GAME DAY:Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes - 7:00pm ET - Tue. Mar. 22, 2011

OK, I'm back so, someone, fill me in on what's been happening the last week. I had no internet, no updates whatsoever until I was waiting for the luggage at McDonald Cartier.

Anderson injured? But he's signed?

Cooke gone for the season?

Heatley suspended?

Wiercioch played? How was he?

Gonchar injured too?

We're still good for top-three?

Anderson has a minor tweak and they're keeping him out until he's 100%. This does 2 things. 1 - Gives them a look at Curtis M. 2 - Doesn't risk further injury in basically meaningless games.

Cooke is done for the season and first round of playoffs after his 4th hit to the head suspension. He elbowed somebody in the head on this one and says he gets it now.

Heatley got 2 games for a hit to the head. I believe it too was an elbow?

Weircioch - Can't comment because I didn't see much of the game.

Gonchar - Most likely done for the season with a concussion. They're not going to rush him back either so I'd expect he's done.

Top 3 finish is almost assured at this point. Not enough games left to jump anyone else but it's still possible I suppose.

One final point - Milan Michalek is ahead of schedule in his rehab and went on the road trip with the Sens. He could play soon.

Who hit Gonchar for the concussion?

wprager wrote:Who hit Gonchar for the concussion?

I don't remember but it was an innocent hockey play and Gonchar's head banged into the end glass.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

wprager wrote:Who hit Gonchar for the concussion?

I don't remember but it was an innocent hockey play and Gonchar's head banged into the end glass.

Maybe it's time for a new helmet.

Wiercoich was not good, looked awful and at 6'4 he looked very small, needs to put on a lot of wieght going forward. Long term project and it probably 2 or 3 years min from making The NHL.

NEELY wrote:Wiercoich was not good, looked awful and at 6'4 he looked very small, needs to put on a lot of wieght going forward. Long term project and it probably 2 or 3 years min from making The NHL.

I really thought (2-1/2 years ago, at the DC) he would have put on 25 lbs by now. I wonder why that's not happening. It's certainly not the only thing keeping him out of Ottawa, but it's one of the biggest. He's got lots of skill (skating/stick-handling -- not sure about his shot) but at 6'4" he's got to be well over 215 lbs.

He was drafted at 6'4, 170-175lbs, obviously he is a guy that has a fast motabolism and has trouble putting on the wieght. He's at 190 plus lbs now I believe and it's almost impossible to put weight on during a hockey season so that's progress, but he still needs to keep filling out. I don't think he will play much over 205-210, which is fine, he just has to find a way to get a lot stronger in the process. 215lbs is really pushing it in terms of what he is going to be playing at, maybe when he is 25 or 26 he will be at that weight and keep it on, but that's asking a lot.

He will be a good D man but again, needs to get stronger and fill out... more of a project than I think people would care to admit.

Big Ev wrote:Let's go Cussing Avs!

Smelliott got his first win as an AV......

Number Twenty Nine wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Let's go Cussing Avs!

Smelliott got his first win as an AV......

Didn't he just get a shootout or OT win too?

Yup, Elliott has now won two shootouts in a row. Good for him, he's endured a tough season

How did that trip on Neil not get called towards the end of the game? It was blatant, AND the ref was staring RIGHT AT IT!!! Maybe it's because it was on Neil.... Anyway, tank nation is happy...another spirited effort with a L at the end to show for it.

I'll never be upset with the effort shown by this current Sens roster, just the outcomes of some games going forward. Last night was good for the people that actually enjoy watching their team lose but all I wanted was an effort and the never say die attitude.

Spezza, again impressed but not for the reason people may think. Personally, I don't think he had his best game in the 1st and 2nd, 1/2 of the 3rd, but he really kept going and showed a lot by not letting a bad game to that point effect how the rest of his game will turn out. He kept at it and he almost helped The Sens tie it up, to me that's the biggest sign he is maturing and becoming a more patient player and leader.

Wiercioch has a long, long, long way to go - I realized he'd be raw, but wow, he's a solid 2 years of AHL seasoning away from having any kind of positive impact. The disappointing thing to me is that I didn't see him get any PP time - and I think that's the place where he could excel a bit in spot NHL duty.

He's got to get up to 210ish with muscle and not lose his mobility and also work on his acceleration, it's a lot of work, I'm sure he's up for it, but he's got a pile of work to do in the next 700 days or so.

NEELY wrote:I'll never be upset with the effort shown by this current Sens roster, just the outcomes of some games going forward. Last night was good for the people that actually enjoy watching their team lose but all I wanted was an effort and the never say die attitude.

Spezza, again impressed but not for the reason people may think. Personally, I don't think he had his best game in the 1st and 2nd, 1/2 of the 3rd, but he really kept going and showed a lot by not letting a bad game to that point effect how the rest of his game will turn out. He kept at it and he almost helped The Sens tie it up, to me that's the biggest sign he is maturing and becoming a more patient player and leader.

And then this is basically my thoughts on the game. I was slightly intoxicated, so I missed some points, but same old (young) guys: Greening, Condra and Butler continue to impress, Hale was solid, Lee was good again. I actually thought Macandcheese was good, he kept the Sens in the game all the way along. Obviously there are goals in there that weren't great, but with Kuba Cussing around in front of him, it's far from a 'routine' save on either one, then after that I thought he made some monumental saves for the Sens to have a chance in the 3rd. This is one of those games where the save % doesn't tell the whole story.

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:I'll never be upset with the effort shown by this current Sens roster, just the outcomes of some games going forward. Last night was good for the people that actually enjoy watching their team lose but all I wanted was an effort and the never say die attitude.

Spezza, again impressed but not for the reason people may think. Personally, I don't think he had his best game in the 1st and 2nd, 1/2 of the 3rd, but he really kept going and showed a lot by not letting a bad game to that point effect how the rest of his game will turn out. He kept at it and he almost helped The Sens tie it up, to me that's the biggest sign he is maturing and becoming a more patient player and leader.

And then this is basically my thoughts on the game. I was slightly intoxicated, so I missed some points, but same old (young) guys: Greening, Condra and Butler continue to impress, Hale was solid, Lee was good again. I actually thought Macandcheese was good, he kept the Sens in the game all the way along. Obviously there are goals in there that weren't great, but with Kuba Cussing around in front of him, it's far from a 'routine' save on either one, then after that I thought he made some monumental saves for the Sens to have a chance in the 3rd. This is one of those games where the save % doesn't tell the whole story.

I don't know how people could possibly ride Kuba last night. The guy was put on his off side, with a rookie playing is first NHL game, who isn't close to being NHL ready. Talk about a guy that was put in a tough spot.

NEELY wrote:
I don't know how people could possibly ride Kuba last night. The guy was put on his off side, with a rookie playing is first NHL game, who isn't close to being NHL ready. Talk about a guy that was put in a tough spot.

Here's some advice to Clouston and co.: don't put Kuba on his wrong side with a rookie, he's simply not good enough.

What were his choices?