GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Montreal Canadiens - 7:00pm ET - Sat. Oct. 17th, 2009

Gohan wrote:Not quite sure I understand this "dominated for the first two periods" story I keep hearing. I'm watching the game right now and a little into the 2nd, I see no such domination. They had a few chances (mainly on PP's) and we had a few chances. Neither team looks good, per se, but neither looks wholly awful. They look like what they are: two teams still trying to get accustomed to all their new players and styles.

I really don't expect much better from MTL as the season wears on, but I certainly think the Sens are capable of doing well for themselves.

rooneypoo wrote:

Gohan wrote:Not quite sure I understand this "dominated for the first two periods" story I keep hearing. I'm watching the game right now and a little into the 2nd, I see no such domination. They had a few chances (mainly on PP's) and we had a few chances. Neither team looks good, per se, but neither looks wholly awful. They look like what they are: two teams still trying to get accustomed to all their new players and styles.

I really don't expect much better from MTL as the season wears on, but I certainly think the Sens are capable of doing well for themselves.

Investigate the shot clock, for one.

Gohan wrote:Thats too heavily influenced by circumstance. The PPs for MTL and their shots from everywhere definitely embellished their "domination". They definitely had more solid chances in the early going and they were buzzing a little more than Ottawa was, but what are we to expect from a team with their record, playing at home, in front of a brutal crowd?

I just heard Guy Lafleur say (end of 2nd) that this is the worst he's seen Ottawa play in Montreal...and I'm dumbfounded. I really don't know what I'm missing here. They really aren't as bad as some want them to seem. If thats what an off-night looks like for the Sens, then I'm stoked.

Maybe its just that I have the advantage of knowing the outcome, so scrambles and disorder aren't nearly as nerve wracking, but I can't get behind the idea that they played "so" poorly.

rooneypoo wrote:

Gohan wrote:Not quite sure I understand this "dominated for the first two periods" story I keep hearing. I'm watching the game right now and a little into the 2nd, I see no such domination. They had a few chances (mainly on PP's) and we had a few chances. Neither team looks good, per se, but neither looks wholly awful. They look like what they are: two teams still trying to get accustomed to all their new players and styles.

I really don't expect much better from MTL as the season wears on, but I certainly think the Sens are capable of doing well for themselves.

Investigate the shot clock, for one.

wprager wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Gohan wrote:Not quite sure I understand this "dominated for the first two periods" story I keep hearing. I'm watching the game right now and a little into the 2nd, I see no such domination. They had a few chances (mainly on PP's) and we had a few chances. Neither team looks good, per se, but neither looks wholly awful. They look like what they are: two teams still trying to get accustomed to all their new players and styles.

I really don't expect much better from MTL as the season wears on, but I certainly think the Sens are capable of doing well for themselves.

Investigate the shot clock, for one.

The Sens took 4 minor penalties and were out-shot 13-3 in the first. It was 8-7 for the Sens in the second -- however since the Habs took the only 4 minors given out I suppose that shot difference could have been higher. Regardless, though, there's no way you could say the Habs dominated the Sens in any period other than the first, and that was Gohan's point.

shabbs wrote:I think it was Guy Carbonneau who said this was the worst he'd seen the Sens play. I was a bit surprised at that too. A little extreme if you ask me. Perhaps he's remembering all the success we've had there? Heh heh. I dunno. The way I saw it we played a desperate team that came out hard, we weathered the storm, Leclaire made the stops he needed to, we got a goal after only 3 shots on Price and then they tied it up late on a strange one that got by Leclaire. From the 2nd on, I think we got steady and then took over.

Hoags wrote:Montreal came out flying and took it to us hard in the first half of the game or so. Leclaire deserved a SO, except for that Cammaleri shot that got away from him. We were pretty bad in the first 2 periods or so.

Our defence and PK is something special so far, and these were to be our weaknesses this year. Thanks to CBC, I didn't even realize that was Carkner out there with Volchenkov on the 5-3. That should've been a free goal to Montreal but they managed to kill it.

Then there's Michalek who's going to get more SH goals this year and we have a killer PK unit. They still need to work on the PP, we need to capitalize more. Missing PP chances to score is going to cost us games.

I must say it's impressive that when we have an off night that the goalie, defence and PK can keep us in the game until we can get going or get a break.

“There are a number of the
things working in our favour. First is the upgrade in personnel. You
look at the top penalty-killing teams in the league and you’re looking
at the goalies with the best save percentage. For the first time in a
number of years, we’ve stabilized our goaltending,” said Senators
assistant coach Greg Carvel, who handles preparation of the penalty
killers for each game.

“Our guys are comfortable with both our goaltenders. They don’t feel
like they have to take away every option from the opposition.”

Carvel said the emergence of Carkner has also given the
penalty-killing unit a boost. When veteran Chris Phillips was sent off
Saturday night on the heels of a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty,
giving the Canadiens that 5-on-3 advantage, it was Carkner who stepped
up to help kill it off.

Carvel said he puts Carkner in the same class as Volchenkov and Phillips as a penalty killer.

“He’s got size and strength and reads the game really well. When we
get (Filip) Kuba back, I think we’ll have as good a group of four
defencemen as any in the league,” said Carvel

“It used to be Kelly and
(Antoine) Vermette (traded to Columbus for Leclaire) would be going
over the boards a couple of times each penalty. Now, we’ve spread it
out,” said Carvel. “It used to be we relied on four, sometimes six and
now it’s six or eight.”

Positioning has been the focus of the penalty killers along with being patient.

“I think the guys have really bought in. It’s not easy to tell
Alfie and Fish to wait for the play to come to you, but they’re doing
it,” said Carvel.

wprager wrote:And Carvel is probably thanking his lucky stars. Many here have been questioning how he has managed to survive all the coaching changes. On top of the nine lives he already had, this PK has probably given him another 3-4.

N4L wrote:La di da, Alfi has 9 points in 7 games about as quietly as possible. Does this guy ever not produce?

Cant wait till Shannon is taken out for Regin, getting him going again will make this Sens team even tougher to stop. Kelly is playing his Donkey off right now to stay in the lineup and should even as a 4th line guy. Sucks for Winchester though because right now he might have lost his spot.