Silver Seven: FanPosts

Ottawa Senators Seasons In Review (1992-1993)

2010-03-09T20:36:38Z

So yeah, I see everybody posting long articles about this teams past and I thought to myself, how can I do the same without showing my large lack of Hockey knowledge? So here it is, a look into the past of the Sens (this Sens, not the very successful Sens that won a Stanley Cup, God damn Ducks), starting from our worst season.

1992-93 Ottawa Senators

10-70-4 (24 points), Finished 6th in NHL Adams Division

Scored 202 goals, Allowed 395 goals

Home record 9–29–4

Road record 1–41–0

Team leaders
Goals	Sylvain Turgeon (25)
Assists	Norm Maciver (46)
Points	Norm Maciver (63)
Penalties in minutes	Mike Peluso (318)
Plus/minus	Dave Archibald (-16)
Wins	Peter Sidorkiewicz (8)
Goals against average	Daniel Berthiaume (4.30)

Coach	Rick Bowness
Captain	Laurie Boschman
Alternate captains	Brad Marsh Brad Shaw Sylvain Turgeon

Awards

Molson Cup - Sylvain Turgeon
NHL All-Star Game selection - Brad Marsh, Peter Sidorkiewicz

Things were bad for the Sens even before the season started. At the 1992 Expansion Draft, Ottawa's laptop failed and they drafted many ineligible players. They wanted to draft players from both the Habs and Leafs, but couldn't because both teams have the max players (two) taken from them. The team they did draft, however, was nothing more than players who would have been 3rd or 4th linemen on any other team. And you thought Cheechoo was bad! For the draft, the Sens picked the very unknown (and future jackass) Alexei Yashin. Who would be the teams future captain (and first Dany Heatley).

A rare good thing that could be said about this team was they won their first game. Against the Habs no less! On October 8th, 1992, the Sens beat the Habs 5-3 in front of 10,449 at the sold-out Ottawa Civic Centre. The ceremonial face-off between Laurie Boschman and Denis Savard was done by Frank Finnigan, Jr. (his father having died on Christmas Day, 1991), Bruce Firestone and Gil Stein. It also had Brian Orser skating, the 9 banners being raised to honour the Senators' Stanley Cup wins (which we'll gladly take credit for) , retirement of Frank Finnigan's jersey number and the singing of the anthem by Alanis Morissette (holy hell!).

The rest of the season sucked, as the team was fighting with the Sharks in what is called the Daigle Cup. The Sens blew games, ask teams to start their best players, and even made weaker game-plans. NHL rules at the time made it so the worst team got the first pick, and Ottawa beat out the Sharks for the worst team in NHL (Go us!). Of course that rule was changed in 1995 as the NHL did it's best to copy the NBA whenever they had the chance. And things ended poorly their too. They drafted Alexandre Daigle, who sucked. But I'll talk about that later, if anyone is still reading this (looking good Pete, have you lost weight?).

Steady Goaltending

2010-03-07T22:23:54Z

Back on January 14th, 2010, DarrenM posted an article entitled "Are Elliott and Leclaire the worst Senators goalie tandem ever?" ( http://www.silversevensens.com/2010/1/14/1249349/are-elliott-and-leclaire-the-worst) . The article goes on to debate that question, but it also asks if the Senators have EVER had the quality goaltending needed to win the Stanley Cup. I'm a firm believer that any team, regardless of talent and skill up front and on the blueline, has a better chance to win it all with a steady goaltending situation. The statistics researched below paint a very telling picture in proving my point.

I decided to compare each team's goaltending situation over the past 20 years, excluding the 2009-2010 season, to see which teams have truly had "steady goaltending" over that time period. The statistics I used were Games Started, Wins, Goals Against Average and Save Percentage. In order for a team to be considered as having "steady goaltending", their starting goalie for a given year had to have finished the season 15th or better out of 30 in at least two of the four statistical categories. Each team needs to have had the same starting goalie for at least 3 years in a row. Only the stats of starting goalies were used to determine the rankings. In cases where two or more goalies started the same amount of games for a team, Minutes Played was used as a tie-breaker.

Teams are ranked in order of decreasing years of "steady goaltending". Teams that did not exist for the entire 20-year period may show a decimal point number of years, as their "ranking" was averaged out over the 20-year period.

14 Devils

1994-2008 Brodeur

13 Flames

1990-1994 Vernon

1999-2001 Brathwaite

2004-2009 Kiprusoff

11 Jets / Coyotes

1990-1993 Essensa

1996-1999 Khabibulin

2000-2002 Burke

10 Sabres

1994-1999 Hasek

2006-2009 Miller

10 North Stars / Stars

1998-2001 Belfour

2003-2009 Turco

10 Capitals

1990-1993 Beaupre

1998-2003 Kolzig

10 Whalers / Hurricanes

1994-1997 Burke

1999-2001 Irbe

2007-2009 Ward

9 Blackhawks

1991-1995 Belfour

2000-2003 Thibault

8.87 (Mighty) Ducks

1994-1997 Hebert

2006-2008 Giguere

8.87 Panthers

1994-1997 Vanbiesbrouck

2003-2006 Luongo

8 Nordiques / Avalanche

1996-2003 Roy

8 Bruins

1990-1993 Moog

2005-2009 Thomas

8 Red Wings

1991-1993 Cheveldae

1996-2000 Osgood

7.6 Predators

2003-2007 Vokoun

7.13 Lightning

1994-1996 Puppa

2002-2004 Khabibulin

7 Oilers

1990-1992 Ranford

2000-2003 Salo

7 Maple Leafs

1996-1998 Potvin

1999-2002 Joseph

6 Canadiens

1990-1995 Roy

6 Penguins

1991-1993 Barrasso

2007-2009 Fleury

6 Canucks

2002-2004 Cloutier

2007-2009 Luongo

6 Flyers

1996-1998 Hextall

2001-2003 Cechmanek

4 Rangers

2006-2009 Lundqvist

4 Blues

1992-1995 Joseph

3.35 Sharks

2007-2009 Nabokov

3 Kings

1990-1992 Hrudey

0 Thrashers

0 Wild

0 Blue Jackets

0 Senators

0 Islanders

Does steady goaltending breed Stanley Cups? The top team on the list has 3 Stanley Cups over the past 20 years. The bottom 7 teams COMBINED have ZERO. It's hardly a surprise to see where the Senators rank on this list. The closest they've ever come to having steady goaltending is the period from 2003 to 2007, although the steadiness was split amongst Patrick Lalime, Dominik Hasek and Ray Emery. If the Senators manage to find unsteadiness in the goaltending department yet again in the 2010-2011 season, they will have had a different starting goalie 7 years in a row (Lalime, Hasek, Emery, Gerber, Auld, Elliott). That would tie them with the 1996-2002 Tampa Bay Lightning (Puppa, Tabaracci, Fitzpatrick, Schwab, Cloutier, Weekes, Khabibulin) for the unsteadiest goaltending situation during the 20-year period, unless the Edmonton Oilers manage to keep pace (Salo, Markkanen, Roloson, Garon, Roloson, Drouin-Deslauriers).

Of the bottom-feeders on this list, only the Minnesota Wild will be moving up a spot this year thanks to Niklas Backstrom.

In conclusion, I don't think that there's any question whether or not steady goaltending is key to a team's success come playoff time. The only Cups won without it over the past 20 years were by Mike Richter in 1994, Dominik Hasek in 2002, Cam Ward in 2006 and Chris Osgood in 2008. The Detroit Red Wings appear to be an anomaly and could have probably won a Cup with the proverbial grandma in net.

P.S. If you take this year's statistics into account, look for one of Boston, Buffalo, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Jose or Vancouver to win the Cup.

Comparing the 2010 Ottawa Senators to the 2007 Cup Finals Team.

2010-03-05T18:08:03Z

[Ed. Note: The following is a FanPost written by a community member. The level of analysis GelatinousMutantCoconut put into the post is certainly notable and noticeable, and for that reason it's been promoted to the front page. For more info on FanPosts or FanShots, check out the SBN Welcome Guide.]

Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson vs Michalek-Spezza-Alfredsson

Alfredsson isn’t the same force, but he’s still an elite ageless wonder. Spezza’s game seemed to decline until fairly recently, when he finally realized he could shoot the puck. Michalek is a downgrade in terms of goal scoring from Heatley, but brings better defense, speed and grit. Though less offensively dominant, I like the current incarnation a bit better, especially for playoff hockey (Though hopefully Michalek isn’t doubly cursed come playoff time. After all he is a former Shark. Scary.)

Cullen-Fisher-Kovalev vs Schaefer-Fisher-Comrie

Certainly a HUGE upgrade. Fisher is having his best year, Cullen is so much better in all areas than Schaefer, and Kovalev, when he wants, can do things Mike Comrie can only dream of. Again, 2010 wins it, though much more emphatically.

Foligno-Regin-Shannon vs Schubert-McAmmond-Eaves (Saprykin)

Ok, I realize I’m comparing 2010’s third line with 2007’s fourth. That’s because 2007’s fourth and 2010’s third are almost identical. Got that?

Anyway, another major upgrade. Regin lacks McAmmond's veteran status, but he often plays with veteran poise. He can do it all, and I believe that at least in terms of offensive and defensive play, he’s the next Alfie. Foligno brings more to the table than Schubert, though he sacrifices some grit. Shannon and Eaves are almost a crap shoot really. Still, once again a major win for 2010.

Ruutu-Kelly-Neil vs Vermette-Kelly-Neil

Less offense and versatility, more grit. More scoring on every other line makes up for the former. The latter is essential come playoff time. And 2010 sweeps the forward ranks.

Phillips-Volchenkov vs Phillips-Volchenkov

Phillips just seems to get better with age. His poise in his own end, and his improvements at moving the puck, make him probably the most underrated defensive defenseman in the league. Volchenkov is a beast, and everyone knows it. Obviously a draw, though I might lean towards 2010 as added experience could help out. (Note: I still believe they should be separated, putting Karlsson with Phillips and Kuba with Volchenkov, therefore spreading out the offense and defense and balancing the pairings.)

Redden-Meszaros vs Kuba-Karlsson

Kuba isn’t really a downgrade from post 2006 Redden. Just MUCH cheaper. otherwise your getting the same. 30-40-point offensive-minded defenseman who gets overpowered in his own zone. Like-wise Karlsson and Meszaros look very similar, but I’ll give the edge to Karlsson, as despite his size, he doesn’t shy away from contact.

Sutton-Carkner vs Preissing-Corvo

So much different…gritty defense instead of steady offense. The lack of the latter was part of the '07 team's downfall…could this be this years Scuderi-Gill? I certainly hope so. If this pairing requires some mobility or offense, Campoli could step in. I’m going to call this a draw.

Elliott vs Emery

Oh how very similar these two are. Both came in as rookies and helped salvage a season, then watched as management brought in a unproven starter who was supposedly better. Then both won the number one job when the new starter faltered. But since Elliott isn’t a headcase, I’ll give him the advantage.

Leclaire vs Gerber

Both can let in agonizing softies. Leclaire has more upside, but is about as fragile as a glass Sami Salo figurine. Draw.

So, if you count a win as 2 points, a draw as 1, and a loss as 0, 2010 wins hands-down. 2010: 12 2007: 3

I think we have a very good chance of coming out of the East this year. Washington has the same problems as the Russian national team: no defense or goaltending. New Jersey is about our equal, but we could beat them in a 7 game series. We always have Buffalo’s number. Pittsburgh should be exhausted after two long playoff runs. Philadelphia has two back-up goaltenders. If we can exploit these flaws, we could make it to our second Finals.

[Disclaimer: The preceding post was written by a member of the Silver Seven community, and does not necessarily reflect the beliefs or opinions of the site managers, editors, or Sports Blogs Nation, Inc.]

Volchenkov going?

2010-03-01T23:58:16Z

We are pretty lucky as Canadians and Sens fans to have a lot going on after the jubilation of the Gold medal game and now with the trade deadline coming up on Wednesday and the Volchenkov talks going no where. Looking at the calibre of players so far that have been getting teams 2nd round picks, you have to think Volchenkov will get at least a first. There are only a handful of quality top 4 defenceman available this deadline and I think we can agree Volchenkov is that. So this sets up Bryan Murray very well if he has to trade Volchenkov. Should he trade him and get what he can now? If he knows Volchenkov probably won't resign, will he keep him for the playoffs and lose him to nothing? Very hard decisions for Murray have to be made.

Repicking the Canadian Olympic team

2010-02-24T16:22:56Z

I was just pondering the idea of repicking Canada's men's hockey team based on the last month's play in the NHL. My metric is pretty simple, go to Yahoo Sports, sort by all players, using stats from the last month, then sort by rank. Obviously this method is inexact by nature, but I think it is rather eye opening with regards to which current Olympics players picked in December were actually on form come the Olympics.

Left Wing

Dany Heatley
Ryan Smyth
Brooks Laich (I believe he played jr for the US though)
Rick Nash
Ray Whitney (added a 5th because of Laich)

Center

Right Wing

Extra Forward

Shane Doan

Defense

Extra Defense

Shea Weber

Goaltenders

Extra Goaltender

Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Now given these results we can glean a couple things. The team overall doesn't seem that lacking for international experience. There are only a handful of oddities on forward, with Knuble, Downie, Laich and Whitney probably not guys who were ever even in the Olympic conversation. Maybe swap in Shane Doan for Knuble and you'd be alright. Our centre group is actually quite solid, with the glaring omission obviously being Crosby. Left wing has the experience factor with Captain Canada Ryan Smyth.

Defense is actually pretty bang on. The oddity is Kurtis Foster, swap him out for Weber and I think we'd probably have a better D corps then we currently have in Vancouver.

Goaltending would definitely be suspect, but at least you'd know you have some hot hands. Luongo has the best form of our current Olympians, but would still be 9th on Canada's depth chart. Fleury would be 15th and Brodeur I don't know as Yahoo has him ranked weirdly at 734 behind all the inactive goalies. Looking at Brodeur's stats he was positively awful in the leadup to the Olympics. Turco has some experience, having made the 2006 team. Mason has played at the Junior level as the starter, while Elliott is the wildcard.

Is this the last chance for Brian Lee?

2010-02-13T22:27:36Z

Though everyone will be excited about Matt Cullen's debut with Ottawa tonight, the player most fans should be watching is none other than defenseman Brian Lee.

The struggles of Ottawa's first round pick in 2005 have been well documented, as he has repeatedly failed to make the club. Lee was expected to play for the Senators this year, but was unable to beat out Matt Carkner, Erik Karlsson, Chris Campoli, and Alexandre Picard for a roster spot. Lee was reportedly "shocked" by the decision, but those who watched him play in training camp were not.

He was recalled sparingly during the beginning of the season, managing two goals and one assist in 13 games and a minus one rating. When he was returned to the AHL on November 27th, I wrote that it was clear he was no longer in the team's long-term plans.

However, professional hockey is a fickle business, and the trade of Picard and injuries to Karlsson and Campoli have opened the door for Lee once again.

Lee's biggest detriment to his chances this year has been his two-way contract, which allows the Senators -- a team very close to the NHL's salary cap -- to pay him far less in the AHL. Campoli and Picard had no such contracts, and Matt Carkner offered a physical element Lee was unable to provide. Likewise, Erik Karlsson provided an offensive element Lee was also unable to provide.

Unfortunately, Lee has done nothing to convince the team he can be a part of their future. He is an atrocious minus ten in 27 games with Binghamton, though it should be noted that he missed a large chunk of time with an unknown injury.

Though it's unfair to compare the two, Lee's closest analog is Erik Karlsson. Both players were sent to the AHL after under-performing at the NHL level -- Lee at the end of training camp; Karlsson early in the season. In both situations, the evaluation of the players was similar: specifically that they had to recapture their confidence. Karlsson appears to have done so, fighting through adversity (including being a healthy scratch during the World Junior Championship) to become a productive member of the team before his injury. Lee, quite simply, has not done the same.

So, what does this latest recall mean for him?

He is a restricted free agent after this year, which essentially means that he has to take Ottawa's offer or hope for a trade or offer sheet. The Senators will almost certainly offer him another two-way contract, and that may not be what he's looking for.

His opportunities to make the team next year will be even more limited if two things expected to happen do come through: Anton Volchenkov is re-signed and Jared Cowen makes the team. We know that Volchenkov has received an offer from the team this week and that Cowen was recently signed to an entry level contract - a sure sign that he is expected to compete for a roster spot next year. Those moves would leave one roster spot open next year. Lee was not able to beat out Chris Campoli this year; there is no reason to believe he will be able to do so next year. Campoli, also a RFA after this year, has been able to play (though not necessarily well) at the NHL level, and may be more attractive to GM Bryan Murray.

That does not bode well for his future with the team, and therefore, this recall probably doesn't present him with any kind of real opportunity to change his chances. The NHL's trade deadline this year is March 3rd, which gives Lee two or possibly three games to make an impression. The best case scenario for him is to shine brightly enough to become an attractive, tradeable player. The worst case is to flop miserably, squandering any chance he has of becoming a full time Ottawa Senator.

It will be interesting to see how he approaches what is almost certainly his last opportunity, especially being handcuffed with Filip Kuba. Only one thing is certain: No player in the Senators' system has more to play for this weekend than Brian Lee.

Cullen might be key

2010-02-12T21:19:15Z

The Sens are abviously gambling that Cullen will be the answer to our ailing powerplay. Picard is no big loss as we have Karlsson and Campoli who do what Picard does better on most nights. And even though alot of you have given up on Lee, I haven't yet. He'll just take a little longer to develop than expected. NHL centres can play on the wing, so Cullen will be versatile. Cullen is a huge upgrade over Cheechoo who as much as you gotta love his work ethic just doesn't have it anymore. Mark Cheechoo down as someone who killed their career by signing a big contract, and then not coming through. That happens these days. Matt Cullen gives the Sens alot of new options, and makes our already awesome PK even better. The second round pick is alot to give up, so here's hoping that Cullen comes through and resigns.

The progression of Jason Spezza (and another reason to be glad Dany Heatley is gone)

2010-02-12T16:29:45Z

Jason Spezza has been the victim of many rants from Ottawa Senators fans who don't like one aspect of his game or another. Some blamed him for too many blind passes, or his seemingly care-free attitude towards the game. However, I think this year we have seen a great progression in Jason Spezza's career. No longer does he seem to have that goofy attitude that most people were bothered by for some reason (never really figured that out). Jason Spezza has really emerged as a leader on the Ottawa Senators. And you can thank Dany Heatley for that.

I think with Heatley gone, Spezza is realizing he has a lot of talent by himself, and does not need to have Heatley on his left side ready to score a goal twenty times a game. Spezza is a game-breaker by himself. While having a rough start to the year, after taking time off to rest his (multiple) ailments, he is looking better than ever. On a rampage in the last dozen games, Spezza has already stricken Heatley's name from the team record book for his goal-streak. It isn't inconceivable for Spezza to be a hundred point player for years into the future.

Spezza is really emerging as a leader on this team, and in the future when it's possible, he might even end up with a letter on his sweater. Does anyone else notice how much more responsible and mature Spezza looks now? Do you feel more comfortable this year with Spezza compared to the past? Is this another reason to praise Clouston?

olympic player rankings

2010-02-11T11:19:40Z

i did this just for fun since i am doing a draft with some buddies for the big tourney

what do you guys think about them? anything wayyyy off?

olympic rankings

1. ovechkin

2. crosby

3. h. sedin

4. gaborik

5. malkin

6. heatley

7. n. backstrom

8. parise

9. thornton

10. semin

11. d. sedin

12. iginla

13. kovalchuk

13. m. hossa

14. elias

15. datsyuk

16. nash

17. zetterberg

18. kane

19. marleau

20. alfredsson

21. statsny

22. gonchar

23. selanne

24. boyle

25. markov

26. e. stall

27. chara

28. lidstrom

29. jagr

30. keith

31. perry

32. kessel

33. m. koivu

34. havlat

35. rafalski

36. b. ryan

37. forsberg

38. kaberle

39. plekanec

40. getzlaf

41. niedermeyer

42. radulov

43. toews

44. pronger

45. pavelski

46. o. jokinen

47. m. michalek

48. e. johnson

49. l. eriksson

50. zednik

51. kronwall

52. hagman

53. bergeron

54. federov

55. m. richards

56. d. brown

57. demitra

58. enstrom

59. timonen

60. filpulla

61. s. kostistyn

62. weber

63. afinoganev

64. holmstom

65. fleischmann

66. kopecky

67. m. grabovsky

68. erhhoff

69. morrow

70. s. koivu

71. zidlicky

72. doughty

73. erat

74. ohlund

75. pitkanen

76. lehtinen

77. hornqvist

78. satan

79. langenbrunner

80. j. johnson

81. tyutin

82. kuba

83. visnovsky

84. a. kostitsyn

85. m. streit

86. meszaros

87. malone

88. suter

89. t. ruutu

90. backes

91. salo

92. palffy

93. m. sturm

94. kubina

95. grebeshkov

96. krejci

97. j. hecht

98. seidenberg

99. lydman

100. p. thoreson (norway)

101. k. skrastins (Latvia)

goalie rank

1. brodeur (canada)

2. nabakov (russia)

3. lundqvist (sweden)

4. miller (usa)

5. kiprusoff (finland)

6. vokoun (czech)

7. halak (slovakia)

8. luongo (canada)

9. hiller (switzerland)

10. bryzgalov (russia)

11. n. backstrom (finland)

12. budaj (slovakia)

The Cheechoo Law

2010-02-10T05:43:43Z

As much as we all love the guy, no one can deny the fact that Jonathan Cheechoo has struggled to find the back of the net this season. This isn't for lack of effort; Cheech works hard, and has averaged nearly 2 shots on net per game. I submit for your consideration that the reason Cheechoo has only scored 5 times as an Ottawa Senator is due to The Cheechoo Law:

Jonathan Cheechoo can only score when it will have absolutely no impact on the outcome of the game.

Support for this theory becomes evident when we examine the 5 goals Cheechoo has scored this season:

Goal ties the game at 1-1. Sens beat Edmonton 4-3 in SO.
Goal makes the game 6-1. Sens beat Pittsburgh 6-2.
Goal makes the game 2-3. Sens lose to L.A. 3-6.
Goal makes the game 2-5. Sens lose to Washington 2-5.
Goal makes the game 5-2. Sens beat Boston 5-2.

Three of Cheechoo's five goals have come late in games that were decided by 3 or more goals. His 3rd goal came in a game that would eventually be decided by 3 goals, and (arguably) did not have an impact on the game's outcome. Only his 1st goal of the season was scored in a 1 goal game. Thus, four out of five Cheechoo goals had no impact on the outcome of the game they were scored in.

Furthermore, if you consider that only 22 of Ottawa's 60 games this season have been decided by 3 or more goals, we can see that Cheech scores in 18% of games decided by 3 or more goals, and only 2% of games decided by less than 3 goals. A statistically-significant difference if you ask me. So there you have it.

Could the Sens have traded for Giguere?

2010-02-08T18:16:26Z

I was thinking about this after the Sens got skunked by the Leafs this weekend. Could Ottawa have made that same trade for Giguere? The Leafs traded an overpaid, veteran winger and an off form goalie for JS Giguere. Could Ottawa not have offered Kovalev and Leclaire and got that same deal done, maybe even got another player back in the deal? Even though Jiggy has been off his game the last while, he's still only 32 and has previously shown form that got him to 2 Stanley Cup finals.

Given the mileage we've seen the Leafs get out of guys like Belfour and Joseph, it almost scares me as a Sens fan thinking the Leafs have a guy like Giguere. He's a guy who beat us in the Cup finals and could viably haunt us if the Leafs ever make it back to the playoffs. The Leafs always beat us in the playoffs because they got big time goaltending, and that's what Giguere can bring to that team.

How great we are!!!

2010-02-05T17:01:36Z

It's funny how on this chatline there is so little talk about about how incredible the Sens are right now. I'm just really enjoying how the Sens are winning most of the battles and that Karlsson has developed so quickly. Clouston seems to have mastered getting the best out of pretty much everyone except Cheechoo, and we've rolled over even the best teams. Goaltending is the cornerstone to any winning team. In the West, now that the Red Wings are not so dominant anymore, their mediocre goaltending has finally caught up to them. All my crying about the drafting in the past five years seems to be proven wrong. Surely they will eventually lose a game, but let's hope that the Sens can keep up this kind of playing into the playoffs.

Cowen Sucks

2010-01-29T18:09:55Z

I live in Spokane and have season tickets and I can tell you Cowen is a very overrated player we don't even want him here anymore, He was a Terrible pick.. If hes terrrible in junior then whats he gonna be like in Pro? If you go back to drafts past we could've had Kopitar instead of Lee and Paajarvi-Svensson instead of Cowen instead were stuck with 2 bust dmen instead of 2 game breaking forwards.

Should he stay or should he go? I say he should go.

2010-01-25T23:38:34Z

I know a lot of fans have been getting frustrated for the lack of negotiation with Anton Volchenkov regarding a new contract. With many fans feeling the bitterness of having lost Chara AND Redden for nothing in the Muckler regime, they will be expecting Murray to sign Volchenkov as promptly as possible. However, I believe this decision to keep Volchenkov is a lot more complicated than many realize.

With great defensive prospects coming up the system, like Karlsson, Cowen, and Wiercoch, where will Volchenkov fit in three years? These prospects are hoped to develop into solid blueliners in the NHL. Voilchenkov is probably looking for something in the 4 million dollar range and for approximately 5 or 6 years term. However, the Sens would probably be more comfortable with a 3 years term at around 3 million. If this is possible then Murray should sign Volchenkov now. However, this is very unlikely and Murray knows that. Murray cannot commit long-term to Phillips and Volchenkov at the same time. There needs to be room for the upcoming players and if Volchenkov is signed it could very well hamper the development of these guys (and Phillips is going no where).

If these guys become good defenceman then that might push Volchenkov down the depth chart to be paid 4 million as a 4th d-man. Considering this, it is my suggestion that Murray must deal Volchenkov at the deadline. The team will survive without him (he won't be the reason if we miss the playoffs and if he is then there are more problems), and while he is a very valuable member of the team I think he may be overvalued by many Sens fans and hopefully by other teams in the league. If Murray were to sign Volchenkov for a long-term deal at a price around 4 million then it will not be worth it and it will be a burden of a contract for the Sens in the future, especially if these defensive prospects turn out great and then have to be resigned. This is probably the most marketable Volchenkov may ever be and I think Murray will trade him for prospects/picks. He won't command a huge package but a 2nd rounder (possible a first if we're ever lucky) and a good prospect will have been worth it.

What do you think Volchenkov is worth and how do you see him fitting in (or not fitting in) to the future plans of the Sens?

Kid Karlsson

2010-01-23T22:26:51Z

I am amazed at his growth the past month. Confidence, skill and strength. Is there any doubt he will be our best defenseman in a month? Skill like that is scary. Clouston is using him perfectly. He was out there to end the game, is being used on the PP and clearly has been given the green light to skate it out and up. I can't say enough about the kid.

Could he end up being the best pick of the lot from the draft?

Alfredsson, Kuba to return tonight

2010-01-16T17:57:16Z

The Ottawa Sun reports that both captain Daniel Alfredsson and defensemen Filip Kuba will return for tonight's game against Montreal. Just one more sign that he is the best captain in the NHL, Alfie's return comes almost two weeks sooner than originally anticipated.

Kuba's return means that Picard is scratched for tonight. He will play with Matt Carkner, as Clouston has chosen to keep the young guys (Chris Campoli and Erik Karlsson) together after they showed real chemistry in Ottawa's 2-0 win over New York last Thursday.

Mike "Not Martin" Brodeur gets the start in goal, to the surprise of no one. (Sun)

The Ottawa Senators Soundtrack!

2010-01-15T00:13:05Z

In searching through Itunes for some appropriate Game Day songs, I noticed a strange pattern in my music tastes. Many of the songs that I listen to on a regular basis actually relate to how the Senators are doing! The following is my soundtrack for the first part of the season:

(inspirations for each track listed in brackets)

I’m Lost Without You – Blink 182 (Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza & Milan Michalek)
Fire – Jimi Hendrix (Eli Wilson)
Hammer Smashed Face – Cannibal Corpse (Pascal Leclaire)
Master of Puppets – Metallica (Eugene Melnyk)
Number 1 Zero – Audioslave (Alex Kovalev)
Ten Thousand Fists – Disturbed (Matt Carkner)
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya – Dropkick Murphys (Jonathan Cheechoo)
My Hero – Foo Fighters (Daniel Alfredsson)
Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N Roses (Erik Karlsson)
The Trooper – Iron Maiden (Chris Neil)
Troublemaker – Weezer (Jarkko Ruutu)
Sad But True – Metallica (Chris Kelly)
The Moron Brothers – NOFX (Filip Kuba & Alex Picard)
Why Don’t You Get A Job – The Offspring (Brian Lee)
Suture Up Your Future – Queens of the Stone Age (Jared Cowen & Patrick Wiercioch)
I Was Wrong – Social Distortion (John Muckler)
Rusty Cage – Soundgarden (Brian Elliott)
Keep Fishin’ – Weezer (Mike Fisher)

BONUS TRACKS
Dirty Little Secret – All-American Rejects (Stephane Auger)
Man Overboard – Blink 182 (Dany Heatley)
Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup Is Running) – Foo Fighters (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Audience of One – Rise Against (Phoenix Coyotes)

Waiting for the big guns

2010-01-11T17:52:42Z

Generally a time when there are alot of injuries is an opportunitiy for lesser players to play more and show the skills that they used to have in Junior and hopefully a team can discover some previously hidden talent. During these trying times, the Sens have shown that they have gaping holes in most areas... goaltending, secondary scoring and first pass defence... and we have not discovered any new offensive talent. Cheechoo works hard but in the end pretty much shows up like a candidate to be bought out because of his high salary. Michalek was a good find but in the end not even close to enough for Heatley. Kovi is a one game wonder who coasts along on the periphery. This team does have some potential building blocks, although Jared Cowen looked terribly slow and overmatched at the WJC. Are we just waiting for the big guns to get back?

A Study in Senators' Fights

2010-01-03T17:21:01Z

(Note: Once again I find myself stuck at work for an 8 hour shift with little-to-nothing to kill time. I found myself watching videos on hockey fights, specifically Carkner vs. Adams, and I wondered the results of Senators fights from the past decade. Unfortunately, hockeyfights.com and their wonderful voting system only reliably goes back to the lockout. What follows in some interesting points I've discovered from a morning's worth of wasting time)

In taking up this study in Senators' fights, and more specifically the results of the engagements, I was curious to know a few things. First, I wondered the winning percentages of the Senators' fighters, especially the prolific ones, in the past 5 seasons. Second, I wondered about some of the chronic antagonists that the Senators face. Finally, I was curious about how Matt Carkner (one of my new favorite Sens) is doing in comparison with some of the other Senators. My findings are as follows:

PART 1: SENATORS FIGHTERS

The following table lists the players, in order of total number of fights, their win-loss-draw record according to hockeyfights.com, and their win percentage (2 pts for a W, 1 for a draw, 0 for a L).

	W-L-D			%age
Chris Neil	26	9	11	.685
Brian McGrattan	17	12	8	.568
Matt Carkner	8	4	1	.654
Mike Fisher	4	0	4	.750
Shean Donovan	1	3	3	.357
Jarkko Ruutu	3	0	3	.750
Zdeno Chara	4	0	0	1.000
Jesse Winchester	1	0	3	.625
Cody Bass	1	2	1	.375
Wade Redden	1	2	1	.375
Luke Richardson	1	1	1	.500
Jason Spezza	0	1	2	.333
Ray Emery	1	1	0	.500
Mike Commodore	0	1	1	.250
Nick Foligno	1	0	0	1.000
Brian Lee	1	0	0	1.000
Martin Lapointe	1	0	0	1.000
Dean McAmmond	1	0	0	1.000
Chris Phillips	0	0	1	.500
Jason Smith	0	0	1	.500
Antoine Vermette	0	0	1	.500
Mike Comrie	0	0	1	.500
Brad Norton	0	0	1	.500
Dany Heatley	0	0	1	.500
Patrick Eaves	0	1	0	.000
Christoph Schubert	0	1	0	.000
Danny Bois	0	1	0	.000
Andrej Meszaros	0	1	0	.000
Anton Volchenkov	0	1	0	.000
Chris Kelly	0	1	0	.000
Brian Pothier	0	1	0	.000

A few things in this interested me:

- Through half a season, Matt Carkner is already #3 in fighting over the past 5 years.

- Though not in this chart (in my more elaborate spreadsheet), Chris Neil was 18-2-5 with Brian McGrattan on the roster, but 8-7-6 without.

- Dany Heatley is a douchebag.

- Mike Fisher. Undefeated.

- Also not on this chart, but Mike Commodore is the only player in the past 5 years to fight both for and against the Senators

- Sort of a tangent, but I miss Ray Emery.

- Jason Spezza vs. Carlo Colaiacovo. Enough said.

- McGrattan: 6'4, 235 lbs. Carkner: 6'4, 231 lbs. Neil: 6'1, 215 lbs. One of these things isn't really like the others.

PART 2: ANTAGONISTS

Included in this chart is those players that have fought Senators more than 3 times in the past 5 years. These numbers are from the point of view of the player, so a W represents a time they've beaten a Senator.

		W	L	D
Adam Mair	BUF	2	1	0
Andrew Peters	BUF	5	2	2
	NJD	0	0	1
	Total	5	2	3
Cam Janssen	NJD	1	2	0
Colton Orr	BOS	1	0	0
	NYR	0	2	1
	TOR	1	1	0
	Total	2	3	1
Donald Brashear	PHI	0	1	0
	WAS	1	2	0
	NYR	0	0	1
	Total	1	3	1
David Clarkson	NJD	2	0	1
Eric Cairns	FLA	0	1	0
	PIT	0	1	1
	Total	0	2	1
Eric Godard	NYI	0	1	2
	PIT	2	0	0
	Total	2	1	2
Jim Slater	ATL	0	2	1
Paul Gaustad	BUF	1	2	0
Shawn Thornton	BOS	2	1	1
Steve Downie	PHI	0	1	0
	TAM	0	2	1
	Total	0	3	1
Wade Belak	TOR	0	3	1
Zenon Konopka	TAM	1	1	1

Again, some interesting stats here:

- Andrew Peters with 10 fights against the Senators? Unreal.

- Steve Downie is a douche. A winless douche, the worst kind.

- I'm kind of thinking the Sabres don't like us much. The Devils too.

In conclusion, there are certainly some interesting trends over the past 5 years. As expected, fighting is typically left up to the pugilists (McGrattan, Neil, Carkner) with few others dropping the gloves with any frequency. As well, this season is on pace to be the most scrap-filled year in nearly a decade for Ottawa, an interesting change of pace. Clearly, the team is in good hands (or, more appropriately, fists).

Good news and what the Sens need

2009-12-23T18:09:45Z

Good news for the Senators this week as they have bodies returning from injury after having gone through the last month or so having lost many key players. All in all, the record for the Sens considering how much their depth has been tested is what most people would have expected (18-14-4). Neil, Leclaire, and Donovan are all returning from injury, while Spezza and Foligno are still out. With all the injuries the Sens have had this year to absolutely key players (Spezza, Volchenkov, Kuba, Leclaire, Neil) I think we should be quite happy with the record they have going into the Christmas break. I feel the Sens are a good powerplay away from really competing in the EC. However, let's not fool ourselves, without a good powerplay teams don't tend to go far these days. The chances of Murray trading any prospects away are slim, so we're probably going to have the same roster going into the end of the season.

I am a fan of Murray, and I hope he is able to make some trades/signings during the season or this summer that will put the club in a good position for years to come. I think we can count on Murray to use his draft picks well, but I think it's crucial for the Senators to make a few trades to improve this club. Great drafting on its own does not make a great team (see previous years of Sens teams under Marshall Johnston). It's important that Murray really take a look around the league (and other leagues) for players who could contribute. Murray is going to have to find some diamonds in the rough, as well as some players that other teams might have given up on. Shannon is a good example of this, and while he played well last year, this year is another story.

In this modern NHL it is important to surround your draft picks with quality players. Detroit has done a wonderful job of this throughout the years (of course), as well as New Jersey. These clubs are machines and what a great thing it would be to have a club that is a machine like these clubs. The right mix of veterans, with home-grown draftees, as well as shrewd signings should see this club be atop the EC in two to three years time.