GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Montreal Canadiens– 7:30PM EST, Monday, March 22, 2010

N4L wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:It's a good thing I'm not GM because I would have called up Keller, St.Pierre and Hennessy and I would have sent Regin down for an 8 game tune up, Winchester would have sat and Shannon would have sat.

Also sitting: Erik Karlsson. I would give him and pen and a binder and I would have him write down where the right D-man was at all times for both teams and what he's noticing about them. Coming up from Bingo would be Derek Smith.

I believe 100% in rewarding the guys in the AHL for their hard work - and these three guys have been literally carrying the B-Sens for a while now.

Next call up: either Holt or Brodeur. I've seen enough out of Leclaire for this year thanks.

About the only thing I agree with there.

Keller, St.Pierre and Hennessy have been better than Winchester, Shannon and Regin. If it's only because they're playing in the AHL, I would find out. There's no chance these three guys would be playing for my team right now - I don't think it's that hard to even explain - they deserve the chance to come up and play as a line like they're doing in the A and see if they can replicate the success they've had down there.

As for Karlsson, again, this kid will be amazing, but he needs to take a step back and see the game from afar.

And don't think it's just me who thinks that these AHL guys deserve a chance, there's no way they haven't caught Tim Murray's eye - who has Bryan Murray's ear.

Meh, Smith is here because he's probably better on the ice after the Sens score a goal than Shannon. Since Shannon is anemic offensively lately, might as well use a hungry shutdown guy with some offensive upside.
Or maybe Clouston is preparing a SOB line to forecheck MTL all night.

But my guess is, he's here because he was terrific against MTL last time.

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:It's a good thing I'm not GM because I would have called up Keller, St.Pierre and Hennessy and I would have sent Regin down for an 8 game tune up, Winchester would have sat and Shannon would have sat.

Also sitting: Erik Karlsson. I would give him and pen and a binder and I would have him write down where the right D-man was at all times for both teams and what he's noticing about them. Coming up from Bingo would be Derek Smith.

I believe 100% in rewarding the guys in the AHL for their hard work - and these three guys have been literally carrying the B-Sens for a while now.

Next call up: either Holt or Brodeur. I've seen enough out of Leclaire for this year thanks.

About the only thing I agree with there.

Keller, St.Pierre and Hennessy have been better than Winchester, Shannon and Regin. If it's only because they're playing in the AHL, I would find out. There's no chance these three guys would be playing for my team right now - I don't think it's that hard to even explain - they deserve the chance to come up and play as a line like they're doing in the A and see if they can replicate the success they've had down there.

As for Karlsson, again, this kid will be amazing, but he needs to take a step back and see the game from afar.

And don't think it's just me who thinks that these AHL guys deserve a chance, there's no way they haven't caught Tim Murray's eye - who has Bryan Murray's ear.

I think the least of Murray's concerns are who deserves a frigging chance from Bingo. It's about making the playoffs, if they were any less of a concern right now they probably wouldnt exsist.

SpezDispenser wrote:It's a good thing I'm not GM because I would have called up Keller, St.Pierre and Hennessy and I would have sent Regin down for an 8 game tune up, Winchester would have sat and Shannon would have sat.

Also sitting: Erik Karlsson. I would give him and pen and a binder and I would have him write down where the right D-man was at all times for both teams and what he's noticing about them. Coming up from Bingo would be Derek Smith.

I believe 100% in rewarding the guys in the AHL for their hard work - and these three guys have been literally carrying the B-Sens for a while now.

Next call up: either Holt or Brodeur. I've seen enough out of Leclaire for this year thanks.

Really? Karlsson hasn't been good since his shoulder injury, but at this juncture in the season when we're desperate for wins why would we call up a guy that pretty much looked lost in his audition before the break??

N4L wrote:
I think the least of Murray's concerns are who deserves a frigging chance from Bingo. It's about making the playoffs, if they were any less of a concern right now they probably wouldnt exsist.

Why do you think they would deserve a chance? If you said, because they're playing amazing hockey, you'd be right.

Which one out of Winchester, Shannon and Regin has been playing amazing hockey? If your answer was 'none of the above', you're correct again.

Hence: I would call up that line and see what they can do. What's the worst that can happen? They don't score? Been there, doing that right now.

SMith is the only guy to score as well out of the guys that wer actually called up. St Pierre, Keller, and Smith didnt do a thing here. Smith is easily the guy u want coming up.

SDH89 wrote:Really? Karlsson hasn't been good since his shoulder injury, but at this juncture in the season when we're desperate for wins why would we call up a guy that pretty much looked lost in his audition before the break??

That's the problem with that specific move, however, D.Smith has had an amazing year in Bingo - and could he possibly look more lost that EK right now?

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:
I think the least of Murray's concerns are who deserves a frigging chance from Bingo. It's about making the playoffs, if they were any less of a concern right now they probably wouldnt exsist.

Why do you think they would deserve a chance? If you said, because they're playing amazing hockey, you'd be right.

Which one out of Winchester, Shannon and Regin has been playing amazing hockey? If your answer was 'none of the above', you're correct again.

Hence: I would call up that line and see what they can do. What's the worst that can happen? They don't score? Been there, doing that right now.

Regin on a bad night is more effective then Keller or St. Pierre has shown. He's part of the team, doesnt matter how poorly he has played.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SDH89 wrote:Really? Karlsson hasn't been good since his shoulder injury, but at this juncture in the season when we're desperate for wins why would we call up a guy that pretty much looked lost in his audition before the break??

That's the problem with that specific move, however, D.Smith has had an amazing year in Bingo - and could he possibly look more lost that EK right now?

Yup, he could.

N4L wrote:
Regin on a bad night is more effective then Keller or St. Pierre has shown. He's part of the team, doesnt matter how poorly he has played.

I'm not saying he's spending significant time in Bingo, I want to see him get some confidence back. He hasn't looked the same since this horrific slump started - and although I don't have the stats, I can't even recall the last time he registered a point.

8 games, get into the rhythm again and your place is waiting for you. As for Keller and St.Pierre, isn't it some skill we want to infuse here? We've tried everything, teams call players up from the AHL all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but if we lose tonight, I would say this team is in serious danger of missing the playoffs the way Atlanta is playing.

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:
Regin on a bad night is more effective then Keller or St. Pierre has shown. He's part of the team, doesnt matter how poorly he has played.

I'm not saying he's spending significant time in Bingo, I want to see him get some confidence back. He hasn't looked the same since this horrific slump started - and although I don't have the stats, I can't even recall the last time he registered a point.

8 games, get into the rhythm again and your place is waiting for you. As for Keller and St.Pierre, isn't it some skill we want to infuse here? We've tried everything, teams call players up from the AHL all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but if we lose tonight, I would say this team is in serious danger of missing the playoffs the way Atlanta is playing.

It doenst work like that, never has, never will.

What doesn't work like that?

Unless there is an enormous cap hit (Cheechoo) then you keep your team together for the most part. You dont send a guy down for stuggling, especially since his ice time is cut in haf because everyone is healthy. What you're saying makes little sense whether u believe it or not.

N4L wrote:Unless there is an enormous cap hit (Cheechoo) then you keep your team together for the most part. You dont send a guy down for stuggling, especially since his ice time is cut in haf because everyone is healthy. What you're saying makes little sense whether u believe it or not.

I would point to the Phoenix Coyotes who did this all the time with Boedker, Mueller, Hanzel etc. etc. etc. until the young players started to transfer their confidence from the AHL into their play in the NHL. Is it harsh? Absolutely. Does it help? Absolutely.

Not the same situation at all. Regin played in The AHL already, has had a good rookie year and has to play himself out of it. You dont punish a rookie because he is having a rough patch.

N4L wrote:Not the same situation at all. Regin played in The AHL already, has had a good rookie year and has to play himself out of it. You dont punish a rookie because he is having a rough patch.

Regin is going to be a great player on this team for years to come. Right now, the long schedule seems to be wearing down on him. He needs to add more upper body strength as I find he's knocked off the puck far too easily. Currently, his style of play doesn't suit playoff hockey -- he may find himself to be a healthy scratch when that time rolls around.

Maybe not, but being a healthy scratch for a young player come playoff time isnt abnormal at all. That's an entirely different and very possible situations.

N4L wrote:Not the same situation at all. Regin played in The AHL already, has had a good rookie year and has to play himself out of it. You dont punish a rookie because he is having a rough patch.

I don't want to punish him, I really don't, I want to make sure that he's good to go by the playoffs. He's one of my favourite young players on this team and I'm quite concerned about him. If he can't get it together and lead a successful 3rd line, I would say that the depth that this team has accumulated is starting to go for not.

If it's too much to send Regin down, then I'd do a 100% about face and surround him with the talent to boost his confidence in game. For example, the only two guys who seem to 'get' Kovalev are Regin and Shannon, so tonight would be Regin paired with Kovalev.

I like Shannon a lot, but I cannot defend him anymore, so the natural move is to put young Z.Smith there so there's a huge sense of urgency there for Kovalev to try to draw off of.

Keeping the status quo here is real dangerous, it can either galvanize these guys and make them come together, or the same Dung will happen and we'll actually miss the playoffs. Obviously I'm not a coach or a GM in this league, so I'm not sure what the mindset is, but I hope CC and BM know what they're doing, or there'll be a lot of crying from Sens' fans in the next two weeks.