GAME DAY: Preseason - Boston @ Ottawa - 7:00pm ET - Fri. Sep. 25th, 2009--PLUS afterthoughts...

rooneypoo wrote:

beerandsens wrote:For sure, with Bill Watters leading the charge as biggest closet sens fan. Or closet something.

Diddle Bill Watters and his gunt.

rooneypoo wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:

beerandsens wrote:

Anybody see the clip on tsn, rating the canadian teams? The front runners are, of course, vancouver and calgary. But, discussing who could make the playoffs, the sens were a write-off. Actually, they made it sound like the leafs would make it before the sens.

This is good news. Expectations are low and distractions are limited. This team can focus on building chemistry and simply playing hockey...for once.

Yes but at the same time, the media will act as though the Sens are a huge failure if they don't make the playoffs. It's an interesting double standard for sure: 1)the Sens aren't really a playoff team mixed with 2)why are the Senators struggling to make the playoffs?

Maybe they're secretly Sens fans and they know that low expectations bode well for the team

If the general consensus in terms of expectations for this team is that they won't even challenge for a playoff spot, then I am happy to report that this team is going to surpass most people's expectations. For sure.

A lot of things are going to have to come together and stay together for the season for us to thrive, for sure -- but an equal number of things will have to go wrong, I think, for us to not even challenge for those bottom three playoff spots.

I think the big problem we face is that the general perception of this team (well deserved of late, I admit) is that too often, whatever can go wrong, does go wrong. I just don't see that trend continuing with a guy like CC so firmly in control. No Gerbers this year, no secret locker room cancers, no unknown or new systems to have to adjust to. Just a more stable foundation here overall, I think, than in the last two years.

CCgotITcovered wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:

beerandsens wrote:

Anybody see the clip on tsn, rating the canadian teams? The front runners are, of course, vancouver and calgary. But, discussing who could make the playoffs, the sens were a write-off. Actually, they made it sound like the leafs would make it before the sens.

This is good news. Expectations are low and distractions are limited. This team can focus on building chemistry and simply playing hockey...for once.

Yes but at the same time, the media will act as though the Sens are a huge failure if they don't make the playoffs. It's an interesting double standard for sure: 1)the Sens aren't really a playoff team mixed with 2)why are the Senators struggling to make the playoffs?

Maybe they're secretly Sens fans and they know that low expectations bode well for the team

If the general consensus in terms of expectations for this team is that they won't even challenge for a playoff spot, then I am happy to report that this team is going to surpass most people's expectations. For sure.

A lot of things are going to have to come together and stay together for the season for us to thrive, for sure -- but an equal number of things will have to go wrong, I think, for us to not even challenge for those bottom three playoff spots.

I think the big problem we face is that the general perception of this team (well deserved of late, I admit) is that too often, whatever can go wrong, does go wrong. I just don't see that trend continuing with a guy like CC so firmly in control. No Gerbers this year, no secret locker room cancers, no unknown or new systems to have to adjust to. Just a more stable foundation here overall, I think, than in the last two years.

Really thats (bolded) the way it is for any team. I think you're right that that underlined part is the reason for the low expectations.

btw, after watching part of the Boston game just now, I think we've been way too harsh on Cheechoo. He's got great instincts and is reliable defensively. Obviously his footspeed precludes the possibility of him becoming a Richard winner again, but he should be a valuable member of the team all year and especially in the playoffs.

CCgotITcovered wrote:Does Spezza look good this year, or what?!!

CCgotITcovered wrote:Yeah Kovalev (just like the first line) won't be relied upon solely to win games for us, but he (and they) will have nights when he does---which is obviously great for the team.

Only player's I don't like the look of thusfar are Michalek and Kovalev. Everyone else looks great. Cheechoo looks great only because I was so down on him before watching this

I hate that Carkner or Picard might not make the team. It sucks.

N4L wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:Yeah Kovalev (just like the first line) won't be relied upon solely to win games for us, but he (and they) will have nights when he does---which is obviously great for the team.

Only player's I don't like the look of thusfar are Michalek and Kovalev. Everyone else looks great. Cheechoo looks great only because I was so down on him before watching this

I hate that Carkner or Picard might not make the team. It sucks.

I love how Michalek has looked.

CCgotITcovered wrote:We actually have TWO top-6 centres!! And they're awesome!!

asq2 wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:We actually have TWO top-6 centres!! And they're awesome!!

Referring to Regin?

CCgotITcovered wrote:

N4L wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:Yeah Kovalev (just like the first line) won't be relied upon solely to win games for us, but he (and they) will have nights when he does---which is obviously great for the team.

Only player's I don't like the look of thusfar are Michalek and Kovalev. Everyone else looks great. Cheechoo looks great only because I was so down on him before watching this

I hate that Carkner or Picard might not make the team. It sucks.

I love how Michalek has looked.

I must be missing something or you must be buying into the hype too much. I dunno. Haven't liked his game yet. We'll see. I think a lot of what I'm seeing has to do with the position he's been put in with all the hype surrounding the trade. I'm thinking he's feeling the pressure too much. After all, those are some pretty big shoes to fill on that LW...and his feet move WAY too fast for those shoes... Hopefully he settles into his game sometime early in the season. So far, I don't see it.

CCgotITcovered wrote:

asq2 wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:We actually have TWO top-6 centres!! And they're awesome!!

Referring to Regin?

Yes sir the man is a player. Pure and simple.

CCgotITcovered wrote:

N4L wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:Yeah Kovalev (just like the first line) won't be relied upon solely to win games for us, but he (and they) will have nights when he does---which is obviously great for the team.

Only player's I don't like the look of thusfar are Michalek and Kovalev. Everyone else looks great. Cheechoo looks great only because I was so down on him before watching this

I hate that Carkner or Picard might not make the team. It sucks.

I love how Michalek has looked.

I must be missing something or you must be buying into the hype too much. I dunno. Haven't liked his game yet. We'll see. I think a lot of what I'm seeing has to do with the position he's been put in with all the hype surrounding the trade. I'm thinking he's feeling the pressure too much. After all, those are some pretty big shoes to fill on that LW...and his feet move WAY too fast for those shoes... Hopefully he settles into his game sometime early in the season. So far, I don't see it.