Sens Town

Photo Diary: All Star Fan Fest

2012-01-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the another Sens Town photo diary. This time I'm going to tackle the 2012 NHL All Star Fan Fest at the Ottawa Convention Centre for all of you who weren't able to attend, are on the fence to attend or simply don't live in the Ottawa area. So sit back and enjoy a tour of the Fan Fest through my eyes. Enjoy.

And here's what got me into the event. Nothing fancy here. Just a plain old Capital Tickets ticket. I was hoping they would have done something with the All Star logo or something Ottawa, but for $10 I can't really complain. The thing I will complain about is the no re-entry policy. You should be able to come and go all day for the day you have the ticket for, especially with so many people from out of town in the city. I overheard MANY people complaining about this and having to pay twice.

And here is the Ottawa Convention Centre where the fan fest was held. This was my first time in the new convention centre so I was excited to check it out. It looks awesome from outside and the inside is very spacious and easy on the eyes. As you can see it was another balmy day in the Capital.

A banner of all the teams in the NHL that welcomed you to fan fest. This thing was huge and a nice touch to start off the event. It reminded you that this is a league event and not just an Ottawa event. Sometimes it seems like the latter, so I enjoyed see all the teams in one place.

When you walk in the All Star Store in on your left, filled with scarves, jerseys, hats, pucks, tees and tons of other souvenirs you may want to pick up for the weekends. For a temporary store they had a decent selection and the store itself was pretty nice. If you want to make sure you get official merchandise and not fakes that are going around, this is your place.

Here's some of the jerseys they were selling. I'm not gonna lie, I told myself it's a complete waste of money to get an All Star jersey for the weekend that I won't ever wear again, but I got caught up in the event and ended up buying an on ice Alfie jersey. Oops! Oh well, can't go wrong with Alfie right? Speaking of Alfie, he was signing autographs from 2:30pm-3:30pm this afternoon and I was told that people started to line up at 9am and they had to stop people from getting in line at 11:30am because the line was so big, a full 3 hours before he was even starting. That's love right there.

A nice little welcome banner as you enter. It was a nice little touch I thought and there were lots of little details around the venue that made it look very nice. If you go then be sure to keep your eyes out for the details.

And we're off. Up the escalators and into the fan fest. The entrance was nicely done but avoid signing up for the Scotiabank fan pass. It's pointless and a waste of time. Just a heads up.

First up is some love for the hometown team. This exhibit featured the original logo jersey, the first ever game score sheet, game used pucks and the original application book that was presented to the NHL when we were trying to get a team back in the Capital.

An awesome 1920-21 Ottawa Senators World Champions jersey that I wish the Sens Store sold, plus a Patrick Lalime Marvin the Martian stick he was famous for during his time with Ottawa.

A very cool map of where all the booths are located for fan fest in the shape of the NHL logo.

A pretty cool feature is that you can get your own personalized Upper Deck trading card for free, if you buy an Upper Deck product. So it isn't really free. Nevertheless the place was packed with little kids and is a pretty cool souvenir to have.

Look what I came across also in the Upper Deck section. Sens prospect and World Junior OT goal scorer Mika Zibanejad. Hopefully he will be at an All Star Game as a player in a few years. They also had some of Kyle Turris and Colin Greening kicking around.

Even The Daug was getting some love at the fan fest. This time as a future player to watch complete with autograph and a piece of his jersey. Shoutout to The Rooster.

Of course they had to have some Leaf merch too, but Kadri really? He can't even make the NHL. Leaf Nation sure are suckers. I'd take Cowen over Kadri everyday and twice on Sundays. I'd like to point out that there was no one buying this.

They also had this limited edition All Star commemorative card of the Sens Alfie, Spezza and Karlsson, but what about Michalek? Just like at the draft, MM9 is on the outside looking in. Seems like a bad move by Upper Deck.

Ah memories. Remember when we won this as the best regular season team before blowing it in the playoffs? Ya me too. Let's just move on shall we.

Here's the main room of fan fest. It's massive and really nicely decorated. At the back you can see the Stanley Cup and you can have your picture taken with it. There's also lots of games to play like the players will do at the Skills Competition tomorrow night. The lines are long however, so be patient or don't bother.

And here's an example of one of the games you can play. In this case it's the sniper one. The Sens could use some practice on this considering how often they tend to miss the net. I didn't bother playing because I'm an adult and it's more for kids and the lines are long, but if you have kids be sure to stop by. They seem to love it.

The Conn Smythe may have Maple Leaf Gardens on the top of it, but this is still the one of the best looking trophy's there is. Hopefully a modern day Senator will be on it soon.

This is a Canadian Tire money booth where Canadian Tire money blows around you and the more you catch the more you get. Yep, all for Canadian Tire money. So wait in like for a half hour to get yourself 78 cents you can only spend at one store. Seems worth it.

A sight many Sens fans will want to forget. A 50 foot Alexei Kovalev banner to celebrate the rigged MVP award he won at the 2009 All Star Game in Montreal. I heard he was going to come to Ottawa for the weekend but couldn't because there was a warrant out for his arrest for stealing 10 million from the Senators.

Only from a GTA company would a Dion Phaneuf framed and signed photo be worth more than hall of famer Guy LaFleur's.

Call me crazy but booths here shouldn't have half hour breaks. There should always be someone manning it at all times. Especially love the homemade sign. Good job NHL network. Oh they made a play on words with the we're on a tv timeout thing because it was a booth where you can call a game. I see what you did there. Genius!

Another one of the little touches you may notice at fan fest. A frosted All Star Game logo on the rail. They really nailed that logo in my opinion. Love it.

A view of the Rideau Canal and the Parliament buildings all done up with All Star banners on a snowy Friday in Ottawa. Not a bad view eh? You can see the Sportsnet booth on your left where they will be broadcasting all weekend.

The wall of frozen jerseys featuring every single team in the NHL by the Rideau Canal. Due to the weather some were barely visible, but despite what this picture shows, tourists seemed to love it. This would have been awesome to see and very impressive too if I hadn't of already seen it at the 2009 All Star Game in Montreal.

Speaking of Montreal, Sens jersey is nice and visible, while the Habs jersey is frozen and you can barely see it. Seems like the perfect metaphor for their respective seasons doesn't it?

The All Star Game has taken over the city. The banners and excitement around the city is very noticeable and cool to see. Here's a massive banner in french for the All Star Game on the canal on a snowy day.

A really nice banner for the one and only Alfie in front of The Westin Hotel. I'd love a smaller version of this on my wall at home. Looks amazing in person. I hope they keep this up for the rest of the season even after the weekend is over.

On my way back to the car look who I ran into? I know it's from the back but you can still tell who it is. It's the Big Z, Zdeno Chara, flanked Tim Thomas to his right in the hat. Also in the group but not pictured were Marian Hossa, Jofrey Lupul, Brian Campbell, Tyler Seguin, Claude Giroux and Carey Price. They were just walking back to their hotel all together. Pretty cool to see them all get along like that. Seguin was overheard complaining about how a reporter from the US couldn't pronounce his name right all day. It was funny.

Speaking of Carey Price, I have to give him a lot of respect. He stopped and took pics and signed everyone's stuff on the street while on his way to the hotel when he didn't have to. Not all of the players did, but he made a point to do it and be really nice to a Habs fan and his kid. His stock just went up in my books a lot. Good to see the players be good guys. I never tire of seeing that.

And the perfect way to end a day of checking out the fan fest. A frosty cold pint of Guinness to quench my thirst. They also have a lot of legit gourmet food available at the fan fest from real chefs. Think gourmet sliders, poutine and chili type food. It all looked pretty good from what I saw.

So that's the fan fest in a nut shell. There's some good and some bad. It's mostly for kids and there can be long lines at things you may want to do, but for the cost it's definitely worth checking out to feel the vibe of the weekend and maybe get lucky and run into a player or hockey personality. I'd recommend giving it a look if you have the time. The fan fest runs through Sunday night.

Thoughts on the fan fest photo diary?

ASG Rosters Set

2012-01-26T21:48:00.000-05:00

The All Star Draft is now over and the rosters are now set, so all of you wanting all star jerseys can now buy em. Team Alfie has all 4 Sens players and all the Swedes, while Team Chara has all the Bruins and Maple Leafs, so it should make for a passionate game come Sunday.

Alfie also took former Sens netminder Brian Elliott and Sens Army enemy Jason Pominville ( I still hate him for game 5 forever). Former 67 Logan Couture went last overall to Team Alfie.

Thoughts on the rosters?

Your All Star Weekend Partying Guide

2012-01-26T07:55:00.002-05:00

The All Star weekend is way more than just a game. In fact, the game is practically the least improtant thing of the whole event when you think about it. One of the main things many are interested in are the NHL All Star parties taking place this Thursday-Sunday in Ottawa. Rest assured alcoholics, fan boys, puck bunnies, out of towners, bar stars and groupies. I've got you covered for all your weekend debauchery needs.

Thursday January 26th:

Things get underway Thursday with a pair of competing welcome parties. One is at Tila Tequila and one is at Studio/Sky Bar. First off, let's all agree that all three have horrible names. I mean really bad. Ok, now that that's out of the way let's compare the 2 opening night bashes.

Both are in the market so that's no advantage. The Tila one has a generic hockey player on its flyer, while Studio/Skybar has former Gatineau Olympiques Claude Giroux, who is likely to be a finalist for league MVP. On the surface it's massive advantage to Studio/Skybar, but it doesn't mention anything about him actually being there, though I'd find it hard to believe they'd use his face and not have him show.

Tila mentions players coming by as well but no mention of whom. I talked to a girl who works at Tila and she said they are execting at least 10 NHLers there so if you want quantity Tila is your spot. Either one you pick will be fun if you're into that kind of clubbing scene. Think Ottawa's Jersey Shore type. If that's ok with you you'll be fine and rub elbows with some NHLers.

Friday January 27th:

Friday night seems to be the big party night with 5 big one's all on at once. Here's the first 2: one is a concert from someone I had never heard about until a few days ago and one is a party that's trying too hard but will fall flat on its face. The Sheepdogs will play a show at The Great Canadian Cabin in the market for charity. Tickets were only $10 in advance but I guess this person didn't get the memo.

The 2nd party is at Lobby and says it will feature celebrities and UMM models (gloirified club girls). How fabulous. The celebs will be D-list (at best) and the UMM girls will have fake D's, but if you're into that I highly recommend it. Be wary of any party that advertises celebrity guests but doesn't say who. Be ready to be disappointed and be prepared to pop overpriced bottles and deal with pretentious clientele. Sort of like dealing with Leaf fans. Victory in this round goes to the Sheepdogs and I don't even know one song they play.

Here are parties #3 and #4 on Friday night and there's no question which one I'm in favor of for obvious reasons. The Sens own and NHL leading vote getter Erik Karlsson hosts at party at Junxion Public House in the market. The 2 things I noticed on the flyer right away were that they didn't want to pay to use the logo so they made it blank and added a cheesy shoulder patch and that it said Karlsson and friends. Friends, really? What friends are we talking about? Hey man did you get to chill with Karlsson at that party or what? No man, was too busy around him but his video game buddy and me had a nice chat. I even got his autograph. His name was Kumar.

I realize that Marc Methot is from Ottawa and does play in the NHL and all, but let's be real. He lacks at certain star power. 90% of hockey fans wouldn't know him and neither does your average person, so plastering him on a flyer is hardly convincing. Also Union Station is out of the way of all the other parties since it's on Elgin and they used the same flyer for Fri and Sat. What's worse than thinking Marc Methot will draw patrons to your party? Thinking he will do it on back to back nights. I'd pass on that one unless you're trapped on Elgin.

Saturday January 28th:

This one is for 2 bars and is good for 2 nights. For both the 27th and 28th there will be a combined party going on at Industry and Liqour Store in the market as well. It seems that Eric Condra will be there for one night at least according to his twitter. I will tell you one thing that made me crack up though. Joey "Vendetta" Scoleri. Really!!! Really? He looks truly like a man to be reckoned with smh. By the way check this guys timeline out. Could he be a bigger star fucker?

After seeing that and the lamely named Hollywood North I just couldn't possibly give this party a chance, especially when the 2 bars are for 16-just turned 19 year olds but hey that's just me. If you're from out of town or just don't get care, hit it up. Sometimes you just need a place that serves drinks and is easy to get into. I won't judge you. We've all been there. Just joking, I've never been there. Yes I have.

For all you Frenchies or underagers, there's a "party" on the Hull side as well at Le Volt. Love the gangsta "Rep your city" with the unathorized Karlsson draft picture, coupled with the $2 beers WITH a jersey on. Because you know, everyone knows wearing a jersey is proper clubbing wear. Just kidding, I know no one you will go over to that side unless you're 16 or going to a strip club. Le Volt is neither. Please don't go.

Also don't forget that international superstar Marc Method is hosting night 2 at the Union Station on Elgin. If you're lucky you might be able to bride your way in and get a glimpse at him in person.

Sunday January 29th:

80's Sunday nights at Barrymore's is practically an Ottawa institution at this point. If you want to hit up an old style theatre for some synthesizer's bumping and have a good old school time, this might be for you. As it says at the top of the flyer, some NHL players are scheduled to attend but it doesn't say who. Considering you can catch Sens players here fairly regularly I would expect to see some of your home town boys there. It's a bit out of the way on Bank but it's definitely a solid choice. I can vouch. If you're from ot of town come check out the legendary spot on your trip.

And the last party is the big winner of All Star weekend. While many are claiming to have celebs and girls or god knows what else, Studio/Skybar came through with the real deal landing one of the biggest music stars in the world with Drake. He has millions of followers on twitter, a Grammy, 2 platinum albums and a worldwide fanbase, so getting him to host an All Star party is pretty major. The only draw back is the price ($50) and the fact that it will be a complete zoo to get in and have a good time. If that doesn't bother you, come check out the A-list star on Sunday night to wrap on the All Star weekend, if you can make it to Sunday night alive that is.

If none of these catch your fancy then just do your own thing. There's about a million Irish pubs in Ottawa and several Starbucks (1 even stays up til 10pm I hear, does this city ever sleep?), tons of restaurants, martini lounges and a bunch of late night eateries to cater to everyone's taste. In the end, it's who you're with that will determine how much fun you have, not where you're at. If you're somewhere that sucks, it's on you to make it the place to be people. Enjoy the weekend and be safe everyone.

Send in your pictures from the weekend of all the crazyness to senstown@gmail.com and follow me on twitter @SensTown

All Star Draft Stage First Look

2012-01-26T01:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks to reader Sarah for sending this in. Enjoy your first look at what the 2012 NHL All Star Fantasy Draft stage at the Casino Lac Leamy will look like. The weekend is officially here. I hope everyone enjoys it.

Thoughts?

All Star Weekend Photo Bounty Contest

2012-01-25T22:38:00.001-05:00

Well the All Star weekend is finally upon us and everyone from the hockey world will be in our fine city for a few days. There's tons of activities and everyone from the players, to the media, to GM's and former players will be all over Ottawa. So the contest is very simple. It's a bounty on all people in the hockey world Sens Town style.

Whoever gets the best/funniest picture of someone hockey related this weekend wins. It can be you and someone really big like Wayne Gretzky, it can be a reporter or media member drinking at the bar or eating food late night at 4am somewhere and you happen to sneak a shot, or you convincing a current All Star to do something funny with you/for you to win. And extra point if you catch someone doing something they shouldn't or being somewhere they shouldn't. There are no rules. The name of the game is fun and to make me laugh.

Winner will get a brand new heritage jersey and a pair of tickets to an upcoming Sens game, so it's a pretty good prize if you ask me. Send in your pictures to senstown@gmail.com with the subject line ASG Bounty. Happy hunting. Contest closes Monday night at midnight.

Good luck everyone. Make me proud and spread the word. Follow me on twitter for all your All Star weekend coverage @SensTown

Elliott's ASG Mask

2012-01-25T02:22:00.000-05:00

Former Senator Brian Elliott will return to Ottawa this weekend, but this time it will be as an NHL All Star. Hard to believe isn't it? It still sounds weird to even hear, but Elliott got a new mask for the occassion featuring the 2012 All Star logo. To see the rest of the mask click here.

Thoughts?

The Foligno/Smith Video

2012-01-24T23:50:00.000-05:00

Here's the video from the game tonight vs Phoenix where the game tying goal by Alfie was called off after a ridiculously bad call of goaltender interference was called on Nick Foligno. The video says it all. I have no words on how badly they dropped the ball on this.

Thoughts?

Desert Screw Job

2012-01-24T23:46:00.000-05:00

For the third time in three games, the Senators were on the wrong end of some horrible officiating, this time costing them at least a point, and leaving the Sens heading into the All Star break with a three game losing streak after tonight's 3-2 defeat. Not good.

The worst of the bad calls was the Nick Foligno goaltender interference that was just plainly brutal. I have no idea how they called the goal off, let alone had the balls to call a penalty on him as well. It's time for these refs to pay the price for these game changing calls. Its gotten way out of hand at this point.

The whole team looked sluggish, lathargic, and like they couldn't wait to be getting a few days off. It was a very poor effort by a team that has over achieved this far. However, tonight was the Sens 52 game, which is the most played by any team in the NHl so far, which might explain why they are so tired, especially adding in the western conference time differences.

Let's just get ready for the 2nd half of the year and enjoy the all star festivities this week shall we. Not the best reward for all of you who stayed up to watch.

Here is the Arizona Republic's Sarah McLellan's take on the Smith/Foligno incident. If anything she thinks it was Smith's fault.

Thoughts on the game?

Alfredsson Mural

2012-01-24T15:45:00.000-05:00

Yep those are post it stickers made into an Alfie mural in the market. The All Star Game must be getting close. Only a few more days now. The city is getting excited.

California Dreamin'

2012-01-24T01:36:00.000-05:00

Not much to say about this bomb of a game. The Sens played very poorly and definitely weren't helped at all by the refs, who were especially brutal tonight. Let's just pretend it didn't happen and move on to Phoenix tomorrow night. Good to see Neal was ok after that late rough hit.

Sens @ Los Angeles Kings

2012-01-23T19:28:00.000-05:00

This is a big game for me, as many of you know the LA Kings became my west coast team several years ago after a feverish search of the western conference. They only play once a year, unless they both somehow made the finals, so I'm always excited to watch the game as you might imagine. There is however, no question about where my loyalties lie. This is Sens Town after all, not Kings Town. Let's hope it's a good, entertaining game and the Sens get back on track with the W, preferable in OT so LA gets a point too.

So for the Sens there are a couple of changes from the lineup that lost Saturday afternoon in Anaheim. Bobby Butler will draw into the squad tonight, which is somewhat surprising in itself, but even more surprising is that he will start on the first line with Michalek and Spezza. Me and some of the Sens beat reporters discussed that it may be a move to showcase him to draw more interest in a possible trade package. Otherwise we were left scratching our heads. Andre Petersson will sit as a result.

In other roster news, Matt Carkner will sit tonight in favor of Sens Town favorite Mark Borowiecki, who will play is his 2nd career NHL game tonight. Carkner is a great 7th defenceman, but I could definitely see The Boro Cop sticking here for the rest of the year. With Karlsson, Phillips, Cowen, Gonchar and Kuba patrolling the back end, we have some depth for the first time in a long time.

Craig Anderson gets the start yet again, while the Kings will likely counter with All Star netminder Jonathan Quick between the pipes. A reminder that this game is later at 10:30pm eastern time as it is in LA.

Quick note: Dan O'Rourke, the same ref who called Karlsson a diver last game, will also be reffing tonight's game. Something to keep an eye on.

Prediction: Both teams are coming off a loss but both teams have been playing pretty well as of late, so it should be a good game. As always it depends on the play of the 2 men in net and both have been strong this year. I'm excited to watch my 2 teams play, but I see this game being a fun one to watch for everyone. Sens get it done and win 4-3.

Remember if you're up to come join the conversation on twitter throughout the game where I will be live tweeting and commenting. Follow me @SensTown

Thoughts?

NHL Logic

2012-01-23T16:53:00.000-05:00

So after referee Dan O'Rourke refused to give Erik Karlsson the clear call late in the 3rd after he was tripped on Saturday afternoon because he said that he was a diver, what does the NHL do? Do they punish a ref for admitting that he's biased? Of course not. They have him ref the Sens next game instead. NHL logic people. How is this not a bigger story?

Thoughts?

Was Don Brennan The Most Wrong Anyone's Ever Been Wrong About Anything, Ever?

2012-01-23T01:03:00.000-05:00

Three and a half years ago, resident Ottawa Sun scribe penned this lazy, ridiculous gem. As per usual, it appears he was bang on with his assessment. Not only did Karlsson somehow manage to make the NHL, he is leading all defenceman in scoring and was the NHL's leading vote getter for the All Star Game. Just thought I'd pass this along to those who may not have seen it. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Thoughts?

Jersey Foul 89

2012-01-22T15:25:00.000-05:00

Maybe this guy knows something we don't know, because I was always taught that Canada was a country, not a game. I know what he is trying to get across but wouldn't this at least work a lot better on a Team Canada jersey instead of a Sens one? Either way, it's good to be in a Country that gives us the freedom to ruin our jersey like this should we choose.

If you have any jersey fouls or see any send them in to senstown@gmail.com

Pass or fail?

Alfie ASG Jersey First Look

2012-01-20T02:25:00.000-05:00

The other day I let you know first when and where you could get your Alfie All Star Game jerseys before everyone else. Today I give you the first glance at what they look like. Thankfully reader Chris Kardaras was very eager to get one and sent in these photos of the new jersey.

I was on the fence about them before, but after seeing a finished product with Alfredsson and 11 on the back, my opinion has greatly improved. This is the replica version and if you are a season ticket holder, make sure to get it before Tuesday because during the All Star week the 20% discount won't apply. They are also now available at Sports Experts locations as well. Detailed pics after the jump.

Here is the front of the 2012 Alfie All Star jersey with the C of course. It also features the #11 on the side, as well as a small one on the chest, plus the Sens logo and All Star Game logo on the shoulder patches.

The up close captain's C for the Team Alfredsson jersey

The left side of the jersey with the #11, the Senators patch, the stars and the Reebok logo.

The up close view of the small #11 on the chest and the NHL shield.

And the right side of the jersey with the #11 again and the very nice and classic 2012 All Star Game logo.

And finally the back view with the nameplate, numbers and all the other little details that make up the jersey.

So there's your first view of the final product. I have to say, seeing it all together sure looks a lot better than I anticipated and it is definitely a nice piece if Sens history to have for your basement or Sens collection if you have the room and the extra cash to drop on it. Plus you know a lot of people will want to wear it for the All Star weekend too. So if you have an extra $249.99+tax laying around, might be a good way to get rid of it.

So will you buying it or passing on it?

Sharks Suffer Sens Bite

2012-01-20T01:25:00.000-05:00

The Sens rewarded everyone on the east coast who decided to stay up late to watch the game by beating up on a very good team on Thursday night, winning against San Jose 4-1. In typical Sens fashion, we were down 1-0 less than 4 minutes into the game, but Kyle Turris tied it up as he continues his red hot play, before Karlsson gave Ottawa the lead off a nice pass from Turris. To wrap it up, Colin Greening potted a pair to put the game out of reach and give the Sens a very gratifying win to start their western roadie. Craig Anderson was spectacular again, continuing his unbelievable play. On to Anaheim for Saturday night's game.

Other thoughts from the game:

Anderson stopped 36 of 37, spectacular.
Borowiecki was very solid in his NHL debut. Good things ahead.
Sens had some injury problems with Daugavins and Smith leaving the game and not returning.
Look for Andre Petersson to suit up on Saturday.
Gonchar looked good. It was his 1100th game.
Spezza, Greening and Turris all had 2 point nights.
Cowen took some bad penalties. Learning process.
Sens are not in 4th in the east and have the 4th best road record in the NHL.
Luckily Spezza wasn't injured in that ankle on knee McGinn hit.
Sens are 13-2-2 in last 17 games. Wow!

With 37 saves Craig Anderson wins the night. Greening with 2 goals gets VERY honorable mention.

The Boro Cop To Make NHL Debut Tonight

2012-01-19T17:13:00.000-05:00

Very happy to report that Mark Borowiecki, also known as the Boro Cop on twitter and Kanata native, as well as long time Sens fan, will make his NHL debut tonight vs the San Jose Sharks. It's a well deserved promotion and reward for the star dman of the B-Sens. I will be looking forward to seeing him play tonight. Let's hope for a successful debut for the Ktown legend. Congrats Mark.

Thoughts?

Regin's Season Is Done

2012-01-19T15:46:00.000-05:00

Really unlucky forward Peter Regin has been shut down for the year according to the Ottawa Sun and Bryan Murray. Regin, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has been continuously injured since signing a 2 year deal in the summer of 2010, which was coming off a very nice playoff series against Pittsburgh, where many had him becoming a young star. That hasn't materialized and the lack of production combined with all the injury concerns might have him moving on from the team this summer.

Thoughts?

Alfredsson All Star Jersey Available Tomorrow

2012-01-18T18:13:00.001-05:00

Daniel Alfredsson in his 2012 All Star Jersey for the the first time

Now that we know that Team Alfredsson will be sporting the white and red jerseys at next week's All Star Game, many of you have been asking me on Twitter and by email when they will be available to purchase. Well I contacted the Senators front office and they told me that starting tomorrow afternoon they will be available at The Sens Store at Scotiabank Place and at their other locations starting on Friday.

Update @ 7pm:

I have talked to the people at the Sens org some more and there will be a limited amount of Alfie replica All Star jerseys available at The Sens Store at SBP starting at noon tomorrow and more will be made continuously until the All Star Game weekend and they will go for $249.99+taxes, which is at least $50 more than the usual name and numbered Sens jerseys. They will also have authentic on ice All Star Alfie jerseys available next week in time for the weekend and they will retail for $379.99+tax.

All In The Family. Karlsson To Go #1.

2012-01-18T18:05:00.000-05:00

And with this declaration all of Leaf nation is going insane no doubt. Plus with Chara as the other captain, the Leaf players may be waiting awhile to hear their name called next Thursday at the draft.

Alfredsson and Chara Named All Star Captains

2012-01-18T15:15:00.001-05:00

The 2012 All Star Game in just over a week away now and things are starting to get rolling here in Ottawa, so it comes as no surprise that the 2 All Star captains were named today and they are both very familiar to Sens fans. One of course is Ottawa legend and the franchise, Daniel Alfredsson, while the other is former Senator Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins. The draft takes place next Thursday the 26th at the Casino de Lac Lemy in Gatineau. I like the choices personally. Team Alfredsson will wear the white and red, while Team Chara will wear the blue uni's.

Thoughts?

On Sale Already?

2012-01-18T03:10:00.000-05:00

The All Star Game is less than 2 weeks away now and the city is excited, or so I thought, but at a local sports store the 2012 All Star jerseys are already discounted prior to the event. That was fast, record time even but I can't really blame them. All Star jerseys have a limited shelf life and after the event no one will want them. It might be a good time for you to grab yours if you want one.

Sens Comeback To Beat Leafs

2012-01-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

The Sens got down 2-0 early in the battle of Ontario tonight, before displaying the resilience and comeback ability they've shown all year to score 3 unanswered and beat the Leafs in their own building in front of a shocked Leafs crowd. Kyle Turris scored the game winner in his first battle of Ontario, but the unquestionable star of the game was the Sens Craig Anderson, who made 37 stops in the important win. With the W the Sens are now 9 points clear of the Leafs, who are surprise surprise, out of a playoff spot at the moment.

Here's your game winner via Turris:

What a beauty of a shot. We've heard all about his quick release and there it is. Although to be fair, Reimer needs to make that save. Congrats on the GWG Kyle.

Other thoughts from the game:

tough pinch by Cowen on that 2nd TML goal. He'll learn.
I thought Phillips was kind of sloppy tonight again.
I still don't really see why that Foligno hit on Phaneuf was a penalty. He hit his thigh.
The Sens were outfot almost 2-1 tonight. Not good.
Zack Smith was really off tonight. Definitely not himself. He could have had several points.
Alfie's goal with 7.5 seconds left in the 1st was a game changer.
Anderson was unbelievable.
I thought Kuba was solid tonight.
Neil was quiet tonight.
Lucky break that Spezza's stick tipped that 2nd goal in.
That's what great about this team, even when they're out played they still can win.

With 37 saves and the win, Craig Anderson wins the night.

Thoughts on the game?

The Gratchev Show: Entry #6

2012-01-17T01:21:00.000-05:00

Pretty long week here for me. We had practice in Binghamton Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday I was told to report to the Elmira Jackals. I packed up my stuff all day Thursday and made the drive down to Elmira. I moved right into a house with Louis Caporusso, Timo Peilmeirt, and Artem Demkov It was nice to see some of the guys here and got right into the swing of things with games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

It was a great atmosphere to come to as the team had won 9 games in a row. Friday we lost in overtime to the Reading Royals and Saturday night was a loss to South Carolina. Sunday was a 4pm game and we beat Trenton 3-1. Right now there's two days off so I'm just enjoying getting to know some new guys on the team and catching up with the players I knew.

Personally I want to be playing at the highest level possible and that's what I strive for so it wasn't too pleasant hearing that but you work hard and eventually things will work themselves out.

I'll check in next week and let everybody know how the week went.

Finally Finished

2012-01-16T22:44:00.000-05:00

The new finished HD Bell scoreboard at SBP in all its glory for it's debut at tonight's game against Winnipeg. It looks fantastic and was long overdue. I'm glad it's ready in time for the All Star Game. Well done Sens.

Thoughts on the new screen?

Sens Suffer Jet Lag

2012-01-16T22:31:00.001-05:00

The Senators had a nice win streak heading into the game but mailed this one, basically failing to show up until the final minutes of the game, but of course it was too late by then, losing 2-0 to the Jets and being shut out for the first time this season. Every team has a stinker every now and then, so let's hope this was ours and we bring it in Toronto tomorrow night. On to the next one.

Other thoughts from the game:

the no call on the Kane hit to the head of Karlsson was ridiculous.
On the other hand, good to see the team stand up for him afterwards.
Anderson was decent but not great. The L wasn't his fault though at all.
Gonchar looked sloppy all night.
The finished scoreboard was up for the first time, looks impressive. Post coming.
Turris was pretty invisible tonight for the first time as a Sen.
Alfie didn't have a great game but definitely showed some passion.
The anthem singer was AWFUL. Turned out it was Konopka's sister.
No one won the night. Horrile team performance. Let's forget about it.

Thoughts?

Anderson Named NHL's 1st Star

2012-01-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

Sens netminder Craig Anderson has been named the NHL's first star of the week today. The Sens netminder has been lighting up the league with his stellar play as of late, helping the team to climb the standings to a position no expert thought we had a chance to be in. Good goaltending sure goes a long way doesn't it? Congrats to Andy and keep up the good play tonight against Winnipeg and tomorrow against Toronto.

Thoughts?

Blood Bath

2012-01-16T13:12:00.001-05:00

The man in trouble in this video is Sens prospect Ben Blood from the Univeristy Of North Dakota. It seems he didn't care for the way the game ended and took out his frustrations on the Universoty of Minnesota's player while shaking hands. Not the best move but with a name like Ben Blood what can you expect right? To read the full story click here.

I personally think it was unsportsmanlike, but that's about it. It wasn't THAT bad. He was frustrated and angry and did a minor stupid thing. He will pay for it but no need to rake him over the coals for it.

Thoughts?

Push For The Playoffs

2012-01-15T20:16:00.000-05:00

A very cool fan video that recaps the first have of the season and inspires the team and its fans as we make our push for a playoff spot that almost all but the most loyal of Sens fans thought was out of reach heading into the season.

Thoughts?

Huge Win

2012-01-15T03:34:00.002-05:00

Almost Ready

2012-01-13T02:44:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture of the progress being made on the new scoreboard. Looks like it's almost ready to go. A lot of you were asking me about it so here's where it's at right now. It's supposed to be fully functional for the game against Winnipeg on Monday I've been told.

Thoughts?

Really?

2012-01-13T02:37:00.000-05:00

Here's a screengrab from the broadcast of the game last night against New York, in which the Sportsnet panel said over and over again that Ottawa had 4 players participating in the All Star weekend and proceeded to show this graphic. Maybe someone should have told them that Milan Michalek was voted in as a starter as well and that makes it FIVE. Pretty pathetic error to make. Step it up.

Was I the only one who noticed this?

True Story

2012-01-12T23:20:00.000-05:00

This was the front page of NHL.com after the Sens win tonight. Finally someone showing us some much deserved love after knocking off the first overall team on the road by a shutout. Respect!

Sens Take Broadway

2012-01-12T23:12:00.000-05:00

The Senators won a very impressive game in NYC tonight, shutting out the 1st overall NY Rangers at The Garden 3-0. Craig Anderson made 34 saves to earn the Sens' first shutout of the year and his 17th of his career. Spezza had 2 goals, while Michalek tallied again for the 3rd straight game. A great overall team effort to make it a 3 game win streak. On to MTL Saturday night.With the shutout Craig Anderson wins the night.

Thoughts?

Your 2012 All Star Tickets

2012-01-12T00:12:00.000-05:00

Here are your what your 2012 skills competition and all star game tickets look like. I have to say it's pretty plain and boring. I was hoping for more. They could have been more creative and not played it so safe, or at least included a hologram or something interesting.

Your thoughts on the ASG tickets?

Will Former Sens Headline All Star Selections Tomorrow?

2012-01-11T16:41:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is D-Day for the 2012 All Star Game selections. There will be a lot of nervous millionaires tonight, who may tell you it doesn't mean that much to them, but in reality they all want to be selected. Who wouldn't right? For a lot of them it means a bonus in their contract, but more so it's the prestige of being recognized as being one of the best in your profession.

While it won't be a Project Mayhem situation like some of our Provincial neighbors wanted, there should be a bevy of former Sens included when the announcement is made tomorrow. Some expected and one shocker, but that's what makes sports great isn't it.

First up is an easy one. Zdeno Chara patrolled the Sens blueline and was a beast in the NHL, until we decided to chose Wade Redden over him in free agency for some inexplicable reason. Since then he's been named to 5 all star teams and won the Norris and is a lock to be named to his 6th all star team tomorrow. He ranks 7th in defenceman scoring and is 2nd in the league in +/- with a +27. Wade Redden is in the AHL. Thanks Muckler.

Next up is former Sen Marian Hossa, who now plays for the Chicago Blackhawks. The right winger was a fan favorite here during his 6 seasons as a Sen until he was shipped to the ATL for Dany Heatley after a contract dispute. Hossa is an all around player and is currently 7th overall in points with 45 and 6th overall in +/- with a +23. With those impressive numbers and the Hawks tearing up the league, Hossa will also be a lock to named tomorrow.

And here comes the one that NO ONE would have predicted heading into the year. I am of course talking about the one and only Brian Elliott. Has there ever been a less likely all star candidate? Heading into the offseason, I thought his career as an NHLer was done. He was so inconsistent that I thought maybe the KHL or Europe, but the NHL was dead to him.

Instead, he comes out on fire and is 2nd in the league in save %, GAA and shutouts, with an incredible 5 in 21 starts. Add in 15 wins, which is a 71.4% winning percentage and I don't see how he can be excluded from the game. How weird will it be to see the much maligned Brian Elliott back at SBP, but in an ALL STAR UNIFORM!

I more than anyone was always hard on him. I just never thought he was good. Hell I still don't. To me it's just a lucky hot streak that he has shown he's capable of, but the numbers don't lie and Elliott deserves to make the team based on his first half performance. I can't believe I just made the case on why Brian Elliott should be on the all star team. Things I was sure I'd never have to do.

There's a few other possibilities of former Sens or guys from the Ottawa area/ties to the area, but most are far from a lock and it depends how things shake down. There are players like Dany Heatley, Vinny Prospal, Danny Briere and Logan Cotoure, who have outside shots but are unlikely to make it. The other 2 with ties to the area that will make it will be former 67 Brian Campbell and former Olympique Claude Giroux.

We won't know until tomorrow who officially makes it, but one thing is for sure, the game will have a huge Ottawa flavor with the 4 starters plus former Sens and guys who have an Ottawa history. It should make for an interesting weekend, just don't get too attached to a Brian Elliott all star jersey.

Thoughts?

A Must See Goal

2012-01-10T22:17:00.000-05:00

In case you missed Spezza's amazing goal from tonight's game against Pittsburgh, here it is. I'm still not quite sure how he managed to pull it off given the angle. Definitely a special goal, however he did it.

Sens Beat Up Pens

2012-01-10T21:48:00.000-05:00

The Sens lead from start to finish, beating up the Penguins 5-1 for their first ever victory in the Consol Energy Center. The game was a total domination, as the Sens chased Brent Johnson from the net for the 2nd straight game. Jason Spezza scored a ridiculously awesome goal, while Michalek chipped in with 2. Bobby Butler and Chris Neil added the others, while Anderson was solid in what little work he had tonight. The only blemish was the late scratch of Erik Karlsson. Let's hope the injury isn't too bad.

Other thoughts from the game:

Greening was a beast, racking up 3 assists
With the 2 goals, Michalek is now tied for 4th in the NHL with Toews.
Turris had another good game.
Foligno had a great rush tonight.
Penguins looked awful.
Loved Gonchar being boo'd. A little late Pens fans.
Phillips struggled a bit again for me.
Kuba played pretty well yet again. Credit where credit is due.
The Sens remain the only NHL team not involved in a shutout game this season.
2 game win streak.

With 2 goals tonight, Milan Michalek wins the night.

Thoughts?

The Gratchev Show: Entry #5

2012-01-09T21:42:00.000-05:00

dinner by Da Costa

It was a pretty good week of hockey. The team did very well in all the games and won 2 of the 3. On Tuesday it was a typical practice day. We were done with on ice and off ice by 12:30 and had the rest of the day to ourselves. I didn't do too much except hang at the house and cook.

Wednesday we had an optional skate and traveled to play in Adirondack. The guys won the game 4-3 with a late goal by Tim Conboy which made the 3 hour ride back pretty fun. Thursday was another practice day and we began to get ready for the weekend where we had back to back home games vs the Whale and the Americans.

Friday was a great game and the team came out on top 3-1. Saturday was a great effort also but ended up in a 3-2 loss. After the game we went over to restaurant #5 with Frank Lessard, Pat Cannone, Josh Godfrey, and Mike Ratchuk. Had a nice dinner and had a relaxing day on Sunday.

Tonight (Monday) Stephane Da Costa made us dinner and dessert and we just watched a movie.

I will be checking in again next Monday.

-Max

Team Unit Betrays Team Unit

2012-01-09T00:11:00.001-05:00

Blue Jays players and Team Unit members JP Arencibia, Brett Lawrie, Ricky Romero and Casey Janssen at SBP

Many of you may be wondering who Team Unit are. It's a collabo between a bunch of Toronto Blue Jays players and Toronto Maple Leaf players, who support each other and rep the teams of Tdot. But a funny thing happened yesterday when the Blue Jays caravan hit Ottawa. Seems the Jays players smartened up and rocked Sens jerseys instead and then took in the Sens 6-4 win. I applaud the decision.

And here they are again posing with Sens players. Looks like they found out who the best team in Ontario is. I wonder how Leaf Nation will take this?

Comeback Kids. Again.

2012-01-08T20:11:00.000-05:00

Wow! I barely even know what to say after that one. The Sens got off to a quick start, scoring in the first minute and had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before falling behind 4-2 to the Flyers heading into 3rd. But true to form this season, the league's highest scoring 3rd period delivered again, potting 4 in the final frame to take it 6-4 in front of their 14th sellout of the season at SBP, sending everyone home happy.

Other thoughts from the game:

Scoring was spread out tonight with 6 different scorers.
Karlsson was a +5 tonight.
Anderson let in some questionable goals but also made some very big saves.
I thought Phillips struggled. Again.
Kuba had one of his better games, scoring the GWG and making a fine defensive play on Giroux with the man advantage late in the game.
What a hit by Neil to separate the Flyers player from the puck and pass it to Foligno to get the empty netter.
Some sketchy reffing yet again. Seems to happening more and more.
Cowen was solid again. A real darkhorse candidate for rookie of the year.

While Erik Karlsson was a plus 5 tonight, which is remarkable, Kuba wins the afternoon with the game winning goal.. Which is rare.

Thoughts?

Briere 3, Senators 2

2012-01-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

The Senators put up a good fight this afternoon in Philadelphia in what seemed to have the atmosphere and intensity of a playoff game, but ultimately lost 3-2 in OT, thanks to Gatineau native Danny Briere, which completed his hat trick. At least the Sens were able to pick up the point for getting to overtime..

Other thoughts from the game:

Karlsson picked up another 2 points today
Speaking of EK, loved seeing him yell at the ref at the end of the game about the non call icing, even though he was wrong, I loved seeing the passion.
What was Phillips doing on that giveaway for the OT winner? His brainfart moments seem to be increasing.
There were A LOT of sketchy penalty calls today. Refs seem to be getting worse and worse.
JMR dove so much I thought he was a soccer player this afternoon.
I absolutely love Zack Smith's game. Always brings it.
Foligno has been playing chippy as hell the past 2 months. Love it.
Good to see Michalek back in the scoring column again.
Man it was an ugly fight, but cool to see Turris willing to drop em too. Starting to really like him.

With 2 assists, Erik Karlsson wins the afternoon.

Turris v Briere. Yep, You Read That Right

2012-01-07T16:41:00.000-05:00

It was one of the most unlikely fights in years. Kyle Turris drops the mits and so does Daniel Briere? Weird. They're so bad it's good. Enjoy.

Awesome!

2012-01-06T04:30:00.000-05:00

Sens prospect Mika Zibanejad after scoring the OT winning goal in the final of the World Junior Championship last night. An awesome picture for the young Swede. Feel free to caption it in the comments section.

Zibanejad's Golden Goal

2012-01-06T04:03:00.000-05:00

Sens blue chipper Mika Zibanejad instantly improved his season by scoring the OT winner last night against Russia for Team Sweden to give the 3 crowns the gold medal at the World Junior's in Calgary, their first since 1981. Congratulations goes out to Mika and Team Sweden. What an amazing moment for the youngster and his country.

All Star Reaction Video

2012-01-05T14:53:00.000-05:00

How did Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson react when they found out they were voted in as starters to the All Star Game? Watch the video to find out. It's cool to see how happy they were.

Mission Accomplished

2012-01-05T14:37:00.000-05:00

It's official! Four Ottawa Senators players will be in the starting lineup for the 2012 All Star Game here in Ottawa. Alfie, Spezza, Michalek and Karlsson all were voted in as starters for the end of January game. Erik Karlsson was the leading vote getter in the whole league with 940k votes. Congratulations to the quartet.

Thoughts?

Alfredsson Family Portrait

2012-01-04T01:53:00.000-05:00

Many of you had noticed that Daniel Alfredsson had grown his stache long after movember ended, and if you didn't know, it was in order to have a family picture at Christmas time with his dad Hasse and brother Henrik. Here are the glorious results. I have to say it came out pretty well. Long live the stache.

Thoughts?

The Gratchev Show: Entry #4

2012-01-03T00:01:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture from my holiday vacation at home: skating in the father/son game of the Boston Stars Elite team.

Coming back from a little bit of a holiday vacation is tough sometimes because you get caught up in being home and with family and all of a sudden your back and having to play, but that wasn't the case at all with our team. Da Costa's father had come over for the holidays, so he stayed with us all week. He didn't speak much English but it's nice to see players have family here in Binghamton with them, even if it's for a week. Coming back in the first game on Monday night the team won 8-3 vs Albany. I think we need more holiday vacations like that haha.

On Tuesday I had a skate with assistant coach Stirling to get my ankle and body back into shape and get ready to play Saturday night. The team traveled to Adirondack after my skate, where they got their second win in a row, beating the Phantoms 5-2.

It was sort of a slow week with everybody just jumping back into the swing of things. Thursday was another skate for me and the injured players and after the skate I finally went on for a full practice with the team to test out how my ankle felt with contact and everything went well.

Friday we traveled to Syracuse and ended with another overtime win in a very physical game. After the game we traveled back to Binghamton and Saturday was my first game back. I started to feel pretty good and that night I had centered Cory Cowick and Frank Lessard. There was a line brawl that I wasn't on the ice for but was fun to watch.

We ended up losing the game and it was a tough loss but we moved on and just tried to enjoy New Years Eve. We had a team dinner with all staff and coaches upstairs at the rink after the game and then parted ways for the night. I had a great New Years and spent Sunday just relaxing and getting ready for another week.

I hope everyone had a great New Years and has a great week and I'll check in once again next monday.

-Max

Sens Win In OT. Again.

2012-01-02T23:19:00.001-05:00

Stop me if you've heard this before. Daniel Alfredsson scores the overtime winner at SBP off a pass from Erik Karlsson. No you're not going crazy, for the second straight home game, the Captain won it for the Sens in OT with the assist going to EK, who extended his lead in defenceman scoring tonight. Other goal scorers were Spezza and Condra. With the win the Sens moved into 6th spot in the eastern conference. It was our third game in a row that went to extra time. All wins.

Other thoughts from the game:

the Sens had 32 shots tonight but also had 23 blocked and around 20 more that missed the net.
Gonchar sat out last minute. Maybe he's more hurt than first thought.
I've been pleasantly surprised with the play of Turris but he needs to score a goal soon.
Phillips left in the second and didn't return. That can't be good.
Greening hasn't been his old scoring power forward self lately. Is he hurt?
Martin Brodeur fell off awhile ago. He should retire.
Weird to see a fast paced action packed game between the Sens and Devils.
Craig Anderson got an assist tonight, his 4th point of the year. Respect!
Tonight was our 3rd W in a row. It's officially a legit win streak.

With the OT winner for the 2nd straight game, Daniel Alfredsson wins the night

Thoughts?

Chris Neil v Eric Boulton

2012-01-02T22:46:00.000-05:00

From tonight's 3-2 OT win. While we're at it, can Neil please stop self hyping the crowd up after EVERY fight/ If the crowd isn't already cheering for you take the hint.

The Lehner Situation

2012-01-01T21:58:00.000-05:00

At first, reports were that Lehner had gotten into a fight with the officials during the brawl with Syracuse, but as the video clearly shows, it was more a resisting type thing. It still isn't good but less bad than originally thought. It should help him suspension wise but I'd still have to imagine he's getting at least 5 games.

Thoughts?

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy new year. May 2012 be filled health, wealth, wins and salary cap space. Everyone have a great year and thanks for reading as always. I really appreciate it.

-Steve

400

2011-12-30T23:38:00.000-05:00

Alfie Scores 400th In OT Comeback Win

2011-12-30T22:44:00.000-05:00

Was there any doubt that Daniel Alfredsson would score his 400th career goal in style? The Sens got down 3-0 in the first period and Alex Auld was awful yet again, before the Sens snapped back to life and Craig Anderson held down the fort for a 4-3 comeback overtime win off the stick of the one and only Alfie.

Other thoughts from the game:

What a goal by Karlsson to tie the game and awesome to see him so excited for Alfie's 400th.
I thought Brian Lee had a very solid game for him.
Alex Auld was bad again.
While he still hasn't scored, I thought Turris had another decent game.
Zack Smith scored on a very nice shot. He's one of my faves on the team.
Cowen had another quiet but very solid game. Very underrated attention wise for rookies in my opinion.
Foligno had another hard working game. You've go to be impressed with his effort all the time.
Good to see Condra was ok after that potentially dangerous hit.
I thought the reffing was off tonight as well.
Great comeback and awesome to see them compete when they easily could have shut it down after being down 3-0 after 1 with a game coming up tomorrow. Team has a lot of heart.

For a recap from The Citizen's James Gordon click here.

Daniel Alfredsson posing with the puck he scored number 400 with after the game via Stuntman Stu's twitter.

Thoughts?

Sens Ink 2 First Rounders

2011-12-29T17:04:00.001-05:00

Matt Puempel, Mika Zibanejad and Stefan Noesen: our 2011 1st rounders

The Ottawa Senators Hockey Club announced today that they have signed 2011 first round picks Matt Puempel and Stefan Noesen to 3 year entry level contracts. They duo play in the OHL and both have been impact players for their respective clubs. The signings were formalities and look for them to make a stronger impact at next years training camp.

Thoughts?

Team Black Takes Sens Skills

2011-12-29T16:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the Sens annual Sens Skills competition at SBP, an event that raised 75 g's for charity, with team black beating team red by a final tally of 16-13 overall. For the list the individual event results click here.

Scoreboard's First Turn On Video

2011-12-28T18:44:00.000-05:00

New Scoreboard First Look

2011-12-28T13:36:00.000-05:00

While the new scoreboard isn't completely finished, it made its debut last night vs Montreal. It sure makes the sight lines better without the bulky old one there.

Thoughts?

The Gratchev Show: Diary Entry #3

2011-12-26T22:58:00.002-05:00

traffic on Newbury Street

It was quite the week we had here, with a few games and a few days off for the holidays. On Monday night we had a team dinner at restaurant number 5. Binghamton isn't that big of a place, so there's only a few good restaurants and in my opinion number 5 is the best by far, so it was nice to have the whole organization together.

Tuesday was just a practice day and I still had to skate with the injured group. Everyone traveled to Albany for the game on Wednesday. It was a tough game and the last one before the holiday break always is but it's an important one. It was a good effort but the team lost 0-3 to Albany. After the game Stephane Da Costa and I drove to Boston and he went on to New Hampshire so we were both home for the holidays.

Thursday I had to get on the ice at home to keep my ankle conditioned. That night I just had a nice dinner in the north end of Boston at a place called Damiano's, which had amazing Italian food. Friday I did all my last minute Christmas shopping down on Newbury Street in the city. Newbury Street. is famous for its restaurants and shops. Friday night I skated with kids at my fathers hockey school in Somerville, MA. They had a holiday father/son game so I jumped out and it was nice to see how happy the kids were to have there dads out there playing with them. Saturday was a rest day for me I didn't do much except buy a new suit and jacket.

our Christmas tree

My two younger sisters, Gabrielle and Alexandra are 14 and 16 years old, so we spend Christmas together every year. This Christmas was no different. We just got up Sunday and I ran out because I had forgotten a few Christmas cards. Grabbed those last minute and we had just opened presents all day and it was just a great day. Finally I had to drive back to Binghamton later in the day and the holidays were over.

I am practicing with the team on Tuesday and hopefully will be fully recovered by Friday. I'll let everyone know my progress next Monday.

Happy holidays

-Max

Scoreboard Sneak Peek

2011-12-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

Looks awesome doesn't it? Glorious HD finally at SBP. The perfect Christmas present from the Sens.

Thoughts?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T02:50:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to wish all my readers, haters, friends, family, twitter followers and everyone else a very Merry Christmas. Let's all hope Santa was good to you and you enjoy the day with friends and family. Merry Christmas from me to you and thanks for reading every day. That's your Christmas present to me.

-Steve

Foligno Hit

2011-12-22T23:45:00.001-05:00

This was the hit that got Nick Foligno a 5 minute major penalty and a game misconduct. To me it's a clean hit, not even a minor penalty. Do you agree?

Sens Win In Extra Time

2011-12-22T23:39:00.002-05:00

The Senators sent the old scoreboard off properly tonight with a win, in extra time even, as if they wanted an extra few minutes with the outdated but filled with memories screen, beating the upstart Panthers 4-3 in overtime off a lucky goal from the blade of Bobby Butler, that took a serendipitous bounce off Brian Campbell's skate.

In case you missed the game here are your highlights including the OT winner and Foligno call.

Other thoughts from the game:

Anderson was fairly solid tonight
Great line clearing save from Condra
Turris looked solid again to me, even getting the assist on the OT winner
I thought Phillips have a very good, highly physical game
Karlsson was on fire offensively yet again
Alfie had another good game with 3 points
Neil was physical and had 1 and 1 tonight
The 5 and a game for Foligno was an embarrassingly bad call
Campbell dove earlier that resulted in a FLA PP goal. Perfect karma that OT winner went off his skate and into the net on a shot going well wide from Bobby Butler.

Awkward For Charity

2011-12-21T03:05:00.000-05:00

Hilarious unintentional comedic photo by a number of Sens players, plus Cyril Leeder and the staff of Napoli's, where the Sens were at for a charity event that raised 31 g's. The awkward thumbs up and the faces they're all making cracks me. I can't be the only one right?

Sens Quad Up Buffalo In Turris Debut

2011-12-20T22:55:00.000-05:00

The Sens thoroughly outplayed Buffalo tonight, resulting in a 4-1 win. Kyle Turris looked decent enough and got an assist on the Sens second goal, good for his first point in an Ottawa uni. Erik Condra had 2 goals, Karlsson had 1 and Zack Smith had the other in a total team effort. Jesse Winchester suffered a concussion.

GDP #34: Turris Debut v Sabres

2011-12-20T16:58:00.000-05:00

The Sens are back at it tonight after a rare weekend off, as they take on the hated Buffalo Sabres at SBP tonight. Of course the big news of the evening is the debut of newly acquired Kyle Turris. Everyone will be watching to see how he reacts and to make snap judgements after 60 mins of course too. He is scheduled to centre the 2nd line with Foligno at the moment and may see powerplay time as well.

For the Sens Craig Anderson is expected to start and Kuba and Gonchar may be playing as well. Another story line is Marcus Foligno, brother of Nick, will make his NHL debut tonight for the Sabres playing against his brother.

Local Flavor: The much hated Derek Roy is a Rockland native.

Prediction: Sens and Sabers is always a fun game no matter what and both teams are 4-4-2 in their last 10 and only one point separating them in the standings, so it's an even matchup. I say Sens take it 3-2 and Turris gets a point in his debut, while Marcus Folingo does not.

The Gratchev Show: Diary Entry #2

2011-12-19T02:48:00.000-05:00

Max and Santa

Welcome to the 2nd diary entry from Sens prospect Max Gratchev. It is the first one on it's regularly scheduled day after the inaugural entry was on a Wednesday last week. If you missed it click here and enjoy. It got a lot of very positive feedback and praise for Max. It's very cool of him to grant us access to his hockey life and personal life during the season, but also very fascinating. So enjoy entry #2 as Max speaks on Christmas parties, Filatov, another new roomie and more. As always, all the words and pictures are from Max himself.

Some of the B-Sens singing at the Christmas party

With our 4 day christmas break coming up, this week went by pretty quick. Tuesday the team traveled down to Wilkes-Barre and ended up with a 4-2 loss. The injured crew didn't make the trip down, so I had just followed the progress of the game online and hung out. Wednesday was a practice day and later in the evening we had a booster club christmas party. It was a nice event especially when some of the first year guys had gone up and sang "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer."

Stefan Da Costa and I lost a roommate on thursday when Riley Armstrong headed back to Elmira but it made room for Brian Stewart so it ended up being a pretty fair trade. One good guy out and another one brought in. Also Nikita Filatov had left to russia early this week. I had talked to him last when he landed in Moscow and haven't since. We had talked about leaving and an opportunity with CSKA in the KHL but I haven't talked to him since then so I'm not sure about the situation there but it's always sad to see a friend and teammate leave.

Practice at BCC

Thursday the team skated down at Broome Community College because of a Kenny Rogers concert at the rink. The weekend kicked off with 3 games in 3 nights. Friday we won 3-1 at home vs Adirondack. It was a great game and was a well deserved and much needed win. Saturday was a 5-2 loss to Worcester and yesterday the guys traveled to Adirondack and ended up winning 4-1, which made it a great weekend.

Its been tough watching games and practices and hanging back while the teams on the road, but injuries are part of the game and I'm hoping to be able to get on the ice sometime this week. I'm heading back to Boston after the game Wednesday to spend a few days with my family and friends and I'll be back in Binghamton on the 25th. So I'll check back in next monday and update about a few days in binghamton and a few holiday days at home.

-Max

A Conversation With The Arizona Republic's Sarah McLellan About Kyle Turris

2011-12-18T22:57:00.000-05:00

It's been a day since we found out about the Turris/Rundblad trade. Yesterday the reaction was decidedly negative from fans, bloggers and most reporters, but we've had a day to reflect and talk ourselves into it. Some are still unimpressed by the move and some have come around, if only slightly. One thing that's for sure is that Kyle Turris is an Ottawa Senator now and let's all hope it pans out. Once the trade went down and I had time to properly digest it, I caught up with friend of the site Sarah McLellan today, who coincidentally covers the Coyotes for the Arizona Republic in Phoenix.

It was a perfect chance to get an opinion rarely heard in the last few days from someone who has seen him play a ton, has dealt with him on a regular basis, and someone who could give us a legit opinion on Mr Turris. Me and Sarah talk fresh starts, what went wrong, what to expect and more. Read her thoughts after the jump.

Sens Town: So let's start with the timing of the deal. Were you surprised?

Sarah McLellan: Not at all. After being a healthy scratch for two games, it was obvious something was brewing. When a player misses training camp and then the first quarter of the season, he needs playing time to get reacquainted with the game-- not a view from the press box. It was clear adding Turris back into the mix affected the chemistry of the team, something that the Coyotes need to be strong in order for them to be successful. The timing, right before the holiday roster freeze, made perfect sense.

Sens Town: There had been rumors for quite awhile that Ottawa was interested. Did you figure we were the front runners or surprised where he ended up?

Sarah McLellan: I figured Ottawa was in the mix, and a Canadian destination seemed a very likely landing spot for Turris. I had Calgary as the front runner; it can't be long before Flames general manager Jay Feaster throws the towel in on this season and heads down the rebuild path, and I believe the Flames wanted Turris, an up-and-coming center, as part of that process. I still believe the Flames were one of the three teams that made a legitimate offer to Coyotes general manager Don Maloney, especially considering the previous trade history between the two teams.

But Phoenix has enough aging players (likely what Calgary offered), and that's why the youth of David Rundblad made him an attractive piece. I know Maloney was working endlessly to get the deal done on Friday, but I think the second-round pick really put the trade into motion. Maloney is one who loves to accumulate picks. He believes they're great assets, not only for building a future but for trade purposes.

Sens Town: What were your first thoughts on the deal? A huge prospect coming into the season in Rundblad plus a 2nd rounder for a disgruntled semi bust at the moment seems like a lot.

Sarah McLellan: I thought the deal was fair, but I was surprised the Coyotes didn't opt for a forward, namely another centerman. The Coyotes already have a pretty decent defensive unit, but they lack offensive punch. They desperately need a bonafide center, so I thought Maloney would have tried to address that issue with this trade. But apparently Rundblad was the best player offered, so he took it.

Both players are still young, have plenty of potential and are still looking to make their mark in the league. And there's risk on both sides. Obviously, there's doubt surrounding Turris and if he'll ever find his niche and put up strong numbers (I believe he will). On the flip side, no one knows if Rundblad will become that power play quarterback, Sergei Zubov clone that Maloney claims him to be. My hunch is both players pan out for both teams.

Sens Town: Who do you think won the deal right now? Many think the Sens overpaid.

Sarah McLellan: Right now, on paper, the Coyotes won the deal. But I think that would have happened no matter where Turris was sent because he's so unproven, not only this year but in his entire career. He doesn't have consistent numbers, he's never reached a 'wow' plateau with goals or points.

And obviously, he feels some type of entitlement as a 22-year-old. I'm not saying he's a bad kid. In all my interactions with him, he's been friendly and professional. But it's a little baffling for someone so young in the league to pick his route in the NHL. Rundblad will immediately take up a roster spot with the Coyotes, he'll find a role and play steady. That's all the Coyotes expect right now, so they're happy.

I think, from a Senators' stand point, adding the pick is overpaying for Turris, but this deal does not get done without that pick. Welcome to the magic that is Don Maloney.

Sens Town: What's your best guess as to what went wrong for Turris in Phoenix? After all he was the 3rd overall pick just a few years ago.

Sarah McLellan: Turris was a child of the Wayne Gretzky era in Phoenix. He was drafted under Gretzky and first got his start with the Coyotes when Gretzky was the coach. At that time, the Coyotes were making the transition from a relatively veteran squad to one that had 18 and 19-year-old kids in Turris, Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal. The idea was immerse these players in the NHL; that's how they'll learn. But, and the Coyotes-- chiefly Maloney-- have admitted that rushing Turris was a bad idea.

He got a taste of the NHL, struggled at times, did OK at other times, but was super undersized to be playing top-line minutes with Shane Doan. When Dave Tippett took over in 2009, his philosophy and strategy was completely different than that of Gretzky's. Playing time had to be earned; this wasn't going to be a learning process. So Turris spent that first year under Tippett in the AHL.

He played about three-quarters of a season the following year, had a pretty decent playoffs, and then last summer he made outrageous demands to force a trade. I think he felt slighted under Tippett, that he wasn't given a chance. I'm sure he felt he saw no place for him and his style under a defense-first approach that Tippett utilizes, and he wanted to play somewhere where he would get regular minutes regardless of performance. Perhaps Ottawa will give that to him.

Sens Town: What are your opinion on his strengths and weaknesses hockey wise?

Sarah McLellan: I think Turris is like any young forward in today's game. He's crafty, a good skater, quick and can find a good shot. What he lacks is the ability to play physical. The knock on him for years has been his size and while he has bulked up, opponents can play him physical and negate him. He needs to persevere through that, and just keep going like a Taylor Hall or Jeff Skinner does. I think if he becomes more of a pest on the puck and can hang physically with the big boys, he'll really improve his game.

Sens Town: In your dealings with him was he good to deal with or the problem child we all seem to hear about?

Sarah McLellan: In working with Turris, he's always been professional. I've never had a problem with him. He may not be the best quote, but he always has had time for the media. During his rookie year, he even let me interview him about his first taste of life in the NHL and what it was like to live on his own compared to living in a college dorm.

He let one of our photographers from the newspaper go to his house and take pictures with him and his new cookware, and it was a really great look at his life off the ice. Otherwise, he was quiet. He wasn't a vocal voice in the room; he knew his place among the group and he seemed like a good teammate. That's why the contract demands over the summer seemed out of character for him.

Sens Town: What do you think we can expect him to produce here? Most seem to think he will be penciled in as the second line centre, fair on unfair?

Sarah McLellan: I think that's fair to start out with because Turris needs to feel like he's getting an opportunity. He needs the big minutes to feel confident, so that's a great place to start for him in Ottawa. And, I think he'll produce. If he finds chemistry, I don't think it'd be far-fetched to have him tally between 10-15 goals if he plays the remainder of the season.

Turris wants to excel. He wants to contribute and succeed. There's a reason he was a No.3 pick that could have went No.1 at that time. I think he will be a solid player in this league who will be a consistent 20 goal scorer. But it's up to Turris to accomplish that; he has to be happy and committed to his team, and I think he'll give Ottawa a solid try.

Sens Town: Do you think Turris can turn it around? Will playing in a better hockey market/Canada benefit him?

Sarah McLellan: I really do think Turris can find success. During his tenure in Phoenix, he has shown glimpses of really great potential. I think he'll feel more at home in Canada. A lot of players don't like the spotlight, but maybe that's what he needs. Perhaps he needs accountability at every turn, a microscope on him constantly. I think he wants to play in Canada, and I think that pressure might actually make him perform better.

Sens Town: What were the Coyotes management's complaints about him?

Sarah McLellan: His size was always his main drawback. For years, he was too tiny. Over the past few off-seasons, he's bulked up and put on more muscle and weight. Now it's just putting it all together, which he seemed to have trouble doing here. He needs to combine his craftiness and speed with a tenaciousness that won't get him pushed off the puck every time he carries it up the ice.

After the contract and trade demands, I think the Coyotes worried about the chemistry in the locker room. Players will always tell the media everything is fine, he's been welcomed back in, but I think everyone questions that. And it was clear from Maloney that there was no longer a fit in that regard.

Sens Town: Wouldn't it be funny if he ended up on a line with Nikita Filatov, who has a very similar career path so far, now that Filatov may be having to return to North America?

Sarah McLellan: It would indeed be an interesting twist. But I don't think anything would surprise Turris at this point. He's played with Shane Doan on a first line, and he's played limited minutes on a fourth line. And he's not too far off from a stint in the AHL. I think Turris will try hard to find chemistry with whoever he's lined up with.

Sens Town: Make a prediction about how it turns out for him here if you had to guess.

Sarah McLellan: I think Turris will become a strong second or third line center. He'll score around 10 goals, 25 points. The Senators and their fans will like him. But he's streaky, so I would give him time. He might not reach his peak until next year or the year after that. But in the end, I think we'll look back on Turris' career and say he was a very good hockey player. Maybe not great, but a very, very good one.

Sens Town: And finally, what were the Yotes feelings on wanting to acquire Rundblad?

Sarah McLellan: The Coyotes, especially Maloney, seem really, really high on Rundblad. He's already familiar with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, a young Swedish defenseman, so the Coyotes believe there could be instant chemistry there. The Coyotes power play is abysmal, so they really want to mold Rundblad into a PP quarterback, and they believe, in time, he can take on that responsibility.

Really, this was a move to satisfy the future, a future without older blueliners Adrian Aucoin, Derek Morris and Michal Rozsival. And the young defensive core in Phoenix sure is exciting. Keith Yandle, Ekman-Larsson, Rundblad and, in time, Brandon Gormley, who will represent Canada in the World Juniors. That's quite a quartet. And with Tippett's system so structured around defense, stockpiling that area is of prime importance. The Coyotes are excited to see what Rundblad can add to that.

Sarah McLellan covers the Phoenix Coyotes for the Arizona Republic. You can follow here on twitter @azc_mclellan

Thoughts on the her thoughts?

Turris To Wear #7

2011-12-18T13:43:00.001-05:00

It's official. Newly acquired Kyle Turris will take over the number of the player he was traded for, David Rundblad's #7. Just thought I'd pass it on to any of you wishing to be the first with a Turris jersey. Evidence from the Sens roster page.

Sens Acquire Kyle Turris For David Rundblad + 2nd

2011-12-17T16:28:00.002-05:00

The Senators have made a trade for the 2007 3rd overall pick in Kyle Turris from Phoenix in exchange for David Rundblad and a 2012 2nd round pick. In my opinion, not a very good deal. Turris has hardly lived up his hype, only ever having 25 points in a season and 30 games is a little quick to give up on Rundblad, who was one of the biggest prospects in the world heading into the season. Plus we gave up a 2nd as well? Not a fan. Didn't we just learn this lesson with Filatov?

At least he's excited to be here. Then again he had more than worn out his welcome in Phoenix. So if you're counting at home, him being excited about the deal makes one of us.

Here's Murray explaining himself. Take out the name Turris and insert Filatov and isn't it the exact same situation?

Thoughts?

New Scoreboard Video

2011-12-17T02:22:00.000-05:00

New Scoreboard Official: Coming Dec 27th

2011-12-16T23:55:00.018-05:00

Merry Christmas Sens fan. The gift you have long been waiting for is finally coming, as it was announced earlier this evening that the new scoreboard will be ready in time for the December 27th game against Montreal. The final product is in the background and looks nearly identical to the pictures I posted months ago when I broke the story exclusively. There will be a comparison post coming soon and if you are interested in the actual specs of the new screen, all the info will be after the jump on this post.

Features of the new scoreboard:

It cost 5 million dollars
It was a joint project between the Sens, Bell and Panasonic
It will have 4 sides HD screens
It will also have 2 LED rings
The new HD screens will be 331 square feet each, instead of the 75 square feet each one is now
There will be 2,170 square feet of total screen viewing. They currently have 300 square feet only
It's the largest scoreboard that is possible to hang up at SBP

Thoughts?

Sens Beat Pens

2011-12-16T23:49:00.000-05:00

The Sens got back in the win column tonight, winning a wild one against Pittsburgh 6-4 with several Sens having very big nights. Rookie stay at home defenceman Jared Cowen had a goal and 3 helpers, while Jason Spezza 2 of each to vault him into 3rd overall in the NHL scoring race. Erik Karlsson also had a big night with 3 assists and #11 had a goal and 2 helpers as well. Alex Auld was his usual subpar self but all's well that ends well and the Sens got the important 2 points.

Nice Duster

2011-12-16T04:26:00.000-05:00

Jason Spezza cardboard cutout from SBP sporting a sweet Paul MacLean type stache. Happy Friday.

All I Want For Christmas

2011-12-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

If this became a reality, I would be ecstatic. Schenn is exactly the type of high end forward prospect we so desperately need, as well as being able to shed some salary for next year in Gonchar. With Pronger out for the year and the Flyers being serious Cup contenders, let the rumors begin.

All Star Doppelganger's Confirmed

2011-12-15T00:45:00.001-05:00

It was a week ago where I exclusively let everyone know that the 2012 All Star Game jerseys in Ottawa would be a copy of last season's in Carolina. Several hockey site's like Puck Daddy and Icethetics picked up on it, but were careful not to definitively say it was true, which I can understand for obvious reasons. Well today it has been confirmed that what I had up is indeed true, as this was spotted at The Sens Store at Scotiabank Place on Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins. More pics and proof after the jump.

This is from the Reebok Store upstairs at Scotiabank Place. As you can see all the Sens jerseys, plus jerseys from all the other NHL teams with the 2012 All Star Game jerseys featured in the middle. Although only the blue one is visible in this picture, the white one's were behind them and available for sale.

Here's an up close picture of both jerseys, so you can see that it was indeed this years version, complete with 2012 Ottawa All Star Game patches, and not leftover's from last season. This is also from The Sens Store at SBP, as you can see by the Senators home jersey to the left of the blue jersey.

And one more final shot to put it all together. In the shot you can see these were for sale at The Sens Store inside the arena, the jerseys themselves, and the 2012 Ottawa All Star Game patches on the jerseys that confirm the NHL is going with the same jerseys from last years game in Carolina.

Thoughts?

Mark Stone Makes Team Canada

2011-12-15T00:01:00.005-05:00

Shout out to Sens prospect Mark Stone, who yesterday made the final roster for Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championships in Edmonton and Calgary. The tourney, as always, starts on boxing day. Congratulations to Mark. Sens Army will be watching.

Carkner vs Lucic

2011-12-14T12:02:00.002-05:00

The Carkner/Lucic fight from tonight's game. A couple of big boys going at it here. I'll call it a draw.

The Gratchev Show Diary Entry #1 by Max Gratchev

2011-12-14T00:16:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the very first ever entry of The Max Gratchev Show. It's a weekly diary entry of Binghamton Senators player and Ottawa Senators prospect Max Gratchev, as he chronicles the life of a hockey player and gives us an inside look at life as a pro athlete. This inaugural entry in on a Wednesday, but there will be a new entry every Monday after this, starting this Monday. So sit back and enjoy as Max talks about football, the B-Sens, getting new roomies and more through his own words and photos.

Tailgating at Met Life before the Bills-Jets game

It's been a pretty eventful past 2 weeks here in Binghamton. 2 weeks ago we had our rookie party. Me and some of the boys decided to go to the NY Jets game. We left Binghamton at 630am and got to MetLife stadium at about 10am and had burgers and hot dogs until the game. It was alotta fun and it was a great day for us as a team to get to know each other better.

Our view from the seats at Met Life Stadium

The Jets-Bills game was awesome. We had the grill going and the football was thrown around a bunch. The game itself was amazing. I had a bet down on the jets so i was rooting for them. There was a pretty controversial TD celebration that was aimed towards Plaxico Burress which was all over ESPN the next day.

Riley Armstrong was the usual great locker room guy, Josh Godfrey got some jets color face paint going but had a Bills jersey on so who knows who he was rooting for and Wacey Hamilton was a little tired and slept through the game but the Jets came out on top in the end. The trainers made the trip down with us and it was just a great day with all the guys.

Me and Stephane Da Costa eating some home cooking.

After the trip I finally settled down in a house in Binghamton and moved in with Riley Armstrong and Stefan Da Costa. It was nice having our first home cooked meal together after living in a hotel for the first 2 and a half months of the season.

After that we had a good road trip where we played vs Wilkes Barre, Worcester, and Connecticut where we won 2 out of 3 games. The team has had a lot of injuries lately but everyday were improving and getting better and different guys are stepping up. On the road trip, Worcester was close to my families home so I got to go home for a few hours and have a home cooked meal which every player enjoys when being away from home for so long.

Last Friday Patrick Wiercoch had a scary injury when a puck hit him in the throat. We all play the game hard but you never want to see another player seriously injured, so our prayers have been with Patty since the injury and everyone can't wait to have him back in the locker room.

I also Suffered an injury last game and am out for a bit with a high ankle sprain. So I'm going throw the ice back on my ankle and I'll have an update next week.

Thanks

-Max

Thoughts on the first entry from Max? And remember to come back on Monday for the next entry.

The OT Winner

2011-12-13T22:36:00.000-05:00

Cowen Scores OT Winner

2011-12-13T22:22:00.000-05:00

The Sens took it 3-2 in overtime tonight, the winner being scored by rookie Jared Cowen, on a nice pass from fellow dman Erik Karlsson. Unufortunately the NHL's leading goal scorer Milan Michalek left the game and didn't return. One step forward, two steps back.

Announcement: The Max Gratchev Show

2011-12-13T18:53:00.001-05:00

I am very pleased to announce that Sens Town will have a new feature starting tomorrow, as Sens prospect and Binghamton Senators player Max Gratchev will be doing a weekly diary feature that takes you behind the scenes the life of a professional hockey player trying to make the NHL. It should be very interesting to track his season and progress, and will include hockey updates from the team, personal stories of him and the other players, and photos of the week that was in the life of Max.

You will recall that Max did a great interview on Sens Town a couple of months ago and if you missed it go check it out, it's a very interesting read. The Gratchev diary entries will start tomorrow and then be every Monday after that, so be sure to come check it out.

The first entry will include getting new roomates, dealing with an injury and a road trip with some of the guys to an NFL game with photos, so make sure to spread the word and enjoy seeing the world through the eyes of someone hungry to make their dreams become a reality.

Follow Max on twitter @MaxGratchev93 and me @SensTown

Thoughts?

GDP #31: Sens @ Buffalo

2011-12-13T15:42:00.000-05:00

Busy today so this will have to do as far as GDP's go. My bad.

Prediction: Sens fall 3-1.

Wiercioch Discharged From Hospital

2011-12-13T14:04:00.002-05:00

Binghamton defenceman Patrick Wiercioch has made some progress since being hit in the throat with a puck on Friday night against Norfolk, as he has been released from the hospital and will be recovering at home. No word yet how long the recovery may take or if this will have an impact on his hockey career. It seems everything is quite tight lipped at the moment but very nice to see him doing better. Good luck with the rehab Patty.

Anderson's New Bucket

2011-12-12T15:20:00.000-05:00

Craig Anderson got a new mask for our heritage jersey setup that shows our history and celebrates our 20th anniversary season. Not yet clear if he is only wearing it with the heritage or this is his full time mask but either way it looks awesome. More pics after the jump.

I absolutely love this side that prominently shows our proud history and features the old school goalie, as well as the cool world champions patch and lists off all of our cups. Very well executed with the 20th anny logo on the chin for the current touch as well.

The same side but on an angle. Every time I see this beauty it looks better and better and reminds me that we need to make the heritage jersey our permanent one starting next year. Even Leafs fans like the heritage jersey.

And finally the back with the usual punisher logo and his name and number. Not sure what the JTA stands for me but I'm gonna guess it say it's the initials for his new child. If anyone knows feel free to send it in.

Overall this is one of the best goalie masks I've ever seen. It's about as close to perfection as you can get if you ask me.

Thoughts?

And Just Like That, He Was Gone

2011-12-12T10:54:00.001-05:00

One of the worst kept secrets in hockey came to fruition this morning, as the enigmatic Nikita Filatov is heading back to Russia to play in the KHL. I'm not going to devote a huge piece to this decision as it will undoubtedly be played out by the time it was up, and let's be honest, there isn't that much to talk about really. We wasted a 3rd round pick on a guy with tremendous upside and it didn't work out. No biggie.

On a personal note, I still don't think he was really given a fair shake here in Ottawa. The organization said all the right things but then only gave him 88:22 of playing time before ending his time in the NHL. Seems kind of pointless and if you ask me, he deserved the ice time as much as Bobby Butler or Stephane Da Costa did.
It should also be noted that the Sens assigned him to the KHL, which means they retain all their rights contractually with Filatov.

Thoughts?

Teenage Dream

2011-12-12T00:24:00.000-05:00

Gotta love a teenage Brad Richards posing awkwardly on his bed with an Ottawa Senators Alexandre Daigle poster behind him. At least Alex has one prominent fan. Brad's hair sure looks feathered and lethal.

The Legend Turns 39

2011-12-11T02:06:00.000-05:00

A very happy 39th birthday goes out to the one, the only, the captain, the legend, the franchise Daniel Alfredsson, who in 1972 was born today in Gothenburg, Sweden. As a birthday gift, remember to vote for him as much as you can for the upcoming all star game. Bonne anniversaire Alfie!

Wiercioch In Serious Condition After Puck To Throat

2011-12-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

B-Sens dman Patrick Wiercioch started his night playing hockey but ended it in the hospital after taking a clearing attempt to the throat against the Norfolk Admirals. No word as of yet on his condition but it was a very serious injury that could apparently affect his hockey career and his life, so let's hope he recovers fast and it isn't as bad as it first appears.

The Binghamton Senators released this statement:

“The Binghamton Senators can confirm that Patrick Wiercioch is resting peacefully and his being evaluated at the hospital. There are no further updates on his condition at this time.”

All Star Event Schedule Released

2011-12-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

Milan Michalek Is Your New NHL Goal Scoring Leader

2011-12-08T23:14:00.000-05:00

With his 18th goal tonight, the Sens Milan Michalek took over the NHL goal scoring lead. We all saw that coming right? Michalek only scored 18 goals all of last season in 66 games and has never scored more than 26 in his career. Congrats to the winger, keep it up. Amazing what being healthy finally can produce isn't it.

Thoughts?

Konopka v Fraser....Takes Over NHL PIM Lead

2011-12-08T23:06:00.000-05:00

This was quite the tilt between Sens tough guy Zenon Konopka and Ottawa native Mark Fraser. After the fight Konopka was pretty unhappy with something. It couldn't be his new status of NHL PIM leader could it? This wasn't the pairs first rodeo however. Evidence and video after the jump.

As you can see, as a result of the Fraser fight, Zenon Konopka is the new NHL penalty minutes leader and also has 2 more fighting majors than anyone else in the league right now. Congratulations, I think?

The also battled last season when Konopka was a member of Long Island.

Thoughts?

Sens Choke Away Lead, Lose In Shootout

2011-12-08T22:48:00.000-05:00

The Senators looked great for 2 periods tonight, before having one of the worst 3rd's in recent memory to fall to the New Jersey Devils in a shootout. Ottawa was up 3-0 and cruising before giving up 4 unanswered goals, including 2 shorthanded one's to go behind 4-3. Jesse Winchester saved the day, scoring with 4.9 seconds left in the game to rescue a much needed point, but the game has to be considered a disappointment regardless. Alex Auld remains win less this season and made zero saves in the shootout.

Other thoughts from the game:

Sergei Gonchar left the game in the 2nd and didn't return, making it even more likely that Carkner will suit up Saturday for the first time this season.
As a result of the Gonchar injury, rookie Jared Cowen played 31:42 tonight. Unbelievable! I thought he had maybe his best game as a pro.
Big fight between Zenon Konopka and Ottawa native Mark Fraser.
With his 18th goal tonight, Milan Michalek took over sole possession of the NHL goal scoring lead.
Nick Foligno scored a beauty again. He has 10 goals now this season. Impressive.
Alfie scored again too. He is clearly not his old self anymore but proves he can still contribute.
Alex Auld struggled again tonight. Not all of the goals were his fault but he never really made the big save. Including not making a stop in the shootout, though the first shooter Kovalchuk missed the net.
Parise showed what an all around player he is again tonight. I know many Sens fans are hoping he lands in Ottawa this offseason. I can't see Jersey letting him go.
Sens chased Marty Brodeur from the nets after the first. He never plays well against us for some reason.
Rundblad had a very weak attempt in the shootout.
Zack Smith was very quiet for him tonight. Fatigue perhaps?

Picture of the night is Chris Neil after taking a rough high stick to the face. It resulted in a lot of blood and a 4 minute powerplay for the Sens. It's been a rough couple of days for the Sens vet hasn't it?

With 31:42 worth of ice time tonight and being a +1, as well as being just a solid all around player, Jared Cowen wins the night for the first time.

Thoughts on the shootout loss?

GDP #29: Sens @ Jersey

2011-12-08T16:33:00.000-05:00

The Senators are in New Jersey tonight to take on the Devils for the first time this season after dropping the game last night to the Capitals. The Sens who closed out November winning 5 of 7, are just 1-2-1 to start December, so they will be looking to get things back on track tonight. With last night's L, the Sens dropped out of a playoff spot as well.

In injury news, Matt Carkner joined the team in Jersey but won't play yet, but is expected to play here on Saturday against Vancouver. No other changes to the lineup and when Paul MacLean was asked if Filatov might be coming in for Bobby Butler he said "No".

The starters will be Martin Brodeur for Jersey and for the Sens, Alex Auld gets his first start since November 20th in Van City.

Very interesting to see this little tidbit. Hope they make it up to us.

Local Flavor: Ottawa native Mark Fraser is a devil and so is former Sen and fan favorite Anton Volchenkov.

Prediction: It's hard to predict these games with New Jersey, but with u splaying last night, traveling, and facing a team who can move into a playoff spot tonight with a win, I can't see us getting the 2 points unless it's in a shootout. I would love to be proven wrong however. Devils take it 2-1.

Spear-ited Effort

2011-12-08T03:39:00.000-05:00

Here is the play in question from last night in which Ovechkin clearly spears Chris Neil. He may have exgerated a bit but no question he did do it after Neil cleanly hit him I might add. If you can believe it the refs gave Neil a penalty for diving. Pathetic.

GDP #28: Sens v Washington

2011-12-07T16:28:00.001-05:00

The Sens are back at it tonight, looking to beat another Southeastern opponent and making it 2 wins in a row as they take on the Washington Capitals for the second time in five days in the battle of capital cities, but this time it's at the friendly confines of SBP. The Caps beat the Sens in OT Saturday, so Ottawa will be out for revenge against a struggling team who is just 3-7 in their last 10, compared to the Sens who are 6-2-2 in the same time period.

Craig Anderson is expected to start again tonight for the Sens, while I would imagine that Thomas Vokoun would be in goal for the Caps. In other injury news, Matt Carkner will play tonight for Bingo and will join the team in Jersey tomorrow but will not play. There's a chance he suits up Saturday at SBP vs Van City. Filip Kuba has been placed on IR with a left shoulder injury from a hit against the Jets and will be out 3-4 weeks. I can't say I'm shocked. Who's tougher, Leclaire or Kuba?

At this point I haven't heard of any other lineup changes, which means it's likely that Filatov will watch from the stands in favor of Bobby Butler again. The big news for Washington is that Backstrom, Semin and Ovechkin will play together tonight, which of course could be big trouble for the Sens. Ovechkin hasn't scored in his last 5 games at SBP however.

Local Flavor: Once again former Sen Brooks Laich will be in the lineup for Washington.

Prediction: The Sens have played well against Washington this year, but haven't got the results. Tonight may be their time to pick up the points finally, though Washington, who is fighting for a playoff spot at the moment, will be on their best to get the 2 points as well. Ottawa breaks the mold and beats the Caps 4-3.

The 2012 All Star Game Jerseys Are So Last Season. Literally.

2011-12-07T00:06:00.008-05:00

Sens Town exclusively got ahold of what the All Star Game jerseys will look like for the 2012 game here in Ottawa, and I have to say they're very uninspired. They are almost identical to the one's used last year in the game in Carolina, which weren't very popular from everything I've heard. It appears the only difference is a few minor touches on the sides. The jerseys aren't available on NHL.com as of yet but I am told they will be available soon at Scotiabank Place.

So what do you guys think?

21 Years Ago

2011-12-06T00:09:00.001-05:00

21 years ago today, on December 6th, 1990 in Florida, Bruce Firestone and the city of Ottawa were awarded an NHL expansion team. They would be called the Senators and would return to the NHL after nearly 70 years. The idea was hatched over a game of shinny hockey between Firestone, Cyril Leeder and Randy Sexton. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have a the world class hockey we now get to watch regularly. Needless to say we owe them a large thank you. 21 years ago today, it was a good day to be a Sens fan. Cheers to everyone involved in the bid.

A friendly reminder of that day 21 years ago. If you don't get a bit dusty, you're not a Sens fan.

Thoughts?

Sens In Conference C, Everyone Is Confused

2011-12-06T00:04:00.001-05:00

In case you haven't heard yet, late last night the NHL came up with a complete new format seemingly overnight. Gone are the 4 divisions and 2 conferences and in are 4 new conferences. Two of the four new set ups will have 8 teams each, while the other two will only have 7 teams each. The Senators are in what's being called "conference C" at the moment, and are one of the 7 team conferences. Basically they took the current Northeast division and added the 2 Florida teams. No word on what the conferences will eventuall be named as of yet.

The way it works is the top 4 in each of the 4 conferences now make the playoffs, which will make up the 16 playoff teams. Then for the first 2 rounds of the postseason, the teams in your own conference play each other to determine a champion and then go on to play the other conference champions. Every team in the NHL will also play a home and home against each other every season now.

My first thoughts were this is way too radical of a change and honestly feels pretty gimmicky. Couldn't we have just moved Detroit into the east and Winnipeg to the west and just let things be? No reason to have changed the entire format of a league with such tradition. As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Thoughts on the new changes that take place as of next season?