GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Colorado Avalanche | 9:30pm ET | Wed. Jan. 8th, 2014

Michalek had no idea what to do out there 4 on 4. MacLean always puts guys who are struggling in a position to break out or get some confidence going but sometimes it backfires, last night it backfired. Just no way they resign Michalek after this year and he's just going to play out the string so hopefully they can get the last bit of NHL hockey he has left in him.

Also, another nice game from Kassian... guy is playing a somewhat regular shift and not hurting the team which you have to be happy with.

Pageaus NHL days are numbered for now. I doubt they send stone back at this point.

They might be once Neil gets back into the lineup but I think it would be more Michalek's days being numbered to be honest. They probably ride it out with him until the end of the year but Pageau is 21 and has shown a ton at the NHL level even if it isn't consistently. Hardly a make or break year for him considering guys like Regin, Da Costa, and a handful of others had 1/2 a decade to prove their worth.

NEELY wrote:Also, another nice game from Kassian... guy is playing a somewhat regular shift and not hurting the team which you have to be happy with.

He played 9 mins last night which must be a season-high for him. I've said for a long time now that he's capable of playing more than 3 to 4 minutes a night, and now he's being given the opportunity and proving it.

Yup. He keeps the other team honest, his skating has improved from where it was around this time last year, seems to understand the system, doesn't hurt the team. Is he a plug? For sure but it's a guy you need on and off the ice and every successful team has one. Sometimes it's good to have a guy that's just happy to have a job, be in the NHL, and will do whatever is asked and never say a word about it, good or bad. 6th round pick very well spent.

NEELY wrote:Don't think Stone is going anywhere at this point.  He's looked as good as you can expect the last 2 games and he has chemistry with Spezza which God knows isn't exactly easy to find.  

  

Funny as it is, doesn't make it any less true.

Kassian played 9 minutes because a mile above sea level PMac couldn't double shift Greening. Could have used Neil last night. Not sure why Kassian was out there for several shifts with Bordeleau and no fireworks. Certainly looked like Roy was trying to set it up. Sens are 5-0 when he fights.

NEELY wrote:They might be once Neil gets back into the lineup but I think it would be more Michalek's days being numbered to be honest.  They probably ride it out with him until the end of the year but Pageau is 21 and has shown a ton at the NHL level even if it isn't consistently.  Hardly a make or break year for him considering guys like Regin, Da Costa, and a handful of others had 1/2 a decade to prove their worth.

I don't mean he'd be out of the NHL for good, but hell be the odd man out.

I have nothing but good things to say about Kassian. I'm very pleased with the way he plays and the way he controls himself for the most part. No issues with him playing 7-8 minutes a night - or slightly more if needed.

wprager wrote:Kassian played 9 minutes because a mile above sea level PMac couldn't double shift Greening.  Could have used Neil last night.  Not sure why Kassian was out there for several shifts with Bordeleau and no fireworks.  Certainly looked like Roy was trying to set it up.  Sens are 5-0 when he fights.

Kassian played 9 minutes because he's a player that the coach trusts and keeps the opposing team honest.

Did Kassian try to get Bordeleau to go?

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LeKing wrote:Frustrating now, doesn't matter if we make the playoffs.
One month ago, we were 8 pts out, now we're 1. Toronto is playing like Dung and they're sending their 2 best forwards to Russia in a month.

Problem is it's not just Toronto we're battling now. The metropolitan has improved and it's looking more and more like it'll be a 4-4 split for the playoffs. That means we're not battling Washington, Carolina, NYR, Detroit, Toronto, NJ for the final two spots.

If you look at the wildcard race right now, we control our own fate. None of the other teams are much better than they've shown, and it a couple cases (Toronto), they are going to remove themselves from the race.

If we keep playing like we are now, we'll make the playoffs. We won't win every game (example: last night), but we'll get enough points over the course of the remaining games.

If we get back in a funk like most of the first half and also get medicore goaltending, we won't make the playoffs, and we don't deserve to make the playoffs, and even if we make the playoffs, we're not going anywhere.

Sens play like they have been and they will make the playoffs. Fact is the heavy part of their schedule is over, the Olympic break will be huge for them, and they seem to be clicking. If they miss it won't be by much and that 1st rounder they have up won't be top 10. I'll take games that mean something all the way through at this point and it seems like that's the case.

I'm sure I'm not the only one slightly concerned by Stone's defensive positioning/awareness.