GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins - 7:00pm ET - Thu. Jan. 28. 2010

I just finished watching the game (got home late but thanks to PVR, I'm good). HOW much does TSN love the penguins? It was penguin love-fest. Also, I DESPISE, REALLY, REALLY DESPISE RAY FERRARO.

TheAvatar wrote:I just finished watching the game (got home late but thanks to PVR, I'm good). HOW much does TSN love the penguins? It was penguin love-fest. Also, I DESPISE, REALLY, REALLY DESPISE RAY FERRARO.

The only reason the game was even on TSN was because of the Penguins probably.

OK, so I watched the game on the PVR last night (I'd seen the 3rd period live).

First of all, I really have to question N4L's view on Spezza. While I can see questioning his 1st star selection over Elliott, I thought he had a huge game. Very, very creative and the only giveaway was that tape-to-tape pass to a Pens forward on the PP. The other "giveaway" was a pass from Alfie (I think) that was about knee-high and two fee behind him, off the boards. It looked like he tried to wave his foot behind himself to try and knock it dow or something, but you can't fault a guy for not connecting on that -- that pass was way off. Very good game for Spezza.

Second, Karlsson is very exciting to watch. He's got to be challenging Shannon for the quickest set of legs on the team.

Third, Cheechoo is coming around. There was a play where he came back from deep in the other end to back check a guy and he was flying. His effort has always been there, his skating is coming around, all that's left islifting that post/crossbar curse.

Fourth, Kelly has 10 goals with his second game-winner. Last year he had 12 in 82 games; the year before that -- 11. I think it's safe to say this is a career year. I can't see the Sens moving him before the summer.

Fifth, if Elliott plays well Saturday, can anyone see him not getting another 1st star of the week?

Lastly, though, some of the comments here sounded a little beer-induced euphoria. Pittsburgh is not an elite team this year. An elite team does not sit 27th in PP with Crosby-Malkin-Gonchar. And MAF is clearly not 100% as the winning goal was a rebound on a simple shot he could not grab with his golve (the broken finger). Apparently he had to change his glove because of the injury. And he didn't look very comfortable on a few otherplays either, like that Spezza shot that trickled along the goal line and out. The Sens gave up 31 shots on goal last night and a lot of quality chances. They have not done that in a while. I guess it's not a bad thing when there's still something to work on.

Hockey Day is going to be interesting for sure. I don't know about 20,000+++ but it had better be a sell-out. Trouble is, there's going to be Ole chants pretty much from the last few bars of O Canada. That will be our bane until the current crop of 10-15 year olds grow up and get jobs and start filling the season-ticket ranks.

Has anyone considered that Pittsburgh might want to deal Malkin for Kovalchuk?

TheAvatar wrote:I just finished watching the game (got home late but thanks to PVR, I'm good). HOW much does TSN love the penguins? It was penguin love-fest. Also, I DESPISE, REALLY, REALLY DESPISE RAY FERRARO.

Take McGUire, McKenzie, Gord Miller and Dreger out, may be Duthie, and the rest of the TSN crew can all kiss my Donkey.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Has anyone considered that Pittsburgh might want to deal Malkin for Kovalchuk?

wprager wrote:

Hockey Day is going to be interesting for sure. I don't know about 20,000+++ but it had better be a sell-out. Trouble is, there's going to be Ole chants pretty much from the last few bars of O Canada. That will be our bane until the current crop of 10-15 year olds grow up and get jobs and start filling the season-ticket ranks.

I think we score 3 goals in the first 10 minutes, and that Ole chant will disappear like a f...

How many people from here are going tomorrow afternoon? I will be there. We need to get SBP rocking early. Let kick some Habs Donkey.

marakh wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Has anyone considered that Pittsburgh might want to deal Malkin for Kovalchuk?

wprager wrote:OK, so I watched the game on the PVR last night (I'd seen the 3rd period live).

First of all, I really have to question N4L's view on Spezza. While I can see questioning his 1st star selection over Elliott, I thought he had a huge game. Very, very creative and the only giveaway was that tape-to-tape pass to a Pens forward on the PP. The other "giveaway" was a pass from Alfie (I think) that was about knee-high and two fee behind him, off the boards. It looked like he tried to wave his foot behind himself to try and knock it dow or something, but you can't fault a guy for not connecting on that -- that pass was way off. Very good game for Spezza.

Second, Karlsson is very exciting to watch. He's got to be challenging Shannon for the quickest set of legs on the team.

Third, Cheechoo is coming around. There was a play where he came back from deep in the other end to back check a guy and he was flying. His effort has always been there, his skating is coming around, all that's left islifting that post/crossbar curse.

Fourth, Kelly has 10 goals with his second game-winner. Last year he had 12 in 82 games; the year before that -- 11. I think it's safe to say this is a career year. I can't see the Sens moving him before the summer.

Fifth, if Elliott plays well Saturday, can anyone see him not getting another 1st star of the week?

Lastly, though, some of the comments here sounded a little beer-induced euphoria. Pittsburgh is not an elite team this year. An elite team does not sit 27th in PP with Crosby-Malkin-Gonchar. And MAF is clearly not 100% as the winning goal was a rebound on a simple shot he could not grab with his golve (the broken finger). Apparently he had to change his glove because of the injury. And he didn't look very comfortable on a few otherplays either, like that Spezza shot that trickled along the goal line and out. The Sens gave up 31 shots on goal last night and a lot of quality chances. They have not done that in a while. I guess it's not a bad thing when there's still something to work on.

Hockey Day is going to be interesting for sure. I don't know about 20,000+++ but it had better be a sell-out. Trouble is, there's going to be Ole chants pretty much from the last few bars of O Canada. That will be our bane until the current crop of 10-15 year olds grow up and get jobs and start filling the season-ticket ranks.

Absolutely not. He was OK. He made a couple real bone head plays which could have costed The Sens the game just like he did against NJ. He was weak in his own zone a lot of the night. Offensivly he was on for the most part but he has to be better then that. He wasnt a a game star, that's for sure.

Spezza is playing very well. He makes things happen, and yes, the odd turn over is bound to happen, but that is the cost of being very creative. The best players turn the puck over, get over it.

Dash wrote:Spezza is playing very well. He makes things happen, and yes, the odd turn over is bound to happen, but that is the cost of being very creative. The best players turn the puck over, get over it.

Not in the spots Spezza does, sorry bud. When do you see Crosby, Datsyuk, and those types of players turn the puck over in really nasty area's of the ice? Hardly ever.

Spezza isnt playing "very well", he's playing ok. He's not playing bad by any stretch but he hasnt been lights out. His best game was Boston bar none thus far since he returned. NJ he was off and on and last night was exactly the same. He has to battle harder in his own zone, he has to limit turn overs at the bluelines (good players DONT do that), and he has to be more consistant.

You are seeing a more confident Spezza which is a good thing but he has to do the things needed to win consistantly throughtout the game and the year.

Again, Ill point this out, if NJ scores on that 2 on 1 in the first 5 mins Tues night, we are talking about how Spezza cost The Sens the game and it's the same old stuff from him but Elliott came up big really early. Last night he had a few bad shifts where Elliott was there to hold things down. Now, with the confidence they have in Elliott and the way he is playing, Spezza and others can absolutely take more risks offensivly but he has to be way smarter about it, in the playoffs, if those dont get in deep or get put at the net, you might be going home.

Spezza looks better then when he left for usre but he hasnt been good enough yet, not even close. People who think he is playing "very good" are "very wrong". He's playing OK right now, nothing more, nothing less. The puck is going in for him though because he is getting his nose a little dirtier which is a good thing.

Just to point out, his best hockey of the year was when he wasnt scoring the first 10 games. That's the best all around hockey I have ever seen Spezza play. Right now he is somewhere in the middle. We'll see how he plays when everything is going exactly his way and he has to battle, that will be the real test.

Scoring goals doesnt mean you are playing great hockey, some people actually believe that is the be all and end all.

I'm not just talking about the scoring goals, he is driving the net, he is opening up space, his passing, he is creating chances. Can he improve? Yeah, who couldn't? Crosby turns the puck over and does stupid things to, it's not just Spezza. You're probably just seeing the negative more with Spezza than you see with anyone else in the league.

Somewhere in the middle is fine with me if you're getting a point-per-game from an offensive player.

There's nothing wrong with having two-way players play a two-way game and letting offensive players get on the scoresheet.

Isn't that part of balance?

SeawaySensFan wrote:Somewhere in the middle is fine with me if you're getting a point-per-game from an offensive player.

There's nothing wrong with having two-way players play a two-way game and letting offensive players get on the scoresheet.

Isn't that part of balance?

Not at all and Im not sure if this is a good thing or not but Spezza's points are coming at ES. He should be producing more on the PP (with the rest of the team) and playing a little more conservative or being more responsible with the puck ES. If it ends up in the back of the net with your 2 way players on the bench, what does it matter if you have 2 way guys?

Point is Spezza has to be better with the puck even still, turn overs are fine, like on the PP last night where Spezza fanned on a pass and turned it over, big deal. Behind the net trying to center it, w/e, he was trying to make something happen there. At the bluelines and in his own zone, get it in or get it out at ES. There is nothing to debate there.

Dash wrote:I'm not just talking about the scoring goals, he is driving the net, he is opening up space, his passing, he is creating chances. Can he improve? Yeah, who couldn't? Crosby turns the puck over and does stupid things to, it's not just Spezza. You're probably just seeing the negative more with Spezza than you see with anyone else in the league.

Crosby very rarely turns the puck over in his own zone or at the other teams blue line. There is a difference between him and Spezza in that aspect in a BIG way. Watch what the great players do with the puck ES and in their own zone, they keep it simple for the most part and if something is there, they take it. They dont force things like Spezza does (which is absolutely his biggest fault as a player)

You know what's cool? Spezza's game still isn't where everyone wants it to be...and he's still making a huge impact.