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MacLean seems pretty stuck on improving him as a hockey player so I doubt it happens.

NEELY wrote:MacLean seems pretty stuck on improving him as a hockey player so I doubt it happens.  

You never see the value in player like that until he's gone. Like I say over and over again, he doesn't hurt the team, plays a disciplined game. No reason to do anything more than not dress him from time to time.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:MacLean seems pretty stuck on improving him as a hockey player so I doubt it happens.  

You never see the value in player like that until he's gone. Like I say over and over again, he doesn't hurt the team, plays a disciplined game. No reason to do anything more than not dress him from time to time.

He does hurt the team by taking up a roster spot.

Well considering there has been an extra roster spot all year long that's not really a great point. Kassian can go on the ice when needed and not hurt the team. The only beef people have with him right now is that he is probably being dressed too much right now.

I meant he hurts the team when he actually dresses. He takes a up a spot up front, plays 3 minutes a game, and contributes nothing. You put a speedier, fiesty winger there and he will contribute hits, skating, puck possession, etc.

You can't name a lot of good teams who have a guy like that.

I disagree he hurts the team but if the games played are like the ones that have been the majority of the year this then he doesn't really help either. Seems like the days of staged fighting are almost over.

Ev wrote:I meant he hurts the team when he actually dresses. He takes a up a spot up front, plays 3 minutes a game, and contributes nothing. You put a speedier, fiesty winger there and he will contribute hits, skating, puck possession, etc.

You can't name a lot of good teams who have a guy like that.

But it's not like he is holding back the other two 4th liners from having more ice time.  Let's say the others play 9 minutes, so for the 6 minutes that he sits and they play they are very likely playing with a "speedier, fiesty winger".

I'm not saying that the 4th line is not better with Grant there instead of Kassian, but that's just 3 minutes out of a 60-minute game.  The only thing having him in the lineup is hurting is Grant's (or whoever) development.  Now, if they dressed 13 forwards then you could play both Kassian and Grant in the same game, but I'm not sure what happens in our own zone if we play just 5D.

wprager wrote:

Ev wrote:I meant he hurts the team when he actually dresses. He takes a up a spot up front, plays 3 minutes a game, and contributes nothing. You put a speedier, fiesty winger there and he will contribute hits, skating, puck possession, etc.

You can't name a lot of good teams who have a guy like that.

But it's not like he is holding back the other two 4th liners from having more ice time.  Let's say the others play 9 minutes, so for the 6 minutes that he sits and they play they are very likely playing with a "speedier, fiesty winger".

I'm not saying that the 4th line is not better with Grant there instead of Kassian, but that's just 3 minutes out of a 60-minute game.  The only thing having him in the lineup is hurting is Grant's (or whoever) development.  Now, if they dressed 13 forwards then you could play both Kassian and Grant in the same game, but I'm not sure what happens in our own zone if we play just 5D.

That's kind of questionable.

NEELY wrote:I disagree he hurts the team but if the games played are like the ones that have been the majority of the year this then he doesn't really help either.  Seems like the days of staged fighting are almost over.

There's the possibility that the games are the way they are because he's in the lineup. Take him out of the lineup against a dirty team like the Leafs and it's open season. The only way to really know is if he does get waived or sat for a long stretch.

Leafs sure, Boston yah, maybe even Montreal and Buffalo... Edmonton though, NJ...? Those types of games are questionable.

NEELY wrote:Leafs sure, Boston yah, maybe even Montreal and Buffalo... Edmonton though, NJ...?  Those types of games are questionable.

Edmonton had guys like Brown and Gzadzic or whatever his name is. That's up to the coach to figure out. I'm definitely not saying he should play every game just saying he has some value.

Kassian is in the lineup because the team got spooked that DD felt compelled to fight McLaren, they don't want any of the kids to feel compelled to fight to prove their spot on the team, letting a guy like Kassian do the fighting. Neil doesn't seem to like fighting much anymore, and Smith, Cowen only do it if absolutely necessary.

At least that's what I thought, he's in the lineup more than I expected and PMac seems to want to develop him more as a player.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:Leafs sure, Boston yah, maybe even Montreal and Buffalo... Edmonton though, NJ...?  Those types of games are questionable.

Edmonton had guys like Brown and Gzadzic or whatever his name is. That's up to the coach to figure out. I'm definitely not saying he should play every game just saying he has some value.

Don't disagree.

Hoags wrote:Kassian is in the lineup because the team got spooked that DD felt compelled to fight McLaren, they don't want any of the kids to feel compelled to fight to prove their spot on the team, letting a guy like Kassian do the fighting.  Neil doesn't seem to like fighting much anymore, and Smith, Cowen only do it if absolutely necessary.

At least that's what I thought, he's in the lineup more than I expected and PMac seems to want to develop him more as a player.

Exactly.

I understand the need for a player like Kassian against teams like Toronto etc., but I don't get the fact that Mac is dressing him so much. Edmonton? Hah, there's no need for Kassian in there. Neil, Cowen, Smith could easily handle anything silly that might have come up.

It's Game Day, where's shabbs and the GDT?

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"The city of Ottawa is going to miss him and as teammates of his for so long we miss him too, but he turned the page. We've got to turn the page too."                                      

Red Wings host Senators; Alfredsson faces old team
Tuesday, 10.22.2013 / 7:19 PM
Brian Hunter - NHL.com Staff Writer
SENATORS (3-3-2) at RED WINGS (6-3-1)

TV: TSN, TVA, FS-D

Season series: This is the first of four meetings between the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. The New Atlantic Division rivals didn't face each other last season when Detroit was still in the Western Conference. In fact, their most recent matchup was the 2011-12 season opener, when the Red Wings raced to a 5-0 lead behind a goal and an assist from Cory Emmerton before holding off the Senators for a 5-3 win on Oct. 7, 2011.

Big story: Daniel Alfredsson, the former Ottawa captain who played the first 17 seasons and 1,178 games of his career there, faces his old team for the first time. In years past this might've been the only time the Senators and Red Wings met; now that they're division rivals, it's just a dress rehearsal. Alfredsson will see them on three more occasions, including a return to Ottawa on Nov. 23.

"The city of Ottawa is going to miss him and as teammates of his for so long we miss him too, but he turned the page. We've got to turn the page too," Senators forward Chris Neil said. "You don't dwell on it, you just go out, focus on the task at hand and that's to beat the Detroit Red Wings."

Team Scope:

Senators: It's right back on the road for Ottawa, which is tied for the second-fewest home games played at two (the New York Rangers don't play their home opener until Oct. 28). The Senators began the season on a six-game road trip, won their first game at Canadian Tire Centre last Thursday and then went for two in a row Saturday afternoon against the struggling Edmonton Oilers.

The Senators were averaging more than 40 shots against coming into the game, most in the NHL, so it was a good sign holding the Oilers to just 21. However, two of them beat Robin Lehner and a third found the empty net in a 3-1 loss. Neil scored his first of the season for Ottawa.

"I thought it was a solid 60 minutes by our team, probably the best full game that we've played to this point this season," coach Paul MacLean said in the Ottawa Citizen.

Red Wings: There were zeroes all across the stat sheet Monday night when Detroit hosted the West-leading San Jose Sharks at Joe Louis Arena. Jimmy Howard held the visitors off the board through 60 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime, but so did his opposition across the way, Antti Niemi.

Both goalies were credited with shutouts, but only one was going to come away with the 1-0 decision. That turned out to be the Sharks and Niemi after Logan Couture scored on Howard in the second round of the shootout.

"I thought we did a good job on their top guys. We didn't give them a lot of room and space. Another thing that was a positive was we didn't give up a lot of odd-man rushes," Howard said. "That's been an Achilles' heel of late for us. We did a great job of keeping the third man high in the offensive zone, making them come 200 feet. We didn't turn pucks over. It's a good sign."

Who's hot: Craig Anderson, the expected starter for the Senators on Wednesday, has stopped 74 of 79 shots (.937 save percentage) in winning his past two starts. … In his second start back from a minor hand injury, Howard recorded his 17th career shutout for the Red Wings.

Injury report: Detroit could get defenseman Niklas Kronwall (concussion) back after a two-game absence. Forward Patrick Eaves (knee/ankle) could make his season debut Saturday against the New York Rangers, but forward Darren Helm (groin) was going for tests and won't be available. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (shoulder) is expected to miss 2-3 weeks. ... The Senators report no injuries.

"It's more (weird) for him. We're used to seeing one guy move on and play for a different team and play against teammates you've played with. "

Senators-Red Wings Preview

Daniel Alfredsson was more than just the Senators' captain to the people of Ottawa as he became a respected and beloved figure in the city during his 17-season tenure.

That fact has never been lost on the 40-year-old as he thanked the fans and the franchise for the outpouring of support over the years, even when a contract impasse led to his surprising departure for the Detroit Red Wings in the offseason.

He'll face some of his former teammates for the first time Wednesday night as Detroit hosts Ottawa looking to avoid a third straight defeat.

Alfredsson was named captain prior to the 1999-2000 season and helped guide the Senators to their only Stanley Cup finals appearance when they lost to Anaheim in 2007. Contract negotiations stalled on multiple occasions, though, when Alfredsson decided against retirement following the 2012 playoffs.

He played out the final year of his deal last season, and after not receiving his desired offer signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with Detroit.

Though his departure wasn't exactly pleasant and disappointed many in Ottawa, Alfredsson is experiencing a whirlwind of emotions heading into his first game against his former club.

"I think it will be a relief once the puck drops," Alfredsson said. "There will be a lot of emotion going into the game, but it's a bit exciting, too."

Alfredsson, the Senators' all-time leading scorer by a wide margin, has one goal and a team-best eight assists for the Red Wings (6-3-1). It's been a different experience playing with stars like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg rather than being the focus of attention with the Senators.

"I miss a lot about Ottawa," Alfredsson said. "There were no questions at the rink about being "the guy." At the same time, I also enjoy not being "the guy" and worrying about myself a little bit more, but it's not something I hide from. It's just two good teams going at it and I hope we can pull out a win."

Jason Spezza is second on Ottawa's all-time scoring list and has a team-high five goals this season. Spezza played 10 seasons with Alfredsson but the Senators' new captain said the team has moved forward.

"It's more (weird) for him," Spezza said. "We're used to seeing one guy move on and play for a different team and play against teammates you've played with. It will be different because it's Alfie, but I think it will be harder for him playing against Ottawa because it's the only place he's ever played."

Alfredsson will have to get used to facing the Senators as the teams meet four times as Atlantic Division rivals, including his return to Ottawa on Dec. 1. For now, he's focused on helping Detroit snap a two-game skid after it fell 1-0 in a shootout to San Jose on Monday.

Jimmy Howard, who went 1-3-0 with a 3.28 goals-against average in his previous four starts, made 27 saves. He's won each of his three career starts while posting a 3.00 GAA against the Senators, who had their two-game winning streak snapped with Saturday's 3-1 loss to Edmonton.

Chris Neil scored for Ottawa (3-3-2), which committed seven penalties. It has taken 19 more penalties than its opponents, by far the league's worst margin.

"Penalties are not something we're going to forget about," Spezza said. "We'll continue to talk about it until we start to take less penalties."

Robin Lehner made 18 saves against the Oilers, but Craig Anderson, who is 3-1-2 with a 2.88 GAA, should be back in net for this contest.

Detroit will have Niklas Kronwall back from a two-game absence due to a concussion, but his defensive partner Jonathan Ericsson is expected to miss two weeks with a partially dislocated shoulder joint suffered in Saturday's 5-2 loss to Phoenix.

The Red Wings have won four straight meetings.