GAME DAY: Atlanta Thrashers @ Ottawa Senators - 2:00pm ET - Sat. Oct. 31st, 2009; and post game thoughts

The Ottawa Senators (6-3-2, 14 points, 2nd in the North East) return from their southern tour to face the Atlanta Thrashers (4-4-1, 9 points, third in the South East) on Saturday afternoon. The Sens are coming off back to back games in Florida that saw them split the games with a humiliating and embarrassing loss to the Bolts last night. Sure, it was the 2nd game in as many nights, and the team was missing Volchenkov, Spezza and Leclaire but that's no excuse for the effort that was put forth. The Sens are going to need to dig deep and have everyone step up to fill in for the missing bodies. Volchenkov could be gone for a while and he will be missed on the blue line. The Thrashers will be without their superstar Kovalchuk, who is a notorious Sens-killer and the Sens may be without Spezza again who is suffering from back pain. Injuries happen, and now is the time for the team to come together and get back on the winning track.

Game Coverage:
- TV: CBC
- Radio: Team 1200
- Web: streams TBD

Latest Updates:
Clouston: Spezza is out, Leclaire to start in net

TSN's Ice Chips:

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

Ottawa Senators:

Alex Kovalev was not on the ice at the Senators practice on Friday as he was recovering from various bumps and bruises suffered during Thursday's loss to the Lightning. He is expected to play Saturday against the Thrashers. Jason Spezza did not skate and remains day-to-day with a back injury but will likely miss Saturday's game while defenceman Anton Volchenkov continues to recover from an elbow injury and is expected to miss a couple of weeks.- TSN

Practice Lines

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

Defencemen:
Phillips - Kuba
Carkner - Picard
Campoli - Lee

Goaltenders:
Leclaire
Elliott

Injuries:
Winchester (knee, on injured reserve, assigned to Bingo for conditioning); Volchenkov (dislocated right elbow, out indefinately); Jason Spezza (upper body, questionable for Saturday's game)

Atlanta Thrashers:

Nik Antropov returned Thursday after missing three practices this week. Antropov felt tightness in his groin Sunday and felt fine after taking part in Thursday morning's practice, but still needed to be cleared to play by team doctors. He played left wing on a line with Rich Peverly and Max Afinogenov. - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Projected lines vs the Sens:

Forwards:
Antropov - Peverley - Afinogenov
Kozlov - White - Little
Kane - Reasoner - Armstrong
Boulton - Slater - Thorburn

Defencemen:
Enstrom - Bogosian
Hainsey - Kubina
Salmela - Schubert

Goaltenders:
Pavelec
Hedberg

Injuries:
Kari Lehtonen (back surgery, on IR); Boris Valabik (left ankle surgery, in IR, out 4-6 weeks); Ilya Kovalchuk (broken right foot, on IR, out 3-5 weeks)

Game Day Previews:

OttawaSenators.com Game Day Preview:

Source: http://senators.nhl.com/club/preview.htm?id=2009020182

NHL.com Game Day Preview:

Source: http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2009020182

Sportsnet.ca Game Day Preview:

Source: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/scores/20091031/Atl@Ott/story

ESPN Game Day Preview:

Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=291031014

ESPN Stats Comparison:



Media Links:
- Clouston post practice presser from Friday (Part 1): http://senators.nhl.com/v2/ext/Audio/091030_Clouston-01.mp3
- Clouston post practice presser from Friday (Part 2): http://senators.nhl.com/v2/ext/Audio/091030_Clouston-02.mp3
- SensTV Player Profile: Volchenkov: http://senators.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?id=50080
- SensTV On-line: http://senators.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp
- Official Twitter of the Ottawa Senators: http://twitter.com/NHL_Sens

Ottawa's Last Game: @ Tampa Bay Lightning
- Date: Thu. Oct. 29th, 2009
- Score: Senators 2 - Lightning 5
- Recap: http://senators.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2009020167
- Boxscore: http://senators.nhl.com/club/boxscore.htm?id=2009020167
- Game Summary: http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/GS020167.HTM
- Video: http://senators.nhl.com/club/gamevideo.htm?id=2009020167

Noteable Senators articles

Ottawa Sun:
Spezza on the IR: http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/2009/10/30/11582871.html

Ottawa Sun:
Lightning strikes: http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/2009/10/29/11573291.html

Ottawa Sun:
Karlsson OK with Bingo: http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/2009/10/30/11575196-sun.html

Ottawa Citizen:
Spezza won't play Saturday: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/ottawa-senators/Spezza+play+Saturday/2164339/story.html

Ottawa Citizen:
Lightning strike back: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/ottawa-senators/Lightning+strike+back/2161048/story.html

Ottawa Citizen:
Volchenkov dislocates elbow in Florida game: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/ottawa-senators/Volchenkov+dislocates+elbow+Florida+game/2161055/story.html

OttawaSenators.com:
A big loss for the Senators: http://senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504034

OttawaSenators.com:
Hamel lending a veteran's hand: http://senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504156

Noteable Thrashers articles:

AtlantaThrashers.com
Playing without Kovy: http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503800

AtlantaThrashers.com
Kovalchuk sidelines Four Weeks: http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503619

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GO SENS GO!!!

PLEASE NOTE: This is an afternoon game. 2:00pm ET start!

15 points for Alfie. Amazing. Anyway here's my bad Halloween-esque post for you all to enjoy.

Lets hope the Sens aren't as scarey as they looked last night despite it being halloween tomorrow.

HA HA! That was pretty cheesy Clutch.

What? No plus vote for me on that Halloween reference?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:What? No plus vote for me on that Halloween reference?

Was considering a minus...



HA HA!

There are 26 guest online right now as I type this. WOW. Welcome guests if you're reading this.

kelly is useless, cheechoo is useless, lee is useless
elliott is almost useless

6.2 million dollars in salary.

send lee and a 1st to chicago for barker
waive cheechoo
trade kelly to columbus or detroit for a second.

offseason:
sign volch
pick up a top 6 forward.

111519 wrote:kelly is useless, cheechoo is useless, lee is useless
elliott is almost useless

6.2 million dollars in salary.

Please tell us how you really feel.

111519 wrote:kelly is useless, cheechoo is useless, lee is useless
elliott is almost useless

6.2 million dollars in salary.

send lee and a 1st to chicago for barker
waive cheechoo
trade kelly to columbus or detroit for a second.

offseason:
sign volch
pick up a top 6 forward.

How is Kelly useless? He's been consistant and very good all year. I'll allow you to explain before I rip into you.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:15 points for Alfie. Amazing. Anyway here's my bad Halloween-esque post for you all to enjoy.

Lets hope the Sens aren't as scarey as they looked last night despite it being halloween tomorrow.

-1

It will be a SPOOKTACULAR event!

MOU HOU HOU HOU HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

BOO!

N4L wrote:

111519 wrote:kelly is useless, cheechoo is useless, lee is useless
elliott is almost useless

6.2 million dollars in salary.

send lee and a 1st to chicago for barker
waive cheechoo
trade kelly to columbus or detroit for a second.

offseason:
sign volch
pick up a top 6 forward.

How is Kelly useless? He's been consistant and very good all year. I'll allow you to explain before I rip into you.

Please pick up on the "Elliott is almost useless" comment, too, at which my mind nearly collapsed. I've got two more paper's to mark before I head out tonight and don't have the time or energy to do it myself.

I will, I just want to see if he actually respondes first. I dont think he will because there is no possible way to defend the actual comments that were made.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:There are 26 guest online right now as I type this. WOW. Welcome guests if you're reading this.

Is it any coincidence that I just got a spam PM? Haven't had one in over a month.