With the win, the Senators moved their preseason record to 2-1-1 and now head to Newfoundland for the Hockeyville game against the Winnipeg Jets.
The battle for that second line centre position continues to be one of the most prominent in this camp and last night it was Da Costa who looked like the guy that's ready to grab the spot.
He has show a little bit of chemistry with Michalek
Solid, hard working game from Chris Neil last night. He was credited with the tying goal after his pass banked off a couple skates and later converted a Filatov pass for the go-ahead goal late in the game. Neil will be looked at as one of the leaders on this team this year and he looks like he is ready to embrace that role.
David Rundblad was one of the most talked about players heading into this camp but he looks like he is in tough to grab a spot with the big club. While he has improved as camp has moved along, he is still adjusting to the North American game. Rundblad has indicated he's not sure whether he would accept a demotion to Bingo or head back to Sweden but he certainly would benefit from some time in the AHL.
Paul MacLean has a tough decision ahead of him.
The team is expected to announce more cuts when they return from St. John's, Newfoundland. After that, the team will have just two preseason games remaining and will begin to finalize the line up during match ups with the Leafs and Bruins.
I would like to see him make the team but if not, bingo is an extended training camp.
I also think Zibby is going back to sweden, he is getting a taste of what is required but I don't think quite ready.
I think Da Costa has shown he deserves a spot, great vision and good hands.
I want to see Condra make more of an impact, so far he's seemed weak on the physical play and is rushing the shot everytime from a distance.
If it does, please know that we are doing everything we can to get things back on track.
Thanks for your patience.
prospects who are battling for positions.
Cuts will have to be made, but I would be careful in not
making them too early, and wait till last minute, just before October 7, when Sens play their season opener in Detroit !
Rockin Robert
Butler-Spezza-Alfie
Filatov-Da Costa-Michalek
Foligno-Regin-Condra/Greening
Neil-Konokpa-Smith
Extra: Condra/Greening
BB/JS/NFil looks weak defensively and in terms of strength on the puck.
Michalek has never shown any real chemistry with Spezza but might have to be given another try.
The league really wants us to lose the battle of Ontario this year.
Anyway, another nice pre-season game by the sens. It took two periods for Neil to understand that he needs to move his feet to fit in Maclean's system. Love the speed that this team his showing so far.
If not this year, then very soon, this is Spezza's team. Alfie's leadership is now just as, maybe more, important off the ice with so many young guys around.
The guy shouldn't be playing on the top line, he'll be a more genuine threat on the 2nd line now and seeing decent PP time.
He shouldn't even get close to the PK unit now. Coach after coach ran him into the ice, which is understable because the guy was everything to this team. I don't think MacLean makes the same mistake.
Alfie is back from serious injury, going to be 39 this December, and needs to conserve his available energy,
and his legs !
Would love to see him on 2nd line made up from last year's
success, before he had to quit on Feb 7 2011.
Foligno - Regin - Alfredsson
If Regin does not win the 2c, then it might be Da Costa .
Rockin Robert
not sure on the third person with spezza and filatov...ideal ly someone stronger on the puck than butler though.
Get the centre ice package on bell TV, u can watch all 82 sens games! :)
You need to call your cable/sat provider and order center ice. If you're with Rogers, you'll have to pay for the entire "Super Sports" package which is $30/month. I lived in TO for 3 years and we would've died without it!
Also, if you're in downtown TO and looking for a Sens friendly bar to watch a game, look no further than Grace O'Malley's.... http://www.gracies.ca/home.aspx
Always lots of Sens fans in there! It's on Duncan and Pearl, just a block north of King St
So where do you want Michalek? Butler and Filatov need top 6 ice time to be productive in any sense so they'll be 1st or 2nd line players. I see the lines like this
butler - spezza - filatov
michalek - da costa - alfie
foligno - smith - greening
neil - konopka - regin (on the wing?)
extras: winchester, condra
we have a lot of extra forwards in our bottom 6 so it'll be interesting to see if murray makes a deal.. no idea how it will shape up in the end
You do mean Filatov - Spezza - Butler
Second line could be a few combos
Michalek - Da Costa - Alfredsson is one of the few combos.
Guess we need to wait and see who makes the grade ! ??
Rockin Robert
Your close to the way I see it.
Filatov-Spezza-Butler
Michalek-Regin/Da Costa-Alfredsson
Foligno/Greening-Winchester/Da Costa/Regin-Condra
Smith-Konopka-Neil
I watch NHL Gamecenter on NHL.com. I had the Centre Ice package for TV but they still black out most of the games. I find the online system is the only one that gives you almost all the games.
Its quite obvious to everyone that he's been playing terrible hockey the past 2 years and has had multiple chances to redeem himself. If Murray hasn't been able to trade him for the past couple years why keep trying? He has little to no value.
Put him on waivers and send him down on the Bingo bus already..
Answer to your question is all about $$$$
Leafs have too much of it, Sens have lost $14 million last year. That loss is exactly what Heatley got paid for his last season as a Senator : $10 million for the season and $4 Million as his bonus on July 1st, before trade to Sharks !
Kuba is gonna become a 7th defenceman soon !
Rockin Robert
Put him on waivers and send him down on the Bingo bus already..
Unless the Sens are serious about tanking this year, which I don't belive they are, but it would be the only other reason to keep that useless d-bag on the team!
As for Zibanejad, although he's physically ready for the NHL, because he's having trouble adjusting to the speed, I feel as though he's adopted a grinder role/mentality, making him destined for a 3rd or 4th line; not what the organization wants. Baring an improvement, let him go back to the SEL to work his skills and superstar status. That way he won't accept being anything other than a star in the NHL. He doesn't yet have that certain cockyness that goes with being an NHL superstar
With my provider, if I order Centre Ice they hook me up with GameCentre for free. Basically paying $170 for GameCentre and getting Centre Ice for $30.
McKenna,Auld
Cowen, Phillips, Lee, Rundblad, Carkner, Gryba, Karlsson
Alfredsson, Regin, Greening, Smith, Butler, Neil, Parrish, Locke, Cowick, Grant, Dziurzynski, Hoffman, Zibanejad
That could be up to 12 points for the Leafs this season -- not saying they win every game.. but they are put in a situation to.
I know computers pick the schedule.. but I really find it an oddity of every game of the 6 is the 2nd game in a back to back. I can see maybe selecting 3 or 4 games that way.. but every one? Really makes you wonder.
That would put them below the cap floor.. which is not allowed.
Hopefully they put Greening in the lineup to play against his hometown fans. Would like to see Gryba get a game.. sit Carkner.
Rundblad seems to be slowly adjusting. Do you think it would be better just to keep him and let him learn in the NHL? He won't learn anything more in Sweden..
michalek dacosta alfie
foligno regin greening
neil konopka smith
Phillips Karlsson
Gonchar Cowen
Kuba Lee
Anderson
This is your starting line up people.
Missing Condra -- he will be in the starting lineup
Scan up three comments.
Put him at the 3rd line RW, Greening is a LW/C. Pretty easy fix lol.
It will be their 3rd game in 3 nights.
Should be an easy win for the Sens.
It's a tough time of year to unload guys because there will be a number of teams looking to do so.
Dacosta might start in bingo as a first line center for a few months until murray can make a trade or two.
just curious why are you guys saying zibanejad cant play in bingo? he's 18 and an international player, i believe he can play anywhere. chl players are tied to their junior team until they are 20 unlees they make the big club.
i'd rather watch rundblad and zibanejad play in ottawa while making the odd learning mistake then watch kuba and company blow tires and produce brain farts while lowering the teams morale as they blow leads and sink our season.
besides, runblad and zibanejad in the nhl will be able to learn the nhl and be better and more experienced for next season.
cheers!
someone clarified this for us a couple weeks back. it has some to do with the trade agreement with the sel. from what i understood.
ie. if he makes the nhl squad while under contract in the sel. he can play in the nhl (not sure if they buy out the contract or what) if he doesnt make the nhl, he has to go back to sweden and fulfill his contract.
So, what stops the Sens from buying out his contract with the SEL in Sweden, and then sending him to Bingo , for further development ??
Rockin Robert
Im sure someone will chirp in with a more thorough understanding.
This blog from Travis Yost seems to indicate that he can legally opt out of his SEL contract. It doesn't reference anything concrete or give the conditions though.
i believe he would be on a 2 way contract with ottawa, or he would atleast be eliigible to be sent down until 9 nhl games are played without penalty. he should stay and play in Na.
i would also like to see zibanejad/regin /alfredson play together.
while I agree that he should play in N.A. From what I understand, there is an agreement in place between the sel and NHL that stipulates that any player under contract to the sel can only
come across the pond if they play in the NHL at which point the team would buy him out. I believe the only thing stopping the sens from taking zibby over and then not playing him in the NHL is the fact that they'd be fucking the agreement between the sel and the NHL
T-charger watch the games...see the calls...Burke thinks he should have the dirtiest, least penalized team in the league and he does...