GDT: Sens @ Islanders, Tuesday Dec 2nd, 7:00pm (TSN5, RDS)

tim1_2 wrote:Hilarious that earlier this season I said that nothing has really changed with the team except the goaltending was better, and that we're a borderline playoff team.  I was shouted down as being negative, etc, and now look at what this thread is full of.  The sky is falling apparently.

Well *I* was suggesting way back before the last Ice Age finished that just moving Spezza and expecting addition by subtraction and everyone pulling in the same direction was foolhardy.

I think another GM coming in is exactly what the organization will eventually need. You obviously don't fire Murray or even force him into another role but there needs to be someone without the loyalty factor here.

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:Hilarious that earlier this season I said that nothing has really changed with the team except the goaltending was better, and that we're a borderline playoff team.  I was shouted down as being negative, etc, and now look at what this thread is full of.  The sky is falling apparently.

There game has completely changed (as Prager said shots have even decreased) from this time 2, 3 weeks ago. The scoring chances are way up, kid line as slowed (as well all knew it would) but the vets are dragging the team down at this point and they can't keep up with other teams who are fast and hard on the forecheck.

The team right now is playing the same way it did last year but there is still a ton to be positive about overall but the team itself is going to struggle hard until some of the dead weight is once again moved.

"There game has completely changed"...what? They are allowing less than one shot less per game...nothing has changed dramatically, except the results now reflecting more clearly what has transpired on the ice.

The idea that things have completely changed on the ice is laughable.

Suggesting that Chris Neil is part of the problem is laughable when you have underperforming players: Turris, Ryan, ZBad, Michalek, Smith, Greening (not to mention the D).

Chris Neil performs his role perfectly and has been maybe our most consistent player. He is a + player and has more points than ZBad despite far less ice time.

People who harp on Neil are clueless. Yeah, maybe he gets more ice time than he should on a talented team, but who exactly on the Sens has been earning their ice time more than Neil? Maybe the kid line?

tim1_2 wrote:Suggesting that Chris Neil is part of the problem is laughable when you have underperforming players: Turris, Ryan, ZBad, Michalek, Smith, Greening (not to mention the D).

Chris Neil performs his role perfectly and has been maybe our most consistent player.  He is a + player and has more points than ZBad despite far less ice time.

People who harp on Neil are clueless.  Yeah, maybe he gets more ice time than he should on a talented team, but who exactly on the Sens has been earning their ice time more than Neil?  Maybe the kid line?

Same amount of goals as Karl Turris.

Neil has the least amount of TOI per game of ANYONE on the WHOLE team and gives you more than most. Not sure how that doesn't sink in.

If Zibanejad and Ryan played like they were supposed to the team would look a hell of a lot different.

tim1_2 wrote:

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:Hilarious that earlier this season I said that nothing has really changed with the team except the goaltending was better, and that we're a borderline playoff team.  I was shouted down as being negative, etc, and now look at what this thread is full of.  The sky is falling apparently.

There game has completely changed (as Prager said shots have even decreased) from this time 2, 3 weeks ago.  The scoring chances are way up, kid line as slowed (as well all knew it would) but the vets are dragging the team down at this point and they can't keep up with other teams who are fast and hard on the forecheck.

The team right now is playing the same way it did last year but there is still a ton to be positive about overall but the team itself is going to struggle hard until some of the dead weight is once again moved.

"There game has completely changed"...what?  They are allowing less than one shot less per game...nothing has changed dramatically, except the results now reflecting more clearly what has transpired on the ice.  

The idea that things have completely changed on the ice is laughable.

The scoring chances are way up, the vets (I keep harping on this part of things) have struggled to keep up with play which is a huge part of their game (speed), and it's catching up now. The shots allowed are not the issue, the scoring chances are. The have had huge lapses in their own zone for long lengths of time which they didn't to start the year, and they are not getting in on the forecheck and forcing teams to turn the puck over. Those are huge changes in the overall game from 2, 3 weeks ago.

tim1_2 wrote:Suggesting that Chris Neil is part of the problem is laughable when you have underperforming players: Turris, Ryan, ZBad, Michalek, Smith, Greening (not to mention the D).

Chris Neil performs his role perfectly and has been maybe our most consistent player.  He is a + player and has more points than ZBad despite far less ice time.

People who harp on Neil are clueless.  Yeah, maybe he gets more ice time than he should on a talented team, but who exactly on the Sens has been earning their ice time more than Neil?  Maybe the kid line?

Neil is a 4th line guy and he might be a guy the Sens will need to part with just for the simple fact they need to form a completely new identity from anything that is considered past success and that means Neil and Phillips.

That being said Neil has been solid most of the year despite some early season struggles.

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:Hilarious that earlier this season I said that nothing has really changed with the team except the goaltending was better, and that we're a borderline playoff team.  I was shouted down as being negative, etc, and now look at what this thread is full of.  The sky is falling apparently.

There game has completely changed (as Prager said shots have even decreased) from this time 2, 3 weeks ago.  The scoring chances are way up, kid line as slowed (as well all knew it would) but the vets are dragging the team down at this point and they can't keep up with other teams who are fast and hard on the forecheck.

The team right now is playing the same way it did last year but there is still a ton to be positive about overall but the team itself is going to struggle hard until some of the dead weight is once again moved.

"There game has completely changed"...what?  They are allowing less than one shot less per game...nothing has changed dramatically, except the results now reflecting more clearly what has transpired on the ice.  

The idea that things have completely changed on the ice is laughable.

The scoring chances are way up, the vets (I keep harping on this part of things) have struggled to keep up with play which is a huge part of their game (speed), and it's catching up now.  The shots allowed are not the issue, the scoring chances are.  The have had huge lapses in their own zone for long lengths of time which they didn't to start the year, and they are not getting in on the forecheck and forcing teams to turn the puck over.  Those are huge changes in the overall game from 2, 3 weeks ago.

Agree with this. FIrst 10 games there were a lot of shots against but I don't remember the goalies having that many high scoring chances against compared to the last few games.

I don't remember the running around in the zone like they are now and that obviously leads to the chances you are talking about as well. The compete level is still there from the younger guys trying to make their way, Boroweicki, Gryba have both been warriors and a perfect 3rd pairing but they need help. Cowen and Ceci have been an excellent 2nd pairing the last little bit as well IMO. The top pairing Karlsson is stuck there with either a guy who can't handle the puck or a guy who can't handle a forecheck, that's the issue there and Karlsson is playing 30 mins a night so he needs some help.

The forwards have been the biggest disappointment thus far and even then I haven't had a huge issue with Ryan or Zibanejad for the most part, some games where you are like "wtf" but I get what's going on there.

They need more talent on the wings, simple as that. Ryan and MacArthur are nice, Hoffman and Stone are trying to find their way but after that you are struggling to find someone who has some speed. Chaisson might work eventually as well but they need 1 more guy on the wing who can get you 25-30 goals and has some pedigree behind him. J.Williams in LA seems like an obvious target to me but he's probably not going anywhere.

SpezDispensed wrote:

spader wrote:

Who's talking about an outside GM? Source?

Can't recall.  It was somewhere in these threads.  Might have been 6th Sens spitballing, might have been someone else.  I think it was in the Melnyk interview, which would stand to reason that it was the 6th Sens spitballing.

Yes, it was the Melnyk interview.

This is such a big game for the Sens season... they need a win and it doesn't matter how. They don't get the W tonight I think you really see the spiral out of control.

Good first couple of shifts there.

Hoffman is a way better hockey player than I ever thought he was. That shot is one of the best in the world, never seen anyone wearing a Sens jersey with a shot like that.

Yeah it was in the net before I even saw it fired. Plus he can keep the puck for a while

It's the Craig Anderson show (again).

Sens are for sure giving up too many chances in close.

On a more positive note Borowiecki looks great with Karlsson, way better than Phillips.

Best line was the Neil line....again.