What the hell is wrong in Ottawa?

Just a couple things that stood out from the past week...

It is one thing for the team to be losing. That alone is somewhat of a mystery and a little embarassing, given that they have a top line that any NHL GM would drool over...

Lately though, I gotta say it, the Sens are really sinking to a new low...

It started with Chris Neil going after Ian White on the Leafs. Ian White?! WTF? Seriously? It was in retaliation to a clean hip check. White didn't injure anyone. The check was not knee-high or dirty.

Remember how upset Ottawa fans got when Tucker went after Eaves, and all the complaints we heard about "pick on someone your own size"? (until someone pointed out that Tucker is smaller than Eaves.)

It reeks of desparation and frustration when you go after just about the smallest guy on the other team, who is not known as a fighter.

OK, so stuff happens, we all know that, and the *fight* was a non-event.

But then, a couple days later, Ruutu bites someone? Huh? He bites someone?

Geeze. As a Leafs fan, trust me, I can sympathize with the frustration the team and the fans must be feeling, but I have to say that events of the last week or so are starting to make me wonder if perhaps what the Senators need more than anything is an infusion of professional attitude.

I certainly hope Alfredsson is stepping up and saying something to his teammates. I imagine he is/has.

I would also like to see the Sens give Ruutu the Avery treatment. Sorry, but the guy is a completely classless idiot who doesn't deserve to be in the NHL.

I think this whole thread could have been summed up with a one word answer: Everything.

PKC wrote:I think this whole thread could have been summed up with a one word answer: Everything.

You know, over the years working in IT I have developed a theory about problems. It applies mostly to coding and systems, but I have to wonder if it is true with the Senators also.

The bigger the problem, the smaller and easier the solution. For example, when a whole system crashes, it is probably a simple spelling mistake in some variable name. When a system can't seem to round off numbers correctly in a payroll calculation... then it could be some very difficult to find flaw in logic...

So, when you say everything, it really wonder if "everything" is not just a symptom of one thing. Maybe that one thing is the coach? Maybe it is Jason Spezza having a partying who-cares attitude (I don't know if that is true or not). Maybe it is the goalie? Maybe it is simply confidence? Maybe they need one more puck-moving D.

The thing is, I think that the Senators could do a serious turn around if they fix whatever the problem is and I am not so sure it is a whole bunch of serious problems. I suspect it is one thing causing most of this.

There problems seem to be huge... but the solution may be very simple.

Maybe they DO need Pat Quinn? The one thing he does as well as anyone is galvanize the room and create an Us Vs. The World atmosphere.

Aetherial wrote:

PKC wrote:I think this whole thread could have been summed up with a one word answer: Everything.

You know, over the years working in IT I have developed a theory about problems. It applies mostly to coding and systems, but I have to wonder if it is true with the Senators also.

The bigger the problem, the smaller and easier the solution. For example, when a whole system crashes, it is probably a simple spelling mistake in some variable name. When a system can't seem to round off numbers correctly in a payroll calculation... then it could be some very difficult to find flaw in logic...

So, when you say everything, it really wonder if "everything" is not just a symptom of one thing. Maybe that one thing is the coach? Maybe it is Jason Spezza having a partying who-cares attitude (I don't know if that is true or not). Maybe it is the goalie? Maybe it is simply confidence? Maybe they need one more puck-moving D.

The thing is, I think that the Senators could do a serious turn around if they fix whatever the problem is and I am not so sure it is a whole bunch of serious problems. I suspect it is one thing causing most of this.

There problems seem to be huge... but the solution may be very simple.

Maybe they DO need Pat Quinn? The one thing he does as well as anyone is galvanize the room and create an Us Vs. The World atmosphere.

I would agree with everything you had to say and think you are right, except for the Ian White and Ruutu things.

As for Neil and White... It is now in vogue for a team to jump anyone who throws a check. It is not just Neil. It is stupid but Neil is not the only offender by any stretch.

With regard to Ruutu, I am sorry but I would have done the same thing. Peters, who in my impartial opinion is a fat POS, was face washing him all across the ice to the bench with his gloved finger in his mouth. Have you ever tasted sweaty Leather? Not that Peters sweats from effort, it is the wings and beer. Face washing is a stupid thing to do and if someone did it to me I would have responded the same way. Not to mention the guy was wearing a glove. The *small kitten* ran around like he was shot. There wasn't a mark and the ref looked for one. This is all BS. Savard at least bit flesh on Tucker. Not the same. But I am a bit nuts anyway I guess.

I agree. This is why I was excited for GM/Coaching change. I want someone with a fresh perspective to come in here and observe for a little while.

If it is Spezza, trade him, if it's Heatley, trade him or sit him, if it's Ruutu, waive him, if it's goaltending, then bite the bullet and suck it up - or try to acquire a guy like Vokoun or Toskala - although polling Sens' fans, this is a bad option considering Brian Elliot is one of the top AHL goalies and starting the All-Star Game.

My personal belief is that it begins and ends with the D. Their inability to move the puck is killing us. Phillips has also experienced a horrendous drop off, as has Volchenkov.

Compound all of this and you start to lose games, they start to pile up, people get frustrated, Spezza gets crapped on, goalies get confidence issues, forwards get nervous about turnovers inevitably leading to goals, defense is AWARE that they're not doing the job moving the puck. Brian Lee and Brendan Bell are in the lineup as the go-to puck movers. Scary for them as well.

Now the Big Line is feeling pressure - because God knows, if they don't score no one else will. Vermette and Fisher have a COMBINED 6 goals...not good. Our next big gun if Foligno with 6 I believe. No gonna cut it.

So now, guys like Chris Neil and Jarkko Ruutu feel they need to shift the flow of games by fighting or agitating. What Ruutu did is disgraceful, but is it more a product of the season, or of his overall ridiculousness? No idea. Neil challenging White was probably more a 'wake up guys!!!' action.

In short, I wish we had 4 new D-men, I wish Erik Karlsson was 21 and 190lbs and I wish Weircioch was ready to go. I wish Z.Smith was ready, I wish that Vermette and Fisher could hit the broad side of a barn - even by accident.

Bottom line, you have 4 quality players: Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza and Volchenkov and one really good, but over-paid checker in Mike Fisher. That's not gonna do it - and worse they take up almost half the payroll.

Then...there's coaching, which...I'm not sure is cutting it. And the inability for our GM to do anything resembling anything.

Here's some problems for ya:

Murray confirmed he is considering waiving a couple of players to see if they get claimed so he can get them off the payroll. League executives say Murray has been shopping Antoine Vermette and Christoph Schubert.
Murray has been working the phones, trying to acquire a puck-moving defenceman.
“I’m trying,” he said. “I can make a deal, but it’s on the condition that I take a larger contract that ties us up.

Antoine Vermette and Chris "Schnitzel Chef" Schubert will get us nothing. It's pretty bad when the same two names keep getting mentioned ALL year. Mix it up a little Murray (or Garricoch).

Puck moving defenseman? Kris "Kurt" Russel. What a waste of time and energy.

You can make a deal? Then Diddle the conditions, dummy.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Here's some problems for ya:

Murray confirmed he is considering waiving a couple of players to see if they get claimed so he can get them off the payroll. League executives say Murray has been shopping Antoine Vermette and Christoph Schubert.
Murray has been working the phones, trying to acquire a puck-moving defenceman.
“I’m trying,” he said. “I can make a deal, but it’s on the condition that I take a larger contract that ties us up.

Antoine Vermette and Chris "Schnitzel Chef" Schubert will get us nothing. It's pretty bad when the same two names keep getting mentioned ALL year. Mix it up a little Murray (or Garricoch).

Puck moving defenseman? Kris "Kurt" Russel. What a waste of time and energy.

You can make a deal? Then Diddle the conditions, dummy.

Kurt Russell's first year after he was a rookie in the WHL (home of Jim O'Brien), he had 61 points in 72 games, including 26 goals. The next year, 47 points in 55 games, the year after that, 69 points in 59 games, including 32 goals.

When he was called up as a rookie to the BJs, he had 10 points in 67 games his first year, then this year he has 8 points in 24 games.

He has won the WHL D-man of the year once and the CHL (all of Canadian junior hockey) D-man of the year once as well. If we trade Vermette for Russell straight up, I understand we don't win the size battle on the back end, but we add an infusion of talent. More so than I had originally thought by 1000 percent. He can dance the puck up ice and he is a killer on the PP.

All of a sudden, I'm in favour.

The Fonz said last night on TSN: " The two teams struggling the most at the moment are Ottawa and Tampa. Both have the same disease: no serious PMD. Get not just one, but as many as you can afford"

Number Twenty Nine wrote:The Fonz said last night on TSN: " The two teams struggling the most at the moment are Ottawa and Tampa. Both have the same disease: no serious PMD. Get not just one, but as many as you can afford"

But who Fonzie? Who would you suggest.

In fact, what the Diddle, come on down to Boston Gardens tonight. You're in.

504Heater wrote:

Number Twenty Nine wrote:The Fonz said last night on TSN: " The two teams struggling the most at the moment are Ottawa and Tampa. Both have the same disease: no serious PMD. Get not just one, but as many as you can afford"

But who Fonzie? Who would you suggest.

In fact, what the Diddle, come on down to Boston Gardens tonight. You're in.

The Fonz should have never ended up on TSN in the first place. He should be the subject of firing rumours behind the Ottawa Senators bench.

Only they wouldn't be in this spot. Heatley wouldn't be wearing the "A", Spezza wouldn't be rolling his eyes and giggling, Fisher wouldn't be on the #1 PP and Garrioch and CheapShots Brennan would be on their 15th and 21st "Fuck Off", respectively.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

504Heater wrote:

Number Twenty Nine wrote:The Fonz said last night on TSN: " The two teams struggling the most at the moment are Ottawa and Tampa. Both have the same disease: no serious PMD. Get not just one, but as many as you can afford"

But who Fonzie? Who would you suggest.

In fact, what the Diddle, come on down to Boston Gardens tonight. You're in.

The Fonz should have never ended up on TSN in the first place. He should be the subject of firing rumours behind the Ottawa Senators bench.

Only they wouldn't be in this spot. Heatley wouldn't be wearing the "A", Spezza wouldn't be rolling his eyes and giggling, Fisher wouldn't be on the #1 PP and Garrioch and CheapShots Brennan would be on their 15th and 21st "Fuck Off", respectively.

HAHAHA, and yes. He was my choice too. Even if we still sucked at least he is very quotable and I would have had a great time listening to the pressers.

The Fonz = Torts

Torts has the a$$ kicking gene, where Harts does not.....

Aetherial,

Couldn't agree more. Weird things happening the yells frustrated. I don't really think that Ruutu is such a jerk that he would go around biting someone. Neil for as much as a hard nosed player as he is, hasn't shown a history of going after guys like White. Heatley taking a number of stupid penalties for situations where frustration is the key phrase and Alfie turning the puck over at times which he normally doesn't.

All this speaks to a team that is frustrated. My question is why. The players all but publically called for the GM to clean the room last year, and it was done. They all but asked for a new coach getting Paddock fired, and it was done. They asked for their money and they got it.

Why are they so frustrated?

Dawg's Wife wrote:Why are they so frustrated?

Because they have to work for wins. Simple.