The Ottawa Senators will look to continue their blistering pace when they play a rare home game against a sliding Winnipeg Jets squad.
The Sens won all three games on road swing that took them through Pittsburgh, New York and Montreal, outscoring the opposition by a combined score of 11-3 along the way. Tonight marks their last home game in the month of January.
The Jets have hit a bump in the road as of late, losing three straight and five of their last six. They currently sit 10th in the Eastern Conference, five points back of the final playoff spot. They’ve also been hit by injuries and could be without Dustin Byfuglien, Zach Bogosian and Blake Wheeler for this one. Needless to say, this is a huge game for them.
Meanwhile in Ottawa, the Senators have been rolling. The Sens sit fifth in the Eastern Conference and could actually leap frog the Boston Bruins for the Northeast lead with a win and a Bruins lost in Florida. Important to note the Bruins have five games in hand on the Senators.
With a week that includes stops in Toronto, San Jose and Anaheim, head coach Paul MacLean will go with Craig Anderson in goal tonight. No line up changes are expected for the Sens.
Greening-Spezza-Michalek
Condra-Turris-Alfredsson
Foligno-Smith-Neil
Daugavins-Konopka-Butler
Kuba-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips-Carkner
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:30 PM tonight with all the action available on Sportsnet and TVA Sports. Still a few tickets available for this one too so stop by Capital Tickets to get yours.
- It’s obviously a little early to start with Entry Draft talk but don’t be surprised if the Senators target a goalie at some point in this year’s entry draft. Robin Lehner is the future between the pipes but organizational depth isn’t great beyond that. Malcom Subban is the top ranked North American goalie according to the Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings, while World Junior standout Andrei Vasilevski tops the European list.
- Following up on his third star last week, Craig Anderson has been named the first star in the league this week. Anderson is 8-0-1 in his last nine starts, and has allowed just 15 goals over that stretch.
- The NHL is expected to announce the Captains for the NHL All Star Game at some point tomorrow. Daniel Alfredsson has to be a lock to get one of the spots while speculation has Dion Phaneuf in the other spot. The Battle of Ontario storyline would certainly add some intrigue to All Star Weekend.
- In case you missed it yesterday, be sure to check out this video a Sens fan put together on the team’s run to date. If that video doesn’t give you chills, might wanna check for a pulse.
GO SENS GO!!!!
Bought my tickets on a Groupon site - two tickets, $20 in food (aka beer) money for $70 I think? Not bad.
Hope we crush those Tobans tonight!
GO SENS GOOOOOOOOOO!
we shouldn't pick Vasilevski because he is a Russian and therefore:
lazy/greedy/will bolt to the KHL/has an ugly family/kills dogs in the off season*
* please delete however your ridiculous xenophobia instructs you to do so
Mad props to who ever put that together!
Mr. Anderson is playing some damn good hockey right now just hope he doesn't get burnt out because of all the games he has been playing, I really doubt he can be a 70+ game goalie.
I agree - I think we need to start getting Auld in more. Anderson being healthy is more important than wins/losses this season.
It's not a secret, we need a better back up goalie, I think if BM wants to upgrade for a playoff run, having a dependable back-up to shoulder a chunk of the last part of the season to rest a healthy Anderson would be important, and around the Trade Deadline there will probably be a few for cheap...
That or bring up Lehner and see what the kid's got...Risky move though, he still needs time in the minors...
I like what downgoesbrown said on twitter "Plus it's been 20 years -- time for the Senators to have one franchise moment that isn't viewed obsessively through an anti-Leaf lens."
This coming from a leaf fans when he spoke to who he would lie to see as captains.
Phaneuf wasn't around for the real battle of Ontario.
Don't turn this into another sens-leafs marketing ploy. Go with individuality I would say Alfie who just scored goal 400 and Iggy who just scored goal 500
If you want a marketing ploy then pick these captains.
Team Kessle vs Team Seguin......let the good times roll
Murray better not "spend" anything to get a back up for the playoffs. Lehner can do it without us having to move out a pick or prospect. Remember, this year's playoffs are pure gravy - our goal is to "make a run" in 2-3 years.
While I can see certain intrigue in Phaneuf as the "other" captain, there are some good points here about him not really being an OG from the BOO.
I really dont want to lose to those pricks tomorrow night
Selanne would be great if he was in the ASG, but he passed on the chance
Most suitable names for captains would be:
Alfie *
Iggy *
Phaneuf
Toews
Chara *
Campbell *
Hossa
Aside from these I would be surprised. * are who Id like to see (campbell is a 67's hero remember lol)
I'm going to the game on the 23rd in LA - so let's win that one shall we?
Hadn't heard that - but I like your list in general. Isn't Iggy the second longest serving C in the NHL right now?
Murray better not "spend" anything to get a back up for the playoffs. Lehner can do it without us having to move out a pick or prospect. Remember, this year's playoffs are pure gravy - our goal is to "make a run" in 2-3 years.
I mentioned this on a different post but Josh Harding should be looked at. He is UFA and he is cheap.
As for "making a run" why not make that run this year. You never know what could happen in 2 to 3 years. Look at Tampa Bay, Edmonton and Colorado. Three "surprise" teams that made the playoffs one year and in Tampa's and Edmonton's case went on a run and then the following year(s) not even a sniff at the playoffs. I'm not saying bring in old vets that are ready for retirement(Pros pal) but some young players that are Turris type acquisitions and can help this year and for years to come. The Sens have a lot of forwards on the roster, in Bingo and overseas. They may be able to cash in a couple for a prime time young player.
Someone said he only had 1a this year no goals..well that was in 7 games.
Now he has 3g 3a in 10gp
Since returning from injury he has 6 points in 7games
Would come cheap, great winger with speed and I feel could play well into our transition game
This team only has 4-5 guys that will not be better players next year. (Of course someone might "bust" or get injured etc but certainly not all of them.)
Our team WILL be better over the next 2-3 years (98% chance).
Nothing wrong with winning games in the playoffs this year of course, but if we go out and trade Zibby for a rental third line winger (for example) we'll just be ensuring that we're not actually better in the next 2-3 years.
What I'm saying is that you wait until you're near your projected peak as a team before you "make a run". "Make a run" in this context means stock up your team for THIS SEASON by selling off picks/prospects .
You need to clarify for me what you mean by "cheap". I do not care about anyone's salary (that's for Melnyk to say yes/no) but what I do care about are our picks/prospects.
If we can get Blake for some prospect we KNOW we have no place for in the future due to our current depth or a very late pick then maybe (though I still don't like the guy much). But I will be very upset if we "rent" some player that has no spot on our team in 2-3 years by sending away a decent pick or prospect that might factor into our plans 2-3 years from now.
I'm not gunna discredit your opinion but do you really think anyone here is suggesting Zibby be used as trade bait for a 3rd line winger?lol
that being said i do know what your trying to say, and as a rebuttle Zibby is only used if and only if we make a play for a guy like Ryan which makes total sense, as in 3 years he is still improving, but is a pipedream and wont happen, cause Murray knows what he is doing
Alfie's one flaw (if he has one) is that he has too much class sometimes.
I'm sure it was his classy move to tell the boys not to go out and pounce on Wolski when we played NYR. Otherwise someone would have jumped him I'm sure. Similarly I think Alfie has too much class to intentionally stay away from drafting Leaf players.
I'd love to see all three blue-and-white losers on one team and all our Sens on the other, but odds are slim there I think.
I wouldn't offer anything more than a 4th rounder for him at the deadline. Ducks will ook to unload salary and he isn't as good as Kelly (2nd last year with term left) and is better than what Kovalev did (7th last year UFA)
We traded Ruutu to Ducks last year for a 7th also, so I would say a 4th/5th is reasonable
We have some trade bait to get top end young talent.
I would not be shocked to see Silverburg go as I doubt BM was that thrilled he would not stay this year and went back to Sweden, players calling the shots before they even get here has to bother him.
Petersson however will get his day on the sens, he is in Bingo getting it done.
Auld was brought in to ride the pine and let Lehner get games in Bingo and he is doing a good job of it, hence the one year contract.
If you think he is a big paycheck you need to remember Leclaire.
Yes just an example (and an extreme one of course).
Bottom line IMO: this is STILL a rebuild, just we might have a playoff bonus this season. We should not do anything to stall/delay the rebuild, no matter what.
I personally don't care if we end up first overall at the deadline, we still should not mortage our future in any small way if the benefit of that move is only for this year.
What a week, month, year by these Sens. I wish they played every day with how exciting it's been. GO SENS GO!!!
Trading Z-Bad for a third liner ain't happening and I know what you mean. However what if Columbus came calling and wanted Z-Bad, our first and Nick Foligno for Rick Nash. Does Murray pull the trigger?
Where to start?
Silfverberg is the one guy not on the Sens right now that is pretty much agreed to be "ready". BM let him go back to the SEL this year pretty much knowing that he'd be in the NHL next year.
Auld has not done a good job at all. Matt Spezza could accomplish what Auld has done - allow Anderson to play nearly every game.
I don't know any NHL GMs personally, but I really don't think any would trade proven, young, top-end talent for unproven prospects (unless we give up multiple prospects).
Whatever though - some people have no patience to build a long-term winner I guess.
@ Hax,
I'm with you all the way !
We are in REBUILD MODE, and we are very well so far.
No need for Murray to trade picks or prospects to go farther this year. We may be able to doit (go far)
without adding any other outside help !
GO SENS GO !!!!!!!!!!
So how are you going to ice a complete team while paying for Spezza, Karlsson and all our other young studs about to come off entry-level contrats in the next few years while also paying for Nash? Teams have tried to make up a fourth line of 500k players before - direct your attention down the 401 and count the number of playoff wins they have had in the last 40 years or so.
Not unless there's more in that deal. That's 3 1sts for Nash, which I admit is close to his value, but if Burke can get a much younger Kessel for 2 firsts and a 2nd and be laughed at, there's no way I'd suggest the above trade. Would love to get a Nash type player on Spezza's wing though.
That doesn't have to include Zibby, our 1st, or whatever else but would anybody be that distraught if we traded Daugavins? We have players ready to come in next season, we need to move some other players out now while they have good value (I'M LOOKING AT YOU KUBA!)
The third and fourth line guys will always be the cheaper players. Over the next 2 years I see $19 million in contracts coming off the books (Alfie, Neil, Kuba, Gonchar and Phillips). Obviously Karlsson and Cowen will get big raises and adding Nash would increase the cap, however they are about $11 miilion under the cap as we speak. Eugene has shown he is willing to spend to the cap and just for discussion purposes, he would love to get a Nash before the Leafs ever did.
Of course the new CBA next season could mess everything up.
I used Zibby as an example.
But I personally would be upset if even Daugavins was moved out just to rent some old fart for a playoff run. Or a 3rd rounder even.
Murray (unless he's an idiot or under pressure from Melnyk) isn't going to give up anything that might hurt us in the long run only to help us the ONE season.
Kuba will go unless all the offers are insulting in which case Murray might keep him to help the rest of the way this year over taking a 4th rounder for him (or whatever the offers are). If someone offers a second for Kuba - i.e. some other playoff team who are in that "make a run" position, not a rebuild then he'll take it.
Murray can make our team better for a few playoff games this year on the waiver wire or by taking on salary from other teams shedding (if Melnyk approves) - he does not need to move out early picks or prospects.
Horrible idea.
Sens are built on speed and hustle this year. Let's bring in a 38 year old winger who hasn't been good since 08-09...that'll work...
If this was Reddit, I would upvote this comment to the max.
However, enjoy this "Thumbs up".
I agree that the waiver wire will be very interesting come deadline day. There are very few competitive teams with the cap space we have and there may be some interesting names that become available with expiring contracts. Derek Roy, Brad Boyes to name a few that may be untradeable but with ownership hoping to save a few bucks.
Now Now Apostle, that is just a little harsh, you should leave the family out if it don't you think?
JETS TRY TO END SENATORS FOUR GAME WINNING STREAK ON TSN JETS
Obviously they are marketing to Jets fans since it will be on their broadcast but all I'm saying is that if it was the Leafs you would read:
LEAFS LOOK TO EXTEND WINNING STREAK VERSUS THE STRUGGLING JETS ON TSN JETS
Anderson said it best, the team is rolling so no need to make any changes.
I would love to give it to those losers tomorrow night and shut the annoying Leaf fans up for another day. I think we all know a few Leaf fans that will claim the recent Senators winning streak was a fluke and we didn't beat any "real teams".
I'm pretty sure Anderson will play both games
Maclean sees the points within the East to valuable. If we are going to lose, let it be versus West teams. So a back to back scenario of Jets/Leafs with minimal travel in between is ok for Anderson I would think.
Look for auld to play maybe against Phoenix before the allstar break, giving Anderson a nice long stretch to rest
[edit] Sorry lads ... obviously posted before reading the article :)
That would make for a fun weekend.[/sarca sm]
yes you are right, I apologise - i forgot it was Ok to make generic racist statements about the supposed character of an entire nation as long as you leave their 2nd cousins out of it.
actually i think having Heatley at the ASG and getting booed every time he is out there would be hilarious
the only problems i see are
(a) Heatley wouldn't come
(b) Damian Cox and those other idiots would claim that us booing Heatley at the ASG disrespected hockey, hockey players in general and all Canadian war heroes
The benefit of him coming would be that we have found an answer to who should be the other captain haha
Heatley "with my first selection I choose Milan Michalek"
or
Heatley "With my first pick I choose Spezza"
Spezza: "No I will be using my No Movement Clause and demand that I get selected by Team Alfie, but its ok Heater you can still pick up my check for tonights dinner"
Would be funnier to see Phaneuf & Meatley as the last two sitting ... waiting to be picked.
Phaneuf would get picked last to ensure that Meatley didn't get a car.
He is running out of options, on any roster, due to his diminished play as a top scorer, ever since he wanted out of Ottawa !
@ Chirp,
Does this mean that someone will not play tonite ?
Nope. Will arrive tomorrow. Would assume they just want to carry an extra forward on the West coast trip.
I'm pretty sure we can dress an extra forward because, you know, we are Ottawa...
I suspect Butler will sit, with Condra moving down to the fourth line.
[edit] Or what Chirp said...
There are certainly more deserving players in the league .... but if the league feel compelled to give Koivu's spot to another Minnesota forward ... Meatley is arguably the 2nd best forward on that team.
setoguchi (sp?) or cullen maybe? agree heatley is logical choice though - invite heatley and make him turn it down - hilarity once more
Setoguchi only has 15 points in 32 games and is a -7.
It would be better (IMHO) to send Nick Johnson as a rookie and promote RNH to the main list.
I thought he was injured Chirp?
Edmonton won't make the show, and RS is a free agent. He can sign back in Edmonton next year.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=611950&navid=DL|NHL|home
He was, but he's back now and has 11 points in his last 6 games.
i would like to veto that notion. how about we give one of our older d-men to edmonton to sign and keep for better picks/prospects instead.
That's a far better option.
Zack smith is soooo overrated. he should get traded or maybe just stop playing hockey all together..
haha. ZS hat trick tonight. beautiful
Has been confirmed. Will join the team tomorrow. No word on whether or not he plays.
If it ain't broke ..leave it the fork alone.....
and stop messin with my team
I agree - all I was saying is that if they are going to make a deal, don't go for a rental. I'd rather stick with the youth movement. I like our team the way it is too.
Have you forgotten how terribly Ottawa played when Kuba was injured? We don't have a top 4 guy to step in, and don't say Cowen. He had a good stretch, but stepping into the top 4 going into the playoffs as a rookie is not something that gets me excited
I'm not really for trading Kuba unless the return is great, so I agree with you there. You're wrong about Cowen though. He's been playing top 4 minutes for well over a month now.
I'm not saying he can't do it. But playoff hockey is different and I'd rather ease him into it than put him there because we have no other choice.
and then what if someone gets injured. I'm just gonna say there's no way Ottawa trades Kuba. Unless its Kuba + pick for an even better defenseman.
completely agree, his stock will never be as high as it is now, and believe me once he signs his next contract, he will be back to where we have seen him before,
Free agency only! Why spend assets when we're so close to setting ourselves up for long term success.
If Ottawa gets Parise, I assume they'll win the cup. Then they should sign and trade him for 1st round picks. Then they should win the cup again next year. and the year after.
do you want to lose him for nothing at the end of the year?
Or please do not tell you you would want to invest another 10 mil on him, b/c I cannot forget how badly he has played for us in the past even though he is playing better right now. He tends to only play in the last year of his contract.
Free agency only for sure. New Jersey won't trade him at the deadline if they can still make the playoffs which I assume they will.
He is 27 years old, a LW and scored 45 goals a few seasons ago !
Would be an awesome addition to form a Line 1 combination
Parise- Spezza - Michalek.
Only problem would be : will he be available? What will be his contract $$ ?? Will Devils match it ??
This might never happen !
Ya, I want to lose him for nothing. He's Filip Fucking Kuba, What do you think the return is going to be? nothing significant, especially since we'll be trading him to a contender, and contenders usually don't want to give up any current roster players.
And if we DONT trade him to a contender, the return will likely be a UFA player. Who's to say Ottawa will resign that UFA? and then that players leaves and we essentially lose Kuba for nothing.
Murray said it, the move will be for a forward, and we will most likely add to our roster WITHOUT subtracting. Thats what smart teams do.
Maybe there already is one?
No offence I love Parise, but haven't we heard the "but he scored significantly a few years ago" argument a few too many times?
Since Parise is a UFA, the Devils don't have a "right to match" any contract offered Parise's way.
The idea of him playing with Spezza and Milan excites me beyond belief, but it will likely never happeen unfortunately. We can all keep our fingers crossed though!
Parise would be the perfect replacement for the gigantic hole that Alfie will leave when he retires, whether it be after this season or next, or the one after that.
No offence I love Parise, but haven't we heard the "but he scored significantly a few years ago" argument a few too many times?
@ Jester,
I understand where you are coming from, but he is definitely not like Jonathan Cheechoo !
He was out for almost a whole season, but has 38 points in 45 games this season, and I feel he has many great seasons
ahead of him.
Also has scored 178 goals in 5 and a half seasons.
That's equivalent to 32 goals per year !
Yep there already is, the team's name is Chirpers!
Join ! there are 13 days till January's Playoffs begin!
honestly man, I'm tired of TSN's Business model to showcase the leafs as Gods, where Kessel is Zeus and Lupul is freakin Heracles or whatever...
Ottawa will prolly never get any love Due to this new ownership of Maple Leafs Sports entertainment.
But you know what? I'm glad. I'm glad We don't have this Crazy ass pressure from the media to perform like the Leafs and the Habs do. Our players don't have this unnecessary load of stress. When It comes to whose a better team , their play shows for itself.
Tsn and sportsnet can continue Displaying the over-rated In thier respective Glass Cases
This is how (some) fans think, not GMs. Has Kuba upped his desireability with good play? Yes. Is it possible he resigns elsewhere next year? Yes. Will Murray break up a white hot team by pulling out one of its key pieces on the way in to the playoffs? Hell no. That's just not the way it works.
He'll go and nobody in the room will shed a tear. (Unless nothing decent gets offered.)
I don't understand why this is such a hard concept for people.
And can we have one full week without someone "randomly" wondering if we'd be interested in Zach F'n Parise?
More interested in a league however, anyone else want to start one?
I agree with you about Parise.
It was simply the argument I had a problem with,
Cheechoo, Leclaire, Kovalev, and too a lesser extent Filatov and Turris
Have all had this said about them
http://deadspin.com/5876516/ben-blood-upholds-the-time+honored-hockey-tradition-of-sucker-punching-a-guy-in-the-handshake-line
Story and highlight
Edit: and Hax beat me to it
I understand the concept perfectly, I just disagree that NHL GMs think that way.
Parting ways with last year's vets was tough, but there was nothing at stake that season. The Sens were done.
Right now we are playing like contenders and sitting in good playoff position. The "rebuild" is important. They won't trade away blue chippers for short term help. But they also won't kneecap this year's team by trading away a guy who's currently a major piece of the blueline.
TSN just reported that the team has already stripped him of his "assistant captaincy", and a hefty suspension will likely follow.
BM is probably not too pleased with that either.
I'll be jumping on this later tonight
http://www.livescorehunter.tv/hockey-live-streaming-video.html
There's a few in there.
I get TSN Jets, so for once I can watch a Sens game on tv. LOL
Ugh. Wow. Awful start.
"Everybody on the panther bench is standing up."
horrible announcing.
then when the fights over all is good.
Did you see Karlsson's reaction? He knows the team has his back.
Woke up the Sens too
some say Neil is useless but if he wakes up the team once every say 7/8 games I'm happy
I guess you've never heard of Harry Neal or Bob Cole maybe Joe Bowen ? or anyone from Pitt Buff or Boston ,man I wouldn't trade Potvin for someone like Greg Millen ..It could be a whole lot worse believe me,,
Quoting MattZ:
Is this your first Sens game ?
+1
Heck I'd take anyone over jeanarette in Buffalo. Does every goal need to be anounced as if they just won the cup?
Heck I'd take anyone over jeanarette in Buffalo. Does every goal need to be anounced as if they just won the cup?[/quote
no shit eh ? maydaymaydaymay day man that was almost as annoying as Barnaby ,,Potvin may speak constant drunkanese but at least he's our drunk
Again no puck help for Andy. Sens need to get better defensively.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZBdxvego1E
This was a game to forget. Can't win them all. Next!
Once again too little too late...2 posts on one shift!!..Ah well... good time for a loss..
We started to play sloppy in Newyork...then squeaked by Montreal and dint even show up tonight between the first 30 seconds of the game and last 5 minutes...
Good wake up call for tomorrow..
Andy was solid again tonight.. hopefully he continues his good play tomorrow...
EK seemed out of it tonight...dont think the kane hit had anything to do with it...he seemed off even before the hit.... and Cowen seemed off too..
The kids are going to have offnights...the y've just spoiled us this season by having tooo many stellar nights in the row...
Alfie sure had a flame under his butt tonight...too bad the rest of his line mates pissed on theirs..
After watching them lose to the leafs, i dint think much of them and thoughts we would have no problem whooping them tonight...ah well..
Was hoping we would have done a little more roughing up of Kane in the second...
That makes sooo much sense...best explanation for a loss ever..
This game was really for the taking, though.
Oh well, a win tomorrow against the Make Believes would more than do today justice.
But the Jets played decent, and the Sens played just awful for 50 minutes tonight.
If it's any consolation, the Jets also ended Boston, Philly's, and Minnesota's crazy winning streaks too.
Anderson was amazing though, of course, when no one in front of him was playing worth a bag of pucks.
To me it appeared that Kane left his feet to deliver the hit. One big point.. why the hell was it not a penalty.
Talk about the disrespect the Sens get from TSN.. I noticed on the TV earlier this evening that at the bottom where TSN has the updates... they were naming the stars of the week.
First star -- Ottawa Senators G -- MIKE Anderson. Honest to god.. they had Mike Anderson. They are supposed to be a National Broadcaster... I don't know who types that info... but at least get the freakin' names correct.
Let's be realistic.. if they make it.. that would be absolutely wonderful. But really how far can they get?
Any team has to go through Boston. If Crosby is back & healthy along with Staal & Letang... that makes the Pens very good. Philly in the playoffs will be hard to beat IF they are healthy..That's the big 3 and knowing the Sens luck they will get one of them in the 1st round...
It doesn't make sense less than a year into a re-build to be a buyer at the deadline... Just leave the team as it is.. let the guys that got them there carry the team as far as they will go.. which in reality will probably be first round out..
Not being negative.. just realistic.. but then if Anderson stands on his head... all bets are off..
Are you f'n kidding me?!?! somebody has to speak up about this shit. Its not a conspiracy anymore those douche bags working at tsn have it out for us.
It's not a conspiracy at all. TSN is in Toronto. Reimer being announced as tomorrow's starter was headline news. What do you guys expect?
and disinterested performance, by our streaking team, who
were brought down to earth by a hungry Jets team !
Hope the Sens rebound vs the Leafs, right from the opening face off to the final buzzer, with an all out effort.
I disagree - remember Murray's comments after the Foligno thing with Cry-baby Crosby? "I wish he [Foligno] WAS that type of player [dirty]."
Murray will probably publicly say the right things, but I bet he loved that from Blood. Assuming of course it was somewhat "warranted" by the events of the game - i.e. that little sod had been mouthing off or something and Blood settled it.