General Hockey Talk - Injuries, signings, factoids + other news from around the league

Team 1200 reports Tim Thomas has a broken hand.

davetherave wrote:Team 1200 reports Tim Thomas has a broken hand.

OMG! That guy has our number so bad, maybe we can win a game or two against them this year.

He hasn't played since Nov. 14th... Rask has been running the show.

shabbs wrote:He hasn't played since Nov. 14th... Rask has been running the show.

But Thomas was in when we played them (and blew it, right?)

Hossa scores.

Three shorties in a row for the Hawks tonight.

Well, Thomas or not, Boston squeaked out a shoot-out win and are 1 point ahead of us. Can what's left of the Ottawa Senators and whoever can make it up from Bingo in time for tonight's game keep up with the Jackets?

wprager wrote:Well, Thomas or not, Boston squeaked out a shoot-out win and are 1 point ahead of us. Can what's left of the Ottawa Senators and whoever can make it up from Bingo in time for tonight's game keep up with the Jackets?

You need a big effort from Spezza and for him to actually do something. I mean, I know I sound like a broken record but this is the guy that is supposed to pick the team up when they are down.

Ottawa needs this game tonight because it's 6 straight on the road for them after this where things only get harder.

The Sens will be fine. It's one loss guys. I personally thought we'd lose this game but was hoping for a win of course.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:The Sens will be fine. It's one loss guys. I personally thought we'd lose this game but was hoping for a win of course.

Yes, it's one loss and truth be told, if that one break goes the other way, Sens win that game. It's not the point though. The Sens without Fisher and Vulchi lose a lot of their on ice character and the guy who HAS TO BE stepping up is Spezza. If this team wants any chance of making the playoffs Spezza has to start to produce. The excuses are starting to come fast and furious again for the guy and it has to stop.

The Sens are playing well right now as a team and once again, I love the way things are headed but for this team to be a playoff team or even be in contention, Spezza needs to do something. He's giving the puck away again, he's coasting, his missing his assignments in zone, and is just generally doing what he does when things dont go his way.

Is it really that out of line to say their highest paid player by almost 2 million dollars has to be effective on most nights?

N4L wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:The Sens will be fine. It's one loss guys. I personally thought we'd lose this game but was hoping for a win of course.

Yes, it's one loss and truth be told, if that one break goes the other way, Sens win that game. It's not the point though. The Sens without Fisher and Vulchi lose a lot of their on ice character and the guy who HAS TO BE stepping up is Spezza. If this team wants any chance of making the playoffs Spezza has to start to produce. The excuses are starting to come fast and furious again for the guy and it has to stop.

The Sens are playing well right now as a team and once again, I love the way things are headed but for this team to be a playoff team or even be in contention, Spezza needs to do something. He's giving the puck away again, he's coasting, his missing his assignments in zone, and is just generally doing what he does when things dont go his way.

Is it really that out of line to say their highest paid player by almost 2 million dollars has to be effective on most nights?

I never even mentioned Spezza. Think whatever you want about him. I'm not making excuses for him. I was just trying to state the obvious. It's one loss and we'll turn it around.

There's nothing to turn around, for the most part, they played well. They were in the game till the last second, had a bad bounce go their way, such is life.

If The Sens want to "turn it around" like you said Cap, Spezza has to get going! You didnt mention him but that is easily the biggest concern in regaurds to The Sens.

Don't take this as me saying Spezza is playing well, because he is not, but I am not really seeing the coasting. He hustled back to take away a 2 on 1 and a couple other times his backcheck in the high slot took away chances. Having said that he needs to put up some points, that's why he is paid 7M.

Watch the empty net goal, Im not saying he is coasting the enitre game because he's not, but it's starting. The efforts are getting gradually worse and like it or not, he isnt drawing any penalties what so ever... people complian about the refs not calling anything, can anyone recall a play where Spezza was hooked or hauled down? That's how he will turn is luck around, with hard work and effort.

Fisher is the guy drawing all the penalties up front along with Michalek. Why? Because they skate hard and work for their breaks, it just doesnt magically go in for them.

wprager wrote:Well, Thomas or not, Boston squeaked out a shoot-out win and are 1 point ahead of us. Can what's left of the Ottawa Senators and whoever can make it up from Bingo in time for tonight's game keep up with the Jackets?

You're kidding, they caught us? Diddle.

N4L wrote:Watch the empty net goal, Im not saying he is coasting the enitre game because he's not, but it's starting. The efforts are getting gradually worse and like it or not, he isnt drawing any penalties what so ever... people complian about the refs not calling anything, can anyone recall a play where Spezza was hooked or hauled down? That's how he will turn is luck around, with hard work and effort.

Fisher is the guy drawing all the penalties up front along with Michalek. Why? Because they skate hard and work for their breaks, it just doesnt magically go in for them.

Neither Alfie nor Spezza are drawing penalties. The problem with Spezza is that he lets frustration get the better of him offensively and he begins to force .

Yup, he's mentally weak, always has been. That's an enourmous part of the game.

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:Well, Thomas or not, Boston squeaked out a shoot-out win and are 1 point ahead of us. Can what's left of the Ottawa Senators and whoever can make it up from Bingo in time for tonight's game keep up with the Jackets?

You're kidding, they caught us? Diddle.

meh. They're barely ahead of us and we have what 3 or 4 games in hand? Besides which did anyone really think we'd stay at the top of the division for the season? I mean other than the 3 people that voted that in the poll.