GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Nashville Predators - 8:00pm ET - Mon. Feb. 16th, 2009

Its on back to back night, Elliott did look a little tired, but hey, w/e, Auld was going to start one of these 2 games and maybe allowing him to carry the momentum from last game is a good thing.

Was looking through stats and it appears that Alfredsson needs 1 more point to get to 900 for his career.

asq2 wrote:Was looking through stats and it appears that Alfredsson needs 1 more point to get to 900 for his career.

That is correct! Nice catch.

Think he can hit 1000 next season? That would assume he gets ~80 points this season and next.

I think if Clouston's there we should see a rise in goals scored, but on the other hand he may decline *knock on wood.*

David Poile was supposed to be on the Team 1200, but they have to push back the interview. He was seen at a cigar shop with Bryan Murray.

another 3 point game in the east... lol, Sens have no shot at the playoffs because of stuff like this. The hole is simply too deep. Oh well, hopefully we can swing another 1st rounder and use it to move up.

Here's hoping Alfie he can be a point a game player by the time his career is over. It will take a few seasons of 90 + in order to make up for declining years but you never know.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Here's hoping Alfie he can be a point a game player by the time his career is over. It will take a few seasons of 90 + in order to make up for declining years but you never know.

He's so close to a PPG career wise now. Amazing.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

cash wrote:So they've made the move to keep Elliott away from facing Mason and now Rinne... Is that on purpose?

He outduelled Miller, twice and he faced Backstrom who was also chased. It's on purpose because he needs the rest.

you're missing the point. They've kept him away from the two best rookie goaltenders in the NHL.... My question (which has nothing to do with the goalies you've mentioned) is whether or not they meant to do that?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Here's hoping Alfie he can be a point a game player by the time his career is over. It will take a few seasons of 90 + in order to make up for declining years but you never know.

he should be able to he is only 7 points off that pace as of before tonights game if you look back at the career stats posted by shabbs. He doesnt really need 90+ per season he seems to be like fine wine getting better with age and i dont see it declining he plays smart and its not the type of style that can hurt a player like fishers style of play

cash wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

cash wrote:So they've made the move to keep Elliott away from facing Mason and now Rinne... Is that on purpose?

He outduelled Miller, twice and he faced Backstrom who was also chased. It's on purpose because he needs the rest.

you're missing the point. They've kept him away from the two best rookie goaltenders in the NHL.... My question (which has nothing to do with the goalies you've mentioned) is whether or not they meant to do that?

I think it just happend to be that way. I dont think anyone really said to themselves "we cant put Elliott up against Rinne".

Has anybody talked about how the Predators' David Poile keeps his team rolling on $45MM while Bryan Murray stumbles along at $53MM?

Or how about how Barry Trotz has gotten the Preds to play their tushies off every night for the last 10 seasons, while the Sens put their coaches through a meat grinder?

And why does Nashville always seem to have great goaltenders even though they trade them away...from Vokoun and Mason to Ellis and Rinne?

Hmm...don't seem to have any problems with drafting 1st class d-men either...Shea Weber and Ryan Suter for example.

In fairness to Murray he wasnt the one that tied 3.7 mil up in Gerber and was forced to do something because Meszaros wanted way more money than the guy is worth. Going forward the cap isnt an issue for Ottawa.

On top of that Poile has drafted very well and his scouting staff is top notch, not so much in the Muckler era. Muckler really put this team back 3, 4, 5 years in terms of prospects and picks.

Neely4Life wrote:In fairness to Murray he wasnt the one that tied 3.7 mil up in Gerber and was forced to do something because Meszaros wanted way more money than the guy is worth. Going forward the cap isnt an issue for Ottawa.

On top of that Poile has drafted very well and his scouting staff is top notch, not so much in the Muckler era. Muckler really put this team back 3, 4, 5 years in terms of prospects and picks.

Are you still hanging this one on Muckler?

Didn't Murray tie up the lion's share of his cap in four forwards, and go through four coaches?

Poile and Trotz are models of stability and efficiency.

davetherave wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:In fairness to Murray he wasnt the one that tied 3.7 mil up in Gerber and was forced to do something because Meszaros wanted way more money than the guy is worth. Going forward the cap isnt an issue for Ottawa.

On top of that Poile has drafted very well and his scouting staff is top notch, not so much in the Muckler era. Muckler really put this team back 3, 4, 5 years in terms of prospects and picks.

Are you still hanging this one on Muckler?

Didn't Murray tie up the lion's share of his cap in four forwards, and go through four coaches?

Poile and Trotz are models of stability and efficiency.

Any GM would have locked up spezza and heatley and alfie at those prices....fisher may have gotten more than he deserved but the other 3 definately would have gotten that money anywhere else plus alfie could have gotten more money on the open market so Murray made good choices on those 3 you cant blame him for them not playing well

davetherave wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:In fairness to Murray he wasnt the one that tied 3.7 mil up in Gerber and was forced to do something because Meszaros wanted way more money than the guy is worth. Going forward the cap isnt an issue for Ottawa.

On top of that Poile has drafted very well and his scouting staff is top notch, not so much in the Muckler era. Muckler really put this team back 3, 4, 5 years in terms of prospects and picks.

Are you still hanging this one on Muckler?

Didn't Murray tie up the lion's share of his cap in four forwards, and go through four coaches?

Poile and Trotz are models of stability and efficiency.

The players in our system right now, any of the good ones aside from a 9th roudner used to take Elliott are all Murray's guys. All of Mucklers are in Russia or just not good enough to play in NA.

Murray def got the coaches wrong 2 times in Ottawa, no doubt, but it looks like he might have finally found the guy. Should it have taken this long? No, prob not, but in the long run this might be the way things had to go for the Sens to be the team we all want them too.

Personally, I think Murray has done a great job in Ottawa despite the coaches.

davetherave wrote:
Are you still hanging this one on Muckler?

Didn't Murray tie up the lion's share of his cap in four forwards, and go through four coaches?

Poile and Trotz are models of stability and efficiency.

Nashville's top 4 forwards:

Arnott - 4.5
Erat - 4.5
Legwand - 4.5
Dumont - 4

Ottawa's top 4:

Heatley - 7.5
Spezza - 7
Alfredsson - 5.4
Fisher - 4.2

The difference is 6.6 million and the talent level isn't even on the same planet. Nashville has been good at cultivating (then trading) goaltending talent - and they have a wonderful nucleus of D and luckily for them Weber and Suter are signed to sweetheart deals.

Nothing about the Preds screams anything but 'on the outside looking into the playoffs' - for the next...X number of years - I'll say they become more competitive just as Weber's contract is done and he's looking for 7 million.

We suck this year, that's obvious, we sucked the last half of last year too - and that makes some of the contracts look bad, but I'd rather be in our position than in theirs.

N4L, 504H, hockeyhero...spirited response, as expected. Well then, the next few years will show who is smarter...David Poile or Bryan Murray.

PS it's not the talent you have...it's what you do with it.

Nashville gave the Wings a much harder time than the Sens gave the Pens in last year's playoffs; and the Preds are much closer to a playoff berth than Ottawa.

Agreed?