Game Day - Buffalo @ Ottawa, 7:00PM, Saturday, Movember 5, 2011

wprager wrote:

sandysensfan wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

La Femme wrote:Get Rundblad back, Karlsson is not enough.

Yes please.

Do you really think it would have made a difference last night? They were lacking finish around the net. How did Daugavins *not* put that rebound off the boards in? Or Greening on a beautiful setup from behind by Spezza? I hate doing this, but looking at the Event Summary, the Sabres had 7 missed shots, while the Sens had 18. So far we have one win and one loser point in 5 division match-ups. Ugh-ly. One point up on 9th place Tampa, who have 2 games in hand. And the Devils are 2 points back with 3 games in hand.

Tampa plays Florida tonight. Best-case scenario Florida wins in regulation and we slip to 8th, but if Tampa gets even a loser point we are out of that playoff spot. If Tampa loses in regulation, then one of New Jersey or Carolina will get 2 points on Tuesday. Best we can hope for in that game is that the Devils win in a shootout (we would still be ahead with 4 ROW to their 3).

I don't see how we can hang on to that playoff position before our next game. And three games ago we were in 4th.

I guess it's true what they say -- it's still early.

But this team is re-building. Why are you so upset that they may fall out of a playoff position.

If someone told me at the start of the season that his young team -- (with 6 or 7 rookies in the lineup most nights, new coaching staff, new playing system) would be at .500 and in a playoff position after 15 games I would not have believed them.

Let's get realistic. This team is not making the playoffs... and it is best for the re-build that they don't.

I've been saying all along that this team *can* make the playoffs. So allow me to be disappointed. If Anderson had been playing the way we all expected him to play in the off-season we would be leading the Division. If you don't believe me, consider this: if Anderson played better we don't lose that 6-5 game against the Leafs -- just that one game, and we're tied with the Leafs at 17. Then even getting to an OT in one of the remaining losses puts us one point ahead.

Everyone was saying we would not score, and I was one of the few challenging this "fact". Remember, last year, up until Spezza got injured, we were a 2-3 game winning streak out of a playoff spot. And I fully expected a better year from Kuba (no broken leg and a full training camp) and Gonchar (who traditionally is slow to adjust to a new team). I *didn't* expect either Regin or Butler to light it up, although I was hoping for 15-20 goals between the two of them. I must admit I was expecting Filatov to make the team, but I also expected DaCosta and Rundblad to play in Bingo. So I was overly optimistic in some expectation and overly pessimistic in others -- overall, though, I thought (and still think) my expectations were not outrageous. I fully expected Boston to struggle because of the Cup "hangover", and one of Montreal and Buffalo to sputter if Price or Miller were not having a Vezina-candidate season. I expected Toronto to falter when Reimer struggled because of all the expectation and playing load. He has, but they've been scoring a ton of goals (most of the time) to overcome it. I still fully expect them to come back down to Earth. So in that kind of NE Division I don't think it would have been outrageous to expect the Sens to contend for a spot.

Now, on to your comment regarding rookies -- we had 6 in the lineup once, when Lehner started. Zibanejad, Da Costa, Greening, Cowen, Rundblad and, now, Daugavins. Two of those are only in because Regin and Alfredsson are injured. Greening played 24 games last year so he is *barely* a rookie (he's also 25 years old, in fact most of our "rookies" are in their mid-20s. Inexperienced? Somewhat, but not really raw rookies, for the most part.

Without the injuries we'd have 3 rookies in the lineup, a far cry from 6-7.

Peggy wrote:Yes he could play in Bingo after his SEL season is done.

sandysensfan wrote:

Peggy wrote:Yes he could play in Bingo after his SEL season is done.

Stupid question though, IF he plays in Bingo after his SEL season... does that burn a year of his ELC -- or does that only apply if he plays in the NHL?

tim1_2 wrote:

Hoags wrote:

NEELY wrote:I can still see Murray going out and signing Penner to play in a top 6 role next season, especially if Alfi doesn't play past this year.

It would take a Leino type contract, not worth it for a guy like Penner. Seeing the kind of contracts being handed out I'd rather Murray stay away from free agency.

tim1_2 wrote:Parise FTW

Can't imagine any top FA like Parise signing in Ottawa when he'll be able to sign with just about any team in the league for just about whatever amount/term he wants.

Meh. Some of those teams have already filled out their cap space. Ottawa can go big and long-term if they want, and probably outbid most teams. It'll be interesting to speculate, assuming he does hit free agency.

Peggy wrote:It does not burn a year if you play in the AHL at 18. Examples include Robin Lehner and Tomas Tatar

Da lil Guy wrote:But we got Heatley in a one-for-one trade for Hossa - a guy we developed.

Doesn't diminish the point, but you still need to develop players if you want to be able to trade for the guys you need.

Problem with free agency is the need to overpay (...and the fact that Ottawa may not be a top destination for free agents).

sandysensfan wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

Hoags wrote:

NEELY wrote:I can still see Murray going out and signing Penner to play in a top 6 role next season, especially if Alfi doesn't play past this year.

It would take a Leino type contract, not worth it for a guy like Penner. Seeing the kind of contracts being handed out I'd rather Murray stay away from free agency.

tim1_2 wrote:Parise FTW

Can't imagine any top FA like Parise signing in Ottawa when he'll be able to sign with just about any team in the league for just about whatever amount/term he wants.

Meh. Some of those teams have already filled out their cap space. Ottawa can go big and long-term if they want, and probably outbid most teams. It'll be interesting to speculate, assuming he does hit free agency.

Very true...teams like Buffalo blew their cap space just trying to prove they had an owner who would spend to the top of the cap. Big money, long term on what was considered mid-tier UFA's. They would have been wise to save some space for next off-season when there is a better class of UFA's... if they hit the market that is... Parise would be a dream... and that would turn this team into a big threat. Michalek-Spezza-Parise... would be a sweet line and a high-scoring one. IF ONLY....

SpezDispenser wrote:
Yeah, they kinda did blow their cap space. If you talk to fans of the Sabres, they will be saying bye to Boyes, Gaustad and Hecht, which will free up around 9 million. Figure that two of those players are replaced internally and they might have a little to spend.

Hoags wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:
Yeah, they kinda did blow their cap space. If you talk to fans of the Sabres, they will be saying bye to Boyes, Gaustad and Hecht, which will free up around 9 million. Figure that two of those players are replaced internally and they might have a little to spend.

I imagine lots of teams can make cap space for Parise if they want, include the Pegula Sabres who just love to throw money around lately.

Parise will probably sign his last big contract, it will big, long and front-loaded. He'll choose very carefully who he commits to. Only wrinkle is the new CBA, we might have a lockout next season for all we know.