a little caught off guard in the first period, thought, and were outshot 13-8 in that first frame.

Ottawa's fourth line of Jarkko Ruutu, Shean Donovan, and Chris Kelly had a solid game, and were among the brightest spots in the first period. It seems a little weird, then, that the three had so little ice time in the third period, with Ruutu and Kelly each getting two shifts and Donovan only one in the final frame. That's not to say it doesn't make sense; there aren't many coaches who would think, "I need offence, where's the fourth line?", but Ottawa's a different style of team. I'm sure special teams played into it, too, with Ottawa getting two powerplays and one penalty in the third. Plus there was no way I would have cut back the ice time from any of Fisher, Shannon, or Foligno in the third period.

I'm going to go ahead and say it, Jonathan Cheechoo was impressive tonight. Or at least more impressive than he had been at any point in the season before Saturday afternoon. The main thing was that he was notable, and not because of his apparent absence or because of debilitating, untimely penalties. He made some plays happened, looked good on his line with Neil and Peter Regin--especially in the second period--and finished with two shots on the night. We're still waiting on him to get that first goal, though.

And I'm going to say this with the utmost tenderness, but I don't think Daniel Alfredsson was quite himself tonight. He didn't look bad--Alfredsson never looks bad on the ice--but he didn't make the plays we're used to seeing him make when Alfie's on top of his game. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a mild case of the flu or something similar, but is playing through it because this team would be in an even worse position if he and Spezza were missing in the forward corps.

On top of outshooting the Thrashers by a disgusting margin of 51-21, the Senators also out-hit them 31-19. Not quite as impressive a margin, but still indicative of the physical intensity Ottawa brought to the table--a welcome change from Thursday night's snoozefest. Leading the way was Neil with seven hits, Fisher and Donovan each had four, while Lee and Foligno had three apiece.

Speaking of Lee, he rebounded nicely from last game, as Darren mentioned. I think being paired with Chris Phillips for most of the game allowed him to be a little more comfortable, and he was stronger defensively, looked better in the offensive end (had two shots on the night), and made much smarter decisions with the puck. His passes, in particular, were crisp, and he never looked flustered when hemmed in his own end. Promising signs after a disappointing season debut.

Every season, there's going to be a game when a team plays well enough to win, but doesn't get the W. It happened last Saturday against Boston, and it happened this afternoon against Atlanta. They're always important games, but maybe if we get them out of the way in the first month of the season, we won't have to see (m)any more in the latter half.

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The Thrashers came into this one really focused on showing Kovalchuk what they can do while he considers re-signing and appeared to play pretty defensively. Our 3 goals kinda snuck in, not sure they even expected the first two. And Pavelec either seems to have a really great game or a really lousy game, that one happened to be a great one.

by ThrashersRecaps on Oct 31, 2009 6:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I am much less pleased with this game than you two. I am sick of seeing Ottawa outplay a team and lose because of a good performance in net. Yeah, it happens sometimes, but it happens with this team way too often. I think the Sens have a habit of making goalies look better than they are. This team is often too cute or too lazy with shots, racking up attempts and showing no goals for their efforts. This was less of a problem when they were a high-scoring team, but those days are past.

We often see other teams pump traffic in front of a goalie who’s looking hot, so why isn’t Clouston? Is Neil being paid too much to take some whacks from a defenceman now? Ruutu can’t get gritty? This team doesn’t know — and has never known — how to score garbage goals. That’s why we have dubious scoreless streaks in the playoffs; because you need ugly goals to win there.

Pavelec was on fire tonight, and there was no traffic in front of him until much too late. Garbage goals would have won this game, and it’s a damn shame the team didn’t work harder to get one. The stats will show that Ottawa had effort in this game, and yet I don’t feel like anyone on the team was willing to do actual work, and they earned nothing but an L for all those pretty shots.

I’m more upset about this loss than Thursday’s, because this is a game the Sens could have easily won had they simply beared down. They shouldn’t be using Pavelec’s play as an excuse.

by Mark Parisi on Oct 31, 2009 6:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree completely Mark with you on this, I am fed up of happy clappers saying that the goal tending was hot, so to bad so sad.

Being at the game, the Sens were brutal in the first period, and only played the last three minutes of that period. The second started strong and then fizzled out and then we start moving our feet in the third but then went for it after our late PP goal.

The goalie was hot because he saw every puck coming, even the lazy shots that were drove straight at his chest. We must advise players that no matter how hard you hit the goal tenders chest it will not go through!!

Picard, Lee and Campoli are scarily soft, I thought Campoli would be better this season but he hasn’t proved to me that he was worth a 1st round pick yet. Picard and Lee are both AHL player full stop.

Cheech is Cheech, I would rather have Zack Smith in the line up than Cheech, he can skate better in fact my 4 year old can skate better. There was one instance tonight were the whole row commented when cheechoo stopped and tried to move in an opposite direction and looked like a Timbits player!!!

AK frustrates me immensely, skating round like dancing on ice! Our best PP was when the first line wasn’t on and earned the second penalty to get the 5 on 3.

In a nutshell, they didn’t work hard enough and to many guys working the perimeter and not going to the net. This scares me that we have a really soft defence and nobody upfront willing to get their nose dirty.

by Eado on Oct 31, 2009 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You have a point in general, but not really in this game.

Tons of the shots generated in the last two periods were high quality scoring opportunities that would’ve gone in most other nights. We were also redirecting numerous point shots, which was a welcome addition. Of course, if you fire 51 shots at a goalie, not all of them will be point blank saves, but I’ve gotta think Michalek’s walk in, Ruutu’s tip off a point shot and any of Shannon’s shots on a 3rd period powerplay go in any other night. You have to give these guys credit, they didn’t let a goalie playing out of this world hockey get to them, they continued to press and did eventually score.

Effort wasn’t an issue, neither was execution. In fact, I can’t think of a player who had a bad night in either of those areas, which I certainly couldn’t say about Thursday night’s game. These are the kind of losses that happen over the course of a regular season. The only way they become an issue is if you lose games where you don’t have effort and excecution on top of them.

by BulletToothTony on Oct 31, 2009 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s a good point, about not getting dejected when goals didn’t come. One thing we would have seen last season is a team that just mailed it in once it became evident the goalie was hot, but yesterday we saw the team keep bringing it, and stepping it up. It was too little too late, and would have been something if they brought it all game, and could have been more effective if they wrought some havoc in front of the net, but it was still a positive.

www.silversevensens.com

by PeterR on Nov 1, 2009 4:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I generally agree but this is a game where Kovalev has got to step up. Dude makes big Money and With Spezz out of the lineup he has to be one of Ottawa’s offensive pillars out there

by MObie on Oct 31, 2009 8:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed that kovalev has to step up. He played strong in the first period, but was weak the rest of the game. I don’t know what happened to him.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Oct 31, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kovalev is always Kovalev

You should have red what the Habs fans said about Kovalev last seasons.
Ha can be marvelous, be the “Artiste”; and in another way, you want him to show something and you get nothing….
In two games he will perhaps put 5 in the net and then nothing for 3 or 4 weeks….

I was not very happy to see him coming in Ottawa this summer.

by Zurga on Nov 2, 2009 10:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think we need more from Kovalev then playing strong. On nights like tonight when Alfredsson was trying to do all he can but in vein, Spezza out, and no one else really capable of it, Kovalev had to take the game into his hands. This was the type of game they need Kovalev for and while I am content with him playing a secondary role most of the year games like this he needs to step up and control the game with his ability.

by MObie on Oct 31, 2009 8:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs