(1) New York Rangers vs (8) Ottawa Senators - Playoffs Round 1

Change nothing. Less Spezza in the sin bin would be nice. Do that again and we win the game.

I don't have many complaints about tonight. sure we had some unlucky bounce and yes if some of the players of our players would of gained a half a second in reaction time we might have score a couple but we showed that we could dictate the tempo of the game and that we were in possession of the puck more then the rags. solid effort out there and no way if we put the same effort next game we can't come out victorious. a great series is shaping up. we could of really needed Alfie out there. by god I hope he's ready to go by next game. we just don't have the depth on our top6 to go without him.... not till silf gets over here.

btw I did get my habs friend to wear a sens jersey to watch the game(it was a yashin one so double joke on him) but did I jinx the night?

Flo The Action wrote:btw I did get my habs friend to wear a sens jersey to watch the game(it was a yashin one so double joke on him) but did I jinx the night?

it's all your fault. burn that jersey. now.

shabbs wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:btw I did get my habs friend to wear a sens jersey to watch the game(it was a yashin one so double joke on him) but did I jinx the night?

it's all your fault. burn that jersey. now.

but it has memories attached to it!(good ones too) plus I'm afraid that if I burn it it might release the soul of yashin upon us. god knows what it will do if it possesses young Karlsson. best put it back in the dungeon behind the crucifixes.

Flo The Action wrote:

shabbs wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:btw I did get my habs friend to wear a sens jersey to watch the game(it was a yashin one so double joke on him) but did I jinx the night?

it's all your fault. burn that jersey. now.

but it has memories attached to it!(good ones too) plus I'm afraid that if I burn it it might release the soul of yashin upon us. god knows what it will do if it possesses young Karlsson. best put it back in the dungeon behind the crucifixes.

Good call. We really dodged a bullet, there.

This was the only thing I was really afraid would happen and that's Spezza and to a lesser extent Michalek not showing up for these playoffs. Lets call a spade a spade, there would be no playoffs without Spezza this year or Michalek for that matter and people need to accept that fact. With that said, Spezza has been awful and is doing exactly what always seems to happen when time and space is taken away.

If Spezza really wants to make the Sens "his team" he has to be doing more. He needs to get into the dirty area's, get to the net, do the things leaders need to do to win games because right now he is looking like his very old self. I honestly can't remember a good playoff game from Spezza since the Buffalo series in 07.

Plain and simple, Spezza needs to be the man. Needs to avoid lazy penalties like he had last night and needs to just do what needs to be done. I'm sure PMac will rally the troops again and we'll see them come back stronger in Game 4. Hopefully The Alfie is able to play by then, that would be a huge boost, in front of the home crowd...

GO SENS GO!!!

shabbs wrote:Plain and simple, Spezza needs to be the man. Needs to avoid lazy penalties like he had last night and needs to just do what needs to be done. I'm sure PMac will rally the troops again and we'll see them come back stronger in Game 4. Hopefully The Alfie is able to play by then, that would be a huge boost, in front of the home crowd...

GO SENS GO!!!

Spezza honestly doesn't seem to have that extra gear from regular season to playoffs. It's the same thing each night which on a lot of nights works during the regular season but very rarely is it ever effective in the playoffs. We'll see though but he needs to be better and the Sens need another top 6 forward for sure.

Regarding Neely's comment:
Disagreed, to an extent. I do think Spezza needs to do more of what you're saying, but I think he's trying. He had a few hard rushes where he tried to turn the corner on the d and just didn't have enough. For sure too many entries where he backs off right at the line...they're well aware of that play and it doesn't work without the speed on entry.
Michalek on the other hand- I was excited to see this guy in the playoffs. I remember is last playoff in SJ where he was basically the only one to show up and he was a beast. Haven't seen that at all yet. He's barely noticeable out there. Hasn't even thrown a hit that I'm aware of.
If we have any chance in this series, both of these guys have to start producing. Really liked Foligno and Turris' game last night although I could've slapped Turris for not finishing on that chance in front at the end!

Foligno and Turris had great games last night... Turris is due... just a matter of time...

Vandelay wrote:Regarding Neely's comment:
Disagreed, to an extent. I do think Spezza needs to do more of what you're saying, but I think he's trying. He had a few hard rushes where he tried to turn the corner on the d and just didn't have enough. For sure too many entries where he backs off right at the line...they're well aware of that play and it doesn't work without the speed on entry.
Michalek on the other hand- I was excited to see this guy in the playoffs. I remember is last playoff in SJ where he was basically the only one to show up and he was a beast. Haven't seen that at all yet. He's barely noticeable out there. Hasn't even thrown a hit that I'm aware of.
If we have any chance in this series, both of these guys have to start producing. Really liked Foligno and Turris' game last night although I could've slapped Turris for not finishing on that chance in front at the end!

Never once did I say he wasn't trying or anything of the sort, hell, didn't even imply or suggest it. I'm saying Spezza may be a guy that just doesn't have that extra playoff gear and until people see it or he proves he can produce come playoff time then the jury will still be out.

Like I said the Sens wouldn't be in the playoffs without Spezza this year but he has been awful so far in the playoffs. He needs to do something to make himself noticed or needs to do something to get involved. Right now he's just taking up space out there.

Vandelay wrote:Regarding Neely's comment:
Disagreed, to an extent. I do think Spezza needs to do more of what you're saying, but I think he's trying. He had a few hard rushes where he tried to turn the corner on the d and just didn't have enough. For sure too many entries where he backs off right at the line...they're well aware of that play and it doesn't work without the speed on entry.
Michalek on the other hand- I was excited to see this guy in the playoffs. I remember is last playoff in SJ where he was basically the only one to show up and he was a beast. Haven't seen that at all yet. He's barely noticeable out there. Hasn't even thrown a hit that I'm aware of.

Michalek leveled a Ranger player behind the net in the 1st (I think), he's been physical. Him and Spezza are just being shutdown, no coincidence Turris' line is doing much better.

Need Alfie back ASAP.

This is typical Ranger hockey... clog the zones, block shots, shut down the other team's stars and let Lunqvist take care of the rest. They've been doing it all season and they've been very successful at it. Our secondary scoring is going to need to continue to press and the chances they have been getting will go in... this is playoff hockey... 3rd and 4th liners become heroes...

Sens have got to get to Lundqvist... gotta get him off his game... something... anything...

The Sens PR Department should have dusted off the "Spartan" prior to Game 1. "Riiiiiiiiiiiiise!"

NEELY wrote:

shabbs wrote:Plain and simple, Spezza needs to be the man. Needs to avoid lazy penalties like he had last night and needs to just do what needs to be done. I'm sure PMac will rally the troops again and we'll see them come back stronger in Game 4. Hopefully The Alfie is able to play by then, that would be a huge boost, in front of the home crowd...

GO SENS GO!!!

Spezza honestly doesn't seem to have that extra gear from regular season to playoffs. It's the same thing each night which on a lot of nights works during the regular season but very rarely is it ever effective in the playoffs. We'll see though but he needs to be better and the Sens need another top 6 forward for sure.

This is where MacLean can really help him IMO.

shabbs wrote:Sens have got to get to Lundqvist... gotta get him off his game... something... anything...

A two-hander to the throat?