GAME DAY: San Jose Sharks @ Ottawa Senators :: 5:00pm ET :: Sun. Oct. 27th, 2013

SpezDispenser wrote:I think you need a winger regardless.  Again though, you know how hard this stretch was.  

I'd look at Hoffman on Spezza's wing real soon.  

Y'know who was a good winger with some finish? Daniel Alfredsson. Just sayin'.

Definitely need a shakeup. Lehner for a good stretch is a start. Michalek moved to the third line would be another (don't see how you sit $6M). JOB would be fairly motivated too.

Vrbada is a pipe dream I think. Zibanejad or Hoffman for now and start looking for a Dman with experience and a scoring winger.

Ev wrote:Vrbata just scores and shoots. We need some finish and he provides it.

Steve Ott would be a heck if a pick up.

We would be a better team with Fisher and Kelly still here.

Vrbata would be amazing.

phoenix isn't parting with Vrbata, you are crazy. if they part with anyone it's a dman. this isn't NHL13

there doesn't seem to be enough motivation. we should have the pieces right there, they're either not experienced enough or getting too old. unless we can trade for a young player with at least 3 years in the NHL we're not doing a move.

The young guys on the team are comfortable aside from Karlsson it seems, he's a player that just "gets it". Ryan, Turris, even Sepzza to a certain extent you can't really question their preparation or effort. There needs to be a shakeup for sure at this point because again, guys are comfortable and perhaps that starts with moving your "#1 goaltender" out to Edmonton, maybe guys will get the hint at that point.

The most pressing issue is a solid 2nd pairing RH shot. Asking Cowen/Weircioch to handle the 2nd pairing was stupid.

Everytime SJ had a real good chance tonight it went in. At some point you need your goalie to make a save, it's definitely Lehner time.

Somehow we wound up with 3 proven top 6 forwards in Ryan, Turris, Spezza and a 4th potentially in Zib. Need to find another one soon somehow.

I thought Zach Smith played his best game in about 2 years today. Appeared physical and cut in towards the net from the wing a la Glenn Anderson twice. If he plays like that he is the perfect 3rd line centre.

Oglethorpe wrote:The most pressing issue is a solid 2nd pairing RH shot.  Asking Cowen/Weircioch to handle the 2nd pairing was stupid.  

Everytime SJ had a real good chance tonight it went in.  At some point you need your goalie to make a save, it's definitely Lehner time.

Somehow we wound up with 3 proven top 6 forwards in Ryan, Turris, Spezza and a 4th potentially in Zib.  Need to find another one soon somehow.

Agree with this although I'd put Mac as a proven top six. We need a righty Dman at some point soon.

Vrbata is a UFA and they may not be able to afford him. Not crazy to think he may be traded one day

NEELY wrote:Seriously, Detroit doesn't look a whole lot better, maybe worse.

I'd bet them making the playoffs over us right now.

Why? They have Dung depth, no D , and questionable g

Even with Michalek sucking we still have enough skill up front IMO. THere's just not enough chemistry right now because when Karlsson is not on the ice, the puck possession style dies on the D's sticks

So what DEFCON are we at, panic-wise?

DEFCON 3?

Oglethorpe wrote:The most pressing issue is a solid 2nd pairing RH shot.  Asking Cowen/Weircioch to handle the 2nd pairing was stupid.  

Everytime SJ had a real good chance tonight it went in.  At some point you need your goalie to make a save, it's definitely Lehner time.

Somehow we wound up with 3 proven top 6 forwards in Ryan, Turris, Spezza and a 4th potentially in Zib.  Need to find another one soon somehow.

MacArthur has been fine IMO and fit in well with a 2nd line that is producing more than the first.  You can't point to one thing in Ottawa right now and say "that's the problem", there are a few.

1.  A RH shot, 2nd pairing D man who can move the puck and is mobile.  IMO that could be Ceci or that could be a guy like Petry from Edmonton and I think that problem along with another that will be listed could be addressed via trade.

2.  A RH shot for Spezza on the top line that has some skill.  Again, could be fixed via trade with Edmonton in the right deal.  

3.  A 3rd line winger who can score 10-15 goals and be hell to play against.  This at one time was Neil but he's obviously missing a step and this can't be held against a guy who has played a decade of heart and soul hockey for the Sens.  This isn't such an easy fix because guys like that are not being given away, sadly the perfect player there might be Matt Cooke but he's been lights out for Minny at this point.

4. Secondary scoring... you are getting next to nothing from lines 3 and 4 right now and that has to change a little especially when your goalie lets in the first shot of the game 1/2 the time.  This is going to have to be addressed from within and it might take sending Pageau down and bringing up a guy like Prince to play the wing and float around the lineup.

5.  You goalie needs to stop the first shot of the game more than 50% of the time and honestly, you need to have a first period where they don't score a goal once in a while.  Without looking the only game I think the Sens escaped a 1st period without a goal against was in Buffalo.  This is a team problem to be sure but Anderson needs to make a damn save early to give the team a chance especially against the better teams like SJ and Ana.

Honestly, if you are looking for a big shake up at this point Edmonton is the answer.  I think it's a little too early to be doing that but a trade like this might solve it.

Anderson/Cowen/Michalek for Eberel/Petry/Dubnyk and a 3rd.  That would help the Sens become the puck possesion team they want, give Lehner the #1 job, make up for a 3rd rounder that was dealt (a little), and give the Sens a more mobile RH shot on the blueline, and helps Spezza in a big way.  No way do I think this happens but this is a trade I would make if it was available.

The salary here is also within 1/2 a mil.

tim1_2 wrote:So what DEFCON are we at, panic-wise?  

DEFCON 3?

What's the scale...? If it is a 1 to 10 thing I think they are at a 5 for sure. They lose to the Islanders Friday night and that will be an 8 or 9 pretty quickly.

Ev wrote:Vrbata just scores and shoots. We need some finish and he provides it.

Steve Ott would be a heck if a pick up.

We would be a better team with Fisher and Kelly still here.

Ott really would be a good pickup.

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:So what DEFCON are we at, panic-wise?  

DEFCON 3?

What's the scale...? If it is a 1 to 10 thing I think they are at a 5 for sure. They lose to the Islanders Friday night and that will be an 8 or 9 pretty quickly.

The DEFCON scale (1 to 5): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEFCON

DEFCON 1 is the highest alert level: "Nuclear war is imminent"