Team Senators

Never give up, never surrender

Zamboni — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:06:00 GMT

I was wondering how the Senators would manage it. I watched then skate around the ice, seemingly in slow-motion against a "fast forward" Thrashers team. When the Thrashers regained a two-goal lead for the second time, I must admit I had given up.

But then, the Thrashers committed the ultimate sin, they tried to sit on that two goal lead, and the Senators seemed to come out of their torpor. The pressure the Senators applied was intense, and it was inevitable that something would go in sooner or later. There's a few names that bear mentioning. Prime among these is Marek Svatos. I told my son at a recent game that once Svatos starts scoring, watch out. Svatos has been plagued by injury, but is recovering his form and has the potential to contribute 20-30 goals a season.

Erik Condra continued to impress. For a guy who was picked in the very last round of the 2006 draft (211th), he sure knows how to position himself on the ice. A smart, smart player who managed to find the back of the net on an amazing solo effort by Jason Spezza. I mean wow! That was vintage Spezza right there. Take a look at it, it's worth seeing over and over.

Chris Neil is another who deserves a mention. He had been off the score sheet for so long that it left me to wonder whether he would ever score again. Boy, is he making up lost ground. Lesson learned: crash the net and shoot, and it will go in eventually. Let's mention Patrick Wiercoch's first NHL point here, although Wiercoch has not impressed me as much as I thought he would. He needs more seasoning, and it's a good thing the Sens are out of the playoffs: he's not ready.

Of course, I need to mention the work of Craig "Neo" Anderson. He let in four goals, granted, but the D was porous in front of him and he was peppered with 47 shots. Cut the man some slack, he was awesome.

Neo's numbers

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
14	8	4	1	2	27	463	.942	1.99

GO SENS GO!!

Emotional roller-coaster

Zamboni — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:07:00 GMT

For the Senators fan, it's an emotional roller coaster. The Sens are playing some tight checking hockey, preventing the 3rd overall Washington Caps from scoring a single goal.

Neo Anderson is spectacular, being the last line of defense, and providing the goaltending the Senators have been needing for so long. The Senators defense, while not perfect, is tight and wins more battles than it loses. The offense is more structured, with each line having its speciality attack method. I love the way the play is developing. The new kids are contributing big time. Erik Condra and Colin Greening got the only goals last night, with some help from other newbie Bobby Butler. A special mention for Milan Michalek who ooked great on his first game back and picked up an assist.

On the downside, the Buffalo winlast night means the Senators are mathematically out of the playoffs. It was not unexpected, but to think that Ottawa hockey will end in a bare two weeks is disheartening. On the upside, the Senators are by the same token guaranteed a spot in the draft lottery. Overall, it bodes well for the next season, but a lot can happen over the summer. But first, let's finish this season in style.

On to the Thrashers.

Neo's numbers

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
13	8	4	0	2	23	416	.945	1.84

GO SENS GO!!

Rebound

Zamboni — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:28:00 GMT

It was great seeing the Senators rebound after the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. I have to admit two things: the Canes game pissed me off for a few reason, and the Rangers game was pretty boring.

Let's start with the first. It was scary to see a bad goal scored against Curtis McElhinney, because it was a reminder of things we thought past: easy goals against a slew of goalies from Patrick Lalime all the way to Brian Elliott. That first goal put some wind in the Canes sails and they never looked back. I was incensed at the refereeing in the latter part of the third period where Carolina got away with no less than three infractions in a few minutes. Had all three of these been caught, the results may have been totally different.

There, that's out. I'd been stewing on that since Tuesday.

Now the boring Rangers game. That game is what Cory Clouston would call a near perfect game. When the Sens play the Clouston system, the defense is tight and and the offense waits for opportunities. The Senators played exactly that for most of the game. That is until the Rangers pushed hard in the third, and then it was Neo Anderson to the rescue once again. Damn, but he's sharp. And the Sens D got kudos from Neo himself for clearing any garbage he left behind.

Exciting was the shoot-out. With some good goaltending, it's now fun to watch a Sens shoot-out. When Neo faces Henrik Lunqvist, well... Kudos to Erik Karlsson for a lovely game winning shot. Also much kudos to Ryan Shannon who has been very impressive of late. He's UFA at the end of the season and we could do worse than to keep him. More hats off to Filip Kuba who put some serious offensive together, and Colin Greening for reminding everyone that a shot on goal is always a good option.

Neo's numbers

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
12	7	4	0	1	23	385	.940	2.00

GO SENS GO!!

"Neo" Anderson signs

Zamboni — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:50:00 GMT

Done deal!! And a good one at that from the start we saw with Craig "Neo" Anderson. Neo signed a four-year $12.75 million deal. While this sounds like a lot of dough ($3.2 million a year), it's a lot less than what we were paying for Pascal Leclaire.

Another good thing that Anderson has shown is that he can be a leader on the ice, something the Senators have sorely needed over the season. Jason Spezza is showing his leadership now, as are Chris Neil who called out some players this season, and naturally Daniel Alfredsson who leads by example. A few more of these on the team won't hurt.

Anderson hasn't been between the pipes in a while but is likely to see some action on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Here's a recap of his jumbers with the Senators so far.

Neo's numbers

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
10	6	3	0	1	17	314	.946	1.81

GO SENS GO!!

Yes we can!

Zamboni — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 23:53:00 GMT

I almost put a Bob the Builder graphic below, but I resisted the urge. Partially because I've done it before...

But it was nice to see the boys battle back from a two-goal deficit, especially since it hasn't happened too often this season. But it's different now, with the Senators winning two out of every three games. They were able to battle back with some tremendous efforts from some new key players. Ryan Shannon was the first with a great move on Dwayne Roloson, and an extra fist pump to the referee while on his back on the ice. Classic!

Then there was Nick Foligno who was able to pick up a "garbage-type" goal because he was crashing the net. It was also helped by the fact that Zack Smith actually threw the puck at the net. I said it once and I'll say it again and again: put the puck on the net, and good things will happen. Curtis McElhinney also gave a stand-up performance all around, as well as Erik Karlsson who was arguably the best offensive player on the ice.

Of course, muchos kudos to Jason Spezza for the game winner. Spezza has been impressing the pants off of me of late. Anyone who was worried about his character and decication need only see how happy the whole team was on the game winning goal. Karlsson actually jumped in Spezza's arms. It was as if they'd won the Divison finals or something.

I love watching the Senators play these days, and most of the fans can't get enough either.

GO SENS GO!!

Foreshadowing

Zamboni — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:32:00 GMT

Foreshadowing: the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later.

Roll back to September 28 and one of the first television interviews with Bryan Murray on the eve of the start of the season. Asked whether the Senators were Stanley Cup contenders, Murray would only commit to "trying to get the team to the playoffs in a comfortable position". He defined the team that he had as a "good building project with good veterans".

Let's face it: Murray knew. Even back then, Murray knew that making the playoffs would be difficult with what he had. I'm unsure of why that is, I'm unsure of what he saw, but he knew. Perhaps it was the coaching, perhaps the fact that the players weren't buying into the system, I don't know, and perhaps none of us outisde the Sens organization ever will.

I stand by my earlier statement this year that Murray wanted to shuffle the team a lot earlier, but was probably overruled by the "dollars and cents" people who wanted to put spectator butts in the seats by keeping a well-known formation together. It took the worst season of the century, and a hue and cry from the fans for the back office boys to finally realize that Murray needed carte blanche to clean house and turn the Sens back into a winning team. And he has. Since the trade deadline, the Sens are a .667 team. No way is it good enough to get to the playoffs this year, but a consistent record like that over a whole season...

The Senators obtaining the NHL All-Star game was a likely turning point. So was pressure from the press. One gave the sales people the opportunity to renew season tickets with promise of access to the All-Star game, the other promised low attendances if the team didn't start winning at any cost.

I don't blame Murray for the woes suffered by the Sens. I still believe he was told to prop up a popular formation with the fans with whatever signing he could get away with. That way lie the signings of Pascal Leclaire, Alex Kovalev and Sergei Gonchar. Two of three are gone, and Gonchar will has two more seasons to find a niche.

I rather like to look at what he has done at the draft and with scouting, which can be evaluate with the new arrivals on the Senators team, as well as in Binghamton. The B-Sens were a redoutable force in the AHL until Murray started to pull the trigger on some trades. Since then, the B-Sens roster has been a merry-go-round of call-ups which has bolstered Ottawa but sunk Binghamton. Murray understands that talent needs to be developed and not bought (unlike John Muckler). On that side, Murray has been stellar.

It takes five years for a General Manager to leave his mark on a team and for his vision to be realized through trades, acquisitions and drafts. That means he has one more year for us to see what team Murray really had in mind when he came on board. I say let's give him the shot and wait one more year.

GO SENS GO!!

Spoilers

Zamboni — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:02:00 GMT

It seems the Ottawa Senators have the New Jersey Devils' number. It's the second time in nine days that the Sens take on the red hot Devils, and hand them a defeat.

The 3-1 defeat last night hurt a lot for the Devils. If they don't make the playoffs, they'll likely look back at those two games as the defining moment where they lost their bid. The Devils had an opportunity to overtake Toronto which was plastered 4-0 by the Panthers. It was a must win for the Devils to gain grounds against the teams ahead of them in the playoffs standings.

But the Sens would have none of it, and are playing like their own playoff bid is in danger. It's surprising that with the constant rotation of players from Bingo, the team still manages to find ways of performing. Of course, the resurgence of Jason Spezza has something to do with it. Spezz has been taking key face-offs and winning them, and has become an amazing two-way player, setting up goals and making great defensive plays.

There's also the fact that the Sens got two goals from Chris Neil... I know it sounds impossible. Neil rarely scores. That's not his role on the team. But last night was one of those golden nights. I also absolutely love the play of Ryan Shannon of late. For a smaller guy, he sure is feisty, and the way he plays offensively is inspiring. Erik Condra is another that is impressive, and I like his play alongside Marek Svatos. They seem to have a synergy together and I hope Cory Clouston keeps putting them together. Svatos is due soon, I can feel the dam ready to burst. He's had some good opportunities to score against Martin Brodeur and could'nt bury them. When the dam breaks, watch out.

I also have to underscore the play of Curtis McElhinney who was golden between the pipes. Both he and "Neo" Anderson give the Sens a chance every night by making the saves that count.

GO SENS GO!!

It couldn't last

Zamboni — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:48:00 GMT

After a very successful road trip, it was sort of expected that the Senators would falter somehwere. It's too bad that it had to be against the Buffalo Sabres, a team which the Senators have manhandled in years past.

It wasn't for lack of trying. Four goals is usually enough to secure the W for the defensively minded Senators. It's just that the defense looked very porous against the Sabres. The Sens still looked tired and lacked that "oomph" that served them so well. The shutdown pair of Brian Lee and Chris Phillips weren't up to snuff and were both -3 on the game. But the Senators were on their heels for most of the second half of the game.

The Sabres also made "Neo" Anderson look all too human on a few goals, although two of the Buffalo goals seemed laser guided. Tyler Ennis was first with a wrist shot that beat Anderson over the left shoulder. Ennis had maybe 6" square to shoot in. Then Nathan Gerbe wired in a slap shot to the top right corner of the net that was eerie as it was so reminescent of the types of goals scored by Richard Martin who had passed away a little earlier in the day.

A key player once again, Jason Spezza continues to impress the hell out of me with his play. He once again successfully banked a shot from behind the net for a goal, a trick he pulls all too often on Buffalo and on Pittsburgh.Spezz was also part of all the Sens scoring, netting two goals and assisting on Erik Karlsson's and Colin Greening's goals.

The Sens finally come back home to face the Penguins on Tuesday.

Neo's numbers

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
10	6	3	0	1	17	314	.946	1.81

GO SENS GO!!

The great debate

Zamboni — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:27:00 GMT

There's a strange debate happening out there. As the Sens win more and more games, there's a group of pundits who say the Senators are missing out on a great opportunity to have the first pick at the NHL entry draft next June.

It's a moot point for a few reasons. The first is the importance we place on the first round pick. For every John Tavares or Sidney Crosby, there's a Patrick Stefan or an Alexandre Daigle out there. First round draft pick doesn't guarantee anything. On the opposite end of the scale, there's the Daniel Alfredssons of the world who get drafted 133rd, or the Martin St-Louis who doesn't get drafted at all. Those are two players who turned out great nevertheless.

You also can't ask the players to throw games for the sake of the first round draft. The Senators are rebuilding their organization, and cashing in on the excitement of the newcomers. That excitement is translating into energy and commitment on the part of all the players. Asking the Senators to throw games is asking for too much.

Finally, there's the pride of accomplishment. What the Senators are accumulating right now in confidence will pay off in a team that will gel together more and moreover the rest of the season and the next. You can't buy that kind of chemistry, and a first round NHL draft pick is not worth the loss of that chemistry.

Besides, let's have a little faith in Bryan Murray (should he stay on board as I hope he does). He's loading up on draft picks and maybe, just maybe he can parlay those into a top pick in the first round of the draft.

GO SENS GO!!

Hell for the Lightning

Zamboni — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 01:36:00 GMT

Where was this team all season?? It wasn't in Ottawa that's for sure. The Senators are finally gelling and showing us some great and promising stuff.

Mind you, it's a good thing the Senators got 'er done in the first two periods. They were seriously out of steam in the third period. With all the penalties they had to kill, you could see them slowing down minute by minute. The game was over not a second too soon.

Nevertheless, it was a brilliant victory for the Sens. The Lightning are serious contenders for the post-season, currently sitting in 8th place overall. The 29th place Sens showed them that they are ready and primed for next year.

For the most part, the Senators kept it simple and that's what's been working for them. Jason Spezza got rewarded when he and Ryan Shannon crashed the net. Erik Karlsson got the helper by doing what he does best: putting a hard one on net. Of course, the goal by Bobby Butler was much prettier. The passes forced the Lightning defense to move laterally, and allowed Butler to sneak in behind. Butler sure has a great scoring touch, Dwayne Roloson never stood a chance.

Speaking of goalies, how about that Curtis McElhinney? A very good performance. He doesn't look as solid and composed as Neo Anderson in net, but damn if he didn't get the job done. I also love his mask (photo) which is a leftover from his Calgary Flames days showing his take on Dante's inferno. He truly was hell for the Lightning. Very cool stuff.

Stuff started going South in the third on a simple play by Jesse Winchester. He tried to do too much with a 2-on-1 break, and instead of shooting the puck - the simple play - he tried to feed a charging Shannon. This caused a turnover and a charge the other way, whcih drew two penalties and the rest is history. The KISS principle still applies: if you have an easy shot and a tough pass, go for the shot.

The Senators took a day off in Buffalo and it's a good thing. They sure need the rest. They are facing the Sabres tomorrow, and the Sabres are likely to come out craging (no pun intended) in a bid to protect their precarious position in the standings.

GO SENS GO!!

Battle of the UFAs

Zamboni — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:07:00 GMT

It didn't look like it would be an impressive match-up. After all, the 29th place Ottawa were facing the 26th place Panthers. But it soon became a battle of goaltenders: former teammates, both UFAs at the end of the season.

That "Neo" Anderson came out on top is no surprise for the Sens fans. He has been exceptional since arriving in Ottawa. If I hadn't jumped on the Neo nickname early on, one of Anderson's comments to the effect that he could fix any problem betweene the pipes would have earned him the moniker of The Plumber. But in the end, both Anderson and Tomas Vokoun have cemented their desirability at the end of the season.

Kudos to Erik Karlsson for scoring both Ottawa goals. While Karlsson is kinda spotty on defense and gets beaten way too often there (as proven by his dismal +/- numbers), his skills on the offense are undeniable. He has also learned to put the puck on the net and keep it simple. Good things happen when you put the puck on the net.

Kudos also to the penalty killers who had to kill an undeserved five-minute major awarded to Francis Lessard for charging. The charge was the that Lessard came off his feet for his check on Scott Timmins. Bulls**t! That was a good check. I think the powers that be are a little sensitive to the hard checking after the injury suffered by Max Pacioretty at the hands of Zdeno Chara. All bitching aside, the Sens penalty kill squad has successfully killed all penalties since the arrival of Neo Anderson between the pipes.

Another I want to point out is Ryan Shannon who's been really good of late, but never better than last night. Offensively and defensively, he was a presence on the ice. Finally, hats off to Sergei Gonchar for his 500th NHL assist.

On to Tampa Bay.

Neo's numbers

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
9	6	3	0	1	13	297	.956	1.44

GO SENS GO!!

Since they've been gone

Zamboni — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:13:00 GMT

It's already a month since Mike Fisher was traded to Nashville, and 10 days after the trade deadline. What's been happening with the Senators alumni? Who's the best of the "ex-Sens"?

Believe it or not, it's not Fisher. Nor Chris Kelly or Alex Kovalev. It's Chris Campoli. Campoli has really come into his own with the Hawks and already has 2 points in just five games. For a D-man, those are really respectable numbers, and nearly twice as good as what he did with Ottawa. You could see it in his play near the end of his stay in Ottawa. Campoli was primo trade bait and had a huge "take me" sign painted on him.

What of the others? Except for Jarkko Ruutu, their performances have all slipped. Ruutu has improved marginally, going from an average 0.20 points per game in Ottawa to 0.25 points per game in Anaheim. Fish has dropped from 0.44 to 0.33 points, Kelly has gone from 0.40 to 0.25, and Kovalev has dropped like a stone: from 0.50 to 0.16. Strange how Kovie still managed to get a half-point a game in Ottawa, even though we felt he didn't perform for us.

And Brian Elliott? Well Elliott is Elliott. His numbers haven't changed much, nor has his win-loss ratio. He's likely another ex-Sens goaltender who is due for the woodpile behind the shed.

Meanwhile the acquisitions the Senators made have not panned out all that great, except of course for Craig "Neo" Anderson, who has been superhuman. We're still waiting for something out of Marek Svatos although he does try hard. It would be nice for his to recover his scoring touch after all the injuries he has suffered. This is likely his last crack at reviving his career. As for Ryan Potulny, he has not yet made an impact, but to be fair, he hasn't had much ice time.

In the end, it really doesn't matter. The new talent from Binghamton has really ramped the game up a notch and it's once again great fun to watch the Senators.

GO SENS GO!!

Snake bite

Zamboni — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:12:00 GMT

Why "Snake bite?" Well, it's all about Erik Condra. He's been nicknamed "King Condra" by a local paper, probably in reference to a cobra. The Sens Chirp blog has his nickname set as "AnaCondra' which I must admit is not bad. Both refer to snakes, ergo the title. You don't like it? Go read another blog.

All joking aside, Condra is showing some great stuff out there. The young'uns are putting this team back on the map and the rebuild stage of the Sentaors may be shorter than anticipated (although it's too early to tell). I especially liked the way Condra never gave up on any play and is willing to take the hit to try for something. You can't buy that type of grit. He's also sneaky fast and was able to slip in unseen behind the Devils D for the game winner.

It wouldn't be a complete blog without mentioning the enormous work of Jason Spezza. Boy oh boy, he was much maligned earlier this season, but now he is definitely "C" material for the Sens. He's developed into a great two-way player. He was key to the penalty kills, especially those two 5-on3s, he important face-offs, and set up Condra beautifully. Thanks Spezz.

And finally, there's Craig "Neo" Anderson. Once again he was a big part of the Senators win, giving them a chance and keeping them in the game... and displaying his new mask too (photo). How he didn't pick up a game star is beyond me. Not that Brian Lee didn't deserve it. He and Chris Phillips had to face Ilya Kovalchuk on most shifts, and they were able to shut him down. I just thought Neo more deserving.

Neo's numbers

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
8	5	3	0	1	12	263	.954	1.49

GO SENS GO!!

Bottom of the barrel

Zamboni — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:46:00 GMT

How is it that the Senators, who won quite a few of their games of late, have wound up in the basement if the league? Simple really, all the other basement teams have been hot and are winning more games.

It's the push for a slot in the playoffs now. As much as the last team in the league has a better chance at the draft lottery for first pick, there still the stigma of being dubbed as "the last place team in the league". No one wants the title.

Yet the title means nothing for Ottawa right now. All that really matters is the effort on a game-by -game basis. A lot of decisions are being made right now, all the way from the top to the very bottom of the Sens organization. Think of it as an extended training camp where the newbies get to show their stuff for real in the bigs.

Cory Clouston's system also gets to be tested with new players. Perhaps the clean-up in the change room allows for a fair evaluation of Clouston's coaching methods. As a note, I don;t believe for one second that Clouston will be extended even for one season... but stranger things have happened.

Finally, there's Bryan Murray who may or may not get the confidence of Eugene Melnyk. It would be nice for him to stay a year or two more just to see the resuolts of his moves. After all, you have to give a GM about 5 years to see the results of his moves. But I'm not sure if Melnyk will give Murray that leeway. If he doesn't, who should replace Clouston and Murray?

GO SENS GO!!

Out of gas

Zamboni — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 13:11:00 GMT

Yup, I think the price of gas was too high for the Senators and they declined to fill up. Or perhaps it was the two road games plus one home game in 4 days that finally got the best of them.

Compared to the previous games, and especially to the way they manhandled the Flyers only a few days before, the Senators looked like they were skating in slow motion. Granted the Rangers played a little more desperately, nevertheless, the Sens should have been able to handle them.

But Ottawa didn't show the intensity they'd shown in the past little while, and lost too many battlles. Chief among their sins was the inability of their defense to keep the Rangers offense outside the crease. Some commentators called it mistakes by Erik Condra and Jason Spezza who lost track of their man. But they were the result of lost battle by Erik Karlsson and Filip Kuba, or of one of the too numerous gift-wrapped neutral zone giveaways that plagued the Sens.

On the attack, the Senators also seemed to be once again guilty on the "one-pass-too-many" syndrome, and forgot to shoot the puck. They only put a measly 27 shots on goal. On a night where Henrik Lundqvist was giving up huge rebounds, no one was there to take advantage of them. Even mighty "Neo" Anderson looked all-too-human.

Let's leave that one behind as it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The next one will be better after a few days of rest and recuperation.

Neo's numbers

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
7	4	3	0	1	11	231	.952	1.56

GO SENS GO!!

Bullet time

Zamboni — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:03:00 GMT

It's a shame that Craig "Neo" Anderson couldn't arrive in Ottawa earlier this year. The incredible boost the Sens get from his goaltending have them becoming the spoiler of spoilers.

I have no idea why Anderson wound up being 3rd star for the game behind Bobby Butler and Nick Foligno. Oh, the stars were correct, just the order was a tad wrong. I mean, 42 saves and three breakaways by the Thrashers foiled? That's first star performance right there.

I have to say that Butler`s goal was a beaut. I`m not sure how he managed to get such a shot lasered to the top right corner from the position he was in, but wow! Boggles the mind. Foligno was rock solid and played hard on the forecheck, his deflection of Derek Smith`s point shot was gorgeous. I also enjoyed Jason Spezza`s play. He has been excellent of late, and he finally truly deserves that A on his jersey.

I`m also introducing a little Neo Anderson feature. Up until such a time as Anderson blows a tire, I`ll keep posting his Senators stats right here. As you all know, Senatores bête noire Tim Thomas is the leading goaltender in goals against and save percentages. Well Neo`s got him beat so far with the Sens. That boy is a true wunderkind.

G	W	L	OT	SO	GA	SA	SAV%	GAA
6	4	2	0	1	7	204	.966	1.16

GO SENS GO!!

Oh so close...

Zamboni — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:06:00 GMT

If the hockey gods were fair, there would be no team with two great goalies. But the gods aren't fair and the Bruins have Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask.

It''s strange to think that the Senatorw were the second team on the Bruins' six-game road trip. At that time, the Sens were just a speed bump on the railroad for the Bruins. The Sens were reeling from the trades of Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, Jarkkoo Ruutu and Brian Elliott. The Bruins went on to defeat some potent temas, including the no. 1 Vancouver Canucks.

No one came as close as the Senators did to stonewalling the Bruins. The Senators were clearly the dominant attacking team, peppering Rask with 33 shots. But Rask was unbeatable. Meanwhile, it took a garbage goal for the Bruins to finally solve "Neo" Anderson.

Anderson's stats with the Sens so far:
1.19 GAA .963 save percent.

The Sen played with a lot of energy but could have made better use of their power play opportunities. The Bruins were hard on the puck on the PK at one time sending three players below their goal line to battle for the puck. The Sens needed to send as many down below to win possession, but didn't. That could have been an opportunity. Possession from those behind the net battles would have left a 2 on 1 in front of the net.

But overall I can't complain. With all the changes in the line-up, the Senators have set themselves up as the ultimate spoilers for the end of the season.

GOSENS GO!!

Final moves

Zamboni — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:14:00 GMT

Bryan Murray kept his cards close to his chest, and played the rest of them today. We now finally see the plan he'd been working on all along.

The first big move was the signing of Chris Phillips to a $9.25 million 3-year deal with the Sens. I think a lot of folks breathed a sigh of relief, while another bunch, likely remembering the Wade Redden debacle, are likely grinding their teeth. I for one couldn`t be happier. Phillips`knwoledge will be required with all the newbies on the ice.

Also on the blue line, the Senators have sent Chris Campoli to Chicago and obtained Ryan Potulny and a second round pick in exchange. Potulny played most of the season in the AHL, but was pretty good with the Oilers last season.

The blue line moves make room for some of Ottawa`s more recent draft picks like Jared Cowan next season. With Sergei Gonchar expected back tomorrow against the Bruins, the Sens now have a full blue line complement with no extras.

Oft-injured goalie Pascal Leclaire wasnt picked up off waivers. He played in the 3-2 win for Bingo this weekend, but it seems the groin is bothering him again. I think Leclaire`s career is likely over. While everyone expected Robin Lehner to stay and back up Neo Anderson, it seems Murray was serious about more conditioning in Bingo, and acquired Curtis McElhinney off waivers to serve as backup to Neo. McElhinney had been traded to Tampa Bay from Anaheim just last week.

In return for all these moves, Murray winds up with a dozen drarft picks, more importantly, two first rounder and three second rounders. Some of the other are conditional and could wind up being second round picks as well. On top of that, he`s cleared $20 million in cap space for next year, enough to go on a nice shopping spree over the summer. Murray has already recongnized the value of Neo Anderson, and it seems that talks are already underway to sign him as a permanent goalie.

GO SENS GO!!

Like magic!

Zamboni — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 22:05:00 GMT

The post-season may be a pipe dream, but don't tell that to the Senators.

The Senators are playing like a team with something to prove, and they're leaving few doubters in the stands. With the injection of new blood from Bingo, the rejuvenated Sens are playing hard and scoring goals again.

Nick Foligno reprieved himself from a poor performance on Friday by roofing a gorgeous power-play goal. Erik Condra scored his first, and second NHL goals. I wasn't sure what all the hubbub was about Condra, but he finally found his scoring touch by managing to get away from the opposing D on both goals.

The cherry on the sundae was Chris Phillip's seeing-eye goal, his first of the season. He deserved it as he has been bad-mouthed in Ottawa. Sure he hasn't had a great season, but who on the Ottawa team can say they're having a banner year? Phillips is needed to anchor the young 'uns. The same way Luke Richardson was brought on board as a vet. Richardson is the defensive coach, but Phillips can show the goods on the ice.

Craig "Neo" Anderson once again gave the Sens an amazing performance. He is setting his price for next season early on. Anderson is UFA at the end of the season currently earning $1.8 million. The Senators have cleared enough cap room to easily keep him next year. Neo has played four games for Ottawa and has a jaw-dropping 1.25 GAA. He has faced 140 shots and still has a .962 save percentage.

Bring 'em on!!

GO SENS GO!!

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Lightning fizzled

Zamboni — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 22:29:00 GMT

The Lightning's lack of thunder landed him in Bingoland. Tired of waiting for Pascal Leclaire to get better, the Sens have decided to bite the bullet and put him on waivers.

It is very likely he will clear waivers. Leclaire had been acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in excahnge for Antoine Vermette. This was probably the most negatively lobsided trade ever made. Leclaire played only 34 games last year with a 3.20 GAA and .887 save percentage. Dismal numbers. This year, his numbers were improving before he once again suffered an injury after only 14 regular season games.

Meanwhile, Vermette has been posting the types of numbers his career in the QMJHL promised. He had his best ever season last year with 27 goals and 38 assists. His numbers aren't as good this year, but he's on his way to a near 50-point season. What's more, Vermette is a great 2-way player, and great on the penalty kill.

All I can say is good riddance. Leclaire may have shown brief flashes of his brilliance, but they were all too infrequent. His style required him to play well out of the paint, and try for the miraculous cross-crease save which is always hard on the groin. I very much doubt anyone will pick up Leclaire, and his career is likely over, at least on this side of the pond.

GO SENS GO!!