Ottawa Senators TIDBITS & QUICK HITS!

3-way tie for 8th between Ottawa and the two NY teams; Ottawa clinging to it by virtue of having one game in hand on the two other teams.

Another "must" win game. This time for real. And I really mean it this time.

Tomorrow is the 100%, can't lose, must win at all costs game. Tonight is extremely important if they want to lock themselves into the playoffs. Games in hand are great but you need to win them, tonight and tomorrow would go a real long way in making the playoffs.

NEELY wrote:Tomorrow is the 100%, can't lose, must win at all costs game. Tonight is extremely important if they want to lock themselves into the playoffs. Games in hand are great but you need to win them, tonight and tomorrow would go a real long way in making the playoffs.

Crap, didn't realize they are playing back-to-back. That's going to be a tough one. Philly is going to be a hard game, too. So if Michalek is ready or ready-enough, do you play him tonight or tomorrow? One more day is not going to make a bug difference, but Philly has some players on their roster that wouldn't be above attempting to re-injure him. And how do you split the games between Anderson and Lehner (assuming that you do split them)?

Ian Mendes ‏@ian_mendes
For those asking about Spezza's status: All I can say is he's feeling a little better, but hasn't returned to the ice. No timetable.

Doesn't look like he is back anytime soon

At this point, it'd be surprising if Spezza was "back" for the playoffs.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=16321

In his first professional season, Pageau has seven goals and 22 assists in 69 AHL games. He played in all situations in Binghamton and was skilled on faceoffs.

That's why Pageau was called up, to replace Mr. 43% FO% Peter "Bill Muckalt" Regin.

Hoags wrote:http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=16321

In his first professional season, Pageau has seven goals and 22 assists in 69 AHL games. He played in all situations in Binghamton and was skilled on faceoffs.

That's why Pageau was called up, to replace Mr. 43% FO% Peter "Bill Muckalt" Regin.

His faceoff skills will be a useful asset, in that case.

That is good to hear about his faceoff prowess....hopefully it translates IMMEDIATELY!

Ken Warren ‏@Citizenkwarren
Apparently, Jason Spezza is making some progress in back injury, but hasn't returned to skating yet. Mike Hoffman is also out indefinitely

A bit of good news on Spez, and bad news on Hoffman.

Hoags wrote:http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=16321

In his first professional season, Pageau has seven goals and 22 assists in 69 AHL games. He played in all situations in Binghamton and was skilled on faceoffs.

That's why Pageau was called up, to replace Mr. 43% FO% Peter "Bill Muckalt" Regin.

Takes muscle and determination to win a faceoff... none of these qualities are something Regin posses.

NEELY wrote:

Hoags wrote:http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=16321

In his first professional season, Pageau has seven goals and 22 assists in 69 AHL games. He played in all situations in Binghamton and was skilled on faceoffs.

That's why Pageau was called up, to replace Mr. 43% FO% Peter "Bill Muckalt" Regin.

Takes muscle and determination to win a faceoff... none of these qualities are something Regin posses.

Regin is to faceoffs as Billy Muckalt was to scoring goals.

Hoags wrote:Ken Warren ‏@Citizenkwarren
Apparently, Jason Spezza is making some progress in back injury, but hasn't returned to skating yet. Mike Hoffman is also out indefinitely

A bit of good news on Spez, and bad news on Hoffman.

I'd like to hear what his back surgeon says. If it's just pain they can deal with that. If it's something else, though, what's next? He's fully recovered from the surgery, I would assume. Did he re-rupture the disc?

Just read up on this surgery. If he had a traditional diecectomy then they make an incision at the center of the spine, then have to dissect the muscle away from the bone, then remove a small amount of bone and ligaments from the back of the spine -- that's all so we can get at the disc itself and remove the parts that are protruding. A newer procedure (endoscopic microdiscectomy) uses a scope through a much smaller incision and less dissection of surrounding tissue. I am assuming with a multi-million dollar athletes they would use the latter procedure. So it's surprising that it has taken as long as it has. Hopefully he did not have an infection.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:

Hoags wrote:http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=16321

In his first professional season, Pageau has seven goals and 22 assists in 69 AHL games. He played in all situations in Binghamton and was skilled on faceoffs.

That's why Pageau was called up, to replace Mr. 43% FO% Peter "Bill Muckalt" Regin.

Takes muscle and determination to win a faceoff... none of these qualities are something Regin posses.

Regin is to faceoffs as Billy Muckalt was to scoring goals.

What's Regin to scoring goals then? He's tied with Muckalt this year.

Apparently Spezza was at Big Rig Brewery:

jimmy zourntos ‏@bigrigbrewboss
What a great treat The boys dropped in for lunch #18 #10 #19 #BOSSUP

Why would Lundin and O'Brien be there ? Shouldn't they be with the team in Philly ?

wprager wrote:

Hoags wrote:Ken Warren ‏@Citizenkwarren
Apparently, Jason Spezza is making some progress in back injury, but hasn't returned to skating yet. Mike Hoffman is also out indefinitely

A bit of good news on Spez, and bad news on Hoffman.

I'd like to hear what his back surgeon says. If it's just pain they can deal with that. If it's something else, though, what's next? He's fully recovered from the surgery, I would assume. Did he re-rupture the disc?

Just read up on this surgery. If he had a traditional diecectomy then they make an incision at the center of the spine, then have to dissect the muscle away from the bone, then remove a small amount of bone and ligaments from the back of the spine -- that's all so we can get at the disc itself and remove the parts that are protruding. A newer procedure (endoscopic microdiscectomy) uses a scope through a much smaller incision and less dissection of surrounding tissue. I am assuming with a multi-million dollar athletes they would use the latter procedure. So it's surprising that it has taken as long as it has. Hopefully he did not have an infection.

Your guess is as good as mine.

Paging Dr. Prager... paging Dr. Prager...

I can only guess there's been some sort of setback or he's not healing as fast as they had initially thought.

Pageau long interview in french:

http://blogues.lapresse.ca/stlaurent/2013/04/11/pageau-febrile-briere-songeur/#comments

Says he was really surprised and his goal was to make the Sens before the end of his entry level.

Article also suggest Briere will leave Philly this summer.

Hoags wrote:Apparently Spezza was at Big Rig Brewery:

jimmy zourntos ‏@bigrigbrewboss
What a great treat The boys dropped in for lunch #18 #10 #19 #BOSSUP

Why would Lundin and O'Brien be there ? Shouldn't they be with the team in Philly ?

It was probably a guy with a big nandose his girlfriend, and he thought it was O'Brien and Lundin.