Game Day - Minnesota @ Ottawa, 7:30PM, Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Last night's attendance: 19,455 (105.2% full)

Nice.

NEELY wrote:Well, a few things from last night.
3. Spezza needs to be waaaaaay better. Trying to do way too much and is losing way too many draws.
5. Anderson looks shaky, seems he doesn't do well with a low shot count.

Spezza went 55% (15-12) on faceoffs.

Anderson played pretty well I thought. A couple shaky moments, but he also made a few good saves at important times to hold us in the game.

And yes, Neil was definitely the difference in this game. He was great.

I've been critical of Neil, but I admit he was great last night. Did everything he's needed to do. If he plays that way every night I'll have no reason to complain.

tim1_2 wrote:

NEELY wrote:Well, a few things from last night.
3. Spezza needs to be waaaaaay better. Trying to do way too much and is losing way too many draws.
5. Anderson looks shaky, seems he doesn't do well with a low shot count.

Spezza went 55% (15-12) on faceoffs.
Anderson played pretty well I thought. A couple shaky moments, but he also made a few good saves at important times to hold us in the game.

And yes, Neil was definitely the difference in this game. He was great.

I think that's the home ice stats to be honest. I thought Spezza was beaten pretty clearly on th draws he lost and he was given the win on the ties.

I think Anderson looked shaky, I don't blame the goals on him but you can tell he is playing without the confidence he had last year right now. I think this win will help him going forward. Like I said though, I think he is a goalie who looks better facing a ton of shots.

On another note, how gutless is it to boo Kuba and Gonchar before the game even starts? Talk about bunghole. Sure, they have the right to do it being a paying customer and all, but guess what, you still look like a douche bag.

Kuba has been very solid for the first 3 games. Phillips looked like his old self and really helped Rundblad along, you could see the body laungage on the ice with him and directing Rundblad around. Gonchar still looked piss poor up until the 3rd.

NEELY wrote:On another note, how gutless is it to boo Kuba and Gonchar before the game even starts? Talk about bunghole. Sure, they have the right to do it being a paying customer and all, but guess what, you still look like a douche bag.

Kuba has been very solid for the first 3 games. Phillips looked like his old self and really helped Rundblad along, you could see the body laungage on the ice with him and directing Rundblad around. Gonchar still looked piss poor up until the 3rd.

Yeah, the booing of Gonchar and Kuba was brutal during the intros. Save it for the game, but not during the Cussing player introductions at our home opener/20th anniversary celebration. Unbelievable. I'm sure BooBoo nearly choked on his meat ball sub when that happened...

There will be plenty of opportunities to boo them later.

Well, that was my first full game I was able to watch so maybe the early frustration hasn't set in like some of you...

Given the number of changes and the number of young, inexperienced players, I thought the team looked very solid. They were much, much better than I expected. Da Costa isn't going anywhere. He has some very nice chemistry with Michalek and Alfie. Although Spezza wasn't great, he's playing with a very nervous kid who also happens to be learning a new position.

Rundblad definitely got better as the game went on and I think that is in large part thanks to Phillips being his partner. Even his error on the first goal was the right idea, just didn't think it through properly- simple rookie mistake.

Gonchar was awful and the fans aren't helping. I was hoping he would be able to mentor Rundbad but right now, I don't want to see him making eye contact with the kid. Show some work ethic- you're a professional athlete.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Yeah Neil was inspired tonight. I don't think he likes Heatley too much.

Zibanejad was all over the rink tonight. Set up Sepzza with a SWEET pass in front, but Spezza fumbles it as usual.

He was buzzing, but he can't puck handle - at all. At least not well enough to be in the NHL - that's my take from watching the three games. He can hit guys, he can crash the net, but he can't make plays going into the zone and he refuses to carry the puck for any length of time. Is it enough to keep him out of the NHL this year - we'll see.

He had a couple moments. He had a play at the blue-line where I think he drew the puck through the defenders' legs twice and then dumped it into the zone.

I'm definitely one of those guys who thinks he should be playing in the SEL/WJCs this year - I think the inferior competition will raise his confidence in his offensive abilities - but we have to give him the 9 games and then evaluate. Because we can't know whether to chalk up the negatives in the first few games to nerves or to unreadiness.

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

NEELY wrote:Well, a few things from last night.
3. Spezza needs to be waaaaaay better. Trying to do way too much and is losing way too many draws.
5. Anderson looks shaky, seems he doesn't do well with a low shot count.

Spezza went 55% (15-12) on faceoffs.
Anderson played pretty well I thought. A couple shaky moments, but he also made a few good saves at important times to hold us in the game.

And yes, Neil was definitely the difference in this game. He was great.

I think that's the home ice stats to be honest. I thought Spezza was beaten pretty clearly on th draws he lost and he was given the win on the ties.

I think Anderson looked shaky, I don't blame the goals on him but you can tell he is playing without the confidence he had last year right now. I think this win will help him going forward. Like I said though, I think he is a goalie who looks better facing a ton of shots.

We kind of remind me of Colorado last year. Hopefully we can keep it together better than they did. I certainly have more confidence in StacheLean than I would in Sacco.

We host the Avs tomorrow... Anderson faces his old team...

shabbs wrote:We host the Avs tomorrow... Anderson faces his old team...

I'm considering going to that game.

more to come

asq2 wrote:
He had a couple moments. He had a play at the blue-line where I think he drew the puck through the defenders' legs twice and then dumped it into the zone.

I'm definitely one of those guys who thinks he should be playing in the SEL/WJCs this year - I think the inferior competition will raise his confidence in his offensive abilities - but we have to give him the 9 games and then evaluate. Because we can't know whether to chalk up the negatives in the first few games to nerves or to unreadiness.

Yeah, still 6 games to go to assess, but he really seems to have a lot to learn and I think he's going to be a heck of a player, but I'm simply not sure he should learn how to stick handle in the best league in the world.

In other news, boy do the Wild ever suck.

I think Zibanejad may indeed go back to Sweden or perhaps play in the AHL if he/the Sens chooses that option, not because hs isn't ready but because Da Costa is clearly ready for the NHL. Numbers games are obvious in Ottawa, both on the blueline and upfront so some decsions will have to be made.

I have no idea what they will decide to do, either way I would be fine with it. There are strong sides to each arugement.

SensGirl11 wrote:I'll go for the 'big' win on this one even though there is nothing that has shown us that they can do it yet. I don't think we'll go 0 for 3...The Wild seem to have a heck of a time scoring goals so it should make it interesting.

I do however think Heatley will probably dance around a lot of our young bucks and score 2.

4-3 final for Sens

I'm so happy Heatley didn't score on us...it was close.

^ Ha, I missed that. Good call.

SpezDispenser wrote:^ Ha, I missed that. Good call.

Thanks! I didn't say in a shootout though...I'll have to try harder next time

SpezDispenser wrote:In other news, boy do the Wild ever suck.

There D seemed pretty bad. Backstrom is awesome (apparently not in the shootout though), and they have some offensive threats. They aren't that bad overall.