TSN Power rankings - Sens get no love in the latest installment

111519 wrote:I wonder if any of the buffoons at TSN would like to re-think the whole Leafs finish ahead of Ottawa thing???

Never.

Toronto losing 7 straight is all part of Burke's master plan to lull the rest of the teams into a false sense of security until Kessel and the Monster return. Then the Leafs will go on a tear and win the Eastern Conference, Kessel will win the scoring title, Gustavsson will win the Vezina and Calder Trophies and Ron Wilson will get the Jack Adams and in the offseason the Leafs will win a dodge ball championship.

Like alot of people have said, at least we've made a significant jump up the standings.

I look at that top 15 on that page, and just can't help but think- if you showed me that these were the top 15 teams in the league before the season started, I would have shook my head and laughed.

NYR #1? 3-7 is Phoenix, Atlanta, Colorado, and Buffalo?

Wow.

Hobiesens wrote:Not that I get too much out of these rankings so early in the year but we are better here...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/10/19/week4_nhl_power_rankings/

and here....
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/powerranking

I swear that TSN and Sportsnet has an agenda against us. The Hockey News isn't fond either. They can all eat Dung and die - we play as a team from here on in, what people in these questionable media outlets say doesn't matter a hill of beans.

Hoags wrote:

111519 wrote:I wonder if any of the buffoons at TSN would like to re-think the whole Leafs finish ahead of Ottawa thing???

Never.

Toronto losing 7 straight is all part of Burke's master plan to lull the rest of the teams into a false sense of security until Kessel and the Monster return. Then the Leafs will go on a tear and win the Eastern Conference, Kessel will win the scoring title, Gustavsson will win the Vezina and Calder Trophies and Ron Wilson will get the Jack Adams and in the offseason the Leafs will win a dodge ball championship.

Toskala would be unbeatable.

Can anyone imagine how terrible Volchenkov must be at dodgeball?

Let's beat some good teams first.

asq2 wrote:Let's beat some good teams first.

OK, let's revisit, then. On this 5-game home stand we got 9 out of a possible 10 points. 4 teams were ahead of us in the standings (and the 5th had been playing better of late). Did we beat some "good" teams yet? I hate to say this, but all of those teams were having issues with injuries. Still, they are (in some cases were) ahead of us in the standings for a reason -- injuries or not, plus we've had to battle through some of our own misfortunes (Volchenkov, Donovan, Leclaire, Kovalev, Cheechoo ...) And now we find ourselves leading the Division, and 5 points away from leading the Conference (with 3 games in hand on those ahead of us).

So, where do we find ourselves in TSN's Power Ranking? Stuck in 19th for the second week in a row. The rankings came out on Monday, so they don't include our come-from-behind win over Washington, but we were still on a 3 game winning streak having just beaten Buffalo, Pittburgh and Toronto, and losing in a shoot-out to the Rangers. Pittsburgh was 16th last week, we beat them and they go up to 13th. Buffalo was 3rd last week, we beat them and go nowhere (but they drop to 10th). Even the Rangers were 10th last week and we got to a shoot-out against them. All the teams we beat (Leafs excepted) were and remain ahead of us in the Rankings. Hell, they are on page one while we have to click to page 2 to read the following gem of an Donkeyessment:

Impressive in three home wins last week, the Sens are overdue for a road trip, having played 14 of their first 20 at home.

So, are they leaving us in 19th because the impressive 3 game winning streak was in the middle of a 14 of 20 home stretch? Are they discounting the streak because, surely, we will not do well on the road?

Before the next rankings come out we will have played the Devils (road), Jackets (home) and Bruins (road). I can just see it now. We get 4-5 points in those games (plus the win against Washington that missed the cut this week), and TSN's explanation for dropping us to 20th will go something like this:

The streaking Sens have vaulted ahead of better teams to sit 3rd in the Conference, but with their #1 out a month with a broken cheek-bone can their backup (along with their AHL club's backup) carry the ball?

If you look at his criteria for ranking teams it makes sense sort of. Ottawa is missing Volchenkov and Donovan and was missing Kovalev for 2 of those games. Throw in the fact that Spezza is the Sens top Center and he's not producing at a very high rate. Now our number 1 goalie is out for 4 weeks. We may even drop based on this guys "formula" even if we win all our games this week.

I think he has something in there about impact players being injured or not having an impact on the teams success or something. Have a look at his formula.

If the team wins three in a row, getting points against three teams ahead of them in the ranking, yet don't move up at all, there's something wrong with the formula.

wprager wrote:If the team wins three in a row, getting points against three teams ahead of them in the ranking, yet don't move up at all, there's something wrong with the formula.

I agree with you.

Also I think you got the assesment wrong for next Monday. I think it'll be more like this.

"The surging Ottawa Senators, now on a 7 game win streak, have gotten Volchenkov (From injury) and Kovalev (personal) back and despite losing Leclaire they continue to roll."

Rank? 20th

Are you surprised really, nobody cares about the Sens around the league. The media is 100% behind Toronto and MTL because well, those are the teams that most people watch.
When we went to the Finals Canadian journalists were cheering for the DUcks because there were more "Canadian" players on it. Imagine TOronto in the Stanley Cup FInals, Don Cherry and all the goofs on CBC/TSN would be wearing Leafs Jersey on TV with a special feature on how Brian Burke is a mangod that saved the nation from "suckiness".

In fact I don't really care what those goons think and I probably like it that way. Let's focus on something we (the team) have some control on, and that's winning hoceky games.

Well, we are still not getting any love from TSN. The rankings come out Mondays, so this little 4-1 streak with a thumping of Philly (who recently took the Bs to OT) counts in their calculations. Result: we are still in freaking 19th place (but, hey, that's up 3 spots from where we were the week before). At the same time, the Habs have crept all the way to 11th!!!! This past week they are up 1 spot from 12th. Their record this past week? 2-2, with one of the wins in OT, and one of the losses against Ottawa. So, let me get this straight, they are ranked 12th which, surely, is better than average. Not much, but better. Then they go 2-2 (scoring 3 regulation goals in three of those games) and that is good enough to bring them up one more notch?

wprager wrote:Well, we are still not getting any love from TSN. The rankings come out Mondays, so this little 4-1 streak with a thumping of Philly (who recently took the Bs to OT) counts in their calculations. Result: we are still in freaking 19th place (but, hey, that's up 3 spots from where we were the week before). At the same time, the Habs have crept all the way to 11th!!!! This past week they are up 1 spot from 12th. Their record this past week? 2-2, with one of the wins in OT, and one of the losses against Ottawa. So, let me get this straight, they are ranked 12th which, surely, is better than average. Not much, but better. Then they go 2-2 (scoring 3 regulation goals in three of those games) and that is good enough to bring them up one more notch?

Don't worry prages. All we need to do is get Alfie and Spezza back, have them both go on ridiculous scoring streaks along with Fisher, Michalek, Kovalev and Foligno and throw in a super long winning streak that see's the Sens take 2nd in the Conference, in order to crack the top 15.

We already cracked that top-15 according to Wes Goldstein:
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/story/12743711/power-rankings-holiday-blues-sinking-oncepotent-penguins/rss

wprager wrote:We already cracked that top-15 according to Wes Goldstein:
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/story/12743711/power-rankings-holiday-blues-sinking-oncepotent-penguins/rss

wprager wrote:Well, we are still not getting any love from TSN. The rankings come out Mondays, so this little 4-1 streak with a thumping of Philly (who recently took the Bs to OT) counts in their calculations. Result: we are still in freaking 19th place (but, hey, that's up 3 spots from where we were the week before). At the same time, the Habs have crept all the way to 11th!!!! This past week they are up 1 spot from 12th. Their record this past week? 2-2, with one of the wins in OT, and one of the losses against Ottawa. So, let me get this straight, they are ranked 12th which, surely, is better than average. Not much, but better. Then they go 2-2 (scoring 3 regulation goals in three of those games) and that is good enough to bring them up one more notch?

I believe that guy's formula includes PP stats, so that explains some of it.

RobbyJ wrote:

wprager wrote:Well, we are still not getting any love from TSN. The rankings come out Mondays, so this little 4-1 streak with a thumping of Philly (who recently took the Bs to OT) counts in their calculations. Result: we are still in freaking 19th place (but, hey, that's up 3 spots from where we were the week before). At the same time, the Habs have crept all the way to 11th!!!! This past week they are up 1 spot from 12th. Their record this past week? 2-2, with one of the wins in OT, and one of the losses against Ottawa. So, let me get this straight, they are ranked 12th which, surely, is better than average. Not much, but better. Then they go 2-2 (scoring 3 regulation goals in three of those games) and that is good enough to bring them up one more notch?

I believe that guy's formula includes PP stats, so that explains some of it.

He explains his formula but in not enough detail for my liking.

Diddle formulas and Diddle standings. The only thing that matters is what spot this team is in once the whistle blows at the end of the 82nd game of the season.

Take your formulas and shove them up your arse TSN. We're fine thanks, your power rankings are about as useful as titties on a bull.