GAME SIX: Binghamton Senators @ Portland Pirates, May 6th, 7:00PM

Cowen and the B-Sens look to wrap it up!!!




VS















Binghamton Probable Lineup:
Z.Smith - Potulny - Keller
Greening - Locke - Butler
Daugavins - O'Brien - Condra
Hoffman - Dziurzynski - Wick

Benoit - Cowen
Kinrade - Wiercioch
Borowiecki - Sloane/Raymon

Lehner
Brust



Portland Lineup:

Whitmore-Adam-Mancari
Stuart-Byron-Parrish
McCauley-Ellis-Tropp
Gongalsky-Turnbull-Legault/Kassian

Persson-Biega
O'Hanley - Fienhage
Crawford - Conboy

Enroth
Lieggo

SD's Red Line Report:


Only one this time: Jared Cowen.

Cowen joins the B-Sens after a sensational year in Spokane captaining the Chiefs. Not only did Spokane buck the early speculation that they wouldn't be very good, they got within 2 wins of making the WHL Finals. How much of this has to do with the 6'5", 230+ pound defender? A lot.

From the WHL.com:
Cowen, a second team all-star a season ago, finished the year with a career high 18 goals, 30 assists and 48 points. His +44 was also a career high and second on the Chiefs. Cowen is just the third defenseman from Spokane to earn a first team honor as he joins Bryan McCabe (1994) and Kurt Sauer (2002) as the only Chiefs to have been named to the team.

A huge, calm presence on the backend, Cowen was the turning point in the series for Portland once they figured out how to get him away from Nino and Johansen by splitting them up. Before they did, Cowen was doing what he does best, stopping them in their tracks and making them pay for entering the zone, but with last change coming to Portand, it ended up being very difficult to match - and sure enough Portland was able to prevail.

Cowen should make a huge difference for the B-Sens in Game 6 and Game 7 if needed as the B-Sens blueline was taking a beating. He should be able to step in and upgrade the D immediately. One thing's for sure, all eyes will be on him in Game 6 - and the excitement level should be palpable.

Go B-Sens!

I guess we don't need confirmation that he's playing in game 6

Michallica wrote:I guess we don't need confirmation that he's playing in game 6

Actually, confirmation would be good, but from all I've heard, he'll play.

The dynamics of what he brings is so multi-layered that it's hard to even put into words. Not sure what the most important aspect is, but I'd say Mancari and Adam have a new threat that will be watching them at all times.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Michallica wrote:I guess we don't need confirmation that he's playing in game 6

Actually, confirmation would be good, but from all I've heard, he'll play.

He was actually pointing out that you had "GAME FIVE" in the thread title. I fixed that.

Is it really two more sleeps? Oh, well, give him a chance for a couple of practices.

So it's confirmed that the Sens have asked Cowen -- through his agent -- to join the B-Sens:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Prospect+Cowen+join+Binghamton+Senators+playoff+drive/4718847/story.html

However it is not yet confirmed that he said yes. If he plays with Bingo then he can't go back to Spokane. It's an easy decision, but it's still a decision.

wprager wrote:So it's confirmed that the Sens have asked Cowen -- through his agent -- to join the B-Sens:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Prospect+Cowen+join+Binghamton+Senators+playoff+drive/4718847/story.html

However it is not yet confirmed that he said yes. If he plays with Bingo then he can't go back to Spokane. It's an easy decision, but it's still a decision.

Fair enough, but the Sens would rather keep him in the NHL than send him to junior, so it should be a slam dunk.

It's like asking him: would you prefer to play in the NHL or AHL next year, or back to Spokane?

how can they send him back to spokane? has he not reached the age limit yet???

wprager wrote:So it's confirmed that the Sens have asked Cowen -- through his agent -- to join the B-Sens:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Prospect+Cowen+join+Binghamton+Senators+playoff+drive/4718847/story.html

However it is not yet confirmed that he said yes. If he plays with Bingo then he can't go back to Spokane. It's an easy decision, but it's still a decision.

He is not eligible for Spokane anyway next year I don't believe... I think this was his last year in Junior. Since he is now 20 yrs old the Sens would not send him back anyway. If he doesn't make the NHL he is now eligible for Bingo which is where they would send him.

I too have not seen a confirmation that he accepted.

Also, IF he does play... we can't expect miracles in his first AHL game. That game is different than what he is used to. Just tell him to hit ANYONE in the other uniform....

Michallica wrote:how can they send him back to spokane? has he not reached the age limit yet???

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. It's AHL time Cowen - and you can bet he's pumped to be a part of this Friday.

sandysensfan wrote:

wprager wrote:So it's confirmed that the Sens have asked Cowen -- through his agent -- to join the B-Sens:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Prospect+Cowen+join+Binghamton+Senators+playoff+drive/4718847/story.html

However it is not yet confirmed that he said yes. If he plays with Bingo then he can't go back to Spokane. It's an easy decision, but it's still a decision.

He is not eligible for Spokane anyway next year I don't believe... I think this was his last year in Junior. Since he is now 20 yrs old the Sens would not send him back anyway. If he doesn't make the NHL he is now eligible for Bingo which is where they would send him.

I too have not seen a confirmation that he accepted.

Also, IF he does play... we can't expect miracles in his first AHL game. That game is different than what he is used to. Just tell him to hit ANYONE in the other uniform....

Not miracles, but I certainly expect him to not look out of place. He certainly wasn't behind Wiercioch at training camp, and he's had a great season in Spokane, while Wiercioch had a so-so season in Bingo. Took him at least a half season to get into it. You can't really tell until he's on the ice for a few shifts, but I am expecting Cowen to jump into the lineup and improve the defense immediately. Wiercioch wasn't ahead of Cowen at training camp, and had a rough time for at least half the season in Bingo, while Cowen led his team in the W. Certainly none of the D down there are anywhere close to his top-10 draft position (which could have been top-five or top-three if not for the knee injury, which has fully healed now). Wiercioch is the closest and he was a second rounder.

Yeah, Cowen should step on the ice and immediately become the best player from both teams. If it doesn't happen immediately, I don't foresee it taking too long.

Why do Chiefs fans hate Cowen?

From Spokane fans on twitter:

I could write a novel but I'll try to keep it short. I liked Cowen pre-injury. I don't know if he was too rushed or what, but..

When he returned he was nothing like his old self. He takes penalties at horrible times, is the king of turnovers, but most of all..

I hate his attitude. He's self-centered, not a team guy, is ungrateful to the fans, and has stated multiple times that he didn't want to be in Spokane. Some captain...

Yes, but he's also got a great partner in Kichton. Makes yup for his laziness

He should be happy since he'll be in Canada.

He's severely prone to laziness and not playing to his potential. His 5'7" former d-partner Jared Spurgeon was more effective.

Big Ev wrote:From Spokane fans on twitter:

I could write a novel but I'll try to keep it short. I liked Cowen pre-injury. I don't know if he was too rushed or what, but..

When he returned he was nothing like his old self. He takes penalties at horrible times, is the king of turnovers, but most of all..

I hate his attitude. He's self-centered, not a team guy, is ungrateful to the fans, and has stated multiple times that he didn't want to be in Spokane. Some captain...

He should be happy since he'll be in Canada.

He's severely prone to laziness and not playing to his potential. His 5'7" former d-partner Jared Spurgeon was more effective.

What the hell? I have never in my life ever heard any of those complaints. There was a Chiefs fan on HF that was gushing praise on him - how solid he was, how much he 'got' the game, how he's Mr.Clutch. How can some fans crap on him like that after what he did for them this year and especially on the Mem.Cup winning run?

Very odd. I call sour grapes there somewhere. He must have said I don't want to be here, I want to be in Ottawa and it got misconstrued by some of the fans. That's literally all I can think of (not to mention he's a FIRST All-Star, not a 2nd, a 1st).