The Sens won tonight in overtime 3-2, but the game was as ugly as Amy Winehouse. In what continues to be a trend, the Senators played undisciplined hockey again, taking too many unecessary penalties, that nearly proved costly.In the end, all we'll remember 2 weeks from now is we won and got the 2 points, which really is all that matters in the end I guess, but I can't help feeling this kind of play will come back to haunt us against better teams if we don't smarten up at fast. If you look back to my prediction from my GDP, I called Spezza scoring and boy did he need it.
Other thoughts from the game:
-Man did Chris Neil ever layout Victor Hedman tonight. Early hit of the year candidate.
-Gotta give credit where it's due, shoutout to Alexandre Picard, who played well tonight and was outstanding on the PK. I was impressed tonight, but I still hate you for now.
-The delayed penalty goal WAS a goal. Diving and tapping it with your stick is NOT possession Kerry Fraser. You nearly cost us points.
-I don't know how many of you listened to the post game show on the Team 1200 tonight but if you did, what was up with Dean Brown saying Fisher is one of the top 3 or 4 players in the NHL right now? I think someone needs to stop sippin the Fisher kool aid.
-That pass from Kovalev to Fisher was beautiful. It was such a great pass even Chris Kelly could have tapped it in. Well not really, but you know what I mean.
-I know Cheechoo was on the 4th line already tonight but he took another offensive zone penalty. What's lower then 4th line?
-Shoutout to Spezza for having a goal and 2 helpers on his first game back. Was great to see him finally get that monkey off his back, especially in OT.
-Speaking of OT, is anything more satisfying then winning in overtime? Boom, goal, game!
Overall, it was a pretty forgetable game, but we got what we came for, the 2 points.
What were your thought's on tonight's game?
3 comments:
Picard was better but Kuba was a post tonight.
Also a great game by Spezza, protecting the puck really well and getting in on all three Sens goals.
Also some great work in the offensive zone by Alfredsson, he won almost every puck battle he was involved in.
Fisher is obviously not one of the top players in the NHL but he is earning his money for now at least.
As for Cheechoo, he could be benched and replaced by Donovan or Wicheseter, or if things do not improve send him to Bingo. If he shows nothing this year I would definitely eat the rest of his contract in the AHL so we have the cap space to resign the A-Train. I am not the one paying though.
The penalties the Sens are taking are really mostly the fault of the Zebras. I thought I'd throw this in on a win so no-one could say it's sour grapes. Cheechoo is slow as molasses, but that was not a penalty in any league. Some people look at the penalty total for the game and say "Well, it was pretty even." The only thing...IT WASN'T! Ottawa was moving their feet well and playing clean. Tampa had a lot of players on their bottom 2 lines and on D that were hooking and obstructing without a call. It has been like this for the last 10 games and it's getting quite frustrating to watch. In games 2,3,4 of the season, I saw the Sens get a few breaks and thought this year would be less frustrating in the ref dept. It's been all downhill since then.
If the Bolts make the playoffs by one point...they can thank Kerry Fraser.
Cheechoo: Unless the guy has a season-ending injury, he's here all year. Can everyone just stop with the demotion or trade talk???? No other team will take him under any circumstance. There is no chance that Melnyk will eat the salary by sending him to Bingo. The Sens are too classy to put him on waivers and emabarrass him at this point. He's trying, he's doing what he can...he is what he is. He'll have a few good games, have a lot of invisible ones and even some in the press box. Let's just move on...he'll be bought out in the summer.
Fisher is awesome and tailor-made for Clouston's system. Let's just not get silly and start thinking he has a chance for the Olympics or is regarded as a top player in the league. I think he'd be great on Canada's 4th line, but around the league no-one else thinks so. If the roster was 40 players....sure.
Spezza: This guy is just plain awesome....playing well in all situations. Let all the detractors say their crap, Spezz is the real deal.
Picard: He's doing well...but the more time he spends playing big minutes, the more it gets scary. I sure hope Volchenkov gets back soon. It really does look like he's actually developping, though. He has a good chance at being a keeper.
Carkner-Campoli-Lee: I HOPE VOLCHENKOV GETS BACK SOON!! Lee just looks so shaky....letting great shooting opportunities slide by and always playing tentatively. I sure hope he can bounce back...he was way better when they called him up at the end of the 07-08 season!
Carkner sure has a lot to learn, I hope he doesn't think he's got it all figured out. He's in the wrong place a lot and because he's not very fast he often can't catch up. He's still better than most of 6th defensemen in the league...a real diamond in the rough. His offensive skills are way underrated too. He can move the puck well and has a good shot. For a heavyweight fighter, these are TOTAL BONUS SKILLS!
Was anyone else terrified the game would go to a shootout? Man it sucks when your team is just so terrible at something so important.
I find Cheechoo was alright last night. Sure he took the bad penalty. Sure he doesn't make oustanding plays.
He did however have a few good chances in the third, and looks decent on the 2nd powerplay, and might have actually gotten a couple shots in had players seen him open in the faceoff circle.
He simply is not considered a scoring threat and players need to keep an eye out for him on the backdoor of that powerplay. In the slot he may get his game back and slowly I see him getting a little better. He won the puck on the forecheck at least twice last night.
I agree that we probably will have Cheechoo for the whole year. I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. I think Clouston will continue to work with him on these issues he is having. I see him eventually making his way back to the 3rd if not the second line if he can get the monkey off like Spezz did this game. GO Sens GO!!
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