GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Toronto Maple Leafs - 7:00pm ET - Tue. Oct. 6th, 2009

The battle of Ontario is renewed once again when the Sens visit the Leafs in their first encouter of the 2009/10 NHL season. Both teams are off to a winless start and eager to get that first victory and the proverbial monkey off the back. The Leafs' recently upgraded defense has looked anything but and Leaf Nation is already questioning Toskala's confidence after 2 games. Can The Monster save the Leafs? In the Sens' season opener, the team looked out of sync and confused at times with many defensive mistakes. Some questionable pairings and moves during the game have Sens Nation wondering what to expect next from the young coach Cory Clouston. Perhaps tonight we'll get some answers. Ryan Shannon will not play for the Sens due to a head injury sustained in the first game and Jesse Winchester remains injured. That means Shean Donovan will be added to the line-up for the Sens. Kessel remains on the LTIR for the Leafs and Mike Van Ryn is on the injured reserve with a knee injury.

UPDATES:
- Jonas Gustavsson goes in net for the Leafs tonight
- Pascal LeClaire goes in net for the Sens tonight

Game Coverage:
- TV: TSN & TSN (HD)
- Radio: Team 1200
- Web: to be determined

TSN's Ice Chips:

Source: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=11009

Ottawa Senators:

Ryan Shannon (suspected head injury) did not skate on Monday and is doubtful for Tuesday's game in Toronto. He remains day-to-day. - TSN

Jesse Winchester (knee) skated on his own on Tuesday and is due back in the middle of October. - TSN

Practice Lines

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

Defencemen:
Phillips - Volchenkov
Kuba - Karlsson
Campoli - Carkner
Picard

Goaltenders:
Leclaire
Elliott

Toronto Maple Leafs:

Ron Wilson did not say who he will start in goal on Tuesday against Ottawa. Wayne Primeau is day-to-day and did not practice. Nikolai Kulemin will be in the line-up on Tuesday. Mike Van Ryn (knee) remains out. - TSN

Practice Lines

Forwards:
Stalberg - Stajan - Blake
Ponikarovsky - Grabovski - Hagman
Kulemin - Wallin - Stempniak
Rosehill - Mitchell - Orr
Extra: Mayers

Defencemen:
Kaberle - Komisarek
Beauchemin - Schenn
White - Exelby
Finger

Goaltenders:
Toskala
Gustavsson


OttawaSenators.com Game Day Preview:

Source: http://senators.nhl.com/club/preview.htm?id=2009020026

NHL.com Game Day Preview:

Source: http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2009020026

Ottawa Citizen Game Day Preview:

Source: http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/hockeycapital/archive/2009/10/05/gameday-preview-senators-at-maple-leafs-on-oct-6-2009.aspx

SportsNet Game Day Preview:

Source: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/scores/20091006/Ott@Tor/story

ESPN Game Day Preview:

Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=291006021

GO SENS GO!!!

Beautiful Shabbs. :%%: :prop: :monty:

Nice work Shabbs. Now if you could arrange a win, with Cheechoo scoring 3, that would be disco.

We'd better win !

Losing to Toronto is almost as bad as losing a Stanley Cup Final .. game 7 .... triple overtime.

I'd have to avoid most hockey forums for at least a week if we lose

Hoags wrote:We'd better win !

Losing to Toronto is almost as bad as losing a Stanley Cup Final .. game 7 .... triple overtime.

I'd have to avoid most hockey forums for at least a week if we lose

Meh, the BoO hasn't been the same the past few years. You're right though, about having to avoid certain sites. This is a safe haven though.

Let's get the win boys! C'mon!

Hard work off the faceoff and hopefully bag a couple of fat goals.

SpezDispenser wrote:Hard work off the faceoff and hopefully bag a couple of fat goals.

Play the system, too. Even under Hartsburg, I never thought the on-ice work ethic of the players was unsatisfactory (with one or two exceptions, of course).

The problem was that the team was running around lile a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.

asq2 wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Hard work off the faceoff and hopefully bag a couple of fat goals.

Play the system, too. Even under Hartsburg, I never thought the on-ice work ethic of the players was unsatisfactory (with one or two exceptions, of course).

The problem was that the team was running around lile a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.

+1

Also, I know Shannon is out but why are we punishing Regin like that?

asq2 wrote:Also, I know Shannon is out but why are we punishing Regin like that?

Let's hope the lines will change by game time. Although, from all accounts (I only saw some of the game) Neil and Cheechoo played well.

asq2 wrote:
Play the system, too. Even under Hartsburg, I never thought the on-ice work ethic of the players was unsatisfactory (with one or two exceptions, of course).

The problem was that the team was running around lile a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.

100% agreed. Play the system, work hard, create scoring chances and bury it.

hemlock wrote:

asq2 wrote:Also, I know Shannon is out but why are we punishing Regin like that?

Let's hope the lines will change by game time. Although, from all accounts (I only saw some of the game) Neil and Cheechoo played well.

Their performance was alright. I don't think Neil is particularly suited to playing with Regin and neither, frankly, is Cheechoo. It's largely a waste of Regin's speed and skill IMO. Fisher would be better suited in that slot.

Of course, when all are healthy I'm still a proponent of:

Cheechoo - Spezza - Alfredsson
Michalek - Regin - Kovalev
FFS

I also don't like Volchenkov - Phillips as a pairing because it ruins the whole speedy transition game generated by Karlsson, Campoli and Kuba (not that they played particularly well).

So, it's evident that Clouston and I don't agree on line combinations. He's had success thus far, though, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm looking for, if not necessarily a win, at least more evidence of a system next game though.

Awesome post shabbs. I am scared to watch how bad you will beat my 2nd favorite team...the leafs. I say ottawa 4 toronto 1. I won't be able to watch due to my own game, so not to upset.

Ottawa hasn't exactly been a powerhouse either thus far. I'm definitely not writing off the Leafs here.