Pre-Season Game 5 - Montreal @ Ottawa - Sept 25

wprager wrote:
While the score/outcome may not matter, after some of the chippiness last night I think this could well be a meaningful game.  Were Ryan and Karlsson targeted?  Pretty sure Karlsson was.  Interesting how the presence of Kassian didn't server as a deterrent.  Maybe it's because 2/3 of that lineup will be in Hamilton next week.

The whole "deterrent" thing is BS.  Kassian is there so we can throw him out against the other team's goon, they can get their fight and 5min majors in and we don't have Dziurzynski's getting KO'd.

And Karlsson will always be "targeted".  Not to injure him but other team players will always try some rough stuff to intimidate him and get him off his game and maybe get him to take a penalty and get him off the ice for 2 minutes.

Top players always are always focused on, it comes with the territory.

I was at the game last night. It was quite entertaining, and it's always nice to beat up on the Habs.

Lots of guys looked good. Da Costa had much more "chemistry" in this outing with Michalek and Ryan than Spezza did in his. But it's one pre-season game. If 9MM stays healthy, Ryan is Ryan, and Spezza stays healthy, there's no reason all three of them can't be in the top 20 in scoring, especially with the improved powerplay and Karlsson feeding them all year.

The hit on Ryan was HARD. He really got thumped. Hopefully it is nothing serious.

Conacher had a couple points, and that line generally looked good, but I'm still not 100% sold on him. Nothing comes easy for that kid, and he made a couple bad passes, and looked confused a couple other times as to where he was supposed to be on the ice. Not entirely unexpected though, and I'm sure his game will improve as time goes on.

It was nice to see Claesson get involved in a scrap, even if it did lead to him getting kicked out of the game.

Corvo was...well...adventurous.

Methot was in mid-season form.

It was funny seeing Hammond in net, and then realizing the backup goalie was "Greenham". I had zero idea who he was at the time. Apparently he spent last year in the ECHL, playing one game for Bingo.

I joke whether Matt Spezza was available or not.

I don't get why Claesson got a misconduct. There was Neil with two guys trying to fight him, and Claesson just came in to engage one of them. Why wasn't there a second man in a fight penalty?

Methot had a beauty hip-check early in the game. Philly tried it later on Gallagher and it wasn't nearly as pretty (still effective).

Kassian showed some nice hands one a few plays. He's not the fastest skater but I bet he would have banged in that puck that Condra flubbed off the post (open net -- sooooooo open).

I missed the hit on Ryan -- just saw him getting up very slowly, but that guy was involved in a few altercations the whole game.

wprager wrote:
I don't get why Claesson got a misconduct. There was Neil with two guys trying to fight him, and Claesson just came in to engage one of them. Why wasn't there a second man in a fight penalty?

Someone mentioned on Twitter that the game misconduct was for starting a fight when there was already one going, but to me it just seemed like he was evening up the 2-on-1 against Neil. It was weird, for sure. Too bad for Claesson really. I like him, but he didn't get to play last night at all.

LeKing wrote:Stone Smith Conacher
Puempel Zibanejad Hoffman
Dziurzynski Grant Robinson
Kassian O'Brien Lazar

Claesson-Borowiecki
Cowen-Wideman
Sdao-Ceci

Anderson

Sorry Flo

well all those lines are "technically" able to score... Lazar will try to impress and we might see more from buddy our modern bochenski andwell i want to see Pumpel and hoffman prove they can score at the NHL level. it's go time boys! hopefully Andersson closes the door as i'm uncertain this defense will actually close the door if it's left to them.

Wrong thread, guys.

tim1_2 wrote:I was at the game last night.  It was quite entertaining, and it's always nice to beat up on the Habs.

Lots of guys looked good.  Da Costa had much more "chemistry" in this outing with Michalek and Ryan than Spezza did in his.  But it's one pre-season game.  If 9MM stays healthy, Ryan is Ryan, and Spezza stays healthy, there's no reason all three of them can't be in the top 20 in scoring, especially with the improved powerplay and Karlsson feeding them all year.

The hit on Ryan was HARD.  He really got thumped.  Hopefully it is nothing serious.

Conacher had a couple points, and that line generally looked good, but I'm still not 100% sold on him.  Nothing comes easy for that kid, and he made a couple bad passes, and looked confused a couple other times as to where he was supposed to be on the ice.  Not entirely unexpected though, and I'm sure his game will improve as time goes on.

It was nice to see Claesson get involved in a scrap, even if it did lead to him getting kicked out of the game.

Corvo was...well...adventurous.

Methot was in mid-season form.  

It was funny seeing Hammond in net, and then realizing the backup goalie was "Greenham".  I had zero idea who he was at the time.  Apparently he spent last year in the ECHL, playing one game for Bingo.

I don't think Mr. Conacher is far from being a productive player in the NHL. I think they'll give him a nice long look either on the second line or on the third (especially if SDC centers that third line), and I think he'll perform.

He's definitely one of the more interesting Sens right now. I'm curious to see what he can do.

Conacher is undoubtedly a strong player. He drives the net, he hits, he's fast and he can pass. He seems to have cleaned up the diving a little too - which is nice to see.

Conacher came into a tough spot last year, this will be the true test for him having learned the system and had a chance to show MacLean and the Sens what he can do.

He and Zibanejad has really good chemistry last night. Maybe he moves into the 3rd line role with Z-Bad and Pageau and Greening moves up to the Turris line. Options, options, options...

SpezDispenser wrote:He and Zibanejad has really good chemistry last night.  Maybe he moves into the 3rd line role with Z-Bad and Pageau and Greening moves up to the Turris line.  Options, options, options...

yes both players i'd say were the most noticeable. several steps ahead and exciting to watch.

SpezDispenser wrote:He and Zibanejad has really good chemistry last night.  Maybe he moves into the 3rd line role with Z-Bad and Pageau and Greening moves up to the Turris line.  Options, options, options...

No, Greening is a cancer offensively

SpezDispenser wrote:He and Zibanejad has really good chemistry last night.  Maybe he moves into the 3rd line role with Z-Bad and Pageau and Greening moves up to the Turris line.  Options, options, options...

My bottom six would be:

I liked Conacher on the 2nd line. He may tire out mid way so at that point you can slide him on down, but to start the season I'd have:

9-19-6
16-7-89
14-93-44
22-15-25

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:He and Zibanejad has really good chemistry last night.  Maybe he moves into the 3rd line role with Z-Bad and Pageau and Greening moves up to the Turris line.  Options, options, options...

My bottom six would be:

I liked Conacher on the 2nd line.  He may tire out mid way so at that point you can slide him on down, but to start the season I'd have:

9-19-6
16-7-89
14-93-44
22-15-25

Either way really. I doubt there'll be a big difference between Turris' line and Zibanejad's. Both will be counted on to play good, solid hockey and chip in offensively. All 4 lines really.