Posts Tagged ‘Alex Kovalev’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Thoughts on last night’s Lightning-Senators game

November 6th, 2009

Last night’s game was a bit like… well, the other two Tampa Bay Lightning games we’ve seen in the last month, but mixed. The Ottawa Senators didn’t dominate the Lightning 7-1 like they did on October 15th and they weren’t dominated like the 5-2 drubbing from the Bolts last week. And I’m pretty sure Steve Stamkos has scored in all three Sens/Bolts games.

Coming off a four day break since their last game (a 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers), the Senators got off to a bit of a slow start. Getting doubled in shots and taking three penalties in the first period isn’t a great start. The third period was a bit weird too, with two goals called back late in the game (although the Kelly tip was pretty hard to argue). The Senators pulled out a pretty clutch win on a Jason Spezza powerplay goal to earn the two points, pushing their record to 7-4-2. Strangely, I expected a bit more bad blood between these two teams but the game felt  hollow at times, especially with Chris Neil’s huge hit on Victor Hedman.

But anyways, without further delay, here are the Classy, Non-Classy and Could-Have-Been-Classier from last night’s game.

The Classy

Without a doubt, this one goes to star center Jason Spezza. Fresh off his upper body injury which saw him miss two games (Lightning and Thrashers), Spezza returned in a very big way. Setting up the 2nd period Mike Fisher powerplay goal with a great cross-ice saucer pass to Alex Kovalev (who passed it to Fisher) was something only few playmakers in the NHL can do. However, this one-upped by his game winning goal. Spezza’s slapshot from the top of the faceoff circle on the Senators 4-on-3 overtime powerplay was an absolute rocket. Lightning goalie Antero Nittymaki stood no chance on the shot. In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s still trying to find the puck. Nice to see Spezza’s first goal this season be such a big one for the team.

An honorable mention goes to the speed of Milan Michalek. As each game goes by, I’m becoming more and more impressed with his speed and hockey smarts. He reads the play so well and always gets himself in the right places on the ice.

The Non-Classy

A few things come to mind here and we’ve discussed this before, but how about the ridiculous NHL schedule? Ottawa Senators fans will go from one or two games per week to one every other night in November and December. The Ottawa Senators have already had three series of three days off or more between games in this young season. What’s up with that? A little consistency never hurt anyone. Just sayin’.

Could-Have-Been-Classier

Zenon Konopka. Yeah, I know – who?? Seriously, this guy makes me laugh. He definitely could have been classier in his post game remarks suggesting Chris Neil should be disciplined for his hit on Victor Hedman. Konopka enlightened his media audience that if he were the NHL commissioner, punishment would be handed out to Neil. Konopka suggested Neil’s hit had bad taste as a result of the devastating OHL hit from last weekend. In the same sentence, Konopka admitted he’d be making significantly more money if he were the commissioner… Classy.

In a response to Konopka’s comments, this is what Chris Neil had to say of his big hit to Hedman:

“I think it was a clean hit; I didn’t leave my feet. Even if I did leave my feet, I probably still wouldn’t of hit him in the head – he’s like 8 feet tall.”

–

Next up, the Senators host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. This marks the first time this season the two clubs play each other. It should be noted the Devils are a perfect 7-0 on the road this season.

Stay classy, clutch scoring-big hitting Ottawa Senators.

Follow Burgundy on Twitter or become a fan of Stayclassy.net on Facebook.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

1 comment »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

The reincarnation of the Ottawa Senators

November 5th, 2009

Ever sat through a movie or a T.V. Show and found yourself wondering if you haven’t already seen it? That is kind of what it was like when I was watching the Ottawa Senators the other day. It is kind of like a movie I’ve already seen.

I simply say this because there are so many players on this team that seem like they have been here before. And when I watch Daniel Alfredsson, I can’t help but think that even he is a little nonchalant about some of the newbies.

Now, I’m not insinuating that the team will suffer the same results as the previous incarnations of the Senators; just that a few of these guys have already been here before. So sit back, relax, and prepare to be awe-struck at my ability to make something out of nothing.

Alex Kovalev = Alexei Yashin

Nevermind the fact that both of these guys are big Russian forwards. It is the play of AK27 that reminds me so much of Yash. You see, even before we signed Kovalev to a 2-year deal, we already had our resident enigma.

Yashin had all the potential to steal a game. He had size, strength, vision and great hands. But he also had the ability to be completely invisible on the ice. We used to jke that if Yashin didn’t do something in the game early, you wouldn’t even see him for the rest of the game. Apparently if Yashin didn’t do something in the playoffs, you wouldn’t even see him the next season. But that is a different topic altogether.

Milan Michalek = Marian Hossa

Isn’t it kind of funny that we’ve come full circle on this. We traded Hossa for Heatley, enjoyed some of his production for a while, and then traded Heatley for Hossa V 2.0.

Michalek’s speed and size reminds me so much of Hossa; particularly as he drives the left side on his way to the front of the net. Like Hossa before him, Michalek is also a huge threat on the PK. All he needs now is a tinted visor and a sketchy contract.

Jonathan Cheechoo = Bill Muckalt

This could change… and not when Cheechoo scores his first goal.

But like Muckalt, Cheechoo was the afterthought in the trade that finally got rid of a disgruntled player. As m,y of us so fondly remember, Muckalt came over with Zdeno Chara and a first round draft pick that became Jason Spezza in exchange for Alexei Yashin. So all things being equal, we may be able to assume that San Jose’s pick will become a superstar.

Peter Regin = Todd White

They both have 5 letters in their last names. Crazy eh.

Pascal Leclaire = Dominik Hasek

I say this for a couple reasons. 1) Pascal is probably the best goaltender this team has had since the Dominator, and 2) They really seem to have similar personalities.

You see, they both seem like really fun loving guys who relish the media spotlight and the attention they get in Ottawa. Neither seems particulary phased by much, and they’re both just a bit quirky Pascal, for instance, has admitted several times that he talks to himself during games.

–

So there you have it folks. A clear list that we have already seen these players before. And while I don’t think we have to worry about the same outcomes with any of these guys, it sure is hilarous to talk about the similarities.

Stay classy, old Senator players who have been reincarnated as new Senator players.

Follow Tambland on Twitter or be a Stayclassy.net fan on Facebook.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

3 comments »

Posted in NHL Humor

Tags:

Thoughts on last night’s Senators-Lightning game

October 30th, 2009

Last night’s game was a bit like the day after Thanksgiving dinner. You really want to eat the rest of that food, and you know you’re capable of doing it, but you take forever, and it really doesn’t taste as good as the night before. You’re lazy, lethargic, and in a semi food-induced coma once it’s all said and done, and you haven’t even touched your stuffing. Yeah, that was last night’s game.

Coming off a victory in Florida the night before, Ottawa marched its sorry butts into Tampa Bay missing the team’s #1 centre, #1 goalie and best shutdown defencemen. So, not to say the odds were a little against the Senators, but they might be able to find some excuses for last night’s game.

The first goal against Ottawa was an absolute fluke (a Powerplay goal no less), bouncing three ways before it found the net, but it helped to set the tone for the game. After that, the Senators just weren’t able to muster the strength to mount a comeback. There were two late goals from Kovalev and Ruutu, but they were meaningless other than to make the final score look better. Steven Stamkos was really the story of the game, and while he was credited for two goals, it was really his second goal– the top right corner shot–that wowed the half-empty arena.

One thing to take out of this game is that it looks like there might finally be some bad blood between these two expansion cousins. So there is that to look forward to for the next matchup.

The bottom line for this game was that Ottawa was a tired squad that was missing key bodies. Tampa was most likely seeking retribution for the 7-1 drubbing in Ottawa a few weeks ago, and it was just too much for the Sens. So here is what you have all been waiting for: the Classy, Non-Classy and Could-Have-Been-Classier from last night’s game.

The Classy

I really wrestled with this one. I mean, it would be easy to say that Stamkos was the star of this game last night. But that would take away from my Classy list that I’ve been developing this season. This is about the Senators, and while Stamkos played well, he was not a classy guy for the Sens.

So, last night’s Classy goes to the guys who weren’t in the lineup. And more specifically, the Classy goes to Jason Spezza’s value on that team.

There just seemed to be something missing (like a faceoff win), but also the intangibles that Spezza brings to the table. I’ve always been an ardent supporter of #19, but I think games like last night show how valuable he really is, even off the scoreboard. The team just seems to have more fun when he’s on the ice. He is a legitimate superstar, and when he plays, the rest of the players know that they can just focus on their own games. Plus, he’s virtually always laughing at something, so how could you not have fun when he’s in the lineup. Last night’s game demonstrated the important role that Spezza plays on this team, and that my friends, is Classy.

The Non-Classy

Oh man, was I ever having to pick through the garbage on this one. The fact is, this was not a very Classy game for the Senators. And to be honest, I had a very different player here for two periods of hockey (he has since been bumped to the Could-Have-Been-Classier).

Last night’s Non-Classy goes to Alex Kovalev’s face after being run into that stantion. Good on him for getting up and looking for who did that to his nose, and good on Foligno for standing up for his teammate, but it was the aftermath that was the Non-Classy of the night.

Could-Have-Been-Classier

Make a list…

But seriously, there was one player that stood out a bit who Could-Have-Been-Classier. And unfortunately for him, he’s on a two-way contract. So being anything but Classy doesn’t necessarily bode well for him.

Brian Lee, you need to be a bit Classier. That play down low when you let Steve Downie (that’s right, Steve Downie) out hustle, out hit, and out play you to set up that second goal is inexusable. I know you’re not a huge guy, and I know that your game is about finesse and outlet passing, but please don’t let that happen again. You definitely Could-Have-Been-Classier.

–

Next up, a Halloween afternoon matchup against the Atlanta Thrashers. Hopefully, with a day of rest, Ottawa might be able to get at least two bodies back into the lineup and forget about last night’s game in Tampa. This should have easily been a 4-point trip through the Southeast division teams, so I would expect nothing but a win on Saturday. However, a loss might cement the Cory Clouston as the scariest costume on Halloween.

Stay classy tired, injured and sore Ottawa Senators.

Follow Tambland on Twitter or become a fan of Stayclassy.net on Facebook.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

1 comment »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

Thoughts on last night’s Bruins-Senators game

October 25th, 2009

October 24 – Boston Bruins vs Ottawa Senators

First of all, let me extend my sincerest apologies for the delay on this. Want the truth? After watching the Boston Bruins comeback to win that one, we ordered beer via Dial-A-Bottle, and ordered UFC 104. We probably drank way too much, and two out of four of us fell asleep during the main event. I won’t say who.

Anyways, on to last night’s game.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you decide to stand-up and say something so profound and meaningful, only to have it thrown back in your face? Yeah, me neither. Until last night. Let me lay it out for you:

Tambland- Wow, it’s so nice to see a solid goaltending duo here in Ottawa again. Brian Elliott has played great and is a huge reason for this win.

Gallery- Yeah. That’s true eh.

Tambland- Yeah, it’s really quite a … what….what the hell. No. Stop. Oh for the love of all that is good and holy!?!?!?!

Alas, last night’s game should have probably been an Ottawa Senators win. And Elliott really deserved a better fate. I thought he played outstanding, and the scoreboard doesn’t give him enough credit. He didn’t really have a chance on those goals.

So here it is, albeit slightly late, the Classy, Non-Classy and Could-Have-Been-Classier from last night’s game.

The Classy

It’s funny, because I had already slotted Brian Elliott to show up here. And then those two goals got scored, and he was immediately moved out of his first Classy of the season. I will say this though; from the way he’s looked, there’s going to be plenty of opportunity for him.

To be honest though, I had to dig a bit deeper to find the Classy for last night’s game. And to be honest, I think it’s going to go to Daniel Alfredsson. Not sure if you recall, but after last game, I kind of called out Alfredsson’s game a bit. So what does he do? Goes out and makes me sound stupid. If it was anybody but Alfie, I might actually be mad. But I thought Alfie played a fantastic game last night, and he added another Senators SHG to boot. So Alfie, I’m sorry. I’m not worthy.

The Non-Classy

This one is going to go to Claude Julien, for his two timeouts. I was saying to someone today that this is the difference between a Jack Adams winner and a rookie coach. While Clouston was right to be a bit peeved for Julien’s bending of the rules, Julien is going to get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the referees. This, while unfortunate, is just a fact of the game. I’m not saying that that indescretion led to the tying goal, but it definitely took the Senators off their game. So this one goes to Julien.

Could-Have-Been-Classier

To be honest, I kind of wanted to put Brian Elliot here, just because I thought he played a good game, and was slighted in the end. But putting him here doesn’t give him enough credit.

No, this one is going to go to Clouston’s shootout selection. I understand that Jason Spezza has a pretty decent record in the shootout. But the fact is, he still hasn’t scored a goal. And a shootout is no place to break that streak. Why not Michalek, who seems to have no problems putting the puck in the net lately, or even someone like Ryan Shannon? It’s too bad, because both Alfie and Kovalev hit the posts. But I really don’t think Spezza was the guy to get it done.

–

The Senators are taking some time away from our thus-far frigid Fall, and heading down to Florida. Perhaps they’ll have an opportunity to visit Eugene Melnyk’s ranch while they’re down there, and take their minds of these last two games. Ottawa’s record in Florida, against the Lightning and the Panthers, really doesn’t give fans too much to worry about this week. I might go as far to say that both Spezza and Cheechoo are going to score on this trip.

Enjoy the couple days off until Wednesday, and let’s all take solace in the fact that the Leafs still haven’t won.

Stay classy, October games that shouldn’t mean anything now, but just might come April.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter. I know, I’m finally on Twitter!

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

1 comment »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

Thoughts on last night’s Ottawa Senators-Montreal Canadiens Game

October 18th, 2009

October 17 – Ottawa Senators vs Montreal Canadiens

To be honest, as much as last night’s game that was a must-win game for the Montreal Canadiens to avoid 5 losses in a row, that was a huge must-win game for the Ottawa Senators, too.

  • Huge because it was Alex Kovalev’s first game back at the Bell Centre since signing with the Senators.
  • Huge because there are now 5 days off in between this and Ottawa Senators next game.
  • Huge because it is some vindication that this team is not only good, but are showing up to play every night.

Last night’s game can be summed up pretty quickly as a great hockey game, with bad penalties. Two 5-on-3′s for each team (each lasting almost 2 minutes) should never happen in a hockey game, and it was good to see that the referees finally put their whistles away (sort of) for the third period.

For a team that boasts Jacques Martin as its coach, it really was the Senators that put on the defensive clinic last night. Oh yeah, and Kovalev/Alfredsson/Fisher decided to take some of the limelight away from Spezza/Michalek/Cheechoo (God, I love secondary scoring).

So with that, the Classy, Non-Classy, and Could-Have-Been-Classier from last night’s game.

The Classy

Most media outlets would have you believe that this was Kovalev’s game. That he strapped the team on his back, and was the big reason for the win. Well, he scored a goal, and an assist, but was largely innocuous for the rest of the game, in my humble opinion. His shot was great to score the goal, and his pass to Alfredsson for the GWG was outstanding, but make no mistake, this was not Kovalev’s best game.

Tonight’s Classy belongs to the shot-blocking ability of the Ottawa Senators. At one point, the CBC had thrown up a statistic about last night’s game. Montreal had 55 shots (23 of which had hit the net). The remainder had been blocked by the Senators. Nowhere was this more apparent than the aforementioned 5-on-3, when Fisher, Carkner and Volchenkov put on a clinic on how to get in the shooting lanes.

Honourable Mention does go to the classy Montreal fans, who despite their booing earlier in the game, gave a standing ovation for Kovalev.

The Non-Classy

This one goes to the Montreal fans, who for some reason forget that Kovalev didn’t ask to be traded, nor did he refuse a contract from Montreal. Gainey chose to let him walk. So if you really are going to boo a player, make sure you’re booing him for something he had some control over, rather than just booing a former player. If that was the case, Tyler Arnason would hate coming back to Scotiabank Place.

The Could-Have-Been-Classier

Two words. Guy Carbonneau. I really do respect Guy, but it took me 2 periods to figure out who the ghostly third voice was in the CBC broadcast booth. I am sure that he has excellent opinions, so I would encourage him to voice them more, rather than just agree with what Bob Cole and Gary Galley were saying.

Oh, and my favourite quote of the night belonged to Mr. Cole: “Ottawa is going to be two short.” I just couldn’t help think of the obvious Montreal joke about being TOO short!

–

Next up, Thursday night against the Nashville Predators here in Ottawa. Thankfully for Ottawa, a win last night means we don’t have to talk too much about who should stay or go. This team is showing that they can gel together, and they are winning for one another. I realize that guys like Regin or Winchester are ready to step in again, but you have to believe that not a lot of change will happen until a loss comes in.

The only thing that scares me is the talk that the return of Filip Kuba could mean a negative for Matt Carkner. Here’s hoping that smart decisions are made, and not financial.

Stay classy, Ottawa Senators!

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter. I know, I’m finally on Twitter!

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

3 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

Previewing the Ottawa Senators of 2009-2010

September 1st, 2009

ViewFromMySeats.com asked us to help out with his preview of the Northeast Division for the 09/10 season.  I actually asked them if they were OK with us polluting their site… they said yes, so we’re happy to help… below is a preview of the answers Tambland and I (Burgundy) provided… you’ll see we think very differently!  You can read the rest by clicking here.

Why is your team going to be better than they were last season?

Burgundy: Most would say Pascal Leclaire and Alex Kovalev. I agree, but not because of skill as much as the cool nicknames they bring to Ottawa. It’s about time the Senators add intriguing nicknames like “Pazzy” (Leclaire) and “L’Artiste” (Kovalev) to the fold, complimenting “Blond Locks-o-Steel” (Alfredsson) and “The Pass Di-Spezza-r” (Spezza).

Tambland: So long as we don’t start celebrating a 100th anniversary and expecting championships we don’t deserve, our season can’t be much worse than last.

What scares the hell out of you this season?

Burgundy: Erik Karlsson playing in the NHL this season. I’d like to see him play the year in the AHL and get used to the North American style of hockey. Small ice, less ‘technical’ systems, physical contact… (I kid, I kid). Karlsson is only 18 years old. To put things in perspective, Jason Spezza is seven years older than Karlsson … and has subsequently been turning pucks over for seven years longer. Even the original Die Hard movie has two years on Karlsson. I wonder if Karlsson knows the Swedish bad guy from Die Hard 2??

Tambland: Other than our third jerseys? Not really sure. Probably that our star acquisition over the summer still wants to play somewhere else.

Every year there are players that break onto the scene as all-stars or even superstars. Sometimes they’re rookies that are expected to be great, sometimes their rookies that shock the world and sometimes they’re younger players that simply come into their own. Who is someone on your team that we should all look to have a breakout season?

Burgundy: Two players come to mind: Nick Foligno and Ryan Shannon.

I’m confident Foligno can score 25 goals this season. Cory Clouston’s up-tempo ‘aggressive-as-Viagra’ style has really rubbed off well on Foligno. I suspect Foligno will be rewarded with a slightly bigger role with the Senators this season (sorry Heatley) that may include extra ice time/powerplay time (again, sorry Heatley).

Ryan Shannon is one of those players coaches love – well, coaches like Clouston anyways. You can see Shannon’s confidence growing game by game (it’s almost as tall as Shannon, who’s listed as 5’9” …). Foligno had 32 points in 81 games last season while Shannon scored 20 points in only 35 games. With the addition of Kovalev and the emergence of Foligno and Shannon, Ottawa’s need for balanced scoring (err, secondary scoring) may actually be solved. Finally.

Tambland: Eric Karlsson would probably be the easy bet, but Peter Regin is going to be the surprise of the year. The kid’s Dutch. I’m not sure what other people know about the Dutch, but they’re basically like Euro-Canada. So he’s all Canadian, with slightly better taste in chocolate and wine

More questions and answers are available at ViewFromMySeats.com… you know you want to click the link!!

Stay classy, Northeast Division.

Add Stayclassy.net on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

4 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

Another Russian wants out of Ottawa?

August 28th, 2009

We must have a pretty solid reputation throughout the NHL as a great hockey city, right? Lots of players mention us as a great hockey town. We’ve copyrighted “Hockey Country” after all. But for some reason, Alex Kovalev visited a doctor to see about having his foot permanently removed from his mouth after uttering these outstanding words of wisdom:

“That’s why I say, maybe after two years I’ll be back again. It definitely would be nice to retire here. But it’s not for me to talk about Montreal — I’m part of another organization. I’m going to go there and do the best I can and we’ll see what happens.”
-Alex Kovalev
Ottawa Senators forward

Wow. Really? Just wow.

Now I’ve already wrote once about the long list (and growing) of players that don’t want to be in Ottawa. But Alex Kovalev hasn’t even played a game here yet. Was it something we said?

I now can group him into the same grab bag of Russian players that include Alexei Yashin, Alexei Kaigorodov, and Alex Nikulin. As an aside, how many letters are in the Russian alphabet? Is it mandatory to have the first letter of your name start with the first letter of the alphabet? But I digress from my jest.

Anyways, not since the Cold War and the building of the Diefenbunker has it been so uncomfortable for Russians in this city. At least Anton Volchenkov seems to like it here just fine.

Perhaps Alex Kovalev had a deal with Dany Heatley to take away some of the pressure he’s feeling these days? Or perhaps he didn’t think that microphone he was talking into was turned on at the time?

Whatever the case, someone better keep an eye on Number 27 when Montreal comes to town. He just might be the one leading the ‘Go Habs Go’ chant in Scotiabank Place. I swear, if he even sneezes and it sounds like “ole ole ole,” the fury of 1,000 tridents will rain down.

Stay classy, Alex Kovalev. I don’t want to start booing you before your first lack lustre effort.

Add SC.net on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

3 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

Is Jiri Hudler really worth $5 Million per season?

July 30th, 2009

Is it official?  Is former Detroit Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler officially done with the NHL?

Looks that way, after the KHL officially registered Hudler’s 2 year $10 Million deal with HC Dynamo Moscow on Thursday afternoon.  Who knows what the IIHF and the NHL will do, or any future impact this may or may  not have.

Jiri Hudler: KHLs newest $5 Million player

Jiri Hudler: KHL's newest $5 Million player (image courtesy of viewfrommyseats.com)

But back up for a second.  Jiri Hudler got a contract offer of $5 Million per season?  Holy crap.  Is he really worth that?  TSN reported Hudler received an offer of $15 Million over 5 years and that’s a bit more in line with what he brings to an organization.

Actually, hold that thought.  Am I the only one who isn’t terribly sure how good Jiri Hudler is?  I know the name, I know his face, but seriously, can you recall a highlight reel goal he’s scored?  I can’t.  What I can tell you is he registered a career high in points last year with the Red Wings – 57 points in 82 games.  Yeah – that’s $87,719 per point (yes, I rounded down).

When I think of $5 Million per year players, I think of stars like Martin Havlat, Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, Alex Kovalev, and Alexander Semin to name a few.  If I’m building a team as a GM, I’d pick all these guys far before Hudler.

Is he really that good?  Mike Babcock had  a great quote in last season’s Stanley Cup players saying “the beauty of playing in Detroit is guys like Hudler get to play against other teams 3rd lines…”.  Very true – Hudler has benefit from Detroit’s depth in playing against weaker checking lines.  Also, from playing with other quality forwards.

For what it’s worth, I see Hudler more comparable to another forward the Red Wings just lost, Mikael Samuelsson, now of the Vancouver Canucks.  Their career stats are similar but paychecks aren’t – Samuelsson signed a 3 year $7.5 Million contract earlier this summer ($2.5 Million average).

Hudler – 255 games played, 127 points.
Samuelsson – 466 games played, 208 points.

According to salaries, Hudler is twice as good as Samuelsson.  That line might belong in the “Things that make you go hmmmm” category.  Whatever we may think about this, given the kind of money Hudler signed on for, he’ll be relied on as a top producing forward.  I’m not convinced he can be the best player on the ice, consistently.  Not after 255 regular season NHL games played.

Stay classy, Jiri Hudler.

Add SC.net on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

3 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

An ode to getting rid of Dany Heatley

July 21st, 2009

It was a very long off-season, and all through Ottawa,
The hockey season was over, still waiting for Fall.

No playoffs were played, the players had left,
To leave in their absence only grief and bereft.

Changes were needed, that much was clear,
But a new coach in town had alleviated that fear.

Our first line was solid, our goaltending too.
The only thing needed was a secondary scorer or two.

But along came Dany Heatley, only thinking of himself.
He asked for a trade, to be put on the shelf.

So now here we are, and nothing’s been done.
Oh please Bryan Murray, this isn’t any fun.

We’ve signed Kovalev, much to my chagrin,
But I promise I won’t curse, as long as we win.

The bottom line is, this Heatley thing is crazy.
Please finish this trade, and I won’t call you lazy.

I wouldn’t mind Cheechoo, or even Marleau,
But that’s not to say that I didn’t want Cogliano.

I guess what I’m saying is that we’re all really tired.
And once this is done you can promptly retire.

Training camp starts, less than 2 months away.
Go Sens Go, let’s go all the way!

Add SC.net on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

No comments »

Posted in NHL Humor

Tags:

An intriguing time for Ottawa Senators fans

July 7th, 2009

Had the Ottawa Senators won the Stanley Cup in 2008 after losing it the year before to the Anaheim Ducks, perhaps the need for change wouldn’t be such a hot issue. Then again, if the Senators won Lord Stanley, there would likely be a fresh set of other issues.

At any rate, with two full seasons as the Senators General Manager, it looks like Bryan Murray has finally started to leave his mark on the team. I’ve never questioned Murray’s experience or decision making. Given his track record, it’s clear Murray knows a good hockey player when he sees one.

With the 2009-2010 season set to start up in 2 ½ months (can you tell how hockey starved we are?), things are looking pretty interesting from a Senators standpoint. As a fan, I’m excited and eager to see this new team play. I’m wondering what the team’s identity will be, who some of the new leaders will be, hell, I’m even wondering what Alex Kovalev’s goal song will be. The Heat Is On was pretty lame anyways…

Dating back to last season around the 2009 trade deadline, Murray has added a few significant ‘Murray type players’, most notably Alex Kovalev, Chris Campoli, Pascal LeClaire, Ryan Shannon (from AHL) and of course, coach Cory Clouston (not a player, but huge impact nonetheless). Murray’s hinted he’s still interested in another defenceman (presumably a puck-moving defenceman) and maybe another top 6 forward (don’t Dany Heatley and Kovalev cancel each other out?).

Bryan Murray’s press conference yesterday uttered the statements many fans would like to see, suggesting the 2009-2010 version of the Ottawa Senators will be a hard working team, with some front line skill. The Senators have been plagued with rumors of ‘lazy’, ‘no drive’ and ‘soft leadership’ in the past and Murray has certainly addressed that since taking the GM role in 2007.

With the majority of moves done in preparation for the upcoming season, there’s a feeling amongst fans that this is a rejuvenated group with a quarter of a roster that’s brand new. This Sens roster could even boast the likes of Erik Karlsson and/or Jared Cowen, among other budding prospects (pending on development, training camps, etc…).

All in all, this team is starting to bare a striking resemblance to the team Murray built in Anaheim that kinda won a big time trophy a few years ago (I can’t quite recall what that trophy was called…). If there was ever a market for “Brian Burke hockey players”, one could certainly say the same for “Bryan Murray hockey players”.

It’s an interesting time to say the least, Sens fans. I can’t say I’ve been this intrigued by a Senators roster in years.

Stay classy, Bryan Murray.

Add SC.net on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

No comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags: