The Ottawa Senators will host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at Scotiabank Place and look to build on a solid defensive effort in Philly the other night.
Just the one line up change tonight as Alex Picard draws back into the line up and once again Chris Campoli comes out. A little bit surprising considering the improvement in Campoli's game the last little while
Other than that the line combinations remain the same.
Michalek-Spezza-Alfredsson
Foligno-Fisher-Kovalev
Ruutu-Kelly-Cheechoo
Regin-Winchester-Shannon
Brian Elliott gets the nod in goal again.
The Hurricanes lost a heartbreaker in Washington last night so a fast start will be key in this one.
Carolina is expected to go with back up goaltender Manny Legace.
For those of you who haven't checked it out yet I've set up a new blog where we can discuss Olympic Hockey for the next little while.
Hope to see some of you over there...
Here is the link
30 comments:
My guess is that Picard is in because he can play SH and that helps spread the ice time around. Campoli has been playing better, but does not really play SH.
So having both Campoli and Karlsson in the line up leave only 4D to play SH.
PL
Campoli's looked horrible i thought. I dunno maybe its just me
GO SENS GO
I fully expect the boys to come out like gang busters in the first period and jump all over the Canes!
I am looking forward to a bunch of goals tonight!
GO SENS GO!!
hopefully they can keep the defensive game rolling and pop a few in at the same time go sens
Michalek - Spezza - Cheechoo
Alfredsson - Fisher - Kovalev
Ruutu - Kelly - Foligno
Regin - Winchester - Shannon
HOW DIFFICULT IS THIS TO FIGURE OUT CLOUSTON?!
Campoli is caught in a numbers game right now with the number of d-man that we have.
Although he's been playing better, I thought that until he got injured Picard was really stepping up his defensive game and he's tied with Kuba for the highest point-producing D-man on the team.
Looking towards next year, I think I would rather keep Picard than Campoli. I think he has more offensive upside, and I think he will develop better defensive skills than Campoli in the long run.
Campoli would be good trade bait at the deadline as he's a reasonably good puck mover, very cheap this year and on an expiring contract. So long as we get a good return, it would make up for the 1st rounder we gave for him.
I'm also shocked that Campoli is benched for Picard. Maybe taking those two hooking penalties against Philly on thrusday were the reason why Campoli is being benched.
I'm not surprised at all about Campoli's benching. It's simply a numbers game, and Campoli isn't on the right side. Karlsson is a young D man who needs experience, and I don't think Murray or Clouston want to hurt his confidence. Kuba is our #1 Dman, a good two-way guy. Philly and Volchy are great shutdown guys, and Carks brings toughness and is a good shutdown guy as well. Picard is more of a PP specialist than Campoli, with his shot and puckmoving ability. I think Campoli's skating is a bit better than Picard's, but Picard has better Offensive instincts and tools.
We gave up a first rounder for Campoli. If we don't play him, what was the point in acquiring him. He's being bumped by are marginal NHL'ers. I don't see the logic.
The reason why Camps is benched again tonight is because we had brought him in to be a puck-moving D and help to imporve our power-play. Obviously, he hasn't done that as we still contiinue to suck so bad on the PP. Clouston also stated that he has been giving bad turnovers at the defensive zone. So basically he needs to improve both offensively and defensively. But we brought him mainly for the power play offense so he needs to be able to do that as well as playing solid D.
Picard has been turning it around as of late, so he deserves to back in the line up. And he has great chemistry with Carks.
Going to the game tonight - hope we can crush those canes!! C'mon GO SENS GO!!!
Hey Senschirp, do have any comment on this:
http://senshot.com/2009/12/12/deal-done-filatov-bell-for-lee-shannon-and-sjs-2nd/
Would love to see Bell back with the organization...
P.
Hey P-Rock,
I think we have all heard about the CBJ rumours and their interest in Brian Lee but I certainly haven't heard it as a done deal.
Just rumours and speculation as far as I know.
It's obviously not true. Lee is out for minimum 2 weeks. Nobody is going to be trading for him. Especially when he isn't even being showcased at the NHL level at this point in his career. If we want him to have any value he must be playing with the big club and showing he can. Which I think he was before he was sent down.
ok.....didnt we let bell walk for like league minimum? why would we do that and then trade for him.....doesnt make sense
3-0 for ottawa tonight with goals from Cheechoo, Spezza and Kovalev!!! ahahahaha
Both are defensive liabilities at times so call that a wash. Picard offers more offensive upside and kills penalties - so nobody should be all that surprised that Campoli is out. Pretty cut n' dry in my mind.
I'm really lovin' Winchester's game lately. He becoming a nice story.
Go Sens!
Here's a comment. Why would we let Bell walk then trade assets to get him back? That deal is not done and is a dumb one if it ever does get done.
Shannon needs to get top six minutes to be effective...not sure why he keeps getting stuck on the fourth line.
ANON 3:07 - You don't play a guy because of what he's paid or what we gave up to get him. You play a guy if he gives you a better chance to win that another guy. Right now it seems Picard gives us a better chance to win than Campoli (though I'd argue the delta there is minimal).
The talk is the Edmonton Oilers are sniffing around to see what kind of interest there is in defenceman Sheldon Souray, who has a cap hit of $5.4 million for the next three seasons. There are whispers Souray, 32, was offered as part of a package in a four-player deal with an Eastern Conference team
Chirp, could this team be Ottawa?
Brendan Bell?????? For the love of god WHY
Why don't we bring back Randy Robitaille while we are at it....
Hey SC. Anything on spezza selling his mansion on island park?
Last week I posted that I have a feeling Spezza want's out of Ottawa I was thinking that because of his poor play of late, this is much more then a slump I feel, I do know changes go on with players that get Married did any of you read the Ottawa Sun to day ? Spezza just sold his home and when asked by reporters he stated I dont want to talk about it END of decusation. A deal is most likley worked out with a west cost team. this I would guess would be the end of Murray as well.
Hopefully Picard can limit his usual 3-4 turnovers IN OUR END tonight...I agree he brings more to the table on the PP than campoli, but God he's brutal defensively.
Here's hoping for a big game from Spezza...he has 5 goals and 11 assists over the last 3 years against Carolina (12 games).
I'll be more interested in how he plays against Staal/Cullen's lines when he's on the ice with them. Staal has played better of late, so if Spezza is really becoming a 2 way player, maybe it'll show.
Most importantly though, Carolina is brutal this year. The Sens have to win the games they SHOULD while Leclaire's out, and this in one of them.
Oh, and if Kovalev shows up too, that's just gravy.
by all measures, picard is a better d-man than campoli. which makes the atrocity of the mcammond+1st rd pick for campoli+comrie trade look even more worse.
BM is really one of the biggest swing-and-a-miss GM in the league in terms of trading. i dont know, but i think he is just scared of trading altogether sometimes lol
campoli for franson. do it BM. no fan will drive to shawville and egg your house. trust me.
a comment from that link says Spezza has sold his house. Is this true? The one on Island Park Drive that cost in the millions? No way?
btw, when will the organization give Mike Brodeur a chance?
Do you have a Prospect Update chirp ?
so games like that is why we paid kovalev 5 mil.....good that he finally had one....i want more tho
Campoli's improved of late (especially after the first benching) and he's good on the powerplay - but I think that Picard is the keeper out of the group of young D with expiring contracts (Lee, Campoli and Picard).
Picard still makes mistakes, but he's the biggest of the three and has the best shot from the point. He's also really stepped up his physical play as Carkner's partner this year.
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