GAME 3 - 2010 Stanley Cup GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators (1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1), Sunday Apr. 18, 2010 - 6:30PM EST

marakh wrote:

Phoenix30 wrote:

marakh wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Phoenix30 wrote:
Well said, Look at game one they shot from all over and we won. The Sens need to shoot at him at every opportunity and go after those juicy rebounds. Spezza was successful earlier this year when he started shooting more instead of looking at the pretty passes. Speaking of passes there seems to be no happy medium. Either too hard or too soft, no crisp passes. it looked tonight they were trying to force something or give up.

The 4 big concerns I saw.

1 no shooting enough and gotta shoot from every where. Gotta get MAF moving.
2. Cover the points.
3. Hit hit hit
4. better tape to tape passes.

Exactly, why can fans see that and the team can't? Shoot the puck on MAF, he's the weak spot, why aren't they doing it? :facepalm:

Also, the next time Spezza does one of his idiot blind passes and turns over the puck, he better show a crazy effort to get it back, this is the playoffs, you don't get another chance.

See my post above. I think we're underestimate the Pens here guys, cmon.

I dont under estimate them. We aren't playing the same way and we need to tighten up and check them hard as well. They have shown they want this more in the past 2 games. As a result they have had better passes when given an opportunity and are still hitting everything. Even our points have been invisible.

I think Bylsma is the N1 reason for that.

The point is that our team has not responded to the adjustments and they need to get their head out of the sand and take back the ice

^ I agree. It's a tough assignment but it is possible, we've seen that from the Sens this year. I maintain that Elliott will have to be stellar though, just as he was during the streaks in the regular season.

Yeah, Clouston needs to take this series back by adjusting, Elliott needs to be near flawless now and Spezza and Alfie need to wake up. It can happen of course, but I really thought we'd see the change for this game - which made it real frustrating to watch.

I'd like to see Cheechoo added to the line up. Even with his declining numbers he was always one of the better SJS players in the playoffs. Maybe his work ethic and heart will rub off on others to step it up.

Phoenix30 wrote:I'd like to see Cheechoo added to the line up. Even with his declining numbers he was always one of the better SJS players in the playoffs. Maybe his work ethic and heart will rub off on others to step it up.

Why not indeed. Shannon out, Cheechoo in, regroup and shoot the puck into the net FFS.

Ok, so with tonight.

Its two poorly played games on the whole for the sens, with tonnes of crappy calls.

Of course people need to walk up, but its not over till its over. If we win next game, its right back to a tied series - and thats great!

GO SENS GO,

Bring up cheechoo, have a serious talk with Spezza. Bring a more physical game, and don't let baby crosby walk all over you. Make those top two lines guys lives a living hell!

SensGal wrote:Honestly, here's how I see it.

First, the Pens generally paid better.

Sorry, I stopped reading after that. You hit the nail on the head. The Euge has to dig deeper in his pockets and provide a fatter envelope.

N4L wrote:
Are you nuts? People in Ottawa say that ALL time! Point is nothing will ever be won with any team Spezza is on, his teams lose. Tonight is a perfect example of him contributing to that.

Not doing it all himself? Maybe he should try passing the puck, chipping it in, something that actually involves him not trying to do it all himself. Once again, something doesnt go his way he shuts it down completely and is totally useless. He's gone back from just not producing but costing The Sens on the defensive end again.

Spezza isnt THE reason the Sens are down 2-1, he's is defently the biggest problem.

First, the only one I've heard mentioning "Spezza" and "elite" in the same sentence is you. Everyone opposing you says he can be a franchise, a #1, whatever. No-one has called him elite, and his salary reflects that. Is he as good as some other players making $7M? Of course not. Is he the worst? Of course not.

Second, Alfie was nowhere to be seen until Orpik grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him down. There was finally some anger in dem dry bones and it cost us 2 minutes. What is your honest assessment of the Captain's play so far, this series?

Third, what happened to our shut-down pair? Honestly, the only thing I remember from those two in G3 was A-Train getting bowled over by someone in white.

Lastly, you put players into situations where they have a shot at success. Spezza may be our first line center, but he is not good enough to play shut down against Crosby. So why is he out there, lining up for the opening face off? Even when he played him about as well as could be expected, Crosby still managed to somehow get the puck to Letang for the winner in G2. Maybe some of that had to do with Regin leaving the point? Who knows, it'd undeniable that we have a rookie playing on our top line and mistakes will happen, but Clouston is the one putting that line up against the best in the business. He's also the one putting Shannon in the lineup over bigger bodies/more grit and experience in Cheechoo or Donovan.

At one point, on the PK, we had Carkner and Sutton out there. That may work in the regular season against Florida or the Leafs, but not again the Pens. I'm not going to blame that one on Clouston, because Philchenkov can't play the full 2 minutes, one of them may have been in the sin-bin,and Kuba is not playing.

As much as I was supporting Clouston for the club's performance in the regular season, it's clear that, since game 1, Bylsma has made adjustments and his team won two straight. After the G2 loss Clouston made no changes to the lineup, and when he got home ice advantage he made no changes to the match ups. Those were both mistakes IMO, and you can read my pre-game post to know it's not hindsight.

SpezD, sorry man, but I have to call you out. Sutton is clearly being outplayed and some of it needs to be addressed by Clouston (don't cross-over to try and hit someone, wait for the hits to come to you, keep it simple, etc.) But saying he sucks this or that, and asking for that second pick back is the kind of bandwagon jumping that we -- as Sens fans -- have been called on far too often. We don't need any of that from the good ones.

marakh wrote:
Don't think energy is the problem at all. Our 3rd and 4th lines outplay them ridiculously and they have Jordan Staal. There's a reason he's been invisible in 3 games.

Crosby and Malkin are killing Ottawa, and there's nothing our bottom lines can do about that, especially when they're called for elbowing when they put a solid check on.

Spezza needs to put his Dung together, especially when Regin is playing sooo well. I'll wait til the series is over to talk aobut his future here but right now I'd ship his Donkey out of town in a second. Don't htink he's selfish, but he's just not tough enough mentally and physically for playoff battles.

That explains why the refs keep giving him a free ride. They can't see him.

I was nearly in shock when he actually got that slashing call -- nice, a stick across the back of a player known to have back issues. But he's been getting away with so much crap, sometimes it looks like even more than Crosby or Malkin. And he's not on the ice as often.

Yes, Spezza is not tough enough to shut down a big top line, but he's skilled enough to flourish against weaker opposition. So why does Clouston insist on putting him out against Crosby? Bylsma clearly wanted that match up in Pittsburgh.

And as well as Regin is playing, he is not a big forward who can do the dirty work on that line. Alfie certainly hasn't done any of that so far, either. That top line is entirely too soft right now, and despite what Neely says Spezza was actually the heaviest hitter on that line, last night. And, no, that's not saying much.

If I was Clouston, I'd move Regin down to the second line and move Fisher up to be Spezza's other winger. If he insists on playing them against the top line, give them some jam.

Then I'd have a sit down with Sutton, play him some game tape and show him what he should not be doing. Let Karlsson play one side, and him the other. Take the hits that are a couple of feet away, not the ones you have to come across the ice to get near. And why do we have both Sutton and Carkner jumping into the play so much? Are they quick enough to get back into the play against Pittsburgh's top guys? Karlsson has the wheels for that, but not those two.

Phoenix30 wrote:

marakh wrote:AT least Regin is developping as a 1st line player. I think he already is.

I've been really impressed with Regin. If he keeps his performance up I think he is going to make another top 6 expendable. ????

Regin is doing great, but should he really be playing against the top line? And how can you have expendable top-six when you don't have six of them to start?

SpezDispenser wrote:Whatever, guys like Regin, Karlsson, Elliott and Clouston need the experience. This will only help in future years. What else can you say?

Excellent point. We are getting a little ahead of ourselves because we won G1. We made the playoffs, which is already better than last year, and we won (so far) one game, which is already better than 2 years ago. All this with one-third of our top six out and without Kuba. We have roughly $12M of payroll missing, someone on the post-game call in mentioned that that's 20% of our scoring. Take $12M out of Pittsburgh's lineup and see what you've got.

One of the biggest things we need to fix next year -- and this may take some kind of viral marketing campaign, or something -- is to fix the attitude of the refs toward Ottawa and Clouston. There is something seriously wrong there. You have to be a clueless idiot to continue denying it. There was something that Clouston did or said, early on, when he was seen as just an AHL coach, that the refs clearly have not forgotten. It's been over a year and the must have memories like elephants. Unless, of course, it's just coincidental, and they are just trying to ensure that the SC champs make it through to the NBC round.

marakh wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Whatever, guys like Regin, Karlsson, Elliott and Clouston need the experience. This will only help in future years. What else can you say?

That you've given up way too early? Cmon SpezD, you're better than that
Elliott doesn't give that goal early, it's a different game. We score on that domination in their zone, it's a different game (and Malkin doesn't get a breakaway). Better reffing, could have helped etc.

Elliott didn't have a good game in G1 and rebounded well in G2 (even if it was a loss). He didn't have a great game in G3 and I fully expect him to rebound in G4. Philchenkov need to step up big. If A-Train doesn't strut his stuff now, who is going to pay him $5M next season?

Let's make it a best of 3.

Phoenix30 wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Whatever, guys like Regin, Karlsson, Elliott and Clouston need the experience. This will only help in future years. What else can you say?

It will help indeed but its still no excuse. Look at the Colorado - SJS series. The AV's been step for step with the sharks if not more and they are younger than us with a lot less experience.

Are you nuts? Are the Avs playing the Stanley Cup champs led by a kid named Crosby? You *can't* compare those two series.

SpezDispenser wrote:I'm pretty bitter tonight. When I was younger, this would be the knee-jerk time where I'd say trade Spezza and Diddling yank Elliott for Leclaire, but this is not done yet. Spezza needs to man up, so does Alfie. Elliott has to be better, Neil, Kelly, Ruutu need to bring it like they did in Game 1 every game, Sutton needs to man up. The list is long, but the series is NOT done. Wake up!

*Why* are you leaving Phillips, Volchenkov and Clouston out of your otherwise comprehensive list?

Well, at least there is one thing we did in the first home game this year better than the last time: no Spartan.

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:That last goal was a heart breaker... Sid on Sutton...Sutton was too slow and Elliott couldn't get across.

He was pushed. It was interference.

Elliott was pushed? Where? I didn't see that... Carkner was jostling with Cooke in front.

Missing the net and bad decisions in the offensive zone cost us. We had chances, but most of them went high and wide (Cullen missed a completely open net). Or, the puck carrier would attempt a difficult pass rather than shoot. Foligno tried to get the pass across two set of legs instead of taking a clear shot, for example.

We beat ourselves, pretty much.