Silver Nuggets: Lines Shuffled For Saturday's Game

by DarrenM on Oct 9, 2009 12:22 PM EDT in Silver Nuggets Comment 21 comments

Here's a collection of Ottawa Senators-related stories for you to read over today:

Today's practice featured some shuffled around top forward lines: Nick Foligno was playing on the first line with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, while Daniel Alfredsson joined Mike Fisher and Alex Kovalev on the second line. Good to see Cory Clouston trying something new as the top two lines continue to struggle to produce. I'm not completely sold on these lines yet, though. (Ice Chips)
Filip Kuba still is not skating at practice. Not good at all. Jesse Winchester and Ryan Shannon did skate, but neither are expected to play tomorrow night. (Ice Chips)
Also at practice, Chris Neil and Jason Spezza apparently got into a bit of a scuffle before teammates came in to break it up - Neil even dropped the gloves! Good to see the team playing with intensity at practice, bad to see Chris Neil ready to punch the team's top centre in the face. (TSN)
Senators were 1,078 people short of a sell-out last night, marking the first time the team has failed to reach capacity at the home opener in "about a half-dozen years." (Slam)
A fun Q&A with goalie Pascal Leclaire: "I wear the same suit before very game. I have a bunch of suits, shirts and ties and it seems whenever I play, I wear the same thing, so my collars get dirty a little bit in my shirts." (Capital Blog)
The Ottawa Senators have yet to score a goal on the powerplay. Considering that was the only way the team could score last year, this is pretty surprising. (Bleacher Report)
Update: FanHouse's Power Rankings for the week are up, and the Ottawa Senators are sitting in the #14 spot, ahead of Detroit, Boston, Chicago, Vancouver.. oh, how I love premature rankings. Should I point out that the Sens are first in the division, third in the Eastern Conference in standings right now, too? (FanHouse)
Update: "Cheechoo confident he can go back in time" Now that's just fucking cool. Probably found the magic crystals, or something. (NHL.com)

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You forgot to mention......

That Dany Heatley had a hat trick and was +6 for our home opener last night. The entire Shark Tank was chanting his name the entire night. It was awesome.

Thanks for the trade!

Can you make sure to send Cheech back to us after you are done with him. We still need some help on our 4th line….

by SanJoseLandShark on Oct 9, 2009 1:39 PM EDT reply actions

See the first sentence: “Here’s a collection of Ottawa Senators-related stories for you to read over today.”

We don’t feature Mike Comrie, Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara or Martin Havlat stories here too frequently, either, even when they do well.

But I heard he had a great game last night, and it showed in my fantasy pool. It’s a nice change from him being -4 in the season before that game.

I’d say “You’re welcome for the trade” but my blogging has no bearing on who gets traded from the Ottawa Senators, and I have no influence on the team at all. Sorry to disappoint.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Oct 9, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

oh snap

by xBKx14 on Oct 9, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh yeah, and enjoy watching Heatley when the going gets tough. If you can find him.

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Oct 9, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

zing

by xBKx14 on Oct 9, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

allow me....

coming from a fellow yankee, at least we would love the senators, or even acknowledge their existence IF they were a bad team.

90% of american hockey teams, uh, how do i put this, they wouldn’t give a shit if they started losing.

Hooray for Canadian/non-southern californian hockey markets!

Heater is a much of a fair weather fan as the 9/10ths of san jose’s fan base.

by xBKx14 on Oct 9, 2009 3:50 PM EDT reply actions

Anyone here ever see Top Gun?

Heatley is gone, man… let it go.

by Mark Parisi on Oct 9, 2009 4:42 PM EDT reply actions

Foligno-Spezza-Michalek?
Alfredsson-Fisher-Kovalev?

This is madness. Clouston has earned the benefit of the doubt in my eyes, but I don’t understand why he won’t put Kovalev with Spezza, with whom he has shown at least some chemistry.

by Mark Parisi on Oct 9, 2009 4:45 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t understand why he’d put Foligno on the top line, unless it’s to prevent breaking up the Cheechoo-Regin-Neil line. Foligno is not a top-line player, and he’s actually been one of the most disappointing players (in my view) thus far.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Oct 9, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Presumably he doesn’t want to break up Spezza and Michalek, since we all think Michalek has made Spezza better. Foligno zigs when Kovalev zags, so one of them should be moved. Can’t put Cheechoo on the top line, so I guess Foligno wins the prize. Maybe he thinks Foligno’s corner work and willingness to get in front of the net will help Spezza and Michalek score?

by Mark Parisi on Oct 9, 2009 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions

-cheechoo needs a chance to play with a good passer at some point this year. he’s scored 56 goals when he had a gifted passer.

-foligno worked will with spezza on the PP last year. maybe that’s what clouston sees with that.

-it is undeniable that spezza showed some chemistry with kovy. but maybe he thinks alfredsson can up kovy’s game as well.

what do the power play lines look like as of now? i haven’t really picked up on what they are by watching.

by xBKx14 on Oct 9, 2009 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I want to say that the 1st PP was Campoli-Kovalev on the backend, with Alfredsson, Spezza, and Foligno on the first PP? Or maybe Michalek and not Foligno?

This will change, of course, when Kuba and Shannon get back.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Oct 9, 2009 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah, is there a time table here on kuba's return? i'm getting impatient.

and is anybody nervous to face atlanta tomorrow? they’re 2-0-0

by xBKx14 on Oct 9, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Unfortunately, yes. I am somewhat nervous.

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Oct 9, 2009 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I read somewhere that Kuba might start skating this weekend.

And yeah, I think Atlanta will put up quite a good fight.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Oct 9, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think there’s any team out there right now that the Sens can take for granted. They’re simply not playing well enough for us as fans to say “it should be a win.”

by Mark Parisi on Oct 9, 2009 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Don’t forget that on that second power play Cheechoo-Regin-Neil got ice time, and well deserved, because they were the best line last night.

by Mark Parisi on Oct 9, 2009 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions

You make a good point about Cheechoo. I think he’s still finding his game, but it looks like his game is getting in front of the net. Considering that’s where Spezza’s blind passes tend to go, they might compliment each other quite well.

by Mark Parisi on Oct 9, 2009 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Line Combinations

Clouston is good at this part of coaching…we fans should stop obsessing. Spezza and Kovalev aren’t a natural fit as both are puck carriers. Cheechoo, 2009-10 edition, is cut out for a 3rd line role. Clouston is good at figuring out who’s going and who’s flat…I think we’ll steal a few games with coaching. It will be a year filled with nail biters.

by Sacul on Oct 10, 2009 11:23 AM EDT reply actions

Agreed, we need to stop obsessing.

Not that I’m going to stop blogging the headlines, Ottawa’s offensive depth means that there’s a good chance lineup juggling with happen within and between games. I have a feeling Clou-Clou might start to favour strong pairings of players, rather than full lines. But we’ll see.

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Oct 10, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions