GAME DAY #29: Senators @ Lightning - 7:30pm - Thursday Dec. 10 2015

The top line wasn't clicking, Hoffman wasn't getting loose, the team was down a goal, so Cameron juggled the lines, putting Hoffman on the third line with Pageau and Chiasson in the third period. Away from the Panthers' top checkers Hoffman quickly found a shooting lane and slapped home the winner. Twitter exploded because he didn't so much as smile after the goal, and because Cameron used a bottom-pairing defenseman to replace the team's leading goal scorer over the last two seasons on that top line. Let's not forget that the Sens are the league's worst defensive team (34 shots on goal per game) and Borowiecki plays on the bottom pairing on this league-worst defense. Pageau then added his league-leading 4th short-handed goal into an empty net and the Sens left Sunrise with 2 points and another ROW under their belt. Meanwhile Luongo had some obscure 7th all time in games played thing to drown his sorrows. That's just sad.

After the game Cameron reminded the haters that this job will be available, again, at some point in time, and they should just go ahead and apply.

With this win the Sens briefly enjoyed some time in 2nd, until Detroit's loser point pushed them back into third (tied on points but 2 ROWs shy). Last night's loss by the Habs means the Sens are 6 back of first with a game in hand. There's still time.

The Lightning come into this game struggling. They currently sit 11th in the Conference, 6 points back of a wildcard spot with 3 teams ahead of them. On the other hand they are 6 points back of the Sens for 3rd in the Atlantic and, as I said earlier, there's still time. Ondrej Palat, who has missed the last 12 games with an ankle injury could return tonight, reuniting the "Triplet" line. Condra, of course, is still out.

Anderson is expected to start his 13th straight. He's 7-3-2 with a .926 SV% over the last 12 starts. I believe his longest string of starts was 18 in a row.

GO SENS GO!!!

Let's beat them Lightnings.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Let's beat them Lightnings.

Any team that doesn't have the customary 's' at the end of their names deserves derision and a home ice loss. Lightning. Pfft. As if. That's a soccer club name.

Former Ottawa winger Erik Condra, who was looking forward to facing his former team, wasn't in the lineup and is out for at least a week with a lower body injury. After signing here as a UFA in the off-season, Condra planned to have dinner with some of his ex-teammates Wednesday night and Cooper jokingly hoped it was going to be a late night. "Left a little note on his stall to make sure he was with the (Sens) tonight as long as he possibly could. Send me the receipt," said Cooper

Stick to what you know best, Jon. Cooperalls!

SeawaySensFan wrote:Let's beat them Lightnings.

As Hank would say City Ottawa will beat them tonight!

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Let's beat them Lightnings.

As Hank would say City Ottawa will beat them tonight!

Are you dissing Mr. Burris?

Since Stamkos will be a future maple leaf, let's give him a taste of what he can expect. Karlsson needs to darcy tucker his arse

wprager wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Let's beat them Lightnings.

Any team that doesn't have the customary 's' at the end of their names deserves derision and a home ice loss.  Lightning.  Pfft. As if.  That's a soccer club name.

Or lacrosse. I can get behind this post. +1

Must be the effect from such a weird start of the season but i go into most games thinking we're gonna lose it.
Especially that this team is probably underperforming and could potentially wake up at any time.
Prove me wrong!

I think that second statement applies equally to the Sens. We are still waiting for a few players to wake up and smell the coffee (Zibanejad, Lazar, Cowen, Wiercioch, Michalek and even, to a lesser extent, Pageau and Ceci).

It's the shots per game that's very troubling. I hope we can win getting out shot all the time.

SpezDispensed wrote:It's the shots per game that's very troubling.  I hope we can win getting  out shot all the time.

Cowen is +11. The SV% of our goalies while he is on the ice is .956. Maybe he's not great at completely preventing the shots but he does enough to force the shooter into a bad shooting position? Or maybe the goalies just like Jared. A lot.

Bottom line, while it is troubling that they are getting outshot all the time you need to also look at shot quality. Is the opposition shooting because we let them, knowing that Andy will stop it so long as there is no screen (and it's not a perfect shot, 12" off the ice, just inside the post)? Are we picky with our own shots and that is why our own shot count is low?

That said, without looking at stats I see too many times when we seem to be giving up too many really good scoring chances.

There is definitely a question of sustainability where sens haven't been able to show they can play the complete game that's required to be an elite team. I also hope their defensive game improves. Shots against will catch up eventually. Too many giveaways will do that

wprager wrote:I think that second statement applies equally to the Sens. We are still waiting for a few players to wake up and smell the coffee (Zibanejad, Lazar, Cowen, Wiercioch, Michalek and even, to a lesser extent, Pageau and Ceci).  

I'm pretty happy with JGP. He's on pace for ~20 goals and he currently leads the league in shorties. He's doing just fine.

Let's electrify these dolts. See what I did there?