GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Dallas Stars – 2:00PM EST, Saturday, March 20, 2010

My point exactly...you're added to my "foes" list.

OH NO!

all right. I really don't have a dog in this fight, but there were a couple of other posts right before Big Ev's that you could have contributed knowledge to, yet you chose just to tear apart his history on this site. Your reactions to those posts aren't really helping the credibility of this site either. Its just non-sensical arguing about a difference of opinions.

Like I said, I'm not really taking sides here, but just ignore it if you don't like his post why is that so hard? You do it every freakin' time, and its not like ppl listen to you anyways. Just sayin', save your energy

N4L wrote:Ya, your leading goal scorer going down isnt a concern. Why do you talk?

Is it though? Yeah, he has more goals than anyone else on the team, but he also started the season with 15 goals in 20 games IIRC... That means he has 7 goals over his past 44 games ... He gets plenty of chances but he has no finish whatsoever. He's 5 points ahead of Chris Kelly and truly doesn't add a whole hell of a lot to the offense when he isn't burying his chances. He's also a minus-11 and seemingly hasn't found a place in the lineup, despite being attached at the hip to Spezza (a duo that I find incredibly mismatched).

I know everyone loves the guy because he is the anti-Heatley, but he hasn't done a whole lot to endear himself to me, beyond showing up and putting in a solid effort (which is Imo nothing more than what should be a given for a professional athlete). He has all the skills and plenty of potential, but he's going to have to find some finish if he is ever expected to live up to that potential. I personally don't think it's a very big loss for this team, right now. All it takes is for the 18M in offensive talent to find a little spark and the team will be fine.

N4L wrote:Ya, your leading goal scorer going down isnt a concern. Why do you talk?

I wouldn't say it's a huge concern personally. He hasn't done much recently, he probably needs to watch from the press box and get some added perspective on how this season's shaking out.

According to Mendes, Michalek is fine, he's on the ice now practising. Good news for sure, although I think 5 games would have done him good.

I certainly wouldn't put him up on the top line anymore, I would keep Cullen there. Cullen looked right at home on the top line.

Yeah I agree.

SpezDispenser wrote:According to Mendes, Michalek is fine, he's on the ice now practising. Good news for sure, although I think 5 games would have done him good.

I certainly wouldn't put him up on the top line anymore, I would keep Cullen there. Cullen looked right at home on the top line.

That's amazing to me. I guess it was one hell of a wicked charlie horse?

I do agree Cullen looked good up there. Leave him up there for a while and see if he can find some finish because he had a number of nice chances last game. It can't hurt. Michalek has been given 40+ games to muster up 7 goals so it's worth a shot.

I updated the latest updates.

So we're in agreement

Cullen - Spezza - Alfredsson
Michalek - Fisher - Kovalev
Foligno - Regin - Shannon
Ruutu - Kelly - Neil

Looks good to me!

SpezDispenser wrote:So we're in agreement

Cullen - Spezza - Alfredsson
Michalek - Fisher - Kovalev
Foligno - Regin - Shannon
Ruutu - Kelly - Neil

Looks good to me!

I'd be tempted to swap Foligno and Michalek and make Michalek earn his way back to line two.

SpezDispenser wrote:So we're in agreement

Cullen - Spezza - Alfredsson
Michalek - Fisher - Foligno
Shannon - Regin - Kovalev
Ruutu - Kelly - Neil

Looks good to me!

little tweak... How about having to deal with that 2nd line

Gohan wrote:

N4L wrote:Ya, your leading goal scorer going down isnt a concern. Why do you talk?

Is it though? Yeah, he has more goals than anyone else on the team, but he also started the season with 15 goals in 20 games IIRC... That means he has 7 goals over his past 44 games ... He gets plenty of chances but he has no finish whatsoever. He's 5 points ahead of Chris Kelly and truly doesn't add a whole hell of a lot to the offense when he isn't burying his chances. He's also a minus-11 and seemingly hasn't found a place in the lineup, despite being attached at the hip to Spezza (a duo that I find incredibly mismatched).

I know everyone loves the guy because he is the anti-Heatley, but he hasn't done a whole lot to endear himself to me, beyond showing up and putting in a solid effort (which is Imo nothing more than what should be a given for a professional athlete). He has all the skills and plenty of potential, but he's going to have to find some finish if he is ever expected to live up to that potential. I personally don't think it's a very big loss for this team, right now. All it takes is for the 18M in offensive talent to find a little spark and the team will be fine.

For a guy that has no finish that says very little for the rest of the team. Michalek until this point in his career has always created chances one way or another and usually has someone else that can finish plays as well. Just because he doesnt score on every chance doesnt mean there isnt a lose puck waiting for someone to put it in on a rebound. If he wasnt creating chances or involved on most night, then ya, I would tend to agree, but the fact remains that he is an explosive player who can score at any given moment or make a big play.

I love Alfi but he isnt the guy that will drive the net with Michalek, Spezza, well he goes no where near traffic. There is a lot of garbage around the net when he is on the ice.

Michalek might be inconsistant but who on The Sens isnt? There is no positive in your leading goal scorer being out, only negative. Not to mention he does work the pk and pp... not a lot of guys beside Alfi and Fisher who do that. Michalek is about the only guy that gets in front and take punishment on the PK in front of the net as well. You can say what you want about Michalek and I dont disagree for the most part, but there is no way him being out of the lineup helps this team or actually makes them better. Hell, this team is better without Spezza statistically and that is proven almost every year.

As for Chris Kelly, well, he might be our most consistant forward in Ottawa this year which is a little sad. Whether The Sens are winning or losing, his production stays very much the same and his role is exactly the same. He may very well center the best 4th line in the league, a 4th line that has 30 goals right now.

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:Ya, your leading goal scorer going down isnt a concern. Why do you talk?

I wouldn't say it's a huge concern personally. He hasn't done much recently, he probably needs to watch from the press box and get some added perspective on how this season's shaking out.

I can name about 4 or 5 guys that should be sitting before he does. Kovalev, Fisher, Winchester, Donovan, hell, Alfi hasnt been as good as Michalek since the break. No way in hell does Michalek sit nor should he.

Gohan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:So we're in agreement

Cullen - Spezza - Alfredsson
Michalek - Fisher - Foligno
Shannon - Regin - Kovalev
Ruutu - Kelly - Neil

Looks good to me!

little tweak... How about having to deal with that 2nd line

I would do

Kovalev/Spezza/Alfi
Michalek/Fisher/Foligno
Regin/Cullen/Shannon
Ruutu/Kelly/Neil

At least then you have different dynamics on all the lines. Cullen is also way more efftive at center, he's ok on the wing but when he is in the middle he is usually one of the best players on the ice for The Sens.

N4L wrote:Like I said back in Jan, if The Sens are depending on a 19 year old kid to carry the load, they are in trouble. He's going to be a star, but he is a 19 year old rookie and plays like one. Elliott is still basically a rookie. Those are the two guys that were carrying the team on the back end during that 11 game streak.

The future is bright for Ottawa and Ive never lost sight of that, but this team was never as good as that winning streak and they are not as bad as this losing streak. Right now though, it's a bad time to go on that losing streak.

I think it's as good a time as any to go on a losing streak, assuming they get out of it. If they can build some solid momentum over the final 10 (11) games, then they can roll into the playoffs with confidence, but with some humility too, knowing they can't put in a half-assed effort and squeeze a W out of the left cheek... If this team finds it's game, it will be a real tough first round matchup for any of the top 4 teams.
It might be 1 and done this year, but getting some experience for the young guns will go a long way to seeing some legit, consistent success next year. The way I see this team shaping up for next year (with Cowen and Smith in and some deadweight out) we should be very much in the race for the division, and maybe even the conference.

The Poll is getting very interesting So far 37% vote that their pissed off about the Dallas dream season of 85/86.

N4L wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:Ya, your leading goal scorer going down isnt a concern. Why do you talk?

I wouldn't say it's a huge concern personally. He hasn't done much recently, he probably needs to watch from the press box and get some added perspective on how this season's shaking out.

I can name about 4 or 5 guys that should be sitting before he does. Kovalev, Fisher, Winchester, Donovan, hell, Alfi hasnt been as good as Michalek since the break. No way in hell does Michalek sit nor should he.

I don't think he was implying that Michalek needs to be a healthy scratch, just that, if he is injured, some time to watch from the top could do him some good. I don't necessarily disagree...