sens fan happy in florida

Tonight was truly an eye-opening game. I watched Sens and Leafs hockey the
past 4 nights ... starting Wednesday night with the Senators at Dallas, then
Senators at Phoenix, Atlanta at Toronto and finally Senators at Toronto.
What I saw was something that I never thought I'd say ... but it's totally
true. The Ottawa Senators can't deal with "missing parts" to their system,
they can't adjust to "changing conditions" and they totally lack any spirit
or drive when playing in front of Patrick Lalime.

Let's start with the Dallas game. We go down 1-0 on a goal that Lalime had
little chance on. But the entire first period the Senators looked flat
until they got on the 5-minute power play and scored twice. Then they got
some life until going into the dressing room. After that, you could just
see the Sens come back out and skate around like "Hey we own this team let's
cruise." It cost them when the 2nd goal was scored on them ... and then 3
successive bad goals.

On to the Phoenix game, where Prusek was scheduled to start and did start.
Sens came out gunning. Of course, everyone assumed that it was due to the
embarassment from the night before. Wrong ... and I'll explain why in a
minute. But needless to say, Ottawa played a decent game against the
Coyotes and a hot goalie in Boucher.

On to Toronto, and a game that meant a lot to try and "tune up" for the
Senators ... they handed the Thrashers a pretty physical beating. All night
long the talk was "Sens tomorrow" and "revenge for the 7-1 loss." You don't
think that burned in their brains?

Then we come to tonight's game. Once again, a carbon copy of the Dallas
game. No, I don't mean bad goals by Lalime. In fact there was only one
really bad goal and one botched play by Lalime pushing the puck right back
to a TO player in the corner that they later scored on. But you know what I
saw? I saw 18 men out there skating like they were scared, nervous, unsure
and confused. My gawd it reminded me of the Dallas game ... that same "deer
caught in the headlights" look. In fact I've seen that same look several
times ... 1-15 against the Isles, 1-9 and 12-23 vs. the Sabres, 12-26 and
1-22 against the Penguins.

Then I began to think back to early December and the team I saw play live
before my eyes at the St. Pete Times Forum and how impressive they looked.
I wondered why the difference ... why such a radical change. It has a lot
to do with confidence. For the first few games in December, the Sens felt
confident with Prusek in there. And so far Prusek has delivered time and
time again since his disasterous late November skunking by the Thrashers
that ended well with a 6-3 comeback win.

Is this Patrick's fault? I don't know. I do know that the team that was on
the ice tonight totally stunk up the ice for the first 10 minutes or more.
Sloppy passing, indecision, bad timing ... there game was totally off.
Thank God for the 5-on-3 power play or we'd have had nothing on the board
due to the fact that Ed Belfour was putting on a goalie clinic out there.
Yes, I am pissed that he had to cheat ... and I do mean cheat ... with all
those damn slashes to the Sens players that came near his goal crease. But
if the refs are dumb enough to let him get away with it ... then why not do
it?! Devorski made what ... 2 or three calls the whole game? I've always
thought he stunk as a ref so I knew that this game was going to be an ugly
one for both sides.

So ... who lost this game? The refs? No. Patrick Lalime? No. Did Ed
Belfour just play that much better? Yes to a point ... as did the entire
Leafs team. But the biggest reason for this loss was a total lack of
discipline, confidence, and being able to change and adapt. Havlat and
Spezza both missing from the PP and from the game hurt big time ... but so
many other teams have learned to win without star players. So why is it so
tough for Ottawa? Los Angeles has been doing it almost all season!
Vancouver still is near the top of the heap despite some key injuries.
Philly's defence core is almost down to nothing, yet they still win. And
Toronto's pretty much lost everyone at least once and still they can find
ways to win. So why is it so tough for Ottawa to win without one or two
players? The only person they seem to do better without is Lalime. When
Alfie was gone with the flu they ****ed! Havlat being gone, they've been
bad on the PP. And tonight Spezza goes down early and we get one lousy goal
on a dozen power play chances.

I just don't get it. Losing ****s ... but I could accept the loss easier if
they fought to win the entire 60 minutes. There was no fight, unless it was
a fight against themselves to get back into playing the game.

Okay it's late now and I'm really disappointed at this loss. 'Nuff said.

--
Kyle

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booster

in other words, when the other team figures out how to shut down the
senators offense Jacques Martin can't adapt


was

ralph giggles

You just came to this conclusion now? Where were you the last few
playoff years, when it was repeatedly discussed here how Jacques
Martin cannot adjust to changing conditions or situations? He is
a miserable excuse for a manager when it comes to actually
coaching hockey games. Now away from the games he's great, works
well with the team, gets them well prepared and conditioned,
chooses line combos well, does almost everything right. But game
time comes and he's like those old Soviet bureaucrats with a five
year plan that can't be altered no matter what. And, of course,
he's completely unable to inspire his players. He's bland,
unemotional, and soft spoken. No in-between-period shouting or
snarling from this guy, no fast adjustment of the game plan to
cope with different cir***stances. Sometimes I think we need a
substitute coach just to be behind the bench during games.


I've said it before: The senators are never at worse risk of
being scored on than when they're up by two. They get too
confident too soon, as if two goals is enough to win by. You
think they'd learn by now.


Uhh... actually Toronto had about twenty penalties in that game.
If you want to blame the refs blame them for their irritating
belief that they need to try to "even up" things somewhat, so
that after several TO penalties they look for something -
anything they can call Ottawa for. And then we gave up 4 power
play goals - to a team which had gone 0-25 in previous power play
opportunities. As has been noted previously, the penalty kill
needs a lot of work.

But the rest of what you write is true. Ottawa wasn't skating,
their passing was sloppy, and they were indecisive and lacked
emotion. We have - or had - the best penalty play in the league,
and had about 15 opportunities and we only got one goal - on a 5
on 3 - against a team not noted for its defense. Come on. I'm not
going to blame the refs for that. With all those penalties the
game should have been ours if we'd played at all well.

No. Did Ed

the entire

lack of


Pretty much, yes. I also think with the abscence of people like
Verada and Volchenkov and Fisher the Senators lack that extra
edge of grit, and that comes out clearly when you play a dirty
team like Toronto. The Maple Leafs are built around the concept
of "Mean", and they play that way (note, I don't mean tough.
that's something else again). They have a lot of players who are
just plain "mean" and seem to enjoy hurting people. Guys like
Domi, Roberts, Tucker, and Nolan. That's why they consistently
lead the league in penalties. I don't think we have anyone like
that on the Senators, nor do I really want one. But you do need
more gritty players when playing against goons and bullies like
Toronto.

teeder

Yes those big, bad Leafs are just too mean for the Ottawa Senators'
fragile and gentle nature. Of course no Ottawa Senator has ever hurt an
opposition player in the history of the franchise. And Varada, Neil,
and Hnidy are all players who made the team based on their wonderful
puckhandling skills.

steph379

Yep, and in my opinion, the Islanders, Stars, Penguins, Sabres,
Canadiens, and Leafs have all figured it out..

The Sens are so skilled it's scary.. but they've relied on the same
gameplan for too long.

Also, didn't the Toronto game remind you a little bit the futility
Ottawa had against Toronto in playoffs past? Almost makes one wonder
whether or not Ottawa truly has improved in making the Cup run..

dg

http://hjortron.ett0.com/~mill/foppa/multimedia/movies/fight/FAGDOMI.AVI

"Teeder" <none@none.com> ??? news:KsaTb.13688$Ja2.81400@nnrp1.uunet.ca
???...

gary

You would not want Gary Roberts on your team? I'm sorry, like I tell my
friends, if the Sens had Gary Roberts they would have won the cup by now.
Ottawa has so much skill it's scary, but they need more players that bring a
bit of "meanness" to the table.

By the way... Chara scares me. If he ever started to hit people he could
really do some damage. McCabe is a big guy, and Chara threw him around like
a rag doll.

pawn

My favourite part of that clip is how the Flyers' announcers have no
comment on Berube and McCarthy pumelling Mike friggin' Johnson and
Dimitri Kristich in the corner while this is going on.

pawn

I love that. Whenever some idiot includes Roberts in their list of
Leafs dirtbags, probably just to bolster their list to make it seem like
that's all the Leafs are, they lose all credibility.

The GM of Carolina was on the FAN590 in Toronto last Monday when the
Leafs played the Hurricanes. I'm paraphrasing, but pretty damned close
"Gary Roberts is my absolute favoutire player in the league as both a
person and a player." And he went on to say "I credit Gary's influence
for the style of play our team played in the 2001 playoffs that
brought us to the SCF's."

This is a guy who has every reason to be bitter about Gary leaving the
'Canes as a UFA, after them taking a hig chance on him with is comeback,
but he just can't do it, due to his admiration and respect for the man.

This is exactly what pisses me off when some know-nothing Isles fan
decides to summarize Gary's entire career by calling him a goon. It's
fuuny to laugh at them though.


That was hilarious. Even McCabe laughed about it later on.

david g.

I'd take Roberts in a second, he throws a few cheap shots now and then, but
he brings everything he has to the rink every single night. I was pissed
when Schastilivy hit him from behind last night. How can you do that to a
guy that has a history of neck problems.