GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ New York Rangers 7:00pm Nov. 17th, 2008

504Heater wrote:

shabbs wrote:What was with the shoot out choices? Man... Ruutu? I would have liked to see Alfie in there, Zubov maybe even Winch. Vermette and Spezza have struggled... sigh... oh well.

Ruutu's one of the top shootout guys in the entire league. That was pretty much the only reason I was excited we got him at the time (I know now that's he's pretty darn good too).

I really had no idea. I've really never watched him until he became a Senator.

shabbs wrote:

504Heater wrote:

shabbs wrote:What was with the shoot out choices? Man... Ruutu? I would have liked to see Alfie in there, Zubov maybe even Winch. Vermette and Spezza have struggled... sigh... oh well.

Ruutu's one of the top shootout guys in the entire league. That was pretty much the only reason I was excited we got him at the time (I know now that's he's pretty darn good too).

I really had no idea. I've really never watched him until he became a Senator.

Ya man, hes solid. Shooting the puck after its over is just a bonus, that still makes me laugh.

shabbs wrote:
I really had no idea. I've really never watched him until he became a Senator.

Hahaha. That's so true for me too. I literally never paid attention to the guy - unless he happened to piss me off during a game and I'd yell at him. Never knew what he brought to the table, with the exception of the shootout thing. He burned us a few times with it. Boo (buy yay that he's on our awesome team).

PKC wrote:Bell looked great out there tonight. Made nice sharp passes out of the zone. Would have been nice to see something more on the powerplay, but I imagine he'll adjust.

Very, very encouraging. We still need a stud, puck-moving number one D-man (which I hear grow on trees) and we're in a much better position.

Auld is great. Really calming goalie to watch I find.

Ruutu is offically the funniest player to ever play on the Sens.

Ruutu remained on the ice after the game to speak with the officials.
“Somebody swung a stick from their bench and nearly hit me in the eye. I
don’t know who it was,” said Ruutu. “I wanted to make sure they knew about
it. I don’t think that’s allowed.”

Hahaha thats great.

Neely4Life wrote:Ruutu is offically the funniest player to ever play on the Sens.

Ruutu remained on the ice after the game to speak with the officials.
“Somebody swung a stick from their bench and nearly hit me in the eye. I
don’t know who it was,” said Ruutu. “I wanted to make sure they knew about
it. I don’t think that’s allowed.”

Hahaha thats great.

LOL. That`s pretty cool actually. He`s certainly the super-pest little prick that you hate if he`s not on your team.

504Heater wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Ruutu is offically the funniest player to ever play on the Sens.

Ruutu remained on the ice after the game to speak with the officials.
“Somebody swung a stick from their bench and nearly hit me in the eye. I
don’t know who it was,” said Ruutu. “I wanted to make sure they knew about
it. I don’t think that’s allowed.”

Hahaha thats great.

LOL. That`s pretty cool actually. He`s certainly the super-pest little prick that you hate if he`s not on your team.

Ive always loved him, haha. He will drop his gloves but also doesnt really throw cheap shots that injure, doesnt get personal on the ice, just a good pest with a sense of humour and some skill.

Even when he played the Sens when he was with Pitts, I still laughed at the things he did hahaha. Still do.

504Heater wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Ruutu is offically the funniest player to ever play on the Sens.

Ruutu remained on the ice after the game to speak with the officials.
“Somebody swung a stick from their bench and nearly hit me in the eye. I
don’t know who it was,” said Ruutu. “I wanted to make sure they knew about
it. I don’t think that’s allowed.”

Hahaha thats great.

LOL. That`s pretty cool actually. He`s certainly the super-pest little prick that you hate if he`s not on your team.

I LOVE that guy. Not in that way (not that there's anything wrong with that.)

dirtydirtynorth wrote:What in Buffalo was Heatley doing on that goal... just staying there not taking anyone not attempting to block the shot... at least Spezza appeared to be trying... You want to send a message, rip that A of his chest...

A little late with the answer, but to me it looked like 4 of the Sens players were trying to get open....too bad they were in the defensive zone at the time. I did not see a single one of them near an opposition player or trying to get near.

spezza rules! wrote:So who thinks that because they came close to winning the game tonight that Murray will hold off on any trades? I will be at the MTL game Thursday night so I am wondering if this almost win will rejuvenate the Sens or discourage them further.

Getting a loser point at this time, against the best in the East, not too bad. Especially considering that Fisher was injured for half the game. Baby steps.

Neely4Life wrote:I would say Alfredsson is the best player on the ice 90% of the time for both teams, and is by far and away the best player on the Sens...

Who cares if it was dirty, if that helps the team win on Sat because the Rangers want to get back at him and forget the game plan, then how was that not a great little thing to do. Obviously I would hate it, haha, but he is on our team, who cares.

Heatley never scores in the shootout, and Ruutu does, so what on earth makes you say Ruut shouldnt be there over a few guys. Results are results and facts are facts, Ruutu can get it done in the shootout.

Ruutu is 0-2 with the Sens, is he not? And it really was not a good shot selection. A goalie like Lundqvist you have to get him moving. Come out with afterburners then slow down just enough so he backs right into his goal, or come down hard and then across to spread his legs -- then you have the far side or pie-hole as options. Ruutu came in slow, down the middle. No change of speed, no deke, nothing. That leg lift, show forehand then switch to the backhand and in is his patented move and he didn't even do that. I'm wondering if all the pixie dust on Ruutu's shootouts has been brushed off. The good goalies know what he brings and are now prepared. You could guarantee that Lundqvist wouldn't know what to expect from Zubov. He already stopped Vermette earlier in the game.

Me, I'd love to see Heatley come down and pull a Malkin (remember how everyone was upset he did a slapper on the shootout? it went in, didn't it?)

Or Spezza actually trying *not* to do what the shooter before him failed to do.

Neely4Life wrote:Oh, Islanders gained a point on us haha. Thats actually a big point now haha.

Surely you are not suggesting that the Islanders will be fighting us for 8th? If we are 1 point behind the Isles after 82 then all we're getting is a better draft pick.

Neely4Life wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBMLaq1koaM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75fvrjyOPYI&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_aW41LuHis&feature=related

I also believe he scored on Smith in the shootout against Tampa this year.

He did, 1 for 1 before tonight for the Sens... so why dont you go with him?

He did? I thought the Sens were 0-1 (before last night) in shootouts this year, and I remember seeing Ruutu not score. What am I remembering then?

Neely4Life wrote:

shabbs wrote:HA! Sweet complication. Ahhh if only he'd pulled one of those moves...

He wasnt a bad choice, I mean if people want to comment they should know the history behind it a bit, I was not the least bit surprised when I saw him shoot second, I was expecting it.

I was, as well. What surprised me was the lack of effort.

504Heater wrote:

shabbs wrote:What was with the shoot out choices? Man... Ruutu? I would have liked to see Alfie in there, Zubov maybe even Winch. Vermette and Spezza have struggled... sigh... oh well.

Ruutu's one of the top shootout guys in the entire league. That was pretty much the only reason I was excited we got him at the time (I know now that's he's pretty darn good too).

True, he's 53.8% for his career (by comparison, Joikinen is 56.7%). But Pavelski at 73% is unreal (11 for 15). Sjostrom is 3 for 4, by the way.

And now, just to catch up with Tukker

I would have loved a win, but I think last night they came the closest to playing a full 60 minutes. I am beginning to wonder if their fitness levels are a bit low. I know they were missing Fisher, and both Zubov and Bell were not playing high-end minutes, but the Rangers increased their level of play as the game progressed, while the Sens slowed down.

Auld was very solid again. We have a goalie that gives us a chance to win. It's beginning to come around.

wprager wrote:And now, just to catch up with Tukker

I would have loved a win, but I think last night they came the closest to playing a full 60 minutes. I am beginning to wonder if their fitness levels are a bit low. I know they were missing Fisher, and both Zubov and Bell were not playing high-end minutes, but the Rangers increased their level of play as the game progressed, while the Sens slowed down.

Auld was very solid again. We have a goalie that gives us a chance to win. It's beginning to come around.

I was only able to catch the last period and I had a hard time noticing Zubov. What line was he on, and what # was he wearing? Bell on the other hand, I noticed. From what I saw he moved the puck out of his zone well, and got some shots on net from the point. Think he'll be sticking around?

PKC wrote:

504Heater wrote:

spezza rules! wrote:I thought Bell was excellent. Here is hoping that they keep him up for the rest of the week. But then send him back down to Bingo. I am heading down there this weekend to watch a couple of games and I want them to win.

I liked what I saw of him (listened to the first two periods).

Bell looked great out there tonight. Made nice sharp passes out of the zone. Would have been nice to see something more on the powerplay, but I imagine he'll adjust.

if this doesn't put a big neon sign on the need for a PMD, I don't know what does....