GAME DAY: Ottawa @ Boston , 7:00PM, Tuesday, February 28, 2012

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:My comparable to Lehner right now is Michal Neuvirth. Who also won a Calder Cup (actually 2) and the AHL playoff MVP award.

That was one of the best defensive efforts I seen from the team all year. So many blocked/deflected shots, they went all out to help Lehner.

The team had it too good with Anderson and got away from helping the goalies because they didn't need to most nights. If Auld gets the same help as Lehner did last night, he looks a lot better.

This is good news all around because the team was going nowhere in the playoffs with their usual habits.

Auld has struggled. Don't see how you cna deny that.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:My comparable to Lehner right now is Michal Neuvirth. Who also won a Calder Cup (actually 2) and the AHL playoff MVP award.

That was one of the best defensive efforts I seen from the team all year. So many blocked/deflected shots, they went all out to help Lehner.

The team had it too good with Anderson and got away from helping the goalies because they didn't need to most nights. If Auld gets the same help as Lehner did last night, he looks a lot better.

This is good news all around because the team was going nowhere in the playoffs with their usual habits.

This is, in part, the benefit of having the guys play and grow together from the AHL on and up. Lots of guys on that team played and won with Lehner -- Cowen, Smith, Condra, Butler, Daugavins, Greening, even Karlsson for a while. They all want him to succeed, and they are all tighter and stronger for it, battling for one another, but especially for the new guy getting the tough start against the Cup champs. You could tell last night that most of those guys wanted Lehner to get the shutout as badly as Lehner himself did.

That's one advantage of building right -- and one argument for making sure Bingo is a whole lot better next year.

NEELY wrote:Sens undefeated with Gilory.

I honestly liked some of the things I saw from him last night, great skater, pretty solid shot... runs around a lot though. He will need to play a more responsible game for the Sens going forward and I think a week or two of practices will help with that.

Lehner is amazing.

I doubt you can teach him not to run around though. I didn't mind what I saw, but nothing jumped out at me as being overly impressive. He appeared to have a good shot, made a tremendous play that should have resulted in a goal - which I think was Condra's open net where Gilroy pinched and kept the play alive to Foligno - or it could be a different play, can't fully remember.

Good skater, but MacLean didn't play him too much, so we didn't get to see a really solid rush by him. Nothing major yet, but seems like a decent addition. Next 10 games will tell more of a story for sure.

NEELY wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:My comparable to Lehner right now is Michal Neuvirth. Who also won a Calder Cup (actually 2) and the AHL playoff MVP award.

That was one of the best defensive efforts I seen from the team all year. So many blocked/deflected shots, they went all out to help Lehner.

The team had it too good with Anderson and got away from helping the goalies because they didn't need to most nights. If Auld gets the same help as Lehner did last night, he looks a lot better.

This is good news all around because the team was going nowhere in the playoffs with their usual habits.

Auld has struggled. Don't see how you cna deny that.

No, I don't see it either.

rooneypoo wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:My comparable to Lehner right now is Michal Neuvirth. Who also won a Calder Cup (actually 2) and the AHL playoff MVP award.

That was one of the best defensive efforts I seen from the team all year. So many blocked/deflected shots, they went all out to help Lehner.

The team had it too good with Anderson and got away from helping the goalies because they didn't need to most nights. If Auld gets the same help as Lehner did last night, he looks a lot better.

This is good news all around because the team was going nowhere in the playoffs with their usual habits.

This is, in part, the benefit of having the guys play and grow together from the AHL on and up. Lots of guys on that team played and won with Lehner -- Cowen, Smith, Condra, Butler, Daugavins, Greening, even Karlsson for a while. They all want him to succeed, and they are all tighter and stronger for it, battling for one another, but especially for the new guy getting the tough start against the Cup champs. You could tell last night that most of those guys wanted Lehner to get the shutout as badly as Lehner himself did.

That's one advantage of building right -- and one argument for making sure Bingo is a whole lot better next year.

Said that last night to Mel (SensGirl). You can't throw Lehner back down there in front of a team of green rookies and crappy vets and cross your fingers, what happened last year put the rebuild ahead of schedule in a HUGE way IMO. Condra, Greening, Butler, Cowen, Borowieki, Gryba, Daugavins, Smith, O'Brien - all of them played and WON together in arguably the 2nd most important league to the NHL in the world. They build a system down there, they won, they're now translating most of that hunger and drive into the Ottawa lineup - it's amazing, but you HAVE to pay serious attention to that team in the summer so what's happening this year doesn't repeat, instead we should be aiming for a playoff spot next year in a big way.

This year was a write-off, next year is very important, you can't develop kids properly in that atmosphere.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:My comparable to Lehner right now is Michal Neuvirth. Who also won a Calder Cup (actually 2) and the AHL playoff MVP award.

That was one of the best defensive efforts I seen from the team all year. So many blocked/deflected shots, they went all out to help Lehner.

The team had it too good with Anderson and got away from helping the goalies because they didn't need to most nights. If Auld gets the same help as Lehner did last night, he looks a lot better.

This is good news all around because the team was going nowhere in the playoffs with their usual habits.

Except Auld looked tentative and gave up back-breaking goals. I like Auld a lot, but Lehner's immediately better - and it in turn breeds confidence in the players IMO.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:My comparable to Lehner right now is Michal Neuvirth. Who also won a Calder Cup (actually 2) and the AHL playoff MVP award.

That was one of the best defensive efforts I seen from the team all year. So many blocked/deflected shots, they went all out to help Lehner.

The team had it too good with Anderson and got away from helping the goalies because they didn't need to most nights. If Auld gets the same help as Lehner did last night, he looks a lot better.

This is good news all around because the team was going nowhere in the playoffs with their usual habits.

Except Auld looked tentative and gave up back-breaking goals. I like Auld a lot, but Lehner's immediately better - and it in turn breeds confidence in the players IMO.

Didn't say Lehner wasn't better or that Auld is even any good. Just saying that the team could have played better in front of him and that would have made him look better.

There's a caveat to always playing Lehner or Bishop, but with Auld, its either he wins or he's useless since a loss isn't part of his development or anything like that.

Not denying though that Lehner is more talented than Auld. Haven't seen Bishop but I'm sure the sens will play those two before Auld gets another shot.

As awesome a game last night was for Lehner, it didn't surprise me a whole lot that he's playing well in the NHL. I expected him to be backup next season for anderson. However now with Bishop on a 1-way deal next season, what does management do? Getting ahead of ourselves here I know....just keep it in mind! Right now they have no choice, they gotta keep playing Lehner.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:My comparable to Lehner right now is Michal Neuvirth. Who also won a Calder Cup (actually 2) and the AHL playoff MVP award.

That was one of the best defensive efforts I seen from the team all year. So many blocked/deflected shots, they went all out to help Lehner.

The team had it too good with Anderson and got away from helping the goalies because they didn't need to most nights. If Auld gets the same help as Lehner did last night, he looks a lot better.

This is good news all around because the team was going nowhere in the playoffs with their usual habits.

Except Auld looked tentative and gave up back-breaking goals. I like Auld a lot, but Lehner's immediately better - and it in turn breeds confidence in the players IMO.

Didn't say Lehner wasn't better or that Auld is even any good. Just saying that the team could have played better in front of him and that would have made him look better.

I agree, but they played like they played in front of Elliott two years ago - very nervous.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:My comparable to Lehner right now is Michal Neuvirth. Who also won a Calder Cup (actually 2) and the AHL playoff MVP award.

That was one of the best defensive efforts I seen from the team all year. So many blocked/deflected shots, they went all out to help Lehner.

The team had it too good with Anderson and got away from helping the goalies because they didn't need to most nights. If Auld gets the same help as Lehner did last night, he looks a lot better.

This is good news all around because the team was going nowhere in the playoffs with their usual habits.

Except Auld looked tentative and gave up back-breaking goals. I like Auld a lot, but Lehner's immediately better - and it in turn breeds confidence in the players IMO.

Didn't say Lehner wasn't better or that Auld is even any good. Just saying that the team could have played better in front of him and that would have made him look better.

I agree, but they played like they played in front of Elliott two years ago - very nervous.

They played the same way they played most of this year which is to show up at the end of the game.

Even the coach, said the team played for about 12 minutes.

Has nothing to do with who's in net. That "playing nervous" because of the goalie Dung is a cop out and they had to play better like they finally did last night.

Lately they're coming in strong, building up a lead and easing off in the 3rd.

Early in the year they'd suck in the first and play better as game went on and try for those heroic 3rd period comebacks (which we haven't seen in quite a while).

SeawaySensFan wrote:
They played the same way they played most of this year which is to show up at the end of the game.

Even the coach, said the team played for about 12 minutes.

Has nothing to do with who's in net. That "playing nervous" because of the goalie Dung is a cop out and they had to play better like they finally did last night.

I can buy into that for the most part. I guess it reiterates how good Anderson is to put up with that for a full year and be +.910.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:
They played the same way they played most of this year which is to show up at the end of the game.

Even the coach, said the team played for about 12 minutes.

Has nothing to do with who's in net. That "playing nervous" because of the goalie Dung is a cop out and they had to play better like they finally did last night.

I can buy into that for the most part. I guess it reiterates how good Anderson is to put up with that for a full year and be +.910.

To climb to .910 after being sub-900 for so long is basically superhuman. And he only has himself to thank, so far. I see a potential turn for the better after last night. Ottawa will literally destroy most teams if they repeat that effort and competent goaltending will only enhance that.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:
They played the same way they played most of this year which is to show up at the end of the game.

Even the coach, said the team played for about 12 minutes.

Has nothing to do with who's in net. That "playing nervous" because of the goalie Dung is a cop out and they had to play better like they finally did last night.

I can buy into that for the most part. I guess it reiterates how good Anderson is to put up with that for a full year and be +.910.

To climb to .910 after being sub-900 for so long is basically superhuman. And he only has himself to thank, so far. I see a potential turn for the better after last night. Ottawa will literally destroy most teams if they repeat that effort and competent goaltending will only enhance that.

I completely agree. Play like that every night and you'll kill the lesser teams. Friggin Tim Thomas stoning us again last night was mighty refreshing.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:
They played the same way they played most of this year which is to show up at the end of the game.

Even the coach, said the team played for about 12 minutes.

Has nothing to do with who's in net. That "playing nervous" because of the goalie Dung is a cop out and they had to play better like they finally did last night.

I can buy into that for the most part. I guess it reiterates how good Anderson is to put up with that for a full year and be +.910.

To climb to .910 after being sub-900 for so long is basically superhuman. And he only has himself to thank, so far. I see a potential turn for the better after last night. Ottawa will literally destroy most teams if they repeat that effort and competent goaltending will only enhance that.

I completely agree. Play like that every night and you'll kill the lesser teams. Friggin Tim Thomas stoning us again last night was mighty refreshing.

Most recent example is the last Washington game, they were sloppy for a long time and let them back in somewhat. They would have smoked the Crapitals about 8 - 0 with an effort similar to last night!!!

Ahhhh yeah!

SeawaySensFan wrote:
Most recent example is the last Washington game, they were sloppy for a long time and let them back in somewhat. They would have smoked the Crapitals about 8 - 0 with an effort similar to last night!!!

MacLean has been trying to get them playing with consistency all year. I think they've been gradually improving all year and this playoff drive has definitely mobilized everyone to another level.

#Lehnergized!!!