In a year with a condensed schedule its quite strange that the Senators would have a full four days off between games this early but thats exactly what happened. Ottawa returns to action tonight when they host the Predators at Scotiabank Place.
The Predators are coming off a loss last night to the Bruins so Ottawa should be able to pounce on a tired team early on.
Clearly Cory Clouston is not a reader of SensChirp as he will pull Shean Donovan from the line up tonight to make room for Peter Regin.
Donovan has played well in his role and will certainly get another chance in the near future.
There were whispers that Jason Spezza would be out of the line up tonight but Brent Wallace has confirmed that Spezza is fine and will play this evening.
Pascal Leclaire will get the start vs. the Predators.
64 comments:
Does the move by Clouston mean that the only change from past lineup will be Regin on line with Ruutu and Kelly ??
Totally surprised that Elliott is not starting in goal.
Guess Clouston wants Leclaire to be starter in order to be ready and sharp against the Bruins on Saturday!!
What's the latest scoop on Kuba ??
Robert Cyr
Regin will skate on the third line with Foligno and Neil.
Shannon will take Donovan's spot on the 4th line.
Im trying to get to the bottom of this Kuba injury but they are pretty tight lipped about it. He did skate before the team this morning.
Its a light schedule this month, but have you seen December??? 17 games!
I agree SC, I would've pulled out shannon, not Dono. I guess they figure Dono is a pro, and can take it, and they dont want to ruin Shannon's confidence. SeanDon is a great guy to have on this team, even if he is only occasionally inserted into the line-up.
However, I think it is silly to not put together a third line of Regin Foligno and Shannon. Foligno and shannon have worked well in the past with a fast hardworking center (fisher). I have not been a fan of Neil in the last few seasons and was upset with his resigning. I will admit so far I am wrong though, he is playing well. I just think Shannon is wasted on the fourth!
Thoughts?
Your 4th line should be all Johnny Hustle, with SIZE and SPEED....Shannon is a good player but Donovan is a much better 4th line winger...IMHO.
not sure why Leclaire is in, perfect time to give Elliot some ice time and save Leclaire for Saturday.
SENS should still go after Cogliano-Edmonton still shopping him around. They want a big centerman(Bass or Kelly+another player and the 2nd pick from San Jose). He'd look good with Foligno-Regin(Regin could play wing).
SENS should still go after Cogliano-Edmonton still shopping him around. They want a big centerman(Bass or Kelly+another player and the 2nd pick from San Jose). He'd look good with Foligno-Regin(Regin could play wing).
I'm sure he's only dressing Shannon so he can help QB the PP. If Kuba gets back soon then you'll see Shannon sent down or sit when everyone is healthy.
Anyone else not sold on Picard? I know plus-minus is good but it just seems he creates to many turnovers...he also blows at keeping the puck in during a the PP...I want Lee to get a shot.
Hey SC any word on how the boys look down in Bingo? Anyone tearing it up?
JoeDoggs
Leclaire's had 4 days off, he needs to get back in there before Saturday to get his groove back after a longer wait period than a starting goalie should have. I'm pretty sure he's well rested to play 2 games in a row, everyone shut up about it.
I don't think the decision is based on who is playing better, or subjective assessments like deserves to be in the lineup: I think the Shannon over Donovan decision is based more on the specific matchup with Nashville. Shannon will bring more offensive potential, and spreading out the skilled guys against a porous Nashville defense is a good strategy. Also Shannon is involved with the powerplay (as long as Kuba is injured), so he's in.
I also expect to see Donovan in the lineup against the more physical Bruins.
I agree with anon1157 AM, that Leclaire should be in to warm up for the Boston game on Saturday !!
He is our #1 and needs to play often. I would compare him to the Devils goalie Brodeur, who plays a lot of games, and his backup sits on the bench for at least 80% of the games !! I did not say that he was as good as Brodeur !!
Robert Cyr
Anon 11:57
YOU shut up instead, fool.
Donovan will probably retire by Christmas - depends on what they do with Richardson for assistant coach. Alfie will make the final call as he does with all things Donovan.
We should try to do a counterclockwise wave tonight - I don't think it's ever been done. Would be great achievement for the fans.
Donovan is yet another slug elevated to godlike status here in Ottawa due to media adulation.
He likely wouldn't crack a real contender's lineup.
This is a good decision by Clouston, who seems to be rounding into form.
What are your game predictions tonight Sens fans?
I'm going with a 3-1 Sens win.
It really is time to move kelly. I know I know, he does a lot, but we have guys on the roster that do a great job on the PK etc and make a whole lot less money. Kelly+Campoli for Cogliano or a Dman? Sign me up.
Anon 12:16pm
I love you, let's cuddle.
Anon 12:25 should give his head a shake (better yet, a simple slap upside the head wouldn't hurt him). Dono is real good value for the money and is an energy guy for the line.
Sens for the win 5-0. Cheech gets his 1st.
Scientist said...
We should try to do a counterclockwise wave tonight - I don't think it's ever been done. Would be great achievement for the fans.
Are you out of your mind, you will cause a blackhole.
I think I read some-where that Clouston said Elliot would get the start next Wednesday against Florida.
No - u keep Campoli - he will be great trust me. Just get Cogliano like I said earlier -too many bodies anyways - have to make room and Edmonton wants to move him(I think he's a good little player).
Hey Chirp, not sure if you've seen or posted news on Zubov lately, but they've sent him temporarily to Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL.
http://www.binghamtonsenators.com/news/topnews/index.html?article_id=435
I'm ok with Clouston playing Leclaire over Elliot; perhaps Elliot gets the nod against Boston who haven't been playing that well. Leclaire's never faced Boston in his career and Elliot's never faced Nashville.
Leclaire (3-6-0) vs NAS
Elliot (0-0-1)Shootout Loss vs BOS
Prediction for tonight's game against Nashville:
Ottawa 5 Nashville 2
Go Sens!
I predict a low scoring game. Ottawa winning by 1.
2-1.
NO, Elliott will play against Boston. It is a daring, but solid move by Clouston to get in the head of the struggling, injured Bruins.
I think it's genius.
JoeDoggs,
I'm with ya. I'd also like to see Brian Lee. I think that he's better than Picard, but he's just not getting a legit shot to prove it.
Rizzo,
Kelly's extremely versatile. He's a glue guy. He's the type of guy we won't appreciate until we don't have him. I would not trade him for Cogliano.
Kelly can play anywhere. Cogs should be a second line center. We have Spezz and Fisher already, and Regin pushing. Cogs is a waste a on the third or fourth line. He doesn't fit on our team. On top of that, he's another midget. We need size down the middle.
Tim Murray was on the Team 1200 and hinted that Kuba's injury was hip related (if not the hip than some other part largely influenced by the hip). He also thinks his return is imminent.
Scientist and Anon 12:25: Those are back to back moronic comments about Donavon. He deserves all the credit he gets whether it be from fans OR the media. And Stanley Cup contending teams need players like him. In the long stretch, it's the Travis Moen's, the Sammi Pahlsson's, the Andrew Ladd's, the Dan Cleary's, the Maxime Talbot's that make the difference.
And as for the criticism of the atmosphere at Ottawa games (as defined in your "reverse wave" comment), the only people truly whining about the atmosphere are the people who think the atmosphere at the Bell Centre is best. You know, the atmosphere where fans boo their own team and cheer for the opposition? Where the fans chase their superstar goalie out of town? Fans in Montreal and Toronto have been at the forefront of their own demise...
But I bet you get real excited when they pull out the Master Blaster...
question for thought. If Spezza is injured, don't you think we should let him sit out a couple to heal. If he sits the next two games it will provide him with 10days free of play. Now who do you put in Spezza's spot if he is not playing... Regin?... Shannon?... Kelly?
I can't WAIT for this game to start. Its been such a rough week with midterms everyday!!!!!!!!!!!
ARRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHH I NEED MY DOSE OF HOCKEY. I did watch the Van vs Chi game last night which was pretty entertaining, but other then that...I haven't seen a good game in too many days. Buf/Flo was horrible last night, so was Bos/Nas.
I am really surprised at how we are seeing the standings as kind of tight yet I find that most games are often one-sided. The higher tier teams are real entertaining though.
I expect tonight to be a strong puck-possession game by the sens. It would be wonderful if they could stay out of the box in the 1st and keep the forecheck up while minimizing turnovers...I know thats been the game plan since game 1 but they still seem to have trouble getting out of the zone sometimes, depending on the D pairings. I expect Picard and Karlsson to have a good game, hopefully silencing some critics.
GO SENS GO!
Shannon is needed in case Spezza cannot play the entire game.
With regards to playing Shannon over Donno, of course Donno is playing better so far at this stage than Shannon. That said, Shannon is by far the better all around player and so I think he should be playing as you gotta think down the road.
again, yes donno is playing well, but you have to try and get shannon going (you cant give up on him this soon) cause when he is going as we saw last year he is a very good player
Who do you want playing for us down the road in spring when it really counts , Donno (a role player - yes they are important but we have plenty) or a confident shannon.
While I'm not surprised in the least by Clousty's decision to play Shannon over Donno (way to go clousty) I am a bit surpirsed he is on the the 4th line as I think he is better suited for either of the top 3. If you want to get his confidence back, 4th line isnt really the place. But 4th line is better than in the press box at least.
about time spezza and cheechoo get their first of the season !!! GO SENS GO!!!!!!!!
Leclaire should be starting every single game unless we are in a back to back game situation or a very tight schedule with only one day rest between each game for extended periods of time.
He is a #1 goalie people...we dont need to Gerber/Emery or Rhodes/tugnutt them.
Hey Scientist - how about a reverse wave, where everyone is standing to start, and you sit down, then stand back up again when it's your turn. That would be awesome.
Sens will win this one by five. Leclaire with his first shutout, Spezza with two, Fisher, Regin, Campoli with one each. Giddy up.
To: Blood Red Army
Source?
Dave Young at 11:30 mirrors my thought EXACTLY.
"But I bet you get real excited when they pull out the Master Blaster..."
I actually get more excited when they put it in.
Anonymous at 1:31
You don't pay 2mil for a glue guy. And let's not jump and say fish is a 2nd line centre just yet, he does look good so far this year though.
Leclaire should definately get the start tonight, he's been sitting on his rump for a while waiting for some game action. Elliot will get his chance when their are some games closer together to give Pascal a rest.
JoeDoggs 11:53 am :
Martin St.Pierre 4g 6a 7 games
Ryan Keller 5g 3a 7 games
Cody Bass is horrible 1 assist and -10 rating
Brian Lee 1g 3a -3 rating
I'll keep this quick:
Leclaire starting to "tune up" for Saturday makes sense. Starting Elliot to "get in Boston's head" is not a good reason.
I'm okay with Shannon over Dono - depends mostly on how Shannon is feeling etc. Down the road, Shannon is the guy for sure but I'd be okay with Dono being rewarded too. Coin flip maybe.
Spezza would sit I'm sure if he needed it - but by watching him play it seems likely that he's just sore from playing physical for the first time in forever.
Go Sens Go
Elliot will play FLA or TB game... likely TB
Something to remember here for people debating who to play and who to sit out:
It's a long season. Clouston should be thinking long term and if sitting a guy so he can heal up (Spezza for example) is necessary, then he'll do it I'm sure. Same goes with sitting a guy who's playing well (like Dono) - if he feels he needs to get Shannon going and that Dono won't suffer from sitting out (which he won't being a veteran) then that's the right call too.
With respect to Spezza, maybe Clouston wants to see how Spezza reacts to having to tough it out a bit. If he gets banged up in a playoff series he'll have to play so maybe Clouston wants to use this experience as a test and so Spezza can draw on it later.
All well and good to debate here of course (we've all played with line combos), but when it comes down to it you have to believe the coach has more info than any of us.
Joke of the day:
What's the difference between the Toronto Maple Leafs and a triangle?
A triangle has 3 points
GO SENS GO!
Leclaire will start tonight and saturday. He's our #1 and he can't be fatigue, he had all year off what with the injury and the rehab. He should be able to play 78 games this year.
D Filip Kuba (hip/groin/pelvis) skated prior to the team on Thursday morning. Will miss his 7th game tonight against Nashville.- TSN
Now that's what i call a lower body injury.
Ok, I'm not usually one to come out and mock other teams' misfortunes, but these leaf fans really need to get a clue.
As I'm browsing through my normal hockey sites and reading the game previews for tonight, I seem to be reading more about leaf fans comments in my sens articles then anything else.
What the hell guys? Focus on your problems before you start whining about our 'easy' schedule. Two words to you damn haters, EAT IT. Thats right, I said it, eat it and enjoy watching our success this season.
I have no shame in being an Ex-leaf fan (Corson/Tucker/Domi did it for me). But its high time you wake up and smell the roses. you have a terrible ownership group throwing money at 'expert' GMs (Nonis and Burke) who can't get a clue about which way is up. Your GM begins the season with hopes of having a rebuilding year, then trades two 1st rounders for an injured star who has NOBODY to play with. Yea, good job...
THEN, when questioned about said trade he exclaims "We wanted to make this move because we want it NOW, not later".... HELLO!!! NOW IS NOT IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER MORON.
I expect Burke out by February, to give some time for the next guy to get organized for the deadline.
I could go on for hours on this topic, unfortunately I have to get ready to go cheer for a WINNING team, notice I said CHEER, not BOO.
Idiots.
/end rant.
HIGH FIVE NICK!
John, if the difference between the Leafs and a triangle is that a triangle has 3 points, I guess you could say that with 1 point, Toronto's having its period. :-)
John, if the difference between the Leafs and a triangle is that a triangle has 3 points, I guess you could say that with 1 point, Toronto's having its period. :-)
I think Chum Donovan just doesn't get any respect...this guy is a great value at 600K. I think this is a way to try and get Shannon back on track, after getting his brain rattled in NY and then throwing him in as a centre where he hasn't played since he was little (because he's so much bigger now...LOL!)
As for the goalies, Clouston has said Elliot Moose will get one of the two games this week, so look for him against Boston. I think it just means that he has tons of confidence in his backup and Boston is less scary with their slow start and players lost to injuries and trades.
Wow I can see why Zubov left this team has two may canadian forwards who really can't play with Shannon
Putting Shannon on the fourth line is kind of rediculous would rather see him play in Cheechoo's spot and put Cheechoo on the fourth line
Picard is brutal, he's scored on us, and he's a -2, and the first period isn't even over yet. What a champ. Let's trade this douche.
Oh look at that Preds score again and who's on the ice?! PICARD! -3 and just over 10 minutes into the first,what a beauty.
so it's 3-0 but Picard has 2 goals and an assist. I say this of course sarcastically but so far Picard has had two go off him and in then he gave the puck away for a two on one. On said two on one the puck bounced off Carkner and in. Oops?
good god. 3-0 already. murray better get off his ass and get on the phone, this team is brutal.
Haha winning team
what an ugly first period
Picard with 2 goals and 1 assist, best game of the year by far! Oh wait........
well after last night's game maybe they will bring lee back up. too many mistakes for picard last night.
good thing i waited 1 sec left i was pissed
Exciting game. No give up buy the Sens after an absolutely brutal first 2 periods.
BILL MCCREARY
My god - when will he hang up his skates. The guy is a complete embarrassment to the game.
Cheechoo should be sent down, I know murrays head is on the block over this trade and well it should be, We have some good players that would help this team win But we keep playing 41 because of BM job. that's not right. If we send him down does he come off the cap anyone know?
@ Dean:
I seriously hope Murray wouldn't make an illogical snap judgement like you seem to be making -- based off a total of 2 periods of hockey. Use some common sense please in the future, Dean.
@ Anon 10:27:
He can't send Cheechoo down, so stop asking for it -- it's an impossibility, regardless of whether or not you would like Murray to do that. Again, use some common sense, Anon.
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