GAME DAY:Ottawa Senators @ NY Islanders - 7:00pm ET - SAT. Feb. 5 2011

shabbs wrote:Elliott riding a 12-game losing streak... lucky #13?

Tonight? Doubtful.

SpezDispenser wrote:

shabbs wrote:Ruutu is a healthy scratch.

Why the hell is Kuba playing then? I'd rather anyone than him.

Carkner is still out and won't play tonight.

I predict a lot of goals tonight...

shabbs wrote:I predict a lot of goals tonight...

Yeah, no kidding.

Spezza with a hat trick ?!?

TONIGHT?!??!

shabbs wrote:I predict a lot of goals tonight...

Now it will end up 2-1

ruutu is a healthy scratch? geez and here I was thinking the senators would actually want a decent return on ruutu

I guess space needs to be made to get spezza in the game...or its like when carkner got healthy scratched but we later found out he had an injury

Poulin goes for the Isles.

Mikko Koskinen will be backing up Poulin tonight for the Isles.

Interesting stat: with Spezza out of the lineup the Sens were giving up 3.9 GA per game; with him in the lineup, 2.9 GA.

wprager wrote:Interesting stat: with Spezza out of the lineup the Sens were giving up 3.9 GA per game; with him in the lineup, 2.9 GA.

Interesting to me because I think the problem this team has had for years have been the forwards. Instead the team were chasing windmills such as PMDs and goalies.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:Interesting stat: with Spezza out of the lineup the Sens were giving up 3.9 GA per game; with him in the lineup, 2.9 GA.

Interesting to me because I think the problem this team has had for years have been the forwards. Instead the team were chasing windmills such as PMDs and goalies.

Sorry, Hoss, no offense, but I don't get your point. I tried with the sarcasm filter on and off. Still don't understand.

I'm wondering about that stat. Obviously Spezza's face off percentage helps (I had heard somewhere that he was 7th in the league when he went down). But could it really make a difference of 1 GA per game? While I commend Spezza for improving the defensive side of his game, outside of the face off I doubt he does a better job than Kelly or Fisher

wprager wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:Interesting stat: with Spezza out of the lineup the Sens were giving up 3.9 GA per game; with him in the lineup, 2.9 GA.

Interesting to me because I think the problem this team has had for years have been the forwards. Instead the team were chasing windmills such as PMDs and goalies.

Sorry, Hoss, no offense, but I don't get your point. I tried with the sarcasm filter on and off. Still don't understand.

I'm wondering about that stat. Obviously Spezza's face off percentage helps (I had heard somewhere that he was 7th in the league when he went down). But could it really make a difference of 1 GA per game? While I commend Spezza for improving the defensive side of his game, outside of the face off I doubt he does a better job than Kelly or Fisher

My point is pretty clear. Adding more skill up front results in less goals against. More time spent in the offensive zone results in less time on your heels in your own zone. It's pretty logical.

Gonchar is looking like Dung because he has nothing to work with up front. Redden was exposed for the fraud he was because he didn't have players like a younger Alfie, Havlat, Hossa, Vermette, McEachern who got the puck and could play keep-away in the offensive zone.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Should be 'nuff said.

Cuss yeah, that's why I'm begging for two top line wingers next season. It may be a heck of a hefty price to acquire them via trade, but the new GM has to make smart, shrewd moves. Don't settle for a Versteeg, keep at teams who are humping the cap until you find a fit.

If we don't, others will. Dale Tallon's a killer, he'll be one of our main competitors for the prize of talent being jettisoned because of cap issues.

SpezDispenser wrote:Cuss yeah, that's why I'm begging for two top line wingers next season. It may be a heck of a hefty price to acquire them via trade, but the new GM has to make smart, shrewd moves. Don't settle for a Versteeg, keep at teams who are humping the cap until you find a fit.

If we don't, others will. Dale Tallon's a killer, he'll be one of our main competitors for the prize of talent being jettisoned because of cap issues.

That dude doesn't Cuss around.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Cuss yeah, that's why I'm begging for two top line wingers next season. It may be a heck of a hefty price to acquire them via trade, but the new GM has to make smart, shrewd moves. Don't settle for a Versteeg, keep at teams who are humping the cap until you find a fit.

If we don't, others will. Dale Tallon's a killer, he'll be one of our main competitors for the prize of talent being jettisoned because of cap issues.

That dude doesn't Cuss around.

And it's safe to say he's learned from his mistakes of not getting the papers in on Barker and Bolland and not keeping spaces open in the 50 contract system.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:Interesting stat: with Spezza out of the lineup the Sens were giving up 3.9 GA per game; with him in the lineup, 2.9 GA.

Interesting to me because I think the problem this team has had for years have been the forwards. Instead the team were chasing windmills such as PMDs and goalies.

Sorry, Hoss, no offense, but I don't get your point. I tried with the sarcasm filter on and off. Still don't understand.

I'm wondering about that stat. Obviously Spezza's face off percentage helps (I had heard somewhere that he was 7th in the league when he went down). But could it really make a difference of 1 GA per game? While I commend Spezza for improving the defensive side of his game, outside of the face off I doubt he does a better job than Kelly or Fisher

My point is pretty clear. Adding more skill up front results in less goals against. More time spent in the offensive zone results in less time on your heels in your own zone. It's pretty logical.

Gonchar is looking like Dung because he has nothing to work with up front. Redden was exposed for the fraud he was because he didn't have players like a younger Alfie, Havlat, Hossa, Vermette, McEachern who got the puck and could play keep-away in the offensive zone.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Should be 'nuff said.

Toolbag Murray said adding Gonchar would help the team to do exactly what you just wrote, keep the puck in the other team's zone. Hasn't happened. Gonchar should take a lot of blame for that, as he was supposed to be playing "like" a forward.