Ottawa Senators TIDBITS & QUICK HITS!

Ev wrote:LOL blaming the Penguins for Spezza's back injury, and for them "hitting to hurt". I've seen it all. Newsflash, everyone is taught to hit to hurt. What is the point of hitting otherwise?

Just stop it already, you're embarrassing yourselves.

Actually, according to the definition of the game, the intent of hitting is to separate the player from the puck. If he doesn't have the puck, it's called interference (early or late hit). The player applying the check is given a bit of leeway with the half-second rule (supposed to let up if hit is a half second or more after the player loses the puck; not sure if there is -- or even could be -- a similar rule for early hits). The actual hit itself also has to fit a few parameters -- no elbows, no targeting of the head (elbow or shoulder or head), no jumping, no hits close to the boards, no long runs at someone to get a hit, etc.

So, yeah, according to the definition and rules of hockey, you are not supposed to hit to hurt. I love big, open-ice hits where the player is in possession of the puck. I hate early or late hits -- I don't care if the player is admiring his pass because late is late, and it doesn't matter whay he does after he no-longer has possession. I think the game is great the way it is written down, without dirty, predatory or intimidating hits.

rooneypoo wrote:

Ev wrote:LOL blaming the Penguins for Spezza's back injury, and for them "hitting to hurt". I've seen it all. Newsflash, everyone is taught to hit to hurt. What is the point of hitting otherwise?

Just stop it already, you're embarrassing yourselves.

Lots of crying over spilled milk here for sure, but I don't think anyone would seriously dispute that the Pens get the VIP treatment from the league, largely because they have the faces of the league, Crosby and Malkin, in their lineup. Malkin is a dirty player who should have been disciplined long ago.

Can anyone also dispute that the league (and by that I mean Shanahan) has a history of looking the other way when a Sens player gets injured? Ever since I saw Shanahan do that interview mocking the Sens' practice of riding the stationary bike post-game I've had the distinct impression that he did not care much for the franchise. Granted, it's an opinion, and I am not asking you to share it, just to dispute it.

SpezDispenser wrote:
I don't mind hitting to hurt personally - as long as it's legal. Dupuis did nothing wrong at all, Enstrom's like 5'4" and he was due to be hurt at some point. Unfortunate for the Jets though - or fortunate maybe, because they're all but guaranteed a top 5 pick now. I thought they'd be good, I was dead wrong.

Nothing wrong with Dupuis' hit from what I saw. Unfortunate.

But I *do* mind the hitting to hurt, personally, because that's not the definition of the game. The primary point of a check is to separate the player from the puck, so that you could take that puck the other way and score a goal. The hit can be spectacular -- I'm all for that -- and players will get hurt as a result; they get paid millions so I don't really feel sorry for them (I got hurt playing hockey every once in a while, and my "salary" was negative -- didn't stop me from enjoying it). But if the only reason for a hit is to hurt a player, I cannot condone it unless it is a retaliation for something -- i.e. the player on the receiving end deserves it. Those situations are rare, but they do happen when the league (refs/linesmen/Shanahan) don't do their jobs.

Mendes confirms that Michalek's injury is the knee.

The team is still hopeful he'll play Monday. If only they had stayed the course and treated this as year 2 of a rebuild, they could have traded him in the off-season for a nice little bundle.

difference between hitting to hurt and hitting to injure. If you're not hitting to hurt, then the hit is useless.

wprager wrote:

Ev wrote:LOL blaming the Penguins for Spezza's back injury, and for them "hitting to hurt". I've seen it all. Newsflash, everyone is taught to hit to hurt. What is the point of hitting otherwise?

Just stop it already, you're embarrassing yourselves.

Actually, according to the definition of the game, the intent of hitting is to separate the player from the puck. If he doesn't have the puck, it's called interference (early or late hit). The player applying the check is given a bit of leeway with the half-second rule (supposed to let up if hit is a half second or more after the player loses the puck; not sure if there is -- or even could be -- a similar rule for early hits). The actual hit itself also has to fit a few parameters -- no elbows, no targeting of the head (elbow or shoulder or head), no jumping, no hits close to the boards, no long runs at someone to get a hit, etc.

So, yeah, according to the definition and rules of hockey, you are not supposed to hit to hurt. I love big, open-ice hits where the player is in possession of the puck. I hate early or late hits -- I don't care if the player is admiring his pass because late is late, and it doesn't matter whay he does after he no-longer has possession. I think the game is great the way it is written down, without dirty, predatory or intimidating hits.

I assume you watched Coach's corner last night since I believe you are a Cherry fan?
He said you gotta hit the defensemen even if he just got rid of the puck because next time when you're coming on him, he's gonna remember how it hurts and feel the pressure to get rid of the puck.
I agree with him.

There was Coach's Corner last night?

wprager wrote:There was Coach's Corner last night?

1st intermission of Winnipeg / Pittsburgh
It's on cbc.ca

Bryan Murray has to acquire some NHL talent, it's not fair to have a Vezina caliber goalie in there stealing games for you and you have no one who knows how to score.

That's my opinion and I still think we see something by early to mid week next week.

SpezDispenser wrote:Bryan Murray has to acquire some NHL talent, it's not fair to have a Vezina caliber goalie in there stealing games for you and you have no one who knows how to score.

That's my opinion and I still think we see something by early to mid week next week.

From what Murray says no one is trading NHL players for prospects. If we're lucky we'll get a prospect who fits our future better than some other prospect that we have.

SpezDispenser wrote:Bryan Murray has to acquire some NHL talent, it's not fair to have a Vezina caliber goalie in there stealing games for you and you have no one who knows how to score.

That's my opinion and I still think we see something by early to mid week next week.

There is literally nothing he can do that wouldn't hurt the team in the future. There's no point in making a move short of getting some bodies back down to Bingo while they just lose more games up in Ottawa.

This season is done and it has been since the end of the 2nd period in Pitt Wed night. Only thing that can be done is take a look at who is hungry, who is improving, and who deserves a look next year when Ottawa is back to full strength and probably turns the corner into contender.

Wait it out until the deadline or close to it, teams will be vying for the playoffs and Murray is one of the only teams selling off some assets.

The other thing they should be doing at the deadline is getting some bodies in for the home stretch, sending anyone who can go back down to Bingo down and make another Calder Cup run. It did wonders for the dvelopment of the players and organization and the benefits have already been seen.

All that said, the quicker people accept what this season is going to turn into the better because they are going to need some support.

Only thing I hope happens is Alfi comes out and says he will be coming back for one last season.

NEELY wrote:All that said, the quicker people accept what this season is going to turn into the better because they are going to need some support.

It's going to be like Clouston's last season here. I don't think we're bad enough to score a top-5 pick with Anderson just like last time.

Oh I do because of the sprint to the finish. 12 or 13 teams will be in the hunt for a playoff spot and fact of the matter is Ottawa has played he easy part of their schedule.

I can't see them finishing any higher that 14th at this point and I stil think the bottom out in the East. But we will see. I'm not cheering for losses in the least but I'm def not upset when the Sens lose from here on out. It is what it is.

NEELY wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Bryan Murray has to acquire some NHL talent, it's not fair to have a Vezina caliber goalie in there stealing games for you and you have no one who knows how to score.

That's my opinion and I still think we see something by early to mid week next week.

There is literally nothing he can do that wouldn't hurt the team in the future. There's no point in making a move short of getting some bodies back down to Bingo while they just lose more games up in Ottawa.

This season is done and it has been since the end of the 2nd period in Pitt Wed night. Only thing that can be done is take a look at who is hungry, who is improving, and who deserves a look next year when Ottawa is back to full strength and probably turns the corner into contender.

Wait it out until the deadline or close to it, teams will be vying for the playoffs and Murray is one of the only teams selling off some assets.

That sentiment is so dumb though. How many teams have an Erik Karlsson? None. Some of them have versions of him, but even then not too many. So why would you leave a Vezina caliber goalie floating in the wind? Why not try to get the Ponikarovskys of the NHL, limiting what you spend, but beefing up your team with 2 or 3 pieces of experienced NHL players who can at least help.

Why would you ice an AHL team when a tweak or two puts you back into contention for 8th. Diddle it, we don't even need a D-man, we're fine on D, we need a couple of NHL forwards. Enough with the hoarding of prospects and 4th round picks, it's a waste of a year of Craig Anderson frankly.

That said, it means spending some money and I gather Melnyk wants nothing to do with that.

O Reilly is definitely feasible. Are the Avs just gonna let him rot?
Just trade the guy for Diddle's sake. And don't ask for the moon.

LeKing wrote:O Reilly is definitely feasible. Are the Avs just gonna let him rot?
Just trade the guy for Diddle's sake. And don't ask for the moon.

There's gotta be hockey trades out there that make sense. The Avs are Cussed either way, if they trade him and they don't get a good return, that idiot Sherman is done. If they keep him and this gets even more ugly, Sherman is done. Bad scenario for the GM of that team because they should be a hell of a lot farther along than the Sens, and they most certainly are not.