Sens Practice Line - up

SpezDispenser wrote:I think Picard gets waived before Lee gets sent down personally. But, then again, we can do that and save cap space, but is Lee needing anymore time in Bingo? Or does he not have a choice?

I wouldn't waste Picard like that just to save Lee the grief of going to Bingo. He's on a two-way, use it.

SeawaySensFan wrote:I wouldn't waste Picard like that just to save Lee the grief of going to Bingo. He's on a two-way, use it.

Fair enough.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I think Picard gets waived before Lee gets sent down personally. But, then again, we can do that and save cap space, but is Lee needing anymore time in Bingo? Or does he not have a choice?

I wouldn't waste Picard like that just to save Lee the grief of going to Bingo. He's on a two-way, use it.

Amen to that. Picard is a nice big presence on the blue line, with some offensive upside. We don't have to decide Lee versus Picard while we've got the luxury of that two-way. Use it.

I don't like the amazing inconsistency that Picard has shown already. He's on a short leash IMO.

SpezDispenser wrote:I don't like the amazing inconsistency that Picard has shown already. He's on a short leash IMO.

As he should be. You'd think he'd wake up by now. What's this his 3rd team?

He can score with his eyes closed but he plays a pretty timid game for a huge guy.

you guys say that regin and fish have shown chemistry and there does appear to be some but Foligno was also on that line the other nights with fish as well i would rather keep fish with foligno since cory took over last year those two have really clicked and seem to be continuing that trend

Hockeyhero22000 wrote:you guys say that regin and fish have shown chemistry and there does appear to be some but Foligno was also on that line the other nights with fish as well i would rather keep fish with foligno since cory took over last year those two have really clicked and seem to be continuing that trend

Yeah, me too.

SpezDispenser wrote:I don't like the amazing inconsistency that Picard has shown already. He's on a short leash IMO.

Lee isn't exactly a paragon of consistency. Both are on a short lease. The only reason I'd keep Lee up here over Picard is if there was genuine interest in him, i.e. to showcase him. Maybe give him some favorable match-ups like we did with Preissing that one year. Speaking of which, Preissing is gone up to 6 weeks (minor knee surgery -- I guess he's no Daniel Alfredsson).

Here are your latest Ice Chips. Pass the dip.

Filip Kuba and Jesse Winchester (knee) did not skate with the team at practice on Thursday. Kuba is doubtful for Friday's game. Pascal Leclaire is expected to play the full 60 minutes. - TSN

Practice Lines (Thursday)

Forwards:
Michalek - Spezza - Alfredsson
Fisher - Regin - Kovalev
Cheechoo - Shannon - Foligno
Ruutu - Kelly - Neil
Schubert - Smith - Donovan

Defencemen (rotated):
Phillips - Volchenkov - Karlsson
Picard - Campoli - Carkner - Lee

Goaltenders:
Leclaire
Elliott

Some notes from Sens Practice today...

http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/hockeycapital/archive/2009/09/24/more-thursday-practice-notes.aspx

http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/2009/09/23/11081221.html

Senators falling into lines



By DON BRENNAN Sun Media

Pressing hard on a pencil, Senators coach Cory Clouston has arrived
at a game plan for tomorrow’s final pre-season tune-up that, if all
goes as expected, should carry over to the start of the season.

His scribblings reveal a veteran fourth line that, on the whole,
earns $1 million more than his third line and a potpourri second unit
consisting of a Canadian, a Dane and a Russian who weren’t even
teammates when Ottawa’s dreadful 2008-09 campaign came to an end April
11 in Toronto.

The biggest surprise of camp, and making Clouston’s configurations
possible, is the play of rookie Peter Regin. Unless he takes a sudden
bellyflop, it appears the 23-year-old native of Herning, Denmark, will
become the next candidate attempting to end the Senators’ long search
for a second-line centre — starting between new left winger Mike Fisher
and wily old Alex Kovalev — when they open up in New York against the
Rangers a week from Saturday.

“I’m still trying to make this team,” Regin said yesterday when
asked about his confidence level. “I’m playing with great players ... I
don’t know if that makes it easier, it’s more pressure, too ... but
definitely it’s nice to get the chance to play with good players.”

Meanwhile, all over North America hockey poolies are scrambling to learn about Regin, whose next NHL game will be his 12th.

That leaves him just 1,140 behind Kovalev and 530 behind Fisher.

“He spent a year in the American League, he’s played 11 games up,
and he’s played a couple of years professional in the elite league in
Sweden,” Clouston said. “He’s not as inexperienced as some other guys
may be who are kind of a flash in the pan, as far as a good camp and
then they disappear. Does that mean he’s going to have some ups and
downs? Absolutely. He’s not going to be at a high level the whole time.
But we think he’s very ready, or very close to being ready to be a
regular.”

Regin had some chemistry with Fisher in their brief stint together
last season, and it has obviously carried over. All Regin knows about
Kovalev is what he has seen on the tube.

“I’ve been a big fan of him the past 15 years,” he said. “It’s exciting to be on the ice with him.

“Last year when I was down in Binghamton, we wanted to watch Ottawa,
but when they were not on TV, we wanted to watch Montreal. He’s one of
the guys you want to watch.”

Fisher has four goals in the last two pre-season games, mostly
playing alongside Regin. The thinking is moving Fisher from centre to
the side could help him put up bigger offensive numbers.

“(A centre’s) down low coverage to me is one of the most tiring
parts of the game, so it’s allowed me to save energy for offence,”
Fisher said. “To skate a little bit more, up and down, and use my
speed, and shoot the puck. Pete’s done a good job of distributing the
puck and I’ve been able to capitalize on that. I’m happy playing the
wing. It’s worked so far.”

For his first line, Clouston has Milan Michalek in Dany Heatley’s
old spot, alongside Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson. The third line
features speedy Ryan Shannon between Nick Foligno and Jonathan
Cheechoo. Jarrko Ruutu, Chris Kelly and Chris Neil currently comprise
the fourth line. Underlining the team’s new-found depth is the fact a
fifth line has veterans Shean Donovan and Christoph Schubert on either
side of Zack Smith.

Donovan noted that he was also on the fifth line when the Senators
started last season in Stockholm against the Penguins. He went on to
play 65 games and score five goals, matching the total he compiled in
2007-08, his first year as a Senator, when he played all 82 games.

“Obviously, I’m not happy being there,” he said of being a spare
part. “But all you can do is work hard and skate hard. Things can
change pretty quick.”
So... Brennan believes Regin steps right in to 2nd line duties, meanwhile Fisher gives an interesting take on why he might be producing more on the wing.

I read that this morning and it makes me frustrated and happy at the same time. For Diddle sake, how long have we been yelling at coaches here to put Fisher on the wing? 3 years? 2? Longer? And now they try it and 'oh my gosh, it works!'. Hey man, no kidding it works, WTF? He's Brendan Morrow, he's got size, he's got grit and he's got some skill.

Next time take the wax out of your ears, come to this site and do what we say.

tell me how you really feel SpezD...

Also found Neil's take on Carkner and Neils reasoning for his reduced production interesting...
If it was up to Chris Neil, there would be no discussion.

“He’d definitely be on my team,” Neil said. “But I don’t make those choices.

“Mattie’s been one of our best ‘D’ through the whole camp. He’s a
guy who cares a lot, and just goes out and does his job, plays hard.
He’s played well enough to play here and show that he can play in the
NHL. I think that definitely we could use a guy like that here. We
really haven’t had a guy like that here since Zdeno Chara. He’s big,
he’s tough and he’s mean to play against.”

He’d also give Neil some much-needed help in the enforcing department.

“You look at my best years here, point-wise, and we’ve always had
other tough guys,” Neil said. “It does take the load off, helps the
hands.”

LOVE Carkner, I'll keep saying it. He is good enough a player alone to be a 6 guy. His game is solid, not complicated at all, very simple. He plays within his skill set and doesnt try to be anything he's not.

Caving in people's faces is a bonus.

Who does he push out though? We already have to send Lee down... I'm all for getting rid of Campoli, but we probably won't be getting a 1st back for him

CCgotITcovered wrote:Who does he push out though? We already have to send Lee down... I'm all for getting rid of Campoli, but we probably won't be getting a 1st back for him

I think Picard might be on his way out considering. Can Capoli, Kuba, and Karlsson bring what Picard does? I think so... if they dont want to give up Picard, you can always make him a 7th D man. Doesnt hurt having a guy there anyways.

CCgotITcovered wrote:Who does he push out though? We already have to send Lee down... I'm all for getting rid of Campoli, but we probably won't be getting a 1st back for him

Move Schubert out, send Lee down, keep Carkner as the 7th and rotate him in to get him some ice time.

shabbs wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:Who does he push out though? We already have to send Lee down... I'm all for getting rid of Campoli, but we probably won't be getting a 1st back for him

Move Schubert out, send Lee down, keep Carkner as the 7th and rotate him in to get him some ice time.

Yeah I can dig it.