GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Columbus Blue Jackets - 7:00pm EST/8:00pm AST - Jan. 30th, 2009

Hejda's sudden loquaciousness was probably encouraged by his partner Mr Commodore... :pirat:

Meh, its not the 1st NHLer to come out and say wtf is wrong with the Sens. Not the first guy to call Spezza into question...

Its not surprising. I dont know why people get so bent out of shape when other players make comments on the Sens that are negative. Its true.

This time Hedja is right. Spezza is phoning it in, Heatley is phoning it in, Alfie has lost several steps...but don't worry! We have big bad...Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette coming to get you! Or...Nick Foligno or...look out, it's Chris Kelly (who I'd like to mow down with my car). Winchester? Ruutu? Surely one of these guys is an offensive dynamo, right?

Our secondary scoring is actually laughable. No wonder no one takes us seriously.

Not to mention our D is full of Dung. The more I watch Kuba, the more I can't wait for him to be gone. Same with Phillips, Picard (you suck very badly) and unfortunately Jason Smith.

I'll keep Brian Lee, but I'd unload him in a heartbeat for a player of impact.

Am I missing anyone? Brendan Diddle Bell? Worst defence in the NHL - and really, it's not close at all.

504Heater wrote:This time Hedja is right. Spezza is phoning it in, Heatley is phoning it in, Alfie has lost several steps...but don't worry! We have big bad...Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette coming to get you! Or...Nick Foligno or...look out, it's Chris Kelly (who I'd like to mow down with my car). Winchester? Ruutu? Surely one of these guys is an offensive dynamo, right?

Our secondary scoring is actually laughable. No wonder no one takes us seriously.

Not to mention our D is full of Dung. The more I watch Kuba, the more I can't wait for him to be gone. Same with Phillips, Picard (you suck very badly) and unfortunately Jason Smith.

I'll keep Brian Lee, but I'd unload him in a heartbeat for a player of impact.

Am I missing anyone? Brendan Diddle Bell? Worst defence in the NHL - and really, it's not close at all.

When did it improve? I'd rank it right up there beside our defense.

Acrobat wrote:
When did it improve? I'd rank it right up there beside our defense.

Quite true. We have the worst secondary scoring in the NHL and the worst defence in the NHL by far.

And we wonder why we lose...

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:
When did it improve? I'd rank it right up there beside our defense.

Quite true. We have the worst secondary scoring in the NHL and the worst defence in the NHL by far.

And we wonder why we lose...

Perhaps *that is* -- or, rather, those are -- the reasons that Spezza and Alfie and Heatley seem to be phoning it in on many nights. Alfie, being the oldest and smartest, realized earlier that the season is done, but that nothing will be changed until the deadline. Without a mobile D and secondary scoring they (the top lione) stand next to little chance of making an impact. We had fairly good reason to hope coming out of the pre-season. We expected Vermette to get his 20-25 goals, perhaps even challenge for 30 with more PP time. We expected Fisher to get the same. We were all excited (don't know why) about Winchester playing on the top line and Foligno having a breakout season (again, don't know why, since a sophomore slump was much more likely). About the only thing we called dead on was out goaltending situation -- we were all scared that we had close to $5M tied up in two backups, but at least that was a worry we were well used to having.

Please show me one player -- just a single one -- that is not performing well below expectations. And don't list any rookies because, frankly, none of them are blowing my socks off. Sure, they are playing better than some of the veterans but, so what?

I'll give the rookies and sophomore a break. As for the rest, there's A-Train (who seems to have caught the injury bug last couple of seasons -- understandable the way he plays, but still) and Alfie, God bless him. Everyone else -- an I mean everyone -- I would not miss at all. I loved what Phillips said at the development camp, but those words ring hollow given how he's played. Chris Neil has reverted to only contributing when he gets into fights -- Grats was better at it (in his prime) and cost less. Kelly has become so smart that he should now try playing chess. When it comes to hockey, he's become a fifth liner. Tell me what his contribution is? Now tell me what the other $1.5M we pay him is for? I still like Vermette because he, at least, can win a face off. But is Regin even better? He's certainly cheaper.

N4L, you have every right to be upset at the on-ice product because you are actually paying for it. I've got two issues with you, though:

1. You are very quick to criticize others' knowledge of hockey. There's a guy on these boards who played professional hockey, even had a few games in the NHL, and you treated him with the same contempt you've shown to others.

2. You are very quick with the absolutes like never, always, guarantee and so on. Nobody knows what will happen in the next 5-10 years, which is exactly what most of these players still have ahead of them. What was Sedin like in *his* first 5 years in the lague? I kow that you are upset (rightfully so) but try to temper your posts with a little common sense: no-one here has a crystal ball and the world we live in has very, very few absolutes.

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:
When did it improve? I'd rank it right up there beside our defense.

Quite true. We have the worst secondary scoring in the NHL and the worst defence in the NHL by far.

And we wonder why we lose...

With the type of effort and play this team has been putting in, the losses are no surprise. What is a surprise to me, is that this team just can't seem to play consistently as a team no matter what we do. I've always thought we were a couple of players away from fixing this team, but now I'm starting to wonder if that would even fix anything. A major overhaul (players, management or both) may indeed be necessary to get things back on track and get some pride and enthusiasm back in this team. It's very disheartening to see them mail it in like this.