PLAYOFF GAME DAY: Game 5: Ottawa Senators (1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (3) - 7:00pm ET - Thu. Apr. 22nd, 2010

SensGirl11 wrote:

PKC wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:I have no doubt in my mind that Leclaire will start the season opener next season.

But why? Elliott was amazing in the 2nd half of the season, I can't understand why we'd do that. Surely we aren't that dumb.

And he's been garbage when it mattered the most. Sure he's got the mindset of a winner - whatever the Diddle that means - but he hasn't done himself any favors. When this team needed a save, even one he shouldn't necessarily have made, it hasn't happened.

That is BANG ON right there, BANG ON! Totally right.

PKC wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:I have no doubt in my mind that Leclaire will start the season opener next season.

But why? Elliott was amazing in the 2nd half of the season, I can't understand why we'd do that. Surely we aren't that dumb.

And he's been garbage when it mattered the most. Sure he's got the mindset of a winner - whatever the Diddle that means - but he hasn't done himself any favors. When this team needed a save, even one he shouldn't necessarily have made, it hasn't happened.

The Adams backhander, the Crosby breakaway, the Crosby shot from the half boards, misplaying the puck behind the net, the Ponikarovsky goal, the Bill Guerin goal...some of them you might be thinking, what chance did he have. But once in a while, you need your goalie to come up spades for you. That hasn't happened. It just hasn't happened. That's 6 goals alone right there plus probably one or two more I can't think of right now.

You need saves. When your team is getting outplayed - which hasn't even been the case this series - you need your goalie to go beyond the line of duty to keep you in the game.

We've had no such moments despite Neely's assertions that Elliott was playing "out of his skull" in the first period of game 4.

SensGirl11 wrote:

“Good for Elliott for grabbing the No. 1 job, but at the end of the day is he supposed to be the guy leading this team right now?” said Tugnutt. “He’s a rookie, basically, whether he played enough games last year or not. They brought in someone else to do the job, they’re paying him a lot of money, and he lost his job. Sometimes you just have to basically stick with your guy, come hell or high water. I always said if you go get a guy, and his job is to do that job, you have to give him the opportunity to do that, or else you maybe made a mistake in your selection of guys to bring in.

“Elliott or whoever their guy is has to be great to win the series, because they’re playing a helluva good hockey team.”

Soon enough, Robin Lehner, all this could be yours.

stempniaksen wrote:I still don't get the Lehner hype. He's a fantastic young goalie, but how many 19/20 year olds have come in and been successful? And how many of those guys have actually gone on to solid careers after being exposed to the NHL so early?

It seems like a big risk to take with out only real goaltending prospect. If he busts we're left in the dark concerning our goaltending future.

stempniaksen wrote:I can't see Lehner being anything better than backup in Bingo, but I think I would prefer if he had another year in the Soo. By all accounts he played well, but he didn't tear it up. And I would like to see what he can do with an even more talented Greyhound team next year.

stempniaksen wrote:I can't see Lehner being anything better than backup in Bingo, but I think I would prefer if he had another year in the Soo. By all accounts he played well, but he didn't tear it up. And I would like to see what he can do with an even more talented Greyhound team next year.

stempniaksen wrote:I still don't get the Lehner hype. He's a fantastic young goalie, but how many 19/20 year olds have come in and been successful? And how many of those guys have actually gone on to solid careers after being exposed to the NHL so early?

It seems like a big risk to take with out only real goaltending prospect. If he busts we're left in the dark concerning our goaltending future.

stempniaksen wrote:I still don't get the Lehner hype. He's a fantastic young goalie, but how many 19/20 year olds have come in and been successful? And how many of those guys have actually gone on to solid careers after being exposed to the NHL so early?

It seems like a big risk to take with out only real goaltending prospect. If he busts we're left in the dark concerning our goaltending future.

N4L wrote:So you are surprised Elliott didnt get pulled after standing on his head in the first and then letting in a breakaway goal by Crosby to make it 2-0? I beg to God you are not surprised by that.

I dont think you appriciate what kind of effect that 2nd goal had on the team and Elliott. The Sens game went to Dung, they gooned it up, and they were lucky enough to score 2, 5 on 3 goals. That's it. That 7-4 score was faltering to The Sens. It all stemmed from the 2nd goal. The series was over right there in that moment.

Elliott is broken right now, that 2nd goal killed him. It was obvious. Leclaire probably is the best choice tonight.

TeamRenzo wrote:

N4L wrote:So you are surprised Elliott didnt get pulled after standing on his head in the first and then letting in a breakaway goal by Crosby to make it 2-0? I beg to God you are not surprised by that.

I dont think you appriciate what kind of effect that 2nd goal had on the team and Elliott. The Sens game went to Dung, they gooned it up, and they were lucky enough to score 2, 5 on 3 goals. That's it. That 7-4 score was faltering to The Sens. It all stemmed from the 2nd goal. The series was over right there in that moment.

Elliott is broken right now, that 2nd goal killed him. It was obvious. Leclaire probably is the best choice tonight.

If the second goal in in the second period kills the tender then he has no business being in nets. The shot went through Elliot, he could have saved it.

It was probably one of the worst give aways I ever seen from Spezza, just god awful, but Elliot could have stopped it.

I really like Elliot but he has not been good in the post season, I don't think you can find someone to dispute that.

PKC wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:I have no doubt in my mind that Leclaire will start the season opener next season.

But why? Elliott was amazing in the 2nd half of the season, I can't understand why we'd do that. Surely we aren't that dumb.

And he's been garbage when it mattered the most. Sure he's got the mindset of a winner - whatever the Diddle that means - but he hasn't done himself any favors. When this team needed a save, even one he shouldn't necessarily have made, it hasn't happened.

The Adams backhander, the Crosby breakaway, the Crosby shot from the half boards, misplaying the puck behind the net, the Ponikarovsky goal, the Bill Guerin goal...some of them you might be thinking, what chance did he have. But once in a while, you need your goalie to come up spades for you. That hasn't happened. It just hasn't happened. That's 6 goals alone right there plus probably one or two more I can't think of right now.

You need saves. When your team is getting outplayed - which hasn't even been the case this series - you need your goalie to go beyond the line of duty to keep you in the game.

We've had no such moments despite Neely's assertions that Elliott was playing "out of his skull" in the first period of game 4.

SensGirl11 wrote:This is interesting. Do you all agree? I think it's too late to change too much in our game, but I really do believe that Murray is right with his statement here. The guys are more interested in running around and trying to hit guys than making the right plays and scoring some goals. When Pittsburgh does this they create opportunities out of it. We seem to just be running around and trying to hit anything that moves without getting the puck back and creating chances. The guys we are hitting are not necessarily the right ones either. We're running around hitting guys but we're not hitting the one guy that's killing this series for us, Crosby. Does it make sense to you at all? I've wondered all series why he's been able to dance around everyone and hasn't been hit hard by anyone. It's very concerning and it is a big reason why we find ourselves in the hole we are in this morning. What will change tonight? Will they take Murray's advice?

GM Bryan Murray dropped by the dressing room to deliver the Senators a message before they flew off — possibly into the sunset — Wednesday afternoon.

Be yourselves, he told them.

“I made a point to the guys this morning that we’ve been more interested in running around and hitting people than just playing the way we normally play,” said Murray, whose team is one loss from seeing its season end. “Pittsburgh is a good team. We’re a good team. We’re in the playoffs. I’m watching other series. Colorado is competing really well with San Jose ... that’s what I think our team is capable of doing.”

“Two games (in Pittsburgh) we played okay then (Tuesday) we just went out to crucify people rather than play smart and keep the game simple and allow us to compete in the third period,” said Murray.

“I think we got caught up in trying to be more physical than we’d normally be, that’s all. And when we gave up the third goal, we lost total focus for awhile. Then we finally get one back, and get a second one, and then the damn glass falls out when we have a great slot play. It was because of a hit, there’s nothing anybody can do about it, but it’s just what seems to be the case right now.”