GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Florida Panthers - 7:30pm ET - Wed. Oct. 28th, 2009

Bass Destruction wrote:Florida scares me. They had our number last year. Granted it was Anderson we couldn't score on, and now he's in Colorado. But their forechecking system seems to fluster our defense and their fast breaks seem to confuse our team.

Last year we were 1-2-1 against them. 8 goals for, 13 goals against.

In the preseason, we went 0-2 against them and only managed to score a total of 2 goals against them, while they scored 5 against us.

This is not going to be an easy game for us, I'm not very optimistic. I believe our boys can pull this out, it's just a matter of getting a few bounces, and having a steady attack from our 3 scoring lines.

In the pre-season we were still largely fiddling around with lines and getting all the new players (Kovalev, Cheechoo, Michalek, Carkner, Karlsson) adjusting to the team. Plus a lot of the Bingo boys were still here. In other words, it's apples and oranges.

Now, are our apples better than the Florida oranges? Time will tell.

Go Sens!

Bass Destruction wrote:Florida scares me. They had our number last year. Granted it was Anderson we couldn't score on, and now he's in Colorado. But their forechecking system seems to fluster our defense and their fast breaks seem to confuse our team.

Last year we were 1-2-1 against them. 8 goals for, 13 goals against.

In the preseason, we went 0-2 against them and only managed to score a total of 2 goals against them, while they scored 5 against us.

This is not going to be an easy game for us, I'm not very optimistic. I believe our boys can pull this out, it's just a matter of getting a few bounces, and having a steady attack from our 3 scoring lines.

Again, that's a product of playing on the perimeter and letting goalies see every friggin shot, even on 5 on 3s!!!!

Until Clouston starts insisting that someone parks himself in front of that net sometimes (at least) we will be kidding ourselves about "hot goalies" and a "snakebitten" powerplay.

Instead of relying on bounces and other forms of luck we have to create our own chances and capitalize on some of them. Enough of this apologist Dung!

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Bass Destruction wrote:Florida scares me. They had our number last year. Granted it was Anderson we couldn't score on, and now he's in Colorado. But their forechecking system seems to fluster our defense and their fast breaks seem to confuse our team.

Last year we were 1-2-1 against them. 8 goals for, 13 goals against.

In the preseason, we went 0-2 against them and only managed to score a total of 2 goals against them, while they scored 5 against us.

This is not going to be an easy game for us, I'm not very optimistic. I believe our boys can pull this out, it's just a matter of getting a few bounces, and having a steady attack from our 3 scoring lines.

Again, that's a product of playing on the perimeter and letting goalies see every friggin shot, even on 5 on 3s!!!!

Until Clouston starts insisting that someone parks himself in front of that net sometimes (at least) we will be kidding ourselves about "hot goalies" and a "snakebitten" powerplay.

Instead of relying on bounces and other forms of luck we have to create our own chances and capitalize on some of them. Enough of this apologist Dung!

now's the time to try Neil in front of the net again on the PP, it's been awhile since a coach in Ottawa did that, but am pretty certain it was effective.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Again, that's a product of playing on the perimeter and letting goalies see every friggin shot, even on 5 on 3s!!!!

Until Clouston starts insisting that someone parks himself in front of that net sometimes (at least) we will be kidding ourselves about "hot goalies" and a "snakebitten" powerplay.

Instead of relying on bounces and other forms of luck we have to create our own chances and capitalize on some of them. Enough of this apologist Dung!

now's the time to try Neil in front of the net again on the PP, it's been awhile since a coach in Ottawa did that, but am pretty certain it was effective.[/quote]

Put somebody. Decide on someone who you think has the physical ability to do the job and see what they do with the reward of top PP minutes. See if they execute the assignment, if not, Diddle em. Sit their asses on the bench and send them out there to do whatever they do 5 on 5 and shorthanded, if they can even do that.

We should know the final lineup and starting goal tender by 1pm today.

i miss the days of Chara in front of the net on the PP

Why not try Carkner out there? He's played as a forward already, his ice time as a D will probably go down because of Kuba being back, and he's a much bigger presence there than Neil -- harder to move and blocks more sunlight.

wprager wrote:Why not try Carkner out there? He's played as a forward already, his ice time as a D will probably go down because of Kuba being back, and he's a much bigger presence there than Neil -- harder to move and blocks more sunlight.

definitely a good thought, would take more of an effort to move him than Neil, he has pretty good hands too to shovel rebounds into the net.

SensFan71 wrote:

wprager wrote:Why not try Carkner out there? He's played as a forward already, his ice time as a D will probably go down because of Kuba being back, and he's a much bigger presence there than Neil -- harder to move and blocks more sunlight.

definitely a good thought, would take more of an effort to move him than Neil, he has pretty good hands too to shovel rebounds into the net.

Cheechoo?  Nothing this guy needs more than a couple dirty, garbage goals to get him on the board!

ATDHE.net is showing a web stream for tonight's game.

http://www.atdhe.net/

SensFan71 wrote:i miss the days of Chara in front of the net on the PP

I was just thinking that

TheAvatar wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:i miss the days of Chara in front of the net on the PP

I was just thinking that

that just makes me question Muckler's logic even more, Redden over Chara?

SensFan71 wrote:

TheAvatar wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:i miss the days of Chara in front of the net on the PP

I was just thinking that

that just makes me question Muckler's logic even more, Redden over Chara?

Funny you should use that smiley since a lot of Senators fans were beating their chests about keeping Redden and trying to characterize him as a "hometown" boy, despite the fact that his permanent home was in Kamloops and that his FAR superior offensive abilities were more useful than Chara's physical presence and "lack" of offensive ability... Also, "Wayne" was always going to the CHEO, Chara, not so much. Or so they wanted to convince themselves... Schmucks.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:

TheAvatar wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:i miss the days of Chara in front of the net on the PP

I was just thinking that

that just makes me question Muckler's logic even more, Redden over Chara?

Funny you should use that smiley since a lot of Senators fans were beating their chests about keeping Redden and trying to characterize him as a "hometown" boy, despite the fact that his permanent home was in Kamloops and that his FAR superior offensive abilities were more useful than Chara's physical presence and "lack" of offensive ability... Also, "Wayne" was always going to the CHEO, Chara, not so much. Or so they wanted to convince themselves... Schmucks.

I wouldn't have cared if Redden was a saint, he wasn't no 6'9" defenseman that could change a game all by himself, just from his presence. phooey to you Mucks, go join CBC with that other lame GM Milbury.

MurderOnIce wrote:Thing is, Alfie was playing the point in practise. I am okay with that personally. Our top line often plays 1:45 of a full powerplay anyway, might as well stack it with our best players. I have always thought Alfie has done well back there. He had one costly defensive lapse in the playoffs a couple of years ago, other than that he is solid. He also gets the shot through and on net most often which is something that has been missing.

He said he was happy about it and looking forward to it. WTF? I thought he didn't like it, you wanna be there Alf? You got it. There's no one who's a better passer (Spezza excluded I guess) and has that ripping shot and hockey sense. Thanks for manning the point whilst I would imagine Kuba mans the other point.

That's a VAST improvement right there.

Bass Destruction wrote:Florida scares me. They had our number last year. Granted it was Anderson we couldn't score on, and now he's in Colorado. But their forechecking system seems to fluster our defense and their fast breaks seem to confuse our team.

Last year we were 1-2-1 against them. 8 goals for, 13 goals against.

In the preseason, we went 0-2 against them and only managed to score a total of 2 goals against them, while they scored 5 against us.

This is not going to be an easy game for us, I'm not very optimistic. I believe our boys can pull this out, it's just a matter of getting a few bounces, and having a steady attack from our 3 scoring lines.

Sporting a 9-1-2 record and just pitching a shutout last night. The guy was a fabulous tender - I thought he was just amazing against us, but watching last year and this year - this guy is absolutely amazing.

I was pumping Anderson's tires for a few years now so Im not all that surprised.

Vokoun is one of the most over rated goaltenders in the league, he isnt hard to beat most of the time. Like the last 2 games, no reason The Sens should lose this one.

N4L wrote:I was pumping Anderson's tires for a few years now so Im not all that surprised.

Vokoun is one of the most over rated goaltenders in the league, he isnt hard to beat most of the time. Like the last 2 games, no reason The Sens should lose this one.

This is the time to go medieval on Florida and Tampa Bay. Go nuts guys, you'll have a good goalie behind you no matter if it's Leclaire or Elliott. No bad habits, but come at Florida tonight hard and make it a mission to make them play on their heals.

Also, make sure you dump pucks in and make their defenders turn around while you enter the zone. They have a real issue turning around to face their goalie and recovering pucks. Buffalo beat them 10 times or more in the first period a week or so ago by doing that. Ballard is amazing, but he's a lone man out there. Tire them out, attack, score and win. Anything less is a major disappointment. Major.

Score.