GAME DAY: Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators - 7:00pm EST - Oct. 14, 2010

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

shabbs wrote:I predict Leclaire gets the start.

Is it too early for the "must win" term to be used...?

Yes it's too early. :D Seriously though Leclaire has looked good for the most part and unless he implodes I think Elliott will ride the pine until perhaps the Florida game. I'm more worried about Alfie's condition personally. As for Kuba I don't expect to see him until Christmas. That guy takes forever to recover from anything.

Give the guy a break, he broke his Cussing leg. It's not like he chipped a nail.

PKC wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

shabbs wrote:I predict Leclaire gets the start.

Is it too early for the "must win" term to be used...?

Yes it's too early. :D Seriously though Leclaire has looked good for the most part and unless he implodes I think Elliott will ride the pine until perhaps the Florida game. I'm more worried about Alfie's condition personally. As for Kuba I don't expect to see him until Christmas. That guy takes forever to recover from anything.

Give the guy a break, he broke his Cussing leg. It's not like he chipped a nail.

True. It just seems that you can at least double the projected recovery time for any injury Kuba sustains.

He'll be back by Nov.1st, no questions asked unless there's a setback. There's a timeline for this kind of injury, it's happened 1000s of times.

We need him, he can't get back quick enough.

Kuba is expected back mid-November.

dennycrane wrote:Kuba is expected back mid-November.

How long ago did he break his leg? 3 weeks?

Tweet added: http://twitter.com/#GMHockey

Kuba can leave when a suitable replacement is promoted (Gryba, Cowen, Wiercioch). And by "suitable" I mean anyone who can be better than someone already here.

As for this game, this has got to be a gimme. Carolina is *not* a great team, I don't care what their record says. They are going to still be somewhat jet-lagged (I remember coming back from 2 weeks in France, it was about the 4th day back that it *really* hit me).

Spezza should be close to 100%. Hopefully Alfie will, as well.

Plus, they'll actually have two days to practice the powerplay!

Carolina is a good team with a stud goaltender and a lot of speed and youth. If we look down to them we will lose. We always play Dung against teams who are "not supposed to be good".

Big Ev wrote:Carolina is a good team with a stud goaltender and a lot of speed and youth. If we look down to them we will lose. We always play Dung against teams who are "not supposed to be good".

If *we* look down on them it will make no difference at all.

Clouston can have them convinced this is the '78-79 Canadiens, for all I care. They are *not* an elite team, and we *just played* (and out played) what is arguably the best (regular season) team in the league.

Coach Paul Maurice on the Ottawa Senators:

Carolina coach Paul Maurice said the Senators are better than their record.

“They’re not an 0-2-1 team. They played a heck of a game (vs. the Capitals) and deserved to win,” said Maurice.

“They’re going back home and in the first 10 minutes they’re going to give us about all we can handle.”

The Sens definitely deserved a better fate in OT vs. the Caps but who knows how the shoot out would have went. As for the Toronto game they deserved the L on that one and finally the Buffalo game should have at least made it to OT based on Leclaire's play in goal.

So their record could have been 2-1-0 in the very best case scenario based on the play of the team with Leclaire absolutely robbing Buffalo virtually by himself.

Personally I think they're not far off of a 0-2-1 record and should be more like this - 0-1-2

Stats Comparison added to first post. On the bright side the Canes PK is woeful so perhaps this is a chance for the Sens to get the PP some confidence?

Peter Regin needs top 6 minutes NOW. I would put him with Jason Spezza and I would leave him there for the entire year - it'll pay off sooner than you think. Of all the players out there, he's the one who is flashing the most skill, the most tenacity on the puck (aside from the Battleship line, which kicks arse). He is also a really smart hockey player - and let's face it, the Sens need as much as that as possible out there.

Put Peter Regin on the top line please!

dennycrane wrote:Kuba is expected back mid-November.

Mid November? He suffered a setback?

No alfie at practice this morning......

Based on Washington's game, we'll be fine. Hopefully they continue to play that way. If we see the Cap's facing team, we'll have a great season. If we see the laughs' facing team, we're in for a rough ride.

I think the caps game is more reflective of who we are (call me homer if you wish)

Michallica wrote:No alfie at practice this morning......

That's because Alfie does not need to practice

Z.Smith on the top line. So no Regin there - which is a mistake.

EDIT: Mind you this is only practice.

weird lines....I think Michalek needs to get off that first line already. Clouston must like that shannon-regin-kovalev line...it was pretty good I have to admit, but really we need that top line to threaten more.

I'd love to see this tried out if alfie can't play:

Regin-Spezza-Foligno
Michalek-Fisher-Kovalev
Ruutu-Kelly-Neil
Shannon-Winchester-Smith