GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins - 1:00pm ET - FRI. Nov. 26, 2010

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

I hear ya, but we've been saying that for Foligno for 20+ games and he's yet to pocket one.

Big Ev wrote:

wprager wrote:

Big Ev wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Now what? Now they lick their wounds and realize they would have beaten 99% of teams playing like they played. They got jobbed by the refs and had some mental breakdowns. Move on, and continue to assess against the Leafs and Oil.

They played like Dung in the second and third.

No, they didn't. The Pens certainly outplayed them for most of the 2nd, but they still had to rely on the PP to score both of their goals.

So what? They still took their foot off the gas after the 1st.

No, they didn't. The Penguins are a better team on paper, and they showed that in the 2nd. Give your opposition a little credit.

Now, if they get 20+ shots in the first against the Leafs, and then the Leafs return the favor in the second then, yes, foot off the gas, for sure.

Michallica wrote:

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

you honestly believe they'll keep up this 'effort' if they don't result in victories? Consistency has been such a big problem for Ottawa. I suddenly feel scared for tomorrow night, i really don't have faith they'll display this effort level.

That first period was great, but from there it was alot of the old stuff. penalties and lack of a penalty kill.....what happened to our once reliable penalty kill? Jesus tap dancing christ!

I fear every Leafs game, they always seem to outwork us.

SDH89 wrote:

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

How many times do we have to say that wprager? Effort will only get you so far, WE NEED GOALS.

Not many, lately. If they have this kind of effort on a consistent basis the wins will come.

Michallica wrote:

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

I hear ya, but we've been saying that for Foligno for 20+ games and he's yet to pocket one.

Foligno with zero goals in 20+ games and he's still getting PP time.

SpezDispenser wrote:Now what? Now they lick their wounds and realize they would have beaten 99% of teams playing like they played. They got jobbed by the refs and had some mental breakdowns. Move on, and continue to assess against the Leafs and Oil.

Thank you!!! This was a good turn around game. They played the whole game and they played hard. Nothing wrong with this loss on their end. Of course there were mistakes, there are always mistakes, they are only human. If we play like that against the Leafs and Oilers, we should destroy them... Just blow them out.

SDH89 wrote:

Michallica wrote:

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

I hear ya, but we've been saying that for Foligno for 20+ games and he's yet to pocket one.

Foligno with zero goals in 20+ games and he's still getting PP time.

I couldn't believe it, it's really pathetic. What is up with Clouston? He just doesn't have it anymore.

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

How many times do we have to say that wprager? Effort will only get you so far, WE NEED GOALS.

Not many, lately. If they have this kind of effort on a consistent basis the wins will come.

I'm really starting to doubt that unfortunately. Watching these games lately has been so frustrating, I try to start the game with a fresh perspective and an open mind, but it's all the same. This team is a broken record.

SensGirl11 wrote:
Wow! he was good for 1 or 2 games this season, really? Wait I have to give him a round of applause for that YAY Phillips!! Please, give me a break, this guy is just not good enough anymore. I recall Redden being good for 9 years of his career or so, where is he now?

No need for the sarcasm. I was never impressed with Redden to begin with. Phillips has done much more, IMO, for this club than Redden ever did. So he's having a tough year. I have no problem benching him for a game or two. But I'm not giving up on him.

sigh, I realize I'm being very negative right now. Just very angry at this loss. I really hope they continue the effort, but there has to be something different, especially on the special teams. Our PK has been a ginormous letdown. Our PP can't generate good chances....yikes.

The only positives I guess are Leclaire and Karlsson in this game + the team in the 1st period. The rest was rather forgettable.

SensGirl11 wrote:

SDH89 wrote:

Michallica wrote:

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

I hear ya, but we've been saying that for Foligno for 20+ games and he's yet to pocket one.

Foligno with zero goals in 20+ games and he's still getting PP time.

I couldn't believe it, it's really pathetic. What is up with Clouston? He just doesn't have it anymore.

To be honest, I'm not sure if he really ever had "it". He was just a refreshing change from Hartsburg. The shine is wearing off. I'm sorry if all my posts are sounding so negative - I'm usually very calm and level headed with this team, I just see some extremely worrisome trends.

Foligno on the PP is a fine line, because if he does pot one and gets on a run, then Clouston is a genius. I don't have a problem with Foligno there, but they really gotta start scoring already. Fix the combos already, tip some shots in, take some slappers, screen the goalie, I don't know do something like that! All of that was there in the first, why can't we keep it up?

Michallica wrote:

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

you honestly believe they'll keep up this 'effort' if they don't result in victories? Consistency has been such a big problem for Ottawa. I suddenly feel scared for tomorrow night, i really don't have faith they'll display this effort level.

That first period was great, but from there it was alot of the old stuff. penalties and lack of a penalty kill.....what happened to our once reliable penalty kill? Jesus tap dancing christ!

Can't disagree there -- it can get downright disheartening playing your best (effort-wise) and not getting results. That's where the coaching staff has to come in and congratulate them on the effort, then talk about little tweaks here and there to improve the chances of scoring. Umm, like keeping Kuba off the 1st PP unit or at least flipping him to the side he's comforatble playing.

Leafs tomorrow, eh? Thank heavens it was an afternoon game, giving them an extra 6 hours to rest. Now would be a perfect time to bring up a couple of fresh sets of legs but, of course, they won't.

When you swap an A-Train for a Gonchar your PK is not going to improve. When your other defensive stalwart is playing with zero confidence it gets worse. When one of your best PKers is sitting in the box for 4 minutes, lights out.

Michallica wrote:

wprager wrote:

SDH89 wrote:1 goal again? If that's how we respond to one of our worst efforts of the year last game I seriously question this team on so many levels.

Effort was there. Nothing to question. If effort is there the rest will come.

I hear ya, but we've been saying that for Foligno for 20+ games and he's yet to pocket one.

I'm talking more about skilled players -- Alfie, Spezza, Kovalev, Gonchar, Karlsson, Regin. Fisher and Foligno are not finishers, unfortunately. Not sure I should slot Michalek up there. Not this year, at least.

SensGirl11 wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:I give up on Phillips officially, he is just terrible!

Major Over-reaction much?

Over-reaction? Prags, he's been horrible. Horrible. He needs to wake the Cuss up - now.

For a dozen or so of the first 22 games. He hasn't been horrible in all the games, and he was actually pretty good in 1 or 2. Certainly not what we've come to expect from the last ***TEN YEARS***. That's my point -- SG11 said "I give up" and I think *that* is an over-reaction.

Wow! he was good for 1 or 2 games this season, really? Wait I have to give him a round of applause for that YAY Phillips!! Please, give me a break, this guy is just not good enough anymore. I recall Redden being good for 9 years of his career or so, where is he now?

He's been good for more than 1 or 2 games this season. Even this game, I don't really have a problem with. He was tasked with shutting down Sidney Crosby. A generational talent who is leading the league in scoring. What did Crosby do today??? He got a secondary assist. That's it, and that was done when Phillips wasn't even on the ice.

Phillips had 4 hits, 5 blocked shots, and was on the ice only for the second goal, and we all know what the situation for that was.

I think people's expectations for Phillips this year have been grossly inflated, for reasons that are beyond me. We should expect him to be better than last year because he lost his long time D partner, top shot blocker and hitter, Anton Volchenkov, and the Defensive system has been altered, thus he should be better than last year. No way! I'm willing to give him the time to adapt. Some of the 'bad' plays this game and recently have had to do with chemistry issues. When he didn't go for the puck behind the net, well neither did Gonchar. Should it not have been Gonchar's responsibility being the OFD?

Fact is, the team still expects Phillips to shut down the other team's best players, except this year, his D partner has been an offensive dman instead of a Defensive dman.

And if this perceived 'poor' play means he's going to be re-signed for even less than he is now, then I am thrilled.

One of the only times I was okay with the effort in the loss. The refs should be drawn and quartered, but the effort from our side was okay. Better win tomorrow and against the Oil, or something has to give.

Michallica wrote:Foligno on the PP is a fine line, because if he does pot one and gets on a run, then Clouston is a genius. I don't have a problem with Foligno there, but they really gotta start scoring already. Fix the combos already, tip some shots in, take some slappers, screen the goalie, I don't know do something like that! All of that was there in the first, why can't we keep it up?

The PP in general is a huge issue, but putting Foligno there when nothing else is working is not a big deal. Gotta try everything, right? Like who would have thunk it that Ruutu would be good in shootouts? When nothing else is going, try something else.

That said, there were other things I would have tried before this. Tops on that list, of course, is putting Gonchar on the right side. And I'm not even saying put Karlsson out there -- maybe he needed a kick in the pants after what he said, who knows. Plus you'll have fewer short-handed 2-on-1s given up. Michalek in the crease worked great in the past. He's got better hands than Foligno.

SpezDispenser wrote:One of the only times I was okay with the effort in the loss. The refs should be drawn and quartered, but the effort from our side was okay. Better win tomorrow and against the Oil, or something has to give.

Tell-tale games in my opinion as well.