(UPDATE 12:18 PM)- In a surprise move, the Senators have added Shean Donovan to the line up in place of Chris Campoli. Very impressive comeback by Donovan
The Ottawa Senators will get a boost tonight with the return of their starting goalie, Pascal Leclaire. Leclaire has missed the last 17 games with a fractured cheekbone but is finally ready to return against the defending champs in Pittsburgh.
The good news doesn't stop there for the Sens as they will also get Chris Neil back from his knee injury. Hennessy was sent down yesterday to make room for Neil. Few changes in the forward combinations, including Jonathan Cheechoo getting a chance to play with Fisher and Kovalev.
Michalek-Regin-Alfredsson
Cheechoo-Fisher-Kovalev
Ruutu-Kelly-Neil
Donovan-Winchester-Shannon
Should be interesting to see how the refs react to the Senators latest campaign against the officiating. Murray was on the phone again after another clean night from Sens opposition. It was the third time this year that the Senators have gone a full game without a power play.
Complaining isn't likely going to get the results they are hoping for but what else can they do at this point?
The Senators are of till the 26th and return from the holiday break with a game against the Sabres in Buffalo. I'll be live blogging this one for theScore.com, so you can expect the link a little later today.
SensChirp on Twitter
Olympic Hockey Talk- GOLD RUSH
46 comments:
When will the Cheechoo experiments ever end?
I wish Murray would stop whining, its not going to help, in fact it will probably only make things worse.
Regin on the first line?!? Why not give Kelly a shot? He performed well a few years ago when Spezza went down.
TM
Great news with Leclaire and neil. Can't wait for tonight, Happy holidays everyone!
I like the combinations for tonight. Hopefully, Cheechoo can show some chemistry with AK27.
Just wondering, have u heard any news with volchancov and resigning / trading him?
Wow...Volchenkov***
Regin's a skilled player, maybe this works.
Good to have Dono back! Well done man!!!
Donovan looked good at the skate on Monday morning, not too surprising! good to have him back!
"Anonymous said...
I wish Murray would stop whining, its not going to help, in fact it will probably only make things worse."
It cant get any worse, there is no way in hell the Bruins went penalty free last game, I saw atleast 2 sure calls.
And if it does get worse than the refs are biased and that is a big no no. The NHL will take alot of heat for this if this is the case. It proves that refs do decide the outcome of games and that they do infact have favorites and teams they just plain dont like.
To greater news, Leclaire is back and hopefully ready to lead us back to our winning ways!
Dono and Neiler back too, thats like opening your gifts on Xmas morning!!
SM
Good for Cheechoo, he's working his tail off and deserves a shot.
Huge shock on Chum getting back this quick. Awesome news that Neil is back too. Now, if we can just get Foligno healthy, drop Shannon to healthy scratch status, all of a sudden that's a solid front to back team again. :)
i like regin on the top line, i think regin has good skill and can do fine on the top line. lets hope he keeps his confidence up. the kid seems to have confidence issues when scratched/put on lower lines.
impressive comeback by dono. very very impressive. that should give us three solid lines outside of the first line, and who knows if regin shows up big time, it should be really good.
This is good. Hope Cheech gets a few games with Kovie. As for Regin...certainly skilled. But maybe a bit small for 1st line centre. But hey! Not like Spezza is known for using his size.
Anon @ 12:00,
If refs did their jobs and called the game evenly. You won't hear Murray "whining".
Im pretty sure we will see kelly on that top line if this doesn't work out with regin.
I think this situation is to Ottawa's advantage to try Kelly on that top line and if it works out we can trade him at the deadline when spezza comes back. Kelly played great a couple years back when spezza, fisher and vermette were all out with injuries. It will just be a matter of time before we see Kelly on the top line.
Anon 12:00. What you consider whining, most people would consider as a proper move that any good GM would make to ensure that his hockey club has a fair and even chance to put points up on the board every night. It shows not only the fans, but more importantly, the players that Murray has their back, that he is passionate about HIS club, and will do whatever it takes from his end of things to ensure victory, which in my experience, is the goal in professional sports.
Huge boost for the boys tonight, dono is a beauty and he's been missed along with neil. Don't expect Snoop to be his best, i think he'll need a game or two to shake some rust off, gonna be a huge game if we can pull out the win and go into the holidays on a high!
I'm wondering if Donovan wants to have a talk with Cooke, just saying.
gunter
Can anyone tell me what this idiot is on about?
Any of you even heard of this, looks to me that he is the one that wants it done.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/30186-THNcom-Blog-Phaneuf-for-Spezza-a-dream-deal-for-Senators-and-Flames.html
SM
Would you prefer that Murray just sit idly on his hands? As one of the most respected men in hockey, (don't care what all the knowledgeless haters would say) Brian Murray's voice carries A LOT of weight, not only as an executive, but, also because of the fact that he is #6 ALL TIME in wins as a coach in the NHL.
"If refs did their jobs and called the game evenly. You won't hear Murray "whining"."
If they call the game evenly they AREN'T DOING THEIR JOB.
Their job is to call infractions they see according to the rulebook! If, in their vision, a team hasn't gotten an infraction then they haven't, period.
Calling games "evenly" is tantamount to fixing games...come on.
A little nervous here about Leclaire, not a fan of his at all but he is the #1. At least the very capable Elliott is his backup.
Don't care much about Donovan being back as it means Jason York and his guest will be gushing over 'chum', ugh.
Neil will be a huge boost though.
Hang on Snoopy, Snoopy hang on
Hang on Snoopy, Snoopy hang on
Snoopy will play in a dirty old Steel town
and the Penqueenies will try to put our Snoopy down
Snoopy we don't care, what your daddy do
Cuz you know Snoopy, we're all in love with you
and so I say now
[EVERYBODY SING]
Hang on Snoopy, Snoopy hang on
Hang on Snoopy, Snoopy hang on
Kelly has no future on the top line.
Regin "MIGHT" - now's the time to find out.
All the quotes I have seen recently from Murray, Clouston and Alfie were far from "whining". They've been politically correct in simply questioning how it can happen three times to one team. All it's doing (IMO) is exerting a little pressure on the refs to make sure they don't miss any calls agaisnt Sens opposition - which can only help.
GREAT to see Dono back. Also think Cheech deserves a shot with Kovie and Fisher. Kovie needs room and Cheech will drive the net and create some room. Fisher can't always do that with his other duties as center. And Regin is as good a choice as any to try the "top" line - if he can find the groove he was in early this season he'll do great.
And to top it all off, those look like the best 3rd and 4th lines one could imagine (though Neil and Dono might need a game or two to get the rust off).
Go Sens Go.
Campoli is going back to the blue line right? not a healthly scratch?
HHHHMMM!
So the Big Bad Bruins are now a team full of Lady Byng Trophy candidates ?
Stranger than fiction.
I'd rather see Regin as top line centre for now. He has more speed and skill than Kelly.
Do you guys agree?
Train, train Cheechoo train,
The Sens are gonna win this game.
Chee-choo .... yeah ... Chee-choo!
#41: 2 minutes for being AWESOME!
@ Anon 1:14.
I agree with you that Elliott is a very capable back up.
Nothing more.
SM
Hey everyone and SC,
I LOVE THE LINEUP! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!
Sorry, had to get that out of my system. The lineup looks so sexy tonight, I hope Ottawa completely OBLITERATES the pens tonight.
Regin on the first line makes sense on so many levels. The kid is quick and he wins faceoffs like its nothing to him. I cant say enough good things about Regin, he's made Fisher a scoring machine this year.
Cheechoo! Its about time! Finally they gave him a chance on the second line, i can almost guarantee that he will score tonight or have a high +/-.
SO stoked, dispite the fact that ticket prices have dropped, I think this game will get ALOT of deserved attention. LETS KICKASS TONIGHT GUYS!!
GO REGIN GO CHEECH GO DONO GO SNOOPY!
GO SENS GO! GO SENS GO!
-Carlos!
Good to have Neiler and Donovan back. It should add some grit and depth to our squad. Glad Leclaire is back too. Hopefully Cheech can get something going with Fish and Kovie. That would be really awesome.
JC, any word on how Spezza and Foligno are progressing?
http://insidemanhockey.blogspot.com/2009/12/rumored-team-canada-working-roster.html
FISHER ON THE LIST... HE COULD MAKE TEAM CANADA... 'ATTA BOY!!
Anon @ 1:14,
Let me paint you a clearer picture about my comment. When I said if the refs did their jobs and called the game evenly. It means the refs shouldn't have double-standards when it comes to calling penalties.
SM Why post The Hockey News trash on here. Why the hell would the Sens even want a declining D-Man who seems to come with a ton of baggage? We already acquired one player with personal issues and look how that turned out.
Not only that but the Sens need Spezza. They need him now and in the future. He also has the ability to dominate when he plays his best game. Unless we were trading him for another number one center who can do the same it would never ever happen in a million years.
Can we please just trade for Cam Barker? I want Cowen, Karlsson, Barker, Wiercioch (potentially), Phillips, Volchenkov (if re-signed) as our D next year.
That would look great. Can't wait to watch Cowen at World Juniors!
Campoli will be in the press box according to the Sun.
http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/2009/12/23/12252876.html
Defensive pairings will probably remain unchanged.
Love this cheechoo deserves this hard work ... Are second line should be are first line !!!
GO SENS GO
man
we have to be the most unhappy fans in ALL of the NHL.
we aren't happy when BM 'supposedly/apparently' sits quiet (trades etc.)
and we aren't happy when he gets vocal or "supposedly/apparently" active (official complaining to officiating etc.).
let the guy do the job, 30+ yrs in the league and still going. there has to be something substantial behind it all. he laid the foundation for detroit's dominance which continues to this very day, he laid the foundation for anaheim's cup win and resilience which showed up last night against colorado.
just be happy for once guys that with the at-times irritating inconsistency this team has endured and the injuries its taken and not to mention the very obvious abuse by referees, it still sports a above .5 record, is holding 7th place in the east within earshot of 4th place atleast. and add to all that the facts that kovalev only has 7 goals, alfie has only 9G, spezza has only 5 and is injured, cheechoo has only 3.
this is a good team and it will only get better and better. regardless of skill and talent, these guys are atleast playing hard every game and thats what matters most right below winning.
HERE'S TO SKINNING SOME PENGUIN TONIGHT FOR THE SENS!! lol don't call PETA on that, i dont hate penguin the animal rofl.
A phone call to the league after another Justin St.Pierre reffing fiasco...a coincidence I think not. Hopefully St.Pierre is put on a very short leash.
Dono is BACK! Crash and Bang time!
Regin is good and all but he is not 1st line center material, sure he wins faceoffs vs other 3rd liners. Lets see how he does vs the best.
@ BeJamin
That what im saying, this guy Bortollo is an idiot, he's the only one who thnks this would be a great trade, haha!
And Cheechoo wont score tonight, you wont even notice him. He will fall atleast 5-6 times tonight though!!
SM
you kidding sm. cheechoo is a helluva damn workhorse out there. You dont need to like certain players styles of play, but to just not aknowledge the obvious is ignorant or shows you dont understand puck. ur a joke.
FINALLY!
Cheechoo has deserved a spot in the top-6 for a while now...he's been playing great (not point-wise, but just a good solid game) and I think having him on a line with Fish and Kovy should get him going. I definitely prefer him on the 2nd line over Regin or Foligno.
Way to go on the quick comeback Dono! The energy he brings combined with Neil's should really help spark the team.
Hopefully Leclaire is not too rusty and can give us a solid performance too!
I have a good feeling for tonight!
GO SENS GO!
Hey I actually got a pair of these free tickets people were talking about last week... I guess they do exist!
If Murrary call's the league that's fine, but Clouston needs to keep quiet. He's too young to start questioning the establishment already, if he doens't watch it he's going to get the rep as just a cry baby whiner which could stick with him for the rest of his career. Not too mention the fans around the league just think it's whining and makes the team look bad overall. Clouston made a rookie mistake when he answered a loaded questions at the press conference.
Carlos
Regin has 5 assists all season. Fisher has spent the vast majority of the year playing with Kovalev and Foligno so unless Regin has been blowing the puck into the net from the bench he's not the one helping Fisher.
Kovalev might not be for everyone and we might all whine about his lazy days at the office, but Kovalev is the reason that Fisher has more space on the ice and Kovalev is the biggest reason Fisher has upped his scoring.
@ Carlos
"Cheechoo! Its about time! Finally they gave him a chance on the second line, i can almost guarantee that he will score tonight or have a high +/-."
So now do you see why he doesnt get top 6 minutes, Cheechoo is a bum, he proved it tonight again by being invisible and -1.
So I guess you should stop trying to predict things, you look like a fool!
SM
SM - dude, you're either an idiot or a douchebag. Cheech was fine tonight. Had some chances and created some space for Kovie.
Don't hate man, don't hate.
Post a Comment