GAME DAY: Boston Bruins @ Ottawa Senators - 7:00pm ET - Sat. Oct. 24th, 2009; and post game debate

wprager wrote:No, Neely's right. It wasn't Cheechoo's fault that Clouston put him out there. He is not a defensive specialist or two-way player. Perhaps Clouston wants everyone to be better defensively, and felt that a 2-goal lead with under 2 minutes to go was a safe time to ice the full Spezza line. Hopefully he'll learn that in this league it takes a heck of a lot less time that 1:38 to score a couple of goals. Also, wiht under 2 minutes and a face off in your zone you should have two centers out there. Have Michalek or Cheechoo ever played center? I don't think so. He should have had Spezza out with Kelly, then Fisher with Regin. You don't need to roll four lines with under 2 minutes left, protecting a lead.

Those who blame it on Fisher not clearing the puck, and further adding that this is two games in a row he cost us a game? Wow. In the Thursday game he lost the face off then was tripped trying to clear the puck. He still managed to whack the puck but the point guy just happened to be right there. You can't very easily aim where the puck will go when you are diving at it and hitting it out of mid-air. Then last night, he was on a backhander and in a bad position. Sure, I would have loved it if it had gone sailing high like Alfie's missed open net Thursday night, but it didn't.

But I'd like a couple of questions answered about that whole play:

1. Why didn't one of the forwards give A-Train their stick or at least try to kick the stick over to him?
2. Why did A-Train suddenly decide to go into the corner to pick his stick up before the puck cleared out zone?

Also, this is probably the 15th time in two games where I've seen both Phillips and Volchenkov on the same side of the ice. Usually it's Phillips running over to (for whatever reason) help out A-Train by doubling up on *one* winger, and twice it cost us. Last night when A-Train went to grab his stick Phillips should have crossed back over to the other side. As it was, A-Train almost made it back over to intercept the slap-pass or block the shot. Phillips could have made it over there much, much quicker (he didn't have to bend over and pick up a stick first).

Anyhow, Philchenkov have been playing lights out, so I don't want to slam them too much, but I've been noticing a little bit too much of this crossing over going on.

wprager wrote:OK, someone's playing games with me. It's now up to 7. I can't live up to that much hype. There is a little green bar next to my previous post -- I take it that indicates that someone +'d it. Why, exactly? Who? Do I have a stalker?

wprager wrote:How the hell did I get a reputation of 6???! When SpezD is at 3 -- and I believe all those are from the one time I clicked "Thank You" just to try it out.

marakh wrote:Seriously though, after what we had to endure the last 2 years, I am pretty satisfied with the overral look of the team.
Also, there have been TONS of late comebacks in a game in the league lately, so we're not the only one to which that happens.

PKC wrote:

marakh wrote:Seriously though, after what we had to endure the last 2 years, I am pretty satisfied with the overral look of the team.
Also, there have been TONS of late comebacks in a game in the league lately, so we're not the only one to which that happens.

All I wanted this season, whether win or lose, was to see a system implemented and for the players to work diligently and with great effort within that system.

And so far they have delivered that. What I'm really happy about is that there seems to be room for improvement despite the successful start.

Hoags wrote:

PKC wrote:

marakh wrote:Seriously though, after what we had to endure the last 2 years, I am pretty satisfied with the overral look of the team.
Also, there have been TONS of late comebacks in a game in the league lately, so we're not the only one to which that happens.

All I wanted this season, whether win or lose, was to see a system implemented and for the players to work diligently and with great effort within that system.

And so far they have delivered that. What I'm really happy about is that there seems to be room for improvement despite the successful start.

That's exactly what my expectations were for this year. I feel we're only going to better. We're going to have some bad losses and some heartbreakers but for the most part I expect us to be competitive.

Once Spezza gets going, Kuba returns and (hopefully) Cheechoo and Karlsson finds their game it will be another step forward for the Sens.

PKC wrote:
Well said. Those are the improvements I was alluding to, as well as the potential (if not inevitable) improvement of our sad powerplay.

PKC wrote:
All I wanted this season, whether win or lose, was to see a system implemented and for the players to work diligently and with great effort within that system.

And so far they have delivered that. What I'm really happy about is that there seems to be room for improvement despite the successful start.

asq2 wrote:It's also pretty awesome, I might add, that we were playing our 24-year-old back-up goalie last night, resting our 26-year-old starting goalie while our 18-year-old blue-chip goalie prospect was throwing haymakers in the Soo.

N4L wrote:Why are some people saying sit Cheechoo instead of Shannon. Id like to hear the rational here because there is ONE player on that team without a point and that's Shannon. Cheechoo is playing head and shoulders better than Shannon as well.

So I'll allow people to explain their view on that because Shannon will NEVER be the player Cheechoo is/was/will be even if he struggles.