Senators suffer painful loss to Panthers, 3-0
Add Jesse Winchester and Filip Kuba to the list of injured Ottawa players. Both suffered what appeared to be serious injuries in Ottawa's loss to Florida. Winchester seemed to hurt his knee and Kuba his wrist. There were no updates, but don't be surprised if both players miss time, as neither injury looked good.
One has to wonder if this is the tipping point for the team. Ottawa came out lackluster in this game and their tentative play left the door open for Florida. The Panthers dominated for almost the entire game and they are a team that has their own injury issues. The end result was the Senators giving up two crucial points to a team chasing them in the standings.
There were no heroes on a night like tonight (by my count, Ottawa had just one scoring chance -- Shannon hitting a post on the power play -- though I'm sure there were some others credited), so let's just look at the carnage.
Sens Zeroes: Mike Fisher, Alex Kovalev, Brian Elliott
These are the players that must shoulder the load with so many teammates injured and they failed tonight. Fisher had no shots on goal, and his faceoff percentage doesn't matter if it's not generating offense.
Speaking of generating offense, Kovalev did nothing tonight. Hard to believe this guy scored four goals just a few games ago.
Elliott was frustratingly inconsistent in net tonight. After making a great glove save, he misplayed the puck behind his own net, freezing his defensemen and feeding the puck to the Panthers, who put together a nice little passing play to allow Rostislav Olesz to tap it into essentially an empty net, despite a diving Elliott's best efforts. A one-goal deficit became a two goal deficit and the team's body language said they knew there was no way they were getting three goals tonight. Disheartening.
Sens Killers: Rostislav Olesz, Tomas Vokun, The Powerplay
Olesz had two great chances and buried both of them. That's really all there is to say about that.
Vokun earned one of the easier shutouts you will see this year, but he was sound all night and that says a lot. You got the sense watching him that he was not going to get caught out of position, and it was going to take effort to beat him -- there weren't going to be any soft goals allowed, and that was the case. There's not many things more frustrating than always seeing a goalie right in your shooting lane and eventually the team was just trying to blast pucks through the guy. As the score shows, that strategy was unsuccessful.
And, finally, Ottawa's power play is now worst in the NHL, and they looked every bit of it on the night. There will be lots more to say about this, but here is not the place for it.
Ottawa limps into a 5-game road trip starting tomorrow against Carolina, and for this battered Sens team, there couldn't be a better way to begin the trip.
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Comments
Power Play
It has got to the stage when the Sens get a PP I use this as an intermission to get a beer or something.
Entertainment at its worst, ended up watching Cowboys and Eagles, so many empty seats at SBP Melnyk wont be happy.
The problem is with all our stars in we are a 500 team IMHO, take a couple out and it is desperate to watch.
Actually glad I dont have a ticket for todays snooze fest against the Hurricanes.
by Eado on Jan 10, 2010 10:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Dont know why the hell they would start Elliott, what kind of message is that sending if the coach refuses to give his team the best chance to win. I know they play today too but Florida is obviously the better team and in any event, why wouldnt they play Leclaire back to back?
The team has proven that they can play up to the level of other teams WHEN they get decent goaltending, so why handicap the team by starting the 5-Hole Kid?
Cannot play with 'em, cannot win with 'em, cannot coach with 'em. Cant do it.
by Andrew J on Jan 10, 2010 2:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I was there
It wasnt pretty gentlemen. not at all. Lets just focus on the next one
by DaveYoung on Jan 10, 2010 2:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Dream........
I was there against Boston, its painful when you meet up with your buddies full of optimism, couple of beers some good food…then the main entertainment is as flat as a pancake !!
Then you join the ranks in the cold trying to get back on the queensway listening to the Team 1200. I always have to remind myself of those warm days drinking beers in the red zone during playoffs to and at the Stanley Cup. (In my happy place right now).
by Eado on Jan 10, 2010 4:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Too bad Winnie had to be on the ice for the goal pictured, and then got injured
Shitty day for him.
by PeterR on Jan 10, 2010 4:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

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