While one player returns, Ottawa will be without one of their most consistent players so far this season. Chris Neil will not dress for this one as he nurses an ankle injury he suffered the other night against the Rangers. He is not expected to play in either game this weekend.
For Ottawa, the margin of defeat has been extremely narrow over the course the last three loses. Each time they have lost by a single goal and will look to return to their winning ways against a division rival.
Meanwhile, Buffalo has won three straight, including a shootout decision over the Sens last Saturday. Most recently,the Sabres topped the Jets 6-5 in OT in a game that saw the usually steady Ryan Miller give up five goals on just 31 shots. Miller has struggled in the early going this year and at times as fallen victim to the boo birds on home ice.
Jhonas Enroth is expected to get his second straight start against Ottawa.
Expect special teams to be key in this one as the Sabres come in with the 9th ranked power play and sit second in the league on the PK at 92%. Ottawa's power play still sits fourth in the NHL but has cooled off a little bit as of late. Having Alfie back should help with that.
Greening-Spezza-Michalek
Foligno-DaCosta-Alfredsson
Daugavins-Smith-Condra
Konopka-Winchester-Butler
Kuba-Karlsson
Phillips-Rundblad
Cowen-Gonchar
Puck drops on this one just after 7:30 PM. The game can be seen on SportsNet and TVA and is available on the radio at The Team1200. If you are looking for a stream, I suggest you keep an eye on the comment section as one often pops up in there.
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On November 11, it's important that we all take pause to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of this great nation. The freedoms that we as Canadians enjoy on a daily basis, exist because of the brave men and women that fought and continue fight in the name of their country. Remembrance Day is the date on the calendar when we remember those fallen soldiers but our gratitude should carry on all year round. Lest we forget...
As well as Michalek has played, I'd like to see Alfie inserted back on the top line tonight, just to give the team a different look.
Greening-Spezza-Alfie
Foligno-Da Costa-Michalek
Like I said, just for a different look for one game, try it out. I hope you're reading this Coach Maclean lol
Maybe our Power Play will kickstart itself, and give us a much needed positive lift to put the puck in the net !
GO SENS GO !!!!!!!!!!!!
Room for improvement yes, but thrilled at the look of our future blueline with the play of Karlsson and Cowen too.
I really think Karlsson, Rundblad, and Cowen all have the potential to be top pairing guys in this league. We haven't had a legitimate top pairing dman since Redden and Phillips started to go downhill, and since Chara was traded.
I wonder if Murray is already working on an extension for Karlsson. I'm sure you would have told us if you heard anything Chirp, but is there any word on what's happening with his contract negotiations?
Yeah, apparently that is when he got hurt, according to MacLean.
They are calling it an ankle injury. Seems strange if it was that knee. Anybody recall if Neil came back after that collision?
Now I think we have offensive dmen on lockdown, we really need to work on finding Defensively responsible replacements for Gonchar and Kuba. I think Gryba and Borowiecki are those replacements.
I've lost track of who plays on what side, but I hope next years pairings (by some miracle we trade Gonchar) look like this:
Cowen-Phillips
Lee-Karlsson
Gryba-Rundblad
Borowiecki can be used as a dman or forward and brings in a huge toughness factor.
traded??? Chara was an ufa...there was no trade. And the sens knew as soon as the rope and doped hossa chara wasn't resigning
Nothing on Karlsson yet. League rules say that anyone on an ELC can not sign a new deal until January 1.
Dear Johne,
Don't worry, Konopka's presence is being felt in the dressing room. Showing guys how to cheat on faceoffs and being a voice in the room. He doesn't complain when he is not playing and is a good vet to have on the team. Worth keeping in my books.
I liked the signing for our face offs and toughness but it seems we are playing hockey more than fighting these days.
With our young guys the way they are playing makes him not as relavant.
I am not dissapointed with his play but not WOW either.
I would prefer Filatov had his ice time, even on the last line, Filatov Winchester Butler could do some damage if they got in the groove.
Konopka is not hurting us I don't think and he is another vet as said above.
My thoughts are pretty similar. I expected him to be more of a difference maker, but Neil has clearly taken over that role. Maybe we'll see more of the Konopka I expected with Neil out of the lineup. Not sure I would bring him back next year, gotta make room, but I do think he has those leadership qualities that will rub off on the kids this season.
Well ZK isn't even taking draws most nights (Winchester and Smith have both taken the draws when ZK was out there) and as much as I like ZK he doesn't "fight" as much as grapple.
I think the biggest gain we've got from him is the character he brings (Alfie comments for example) and of course depth.
sorry my bad... didn't mean traded lol how I miss that giant..
I wish we had traded him....gotten something for him.
I wish we had just given him Redden's money and kept the guy.
The suggestion that's often made is that despite what was said at the time, Chara had no intention of re-signing here while Muckler remained GM due to his treatment of Hossa.
he wouldn't have accepted it...as soon as we traded Hossa he was gone.
Or heck, maybe Alfie becomes the special teams coach?
I'm not too worried about replacing his leadership, I'm more concerned about replacing his on-ice production. He's almost a point a game player in his career, and I don't really see anyone on our team currently or within the organization who has point per game potential, other than Spezza of course.
I think you're right to be concerned - we have a lot of potential in the system, but without the benefit of having had top 5 picks in the last few years, there aren't any sure-fire offensive prospects. I may be in the minority, but I still have some hope for Filatov...not alot, but some...
I'm not absolutely sure, but I think that was cancelled?
Go Sens Go!!
With #11 on the ice to lead the way, hopefully we can chalk a W.
Loving Da Costa and Rundblad. My only complaint of Rundblad (yes I know he's a rookie) he needs to shoot more from the point.
Here's to a great game! Here's to Alfie's 11th game of the season... Here's to Michalek 11th goal and Spezza's 11 assist... Butler's 1st and Anderson's 1st donut! 1 it up!
**SIDE NOTE** THANK YOU TO ALL VETS NEW/OLD/DEPARTE D - I was in Afghanistan in 2004-2005 and you guys don't get half the credit you deserve. GOD BLESS!
GO SENS GO!!! CANADA ROCKS!!!!!!!
It also seems to be a way for people to attempt to rationalize such a boneheaded organizational decision.
Well that would be somewhat of a change in direction. While I agree and we likley both like Neil for the same reasons, the fact that he's basically third alternate seems to mean that Spezza is next in line (assuming he skips over Phillips).
Lots can change between now and then of course.
I also think it's foolish to look to one guy to replace him on the ice. It's going to come from a team progression where all our young guys each provide a little bit more, not one guy sliding in to take over point-for-point .
I've never seen any proof. Nor for the "I want to be captain" theory for that matter.
Water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned. At the time I felt Redden better suited the "new NHL" so I can't claim to be smarter than Muckler (sadly).
Exactly! I also thought Redden was the right choice at the time. People forget (or choose to forget) that Chara looked bad the previous year, and was exposed by quicker teams.
They also forget that Chara's first year in Boston was pretty forgettable too. Hindsight, however, is always 20-20.
I hate Buffalo by the way. Shit town, shit fans, shittier version of Niagara Falls, shit football team, crap logo, city named for an animal with chronic dingle berries, and a coach who would have been beaten badly by our GM if given the chance.
I hope we crush the Sabres, and their goalie pulls a groin.
5-2 Sens.
-Peluso
That situation, was something that should have never happened, but we lost Chara eventually, because Muckler
was stuck in deciding who to keep ( Chara or Redden )
I believe Hossa was traded to Atlanta for Heatley during the same period, which was a real zoo !
Well said about Remembrance Day Chirp. I watch it every year and think of my Dad who passed away a few years ago. He was a veteran of WWII.
Hoping for a Sens win tonight. The B-Sens grads should know how to beat Enroth -- they defeated him and his team in the Calder Cup playoffs last season.
Agreed.. can you imagine Chara as the mentor for our young D? What an example he could have been. Curse you Muckler.
I was totally interested and wanting to go, however it conflicts with a work trip, so I couldn't. :(
Hope we win this game, and that the posters after the game are all positive, instead of negative and constantly bashing our team , like the Rangers game produced !
Great young skilled players were exciting to watch. Never heard of Freddie Hamilton until last night... WOW. And Strome was very good as well. Spooner.. I could go on and on.
At one point Yakopov stayed on the ice too long on a shift and as the play went into his defensive end.. he laboured to the bench -- OHL goes in and scores a goal on that shift. He was a little greedy there. BUT he is a shifty player and fast.
Can a brutha get a link?
looks like this one is working! enjoy!
http://www.ilemi.me/33872/1/Watch-Buffalo-Sabres-vs-Ottawa-Senators/
On NHL.com they have Spezza down for the 2nd assist
P.S. There is a cool pic on the NHL home page 11 11 11 Alfie day
Sabres PK 92% lol
http://www.firstrowsports.tv/watch/91304/1/watch-buffalo-sabres-vs-ottawa-senators.html
Leopold also skated right by Spezza while he was just standing there too unfortunately.
Penalty in the neutral zone on a PP
THANK YOU!
Chara was also playing with a broken hand.
why do you make shit up?? Chara wasn't told he couldn't stay, he flat out said "because of the way Hossa was treated I will not resign here" Chara bring a class act agreed to not go public with his reason so as to allow the organization to save some face.
This is not speculation but fact.
It's hard to see that the only difference between us and winning is poor, inconsistent goaltending. It seems that every time our goalie plays even decent, we do well. Why? Because the team IS good enough to win. But for some reason, only Ottawa goalies out of all the goalies in the entire league let in the soft one's :S
Trade Spezza for Richards
Lose Anderson 4 million lol wow..... start the Lehner era !!!
Lose half ass players : butler daug condra winnie
Rebulid the right way young and talented !!!!!!!!!!!
3 years in hell boys LOL
And you are??? Oh, I know, you've been waiting to make your first comment on here but needed to feel like you had something intelligent to say. Chirp, can you please set up another site for the idiots who would rather we lose all 82 games this year?
Edit: START LEHNER!
if you are hoping for more than what has been demonstrated in the last 4-5 games you guys are sure in for a long ass season.
nice work Murray. my company has a booth at SBP and I said 2 yrs ago I would never go to another game and i never did. now i cant watch them on TV my eyes started bleeding lol
I expected th kids to make a lot of mistakes
and expected to lose more than win for awhile
but was totally unprepared to lose because of goaltending
I hope these two can bounce back like I've seen them in the past,my only question now is who starts next......
Spezza philips kuba Anderson winnie condra butler .....All deadline bait
Lets rebuild seriously
Lately??? Goalies have always been this teams undoing.
Silly ..........among other things
Carful its pretty easy finding people on this site
Gonchar with the lone goal.
lots of season left for them to get it together.
Shake it off Anderson
Are you going to fly to Calgary and meet me at the bike rack after school because I get annoyed at all the negative first time posters that start appearing with each loss? I'm terrified.
I don't know where you have been or who you think you know but the dressing room split was a fact...the Buffalo defeat at the hands of Briere, Roy and Pominville (the waterbugs) was a fact...and most importantly it was Boston's new GM Peter Chiarelli and Chara's agent who went public about how it all went down...go back and read the Boston Globe...
That's your perogative to not go see them because they are struggling during this re-build. But when they start winning in the future... don't come back. If you can't be with and support your team in the bad times then perhaps you go find another team to support -- one that only wins.
I assume you have not seen Greening play all year? It's obvious by your statement -- or you can't comprehend that players do have bad games.
Fair weather fans really piss me off.
Also time to get a new goalie coach.
What seems to be their problem? Is it injuries... callups or just too young and inexperienced team. How has Lehner been?
The bald goalie emperiment just aren't working out...
lehner is currently bald too..just saying. well shaved head
For those who have stopped getting tickets because they are not winning, there is an easy solution for you. Go out and buy a jersey for each of the other 29 teams. That way you can switch throughout the year to whichever team is playing the best that week. If that is what it takes to make you feel like a winner then go for it.
Meanwhile, I'll be cheering with all the other REAL Sens fans and watching this team get better over the next few years. The rebuild is easy to love if you look to see the improvements in our young players instead of just looking at win/loss column.
GO SENS GO!
Yes!
Since the Rangers game however, it has been different. It's frustrating to see our vets screwing the pooch. I understand some of the errors of some one like Rundblad who is still adjusting to the NHL. But please tell me what the excuse is for Gonchar and Anderson? These 2 idiots have been way too inconsistant. This is what pisses me off as a fan. We need the highly paid guys to step up and teach the youth on this team, not cost us games!
I'm all for the re-build but Murray needs to stop overvaluing these vets and over-paying for them. Really re-build!
Go Sens Go!
Who cares if Murray is overpaying for some of the vets, doesn't matter, they need to meet cap floor and their presence is needed in the dressing room. Sure it's hard to watch sometimes but in a few years you will be a very very happy fan.
Trust the re-build and leave it to Sens brass. In the mean time just sit back and enjoy watching the young guys develop.
GO SENS!!!
REALLY
and then people wonder why things get nasty.
Hey Rob2 you remind me of my 10 year old son,
let me guess your favorite team last year was Boston
before that Chicago,
and earlier I am sure you were a Pens fan,
and in the 80's an Oiler and Islander fan,
in the 70's a Habs fan,
but never a laff fan, right?
Bud in 2 years we all beg you PLEASE do not pull out your Sens jersey ever again!
Thanks for you 1 cent.
@ MIGUEL,
Agree with some of your words , but at the same time, you come across like Tookie, and it might start a back and forth attack, that we have seen enough of, in previous topic with over 230 comments.
You and Tookie were both out of bounds !!!!
but here, with all due respect I extremely disagree
like Tookie??? ouch that hurts... and a little offside.
Rob2 threw a very nasty remark, and all I did was respond to the nasty remark,
Tookie loves to stir the pot, yet you expect some of us to sit back and let false remarks go by without a simple comment to expose their remarks, as errors or ill intentions,
I am sorry if I offend you and/or others, that is not my purpose, but if posters want to antagonize and bully some of us Sens fans, I will not simply accept or ignore it without correction.
Again Sorry if I have offended anyone... other than Rob2
but here, with all due respect I extremely disagree
like Tookie??? ouch that hurts... and a little offside.
Rob2 threw a very nasty remark, and all I did was respond to the nasty remark,
Tookie loves to stir the pot, yet you expect some of us to sit back and let false remarks go by without a simple comment to expose their remarks, as errors or ill intentions,
@ MIDUEL,
Your explanation is accepted, and I agree with your rebutal,
but I was simply trying to avoid possible confromtation with Rob 2, who is truly not a regular poster, but comes across as an instigator and havoc creator like Tookie !!
Once again do not feel as though I challenged your comment,
but rather, that I wished no more bickering after yesterday's disaster of a day !!
fair enough my good man,
just wanting to defend my Sens that's all, and of course Rob2 and others are all more than entitled to their opinion, but then again so should I be,
its all in the name of enjoying our hockey
Lets hope Anderson gets back to where he should be tonight, and we pump the leafs,
Go Sens Go
Now back to Saturday chores :)
Combination of everything. The D is atrocious. We lost 125 points between Benoit/Smith/Ki nrade. I am sorry but Wiercoch is a spazz down here. Gryba is playing like he did at the start of last year. Weak. We have no vets. Locke hurt, Daugs up, Parrish old and hurt. Too many ECHL level players. This league and in particular division are way too good at this level. Oh well what's another 38 years right? ;)
that is really too bad to hear about Wiecoch and Gyrba.
I know that I has high hopes on those two.
How about Hoffman, Filatov, Borowiecki?
Take no offense Sandy but you do realize that the Hockey Club lost at least $10 million last year. One of the main reasons was that the team keeps changing coaches and are still paying the salaries of the fired ones. Also remember this is a re-build so why would you fire the goalie coach while he is in second season with the club while Lowe and Wilson got 4-5 years to work with our goalies.
I feel that with Gryba and Wiercoch they have no body pushing or challenging them for ice time other than Boro who is playing well. Filatov hasn't done anything since the first time sent down. Hoffman could be really good if he doesn't try to do too much. He gets caught out quite a bit with decision making.
He APPEARS to not be helping the goalies. I did not see the start of the game BUT it appears Anderson made lazy mistakes on those 2 goals. At this stage of his career that is unacceptable. He needs to stay focused and if he can get back to play his usual game.. the he will be alright.
I really wished the Sens could have found a way to unload Kuba & Gonchar to keep two of Benoit/Smith or Kinrade. That all played really well down the stretch last year.. and they would be better now.