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

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.

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

Early days man... early days.

Stone is great defensively

Ev wrote:Stone is great defensively

Yeah, I wouldn't say that. As Shabbs said, it's early though so there's a lot of time and room to improve.

Stone's fine, lol.  Jesus, guy has played 7 games in the NHL and people are talking about him being defensively aware playing 10 mins a night. That's like worrying about Boroweicki's offense.

NEELY wrote:Stone's fine, lol.  Jesus, guy has played 7 games in the NHL and people are talking about him being defensively aware playing 10 mins a night.  That's like worrying about Boroweicki's offense.

you have to love what he's doing. he's really going with the chance he's been given. much different then our little man Hoffman.
making a case to stay up here and have pageau going back down and getting some big minutes.

Yah, they will be hard pressed to take Stone out of the lineup from here on out. I thought differently 2 weeks ago but he seems ready.

Doesn't matter how early into his career it is, he stands around in the defensive zone a lot - and that needs to be addressed I would imagine, but I'm a fan of his play obviously. Who wouldn't be?

Yaaaaah, Stone being defensively aware as the 3rd line winger at this point isn't a huge concern at all and it may never be.

NEELY wrote:Yah, they will be hard pressed to take Stone out of the lineup from here on out.  I thought differently 2 weeks ago but he seems ready.  

He probably just needed the young Spezzer to get him going.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:Yah, they will be hard pressed to take Stone out of the lineup from here on out.  I thought differently 2 weeks ago but he seems ready.  

He probably just needed the young Spezzer to get him going.

The young Spezzer greatly contributed on his first 2 pts that's for sure