GAME DAY: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Ottawa Senators - 7:30pm EST - Thu. Nov. 26th, 2009

rooneypoo wrote:

N4L wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

RobbyJ wrote:Campoli, Anton would like his spot back, why don't you sit over here with Pascal and Chris.

For SURE. Picard and Carkner work well -- Carkner is the surprise hit of the year for me, in fact. And Brian Lee has outplayed Campoli ever since he got called up. You have to sit Campoli when Volchenkov returns.

I think you send Lee down, open up the cap space, that's just the way it is. He had a good stint here, encouraging to say the least, Bingo is having some success and he should add to it. It's not a demotion at this point and he cant look at it like that either, its the reality of the situation.

I hear you -- the mighty cap rules all, for sure, and if it's a dollars and cents decision, Lee will lose. Still, I'd hang on to (and play) Lee for at least a game or two after Volchenkov returns, if only to give Campoli a wake up call. Let him sit and know that he can't float forever.

rooneypoo wrote:

N4L wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

RobbyJ wrote:Campoli, Anton would like his spot back, why don't you sit over here with Pascal and Chris.

For SURE. Picard and Carkner work well -- Carkner is the surprise hit of the year for me, in fact. And Brian Lee has outplayed Campoli ever since he got called up. You have to sit Campoli when Volchenkov returns.

I think you send Lee down, open up the cap space, that's just the way it is. He had a good stint here, encouraging to say the least, Bingo is having some success and he should add to it. It's not a demotion at this point and he cant look at it like that either, its the reality of the situation.

I hear you -- the mighty cap rules all, for sure, and if it's a dollars and cents decision, Lee will lose. Still, I'd hang on to (and play) Lee for at least a game or two after Volchenkov returns, if only to give Campoli a wake up call. Let him sit and know that he can't float forever.

RobbyJ wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

hemlock wrote:
Good hard working shifts aren't an anomaly from Cheechoo. He's also drawn more than a couple penalties, which is saying something for this team.

Like I said previously, if he made 1/3 of what he does, I'd be really happy with him. If can pick up the scoring pace to end at about 15 goals and say 35 points, I think that's not too bad, certainly not buy-out bad anyway.

I like Cheechoo and I'm still pulling for him to succeed in some form here, but he's taken way more penalties than he's drawn IMO.

Whatever the case, I agree with you, 15/35 total points would be nice. Not sure he'll dodge the buyout train this summer, but we'll see.

I doubt they buy him out. I think with a premium on cap space they may send him to the minors. Buyout costs 2M, the AHL costs 3M.

rooneypoo wrote:

RobbyJ wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

hemlock wrote:
Good hard working shifts aren't an anomaly from Cheechoo. He's also drawn more than a couple penalties, which is saying something for this team.

Like I said previously, if he made 1/3 of what he does, I'd be really happy with him. If can pick up the scoring pace to end at about 15 goals and say 35 points, I think that's not too bad, certainly not buy-out bad anyway.

I like Cheechoo and I'm still pulling for him to succeed in some form here, but he's taken way more penalties than he's drawn IMO.

Whatever the case, I agree with you, 15/35 total points would be nice. Not sure he'll dodge the buyout train this summer, but we'll see.

I doubt they buy him out. I think with a premium on cap space they may send him to the minors. Buyout costs 2M, the AHL costs 3M.

I could see it happening, for sure. $1 mil per year for two years looks a whole lot more palatable than $3 mil for next year.

I love the guy's effort and compete levels, but he's perhaps the worst skater I've ever seen. And I'm talking about skating fundamentals here -- like, taking sharp turns, moving laterally, and changing directions. He spends waaay too much time falling down, or steadying himself so that he doesn't fall down, or recovering from a misstep. He needs to get into an intensive power-skating class, all summer long, and put some of that 'never-say-die' attitude to work there. I don't know if I can name a worse skater in the NHL right now.

PKC wrote:My brain is just struggling to figure it out. We're now 10-3-3 at home, which is a pretty damn good record. What does it all mean?

asq2 wrote:Anyway, I don't want to be negative on a night where we won. This was a great two points to get, and I was happy with Spezza's performance. How about that cycle between he, Alfredsson and Michalek at the end?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Oh and Winnie is the Pooh. PP time, PK time, banging bodies like a Fisher/Neil Hybrid, starts on the 4th line but ends the night with over 15 minutes of ice time, 1st star of the game with 2 assists.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Oh and Winnie is the Pooh. PP time, PK time, banging bodies like a Fisher/Neil Hybrid, starts on the 4th line but ends the night with over 15 minutes of ice time, 1st star of the game with 2 assists.

Credited with 6 hits. He has to hit to play. His faceoff percentage dropped to 58 percent, though. Cause for concern.

rooneypoo wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Oh and Winnie is the Pooh. PP time, PK time, banging bodies like a Fisher/Neil Hybrid, starts on the 4th line but ends the night with over 15 minutes of ice time, 1st star of the game with 2 assists.

Credited with 6 hits. He has to hit to play. His faceoff percentage dropped to 58 percent, though. Cause for concern.

To be fair, Vermette was eating us alive last night in the dot -- or, at least, it felt like it to me. I don't know the stats, but I'm guessing Vermette lead both teams in terms of faceoff wins.

wprager wrote:With the exception of a few shifts from Nash, the Sens were dominating. With all those PKs they still managed to outshoot them (36-33); they outhit them (25-22, while missing Neil, A-Train and Fisher); they won 54% of the face offs; they had more blocked shots and takeaways and fewer giveaways. I can't find an area where the Jackets did better (other than the refs' preferential treatment).

By the way, as dominating as Nash was, he should have been called for three "Holding the stick" penalties. I hate, hate, HATE those calls like the Kuba "hooking" penalty. Kuba's stick was up there, for sure, but it did not impede Nash's progress until Nash tucked it under his armpit and took Kuba water skiiing. Kuba did the only thing he could and let go. Fine, if you want to call the ticky-tack crap, give Kuba the 2 for hooking, but for heaven's sake, give Nash 2 for holding the stick.

Good win. Back to 1st and we get to defend it tomorrow night. Hopefully Fish and A-Train will be back in the lineup. Have we ever faced Rask? I don't like his SV% over the last four games (114 saves on 121 shots or .942); I'd much prefer how he played against the Islanders 5 games ago (.850). With three of the last four games going to OT, I'm hoping he is a little tired.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:It depends on whether or not they want to ride the hot hand and continue with Raask.

rooneypoo wrote:

RobbyJ wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

hemlock wrote:
Good hard working shifts aren't an anomaly from Cheechoo. He's also drawn more than a couple penalties, which is saying something for this team.

Like I said previously, if he made 1/3 of what he does, I'd be really happy with him. If can pick up the scoring pace to end at about 15 goals and say 35 points, I think that's not too bad, certainly not buy-out bad anyway.

I like Cheechoo and I'm still pulling for him to succeed in some form here, but he's taken way more penalties than he's drawn IMO.

Whatever the case, I agree with you, 15/35 total points would be nice. Not sure he'll dodge the buyout train this summer, but we'll see.

I doubt they buy him out. I think with a premium on cap space they may send him to the minors. Buyout costs 2M, the AHL costs 3M.

I could see it happening, for sure. $1 mil per year for two years looks a whole lot more palatable than $3 mil for next year.

I love the guy's effort and compete levels, but he's perhaps the worst skater I've ever seen. And I'm talking about skating fundamentals here -- like, taking sharp turns, moving laterally, and changing directions. He spends waaay too much time falling down, or steadying himself so that he doesn't fall down, or recovering from a misstep. He needs to get into an intensive power-skating class, all summer long, and put some of that 'never-say-die' attitude to work there. I don't know if I can name a worse skater in the NHL right now.