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Thoughts leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline

March 2nd, 2010

Haven’t checked in since the epic Canada-USA Gold Medal game. As per my general policy, I won’t be reviewing the game. For the two or three people who didn’t watch it, you’ve probably seen enough highlights by now. And many other great outlets have covered the game with great depth. But a few quick points about this game: I really felt this was Ryan Miller’s worst game of the Olympics. I’m not saying his effort was Kipprusoff-esque, but he was so much better in every other game. That’s a tough break for him. I really felt Jonathan Toews was Canada’s best forward. The kid wasn’t on the ice for a single goal against – incredible. I’m not sure who I have a larger man-crush for: Toews, Drew Doughty or Shea Weber. Feel free to chime in!

So instead of discussing the Olympics, I want to touch on a few thoughts leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline (which is tomorrow, if you weren’t aware). We’ll be back to recap and evaluate trades on the 4th in our own Classy way.

  • With Nic Wallin (Sharks), Andy Sutton (Senators), Jordan Leopold (Penguins) and Denis Grebeshkov(Predators) all recently traded, it seems the market price has been set for experienced NHL defensemen – a 2nd round draft pick. Wow Calgary got ripped off in the Dion Phaneuf trade!
  • Of all the talk on pending UFA’s that could be traded, I haven’t heard Colby Armstrong’s name bounced around very much. I think he could really help out a contending team in the playoffs. The same goes for Colorado Avalanche forward Marek Svatos.
  • On a similar note and on the right team, Maxim Afinogenov could be of value too. I’m thinking of a team like the Washington Capitals. I was impressed with Afinogenov’s play at the Olympics – particularly the Canada-Russia game. He seemed like the only Russian with some fight in him. And we saw him backchecking/penalty killing. Who knew?
  • Following the “we’re going to dismantle the team” letter the Florida Panthers sent their season ticket holders, I’m yet to see any real changes. Trading Dominic Moore and Jordon Leopold isn’t really worth writing a letter about, you know?
  • I can’t remember an NHL Trade Deadline that had as many good goalies available (or assumed to be available). This year is certainly a rare one with goalies like Carey Price/Jaroslav Halak (one of them, potentially), Marty Turco, Tomas Vokoun, Marty Biron and others that could be moved by tomorrow afternoon.
  • It’s no secret the Edmonton Oilers would like to free themselves of a few bad contracts between now and tomorrow’s 3pm deadline. Did you know between Shawn Horcoff, Sheldon Souray, Ethan Moreau, Fernando Piscani and Steve Staios, they make up an annual cap hit of $18.1 Million?
  • Staying on the Oilers, I really believe they will be trading Andrew Cogliano at some point. Following the Dany Heatley trade that never happened with Ottawa in the summer, Cogliano hasn’t looked comfortable playing in Edmonton this season. Call me crazy, but I could see Cogliano traded to the Rangers for Brandon Dubinsky. It’s just a matter of time until New York trades Dubinsky, after taking him to arbitration last summer (a slap in the face to any player). Can you imagine being Dubinsky and having Glen Sather tell you “I don’t feel you are worth more than $1.85 Million”? After seeing some of the contracts he’s handed out in recent years, I’d flip out. Anyways, I could see this deal happening in the summer, rather than tomorrow. This isn’t a rumour as much it is me thinking out loud and making a bold prediction.
  • Where do you tink Dan Hamhuis will end up? I’m guessing not Philadelphia. According to TSN, the Flyers have already offered Ryan Parent. I can’t see the Flyers adding to that offer. Ryan Parent will be a great defenseman. If this is what Nashville wanted for Hamhuis, they would have taken it. I’m going to guess Washington. Where do you think Hamhuis ends up?

Stay classy, NHL Trade Deadline.

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Thoughts on this afternoon’s Flyers-Senators game

January 3rd, 2010

Ottawa Senators- 7, Philadelphia Flyers- 4

Before getting going on this game recap, the score should probably read Alex Kovalev defeats the Flyers or something to that extent.

For everyone who didn’t watch the Flyers-Senators game, this wasn’t a dominant Senators blowout win. Far from it, sort of. After jumping out to a quick 1-0 lead (on Pascal Leclaire’s first of three weak goals against), the Flyers played terribly and allowed the Senators to score four more before the end of the first period. In the second period, the Senators and Flyers reversed roles. The Senators didn’t show up for the second period and let the Flyers back into the game, ending the period tied at four. In the third period, the Senators woke up and capitalized on more bad Flyers defensive play. Both starting goalies (Leclaire and Michael Leighton) were pulled before the half-way mark of the game, too. This game was one of the strangest Senators games I’ve watched in awhile. The way each team played, it felt like I was watching a junior game and not an NHL game. There were too many simple mistakes made, turnovers handed out like gifts, and momentum tossed back and forth like it was Tiger Woods call girl.

At any rate, here’s the Classy, Non-Classy, and Could-Have-Been-Classier moments from the Flyers-Senators game.

The Classy

For the first time in awhile, Alex Kovalev showed up for the Ottawa Senators. And he did so in a very big way. Kovalev was the game’s first star, scoring four goals and adding an assist in the win. Kovalev has stepped up for the Senators over the last few games dating back to shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres after Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza went down with long term injuries. This afternoon’s game against the Flyers was Kovalev’s “coming out party”, of sorts (sorry – that’s a terrible nod to TSN’s Bob McKenzie whom I greatly respect). For all the goals Kovalev scored in last night’s game, I was equally impressed with his skating and desire to get to open area’s of the offensive zone. And given how well Kovalev skated in this game, I’ll temporarily relinquish the “Koastalev” nickname. This was the second game this year Kovalev has scored three or more goals in a game for the Senators (he has 11 goals this season).

Honourable mentions to go both Chris Kelly and Ryan Shannon. Like Kovalev, Shannon and Kelly have elevated their play as of late and have helped make a difference for the Senators in a key time. The team are 3-1 4-1 since Alfredsson’s injury and many (myself included) questioned if the key players like Kelly and Shannon could step up for the team. It’s nice to see players like this rise to the challenge.

Non-Classy

In a game like this one, it’s easy to pick out Non-Classy moments or players. Don’t worry, I have a few. The easy one is Pascal Leclaire who allowed three goals on 10 shots and generally looked out of it during his limited action. There isn’t much else to say on Leclaire’s performance from this game. Needless to say, he’ll look to be better in his next outing.

In a game where the Senators scored seven goals and nine players got points, it’s surprising Milan Michalek wasn’t one of them. In fact, Michalek hasn’t scored a point in his last seven games. Since scoring two goals and playing a strong game against his former team – the San Jose Sharks – on December 1st, Michalek has just one goal and one assist in his last 17 games. Non-Classy.

Could-Have-Been-Classier

While Ottawa’s powerplay continues to struggle, this game’s Could-Have-Been Classier goes to Nick Foligno and his head down tendencies. He never makes the right play because his head is always down looking at the puck. He frequently drives nets with speed (which is good), but never realizes how little space he has to shoot/make a move/pass the puck. It drives me up the wall because Foligno has all the things you want in a checking forward; skill, size, heart, etc…

Most players are taught to skate with their head up at the Peewee level (approx. 12 or 13 years old), yet Foligno continues to do his thing. I know it’s another nit-picky point of mine, however, I strongly feel if Foligno played with his head up, he could score 20-25 goals per year and perhaps be the top 6 forward the Senators so desperately want him to be.

- -

Up next for the Senators is the final game of a five-game homestand against the Boston Bruins. The Senators have been very strong on home ice this season with a record of 16-6-3 at Scotiabank Place. It’s another critical game between these two Northeast opponents as the Bruins currently sit one point above the Senators for second place in the division. It’s possible Milan Lucic could return from his injury for this contest.

Stay classy, Ottawa Senators.

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NHL Winter Classic thoughts and suggestions

January 1st, 2010

The NHL’s third Winter Classic game has come and gone. Although the rink will remain in tact for a bit longer (there are some college games to be played over the next week or so), the main event is the one of most significance. With the Boston Bruins defeating the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park (2-1, in overtime), it marks the first time the home team has won a Winter Classic game.

This year’s Winter Classic didn’t have the “sexy” billing the previous two games had (Sidney Crosby outdoors and the two top Western Conference teams duking it out), but was probably the best executed event yet. Kudos to the NHL for putting on such a great event and for establishing a truly unique annual day for hockey in North America.

I don’t want to talk about the game itself . Honestly, it was a bit of a let down in comparison to previous Winter Classics. Instead, I have a few suggestions for future Winter Classic games. And to many of our readers, these are actually serious suggestions. Perhaps I’ll put a few jokes in the comments below. At any rate, here are my suggestions. Would love to know what you think!

  • Additional Seating – Why can’t the NHL  put in 8-10 rows of folding chairs on the field between the rink and the stands like boxing events do? It could easily be done and be a great source for additional revenue, more fans, etc…
  • Outdoor Complaints Solution – Despite how good the NHL (and largely Dan Craig) have gotten at staging outdoor hockey games, some still complain about potential points lost due to weather, ice, etc… for a novelty game. Why not stage NHL Allstar games outdoors? It would allow the NHL to put on a show with star players and help revamp a game that’s really losing interest amongst fans.
  • Video Games – Add in the outdoor venues as rinks available in the EA Sports/2K Sports hockey video games. OK – not so much an NHL thing, but it’s something most hockey gamers would appreciate.
  • Venues - Stop staging outdoor games in baseball stadiums and move future Winter Classic events back to football stadiums. Better sight lines and extra seating make more sense.
  • Ovechkin - Get Alex Ovechkin playing outdoors ASAP. He’s (arguably) the most popular player in the NHL and a spectacle to watch.
  • Social Media - Have a select number of fans staggered around the rink at ice level taking pictures/videos and uploading to social networks like Twitter and Facebook to engage fans watching at home. Hold a contest to pick the lucky winners and kick up even more press about the event.
  • Rivalries – All Winter Classic match-ups should feature good rivalries, whether they are long standing (Toronto vs Montreal) or modern rivalries (Washington vs Pittsburgh). It will help add to the allure of the game, the promotion of the event and help spice up intensity in the actual game.

Don’t get me wrong. I love what the NHL has done with the Winter Classic. The suggestions above are additional thoughts/comments I have about an event I’ve come to plan my New Years day around. I’m sure the classiest readers on the internet have ideas too. I’d love to hear ‘em! Happy New Years, everyone.

Stay classy, NHL Winter Classic games.

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What’s the real value of Jaroslav Halak?

December 28th, 2009

On a day the Montreal Canadiens play the Ottawa Senators, I figured it’d be topical to discuss Jaroslav Halak’s trade value. Of course, this is all speculation on my part. I’m merely putting two and two together.

Jaroslav Halak makes a save on Jeff Carter... classy

Jaroslav Halak makes a save on Jeff Carter... classy

It’s clear something has to give with the Montreal Canadiens having two NHL caliber starting goalies in Halak and Carey Price. Things thicken quickly as neither goalie has a contract beyond this season. Both are set to become RFAs on July 1, 2010 thanks in large part to Habs GM Bob Gainey and his no mid-season negotiations policy (nice one, Bob).

We all know the story with Halak. But here’s a quick timeline in case you forgot:

  • November: Halak’s agent – Alan Walsh – blasted Price on Twitter, suggesting Halak deserved more starts than the struggling Price. It should be noted there were some rumours suggesting Walsh was pushing Gainey to resign or trade Halak. Nice to see Walsh playing the subtle card…
  • December: Gainey confirms he’s looked into trading Halak to the Flyers. Gainey indicated he’s looking for a top 6 forward in return for Halak, but might not be able to get it. Gainey later commented that the Huet trade to Washington a few years ago got him a 2nd round draft pick and is comparable to the Halak situation.
  • Mid December: In an interview, Halak says he’s a team player, likes Montreal, but wants to be a starting goalie – in Montreal or elsewhere.
  • Late December: Halak goes from playing well to flat out nuts. In his last 4 starts, Halak is 4-0 with a goals against average of 1.50 and an incredible save percentage of .970.

Halak’s Real Value

So what’s Halak’s real value? It’s not the 2nd round pick mentioned back in October and it’s probably not a top flight star the stats above might get you at this very moment. Let’s be real, no goalie finishes a season with a save percentage of .970. Having said that, Halak’s stats do merit top 6 forward consideration. Add in the pressure of playing for Canada’s hockey team (had to throw that in there, Leafs fans) and Halak’s future potential (the kid is 24 years old). Halak could easily be one of the more sought after commodities this winter. Simply put, he’s a rising star and probably the best available goalie in the NHL right now.

While it seems no NHL team is willing to let go of a top 6 forward (now or at any point in the season), the oft mentioned Flyers have the depth to do it. Again, me speculating here, but a Jeff Carter for Jaroslav Halak trade seems pretty reasonable. I think that’s the level of Halak’s real value. Now before Flyers or Habs fans jump all over me, hear me out.

Flyers fans: Halak is a solid starting NHL goalie. He’s a better than anyone the Flyers have had in the last 5+ years (that includes Ray Emery, despite pretty good play prior to injury). The Flyers have talented young forwards like Claude Giroux and James vanRiemsdyk that could absorb the loss of Carter. The trade would also free up significant cap space as Carter makes $5 Million this year and $5.5 Million next year. I’m guessing Halak could be signed to 3-5 year deal with a cap hit of $3-$4 Million per season.

Habs fans: I don’t expect much arguing from Habs fans; this would be a huge acquisition for the Canadiens. A 6′3 Center with proven goalscoring abilities… actually, I’d like to hear any arguments from Habs fans on this.

–

As I said at the top of this article, this is all my speculation. Maybe they keep Halak and trade Price, but I doubt that. The Habs certainly have a high quality asset to move between now and the March 3rd trade deadline and it’s probably going to cost a top 6 forward (or a seriously high draft pick/top prospect). Whether or not this includes Jeff Carter, my sense is Gainey will get his asking price. The question is when.

Stay classy, Jaroslav Halak.

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Thoughts on last night’s Senators-Flyers game

December 11th, 2009

Ottawa Senators- 2, Philadelphia Flyers- 0

Although every Stayclassy.net writer predicted the Ottawa Senators would lose (badly) to the Philadelphia Flyers last night, they didn’t. As it turns out, they shutout the Flyers 2-0 in a pretty solid road victory. This is probably the road game the Senators were looking to churn out in Philly back on November 12 in that 5-1 loss.

Before reviewing the game any further, I’d like to make two quick points.

  1. Today is Daniel Alfredsson’s birthday. The Senators captain is 37 years old.
  2. Does anyone else find it strange that the Flyers went out and hired Peter Laviolette? Sure, he was probably the best and most qualified coach for an NHL team in need of a fresh voice. But he’s also a coach that doesn’t believe in teams fighting and playing intimidating hockey. Although he’s a great NHL coach, I’m not sure he’s the best coach for the “Big Bad Flyers.” Just sayin’…

With that out of the way, here are last night’s Classy, Non-Classy, and Could-Have-Been-Classier moments.

The Classy

Little Nicky, where have you been all this time. I remember last year, after Clouston took over, Burgundy and I were all hyped up that Nick Foligno might actually make it to 25 goals. We even had a Little Nicky Watch, as we called it. As it turns out, the Little Nicky Watch had to be renamed after authorities caught wind of it and thought it might be something different….but I digress.

Great to see that Nick had arguably his best game of the season. He was all over the place. I remember after the end of the second period, only Nick Foligno had shots on net from the line of Foligno-Fisher-Kovalev. He has a really interesting skillset as a hockey player, and while his goals are rarely pretty, they sure are fun to watch at times. Just thinking about his little undressing of Pronger is exciting enough.

Non-Classy

What can you say about the Philadelphia Flyers. I had extremely high hopes for them this season as an Eastern Conference powerhouse. I thought the addition of Pronger, coupled with solid goaltending in Emery was going to vault them ahead of the pack. Well, since that great start of the season, they are now playing below .500 hockey. Even a coaching change only seemed to light a temporary fire under them. They’ve been shutout in 3 of their last 6 games, which really shouldn’t be happening to a team that boasts Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell and Daniel Briere, among others.

Could-Have-Been-Classier

Brian Elliot.

Wait, what?!? A shutout. Sorry, he’s been my default guy here for a while.

But really, Jason Spezza seems to have lost a tonne of confidence. There was a time, on any one of his breakaways, when I could leave the room to grab a drink because I knew he would score. Usually he just fakes a huge shot from the hashmarks, gets the goalie to commit, and then dekes the puck into the net. Well last night, he let Boucher go down, and then he shot at the 5-hole?!???!?!? Just not sure what’s happening with his game. This isn’t a criticism. It’s a concern.

- -

Wow. Since none of the Stayclassy.net writers called that one at all, I’m surprised we’ll even have readers for our next gameday preview against the Carolina Hurricanes. Judging by the shear difference in points between these two squads, you’d pretty much have to give this to the Ottawa Senators. But we’ve been surprised before.

Hopefully–and I sound like a broken record–Ottawa can build off this victory and string a few more together. If not for my sake, at least do it for the kids. It’s the holiday season, after all.

Stay classy, recently off my S**t-list Ottawa Senators.

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Ottawa Senators game day predictions (Sens/Flyers)

December 10th, 2009

On paper, the Philadelphia Flyers are a strong team. A deep set of forwards up front and great defensemen like Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Cobourn, etc… But as it turns out, they have 3 less points than the Ottawa Senators. OK, we all know the Flyers have been slumping recently, but a new coach with a new attitude might be enough to turn them around. They smoked the New York Islanders the other night, a team who’s playing better than the Senators right now.

This game has potential to be an exciting game featuring 2 desperate teams, but then again, sometimes 2 bad teams make for 1 terrible game.

Without further delay, here’s our predictions - do you agree? Let us know below.

Ottawa Senators vs Philadelphia Flyers – 7:00pm EST, TSN2, CSN-PH

Burgundy: Philadelphia- 4, Ottawa- 1; Remember the last time Ottawa played in Philadelphia? It was probably the most boring game of the year. And the Flyers killed the Senators. In order for Ottawa to turn their recent play around, they need to hit rock bottom as a team and I don’t believe that’s happened yet. I look for more terrible defensive reads, more Alex Kovalev shoulder shrugs, more commentators saying “Will this be Jason Spezza’s breakout game?”, and Ottawa’s top line doing the only hard skating.

Champ: Philadelphia- 5, Ottawa- 4 (OT); Brian Elliot finally gets pulled this game after Flyers take 4-0 lead. Mike Brodeur comes in and shuts the door, Sens score 4 goals in 72 seconds but lose in overtime when power flickers and Kuba scores on own net. Ridiculous, probably but given the luck the Sens have had lately everything is possible.

Tambland: Philadelphia- 4, Ottawa- 2; According to recent patterns of behaviour, most of us will be calling for a bounce back game from Ottawa. But according to recent patterns of behaviour, Ottawa is just going to come up short. They’re going to play a spirited game, and hell, Kovalev might even score, but it won’t be enough against a floundering Flyers squad. A squad that also happens to be trying to get out of a funk. Look for a big victory on Saturday though, when the league’s worst team limps into Ottawa!

Fantana: Philadelphia- 4, Ottawa- 3; I think Ottawa will play a good game but Philadelphia are going to be back with a vengence as new coach Peter Laviolette whips them back into shape. Look for Mike Richards to pick up where he left off against the Islanders on Tuesday night and I’m sure Chris Pronger will remind Sens fans why they hate him so much.

Mantooth: Philadelphia- 6, Ottawa- 4; Goaltending is going to take a beating in this game if each teams defense doesn’t step up to the plate! If the Sens can find a way to put the puck on net, and not directly at the goalie, expect to see some points on the board. The Flyers offense was clicking on Tuesday against the Islanders, and expect that to continue.

Baxter: Philadelphia- 4, Ottawa- 2; Emery is out, Boucher is in. Pressure is on for Philly to win at home (following a big win over the Islanders), especially after dropping a few losses under Peter Laviolette. Watch for Kovalev and Spezza to stay asleep.

Stay classy, Philadelphia Flyers.

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Don’t worry, I’m a hockey player

December 9th, 2009

So you’re walking down the street in Philadelphia. Minding your own business. Your thoughts wander… the Ottawa Senator’s current funk, who is going to play nets for Team Canada in the Olympics, why a latte at Starbucks costs more than oil, why soccer is more violent than hockey…

… When all of a sudden, you see this big guy, carrying his Starbucks coffee, step off the curb and get plowed by this big SUV. Big smashing sound, body goes flying. He bounces off the hood, falls to the pavement and all goes quiet. You’re thinking, “Holy crap!” All these people coming running to see if he is ok.

He gets up. Fires off a few swear words, brushes himself off and says:

Classy words of Brendan Witt: "I'm OK. I'm a hockey player."

Classy words of Brendan Witt: "I'm OK. I'm a hockey player."

“I’ve got to go play some hockey. I’m a hockey player. I’m OK. No big deal.”

“I’ve got to go play some hockey. I’m a hockey player. I’m OK. No big deal.”
- Brenden Witt, New York Islanders defenseman

You’re thinking “Are you freakin’ kidding me?!? Who was that guy?!?!” None other than New York Islanders defenseman Brendan Witt. A Canadian no less. Witt wasn’t kidding either. He was in the lineup for the New York Islanders in their 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

So in the latest dust up, that being a 5000 pound truck vs. hockey player with a latte, we’ll call it a draw. Whoever thinks hockey players aren’t tough have probably never met a hockey player.

SUV
Height: 6′ 4″
Weight: 5,262 pounds
Fuel: Regular Unleaded

Witt
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 219 pounds
Fuel: Starbucks Latte

Maybe Brian Burke could use some of that truc(k)ulence in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup.

Stay classy, Brendan Witt. Hilarious and amazing all at once.

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Ottawa Senators game day predictions (Habs/Sens)

December 8th, 2009

Tonight’s game should be interesting! The Montreal Canadiens are coming off 2 straight home wins (Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers) and the Ottawa Senators are coming off a shootout win in Anaheim. The Senators are considerably better at home (10-3-3) than the Canadiens are on the road (5-8-0). Everyone knows the Northeast division is a crapshoot this year. Check this out:

  1. Boston Bruins – 35 points
  2. Buffalo Sabres – 34 points
  3. Ottawa Senators – 32 points
  4. Montreal Canadiens – 30 points
  5. Toronto Maple Leafs – 25 points

A Senators win puts the Senators 1 point back of 1st place in the division and 3rd in the Eastern Conference. A Canadiens win puts the Habs 3 points back of 1st in the division. This is a huge game for both clubs.

Without further delay, here’s our predictions - do you agree? Let us know below.

Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators – 7:30pm EST, RDS, Sportsnet East

Burgundy: Ottawa- 4, Montreal- 3; Jason Spezza played a very strong game in Anaheim and I believe that will continue tonight. Brian Elliott will have a stronger game while Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov will shutdown Montreal’s top line. I expect the Senators to come out with a very aggressive period to wear down the Montreal Canadiens defense. I’m guessing the enigmatic Alex Kovalev (I’m contractually obligated to say the word enigmatic when describing Kovalev) will score a powerplay goal as well. I do not expect any player to kick Hal Gill.

Champ: Ottawa- 4, Montreal- 2; Home Sweet Home… hopefully the boys can regain some confidence playing at Scotiabank Place. Look for Jonathan Cheechoo to continue his solid play.

Tambland: Ottawa- 5, Montreal- 3; Since I called the shootout win in the last game, and despite going 0 for 4 before that, I now consider myself somewhat of a genius. I also said that a shootout victory is what this team needed to be reborn. So I’m taking it back to the old school; like 1993 old. Ottawa replicates its first modern day franchize victory to welcome the Habs to the Senators Century (patent pending).

Fantana: Ottawa- 4, Montreal- 2; Despite Montreal’s improved play as of late, they’re on a quick turnaround after beating the Philadelphia Flyers last night. If Ottawa can stick to its game plan and wear down the Habs defense, they should be able to pull away in the second half of the game.

Mantooth: Ottawa- 3, Montreal- 2 (OT); Now that Senators are back in the east, games are back to being at decent viewing times. Habs fans will be out in the Ottawa tonight, but they will be silenced quickly when Mike Fisher scores a goal early in the first period. He’s pumped at being the #1 Googled hockey player (over Crosby and Ovechkin)! The Canadiens are on a bit of a hot streak, with fairly decisive wins over the Bruins and Flyers, but back-to-back games are brutal, and the Sens are looking to light up the lamp!

Baxter: Montreal- 3, Ottawa- 2; Slump is on following a brutal road trip. Alex Kovalev has been silent for a while now, and Jason Spezza is in a deep funk. Habs riding a mini-streak and Carey Price is on a bit of a roll.

Stay classy, Montreal Canadiens.

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Why are the Philadelphia Flyers struggling?

December 2nd, 2009

Update: December 4 @ 5pm – The Philadelphia Flyers have fired coach John Stevens. No news on his replacement, however, the Carolina Hurricanes have granted the Flyers permission to speak with former coach Peter Laviolette.

–

When you look at the depth of the Philadelphia Flyers, you can’t help but marvel at the number of quality players this team has. It says a lot when a top prospect like James vanRiemsdyk isn’t able to play 15+ minutes per game (consistently) or when a young star like Claude Giroux has difficulty staying on one of the top 2 lines despite solid production.

Classy goal celebration from the Philadelphia Flyers

Classy goal celebration from the Philadelphia Flyers

Yet 24 games into the NHL season, the Philadelphia Flyers are 9th in the Eastern Conference with 27 points. That should come as a surprise to most seeing as how the Flyers were heavily considered as a Stanley Cup contending team. It’s even more surprising that the Atlanta Thrashers, Ottawa Senators, and Tampa Bay Lightning are all in playoff positions above the Flyers at the moment.

Going into the season, the only question marks that surrounded the Philadelphia Flyers was goaltending and most notably Ray Emery. But so far this season, Emery’s been pretty good with a 2.65 GAA and .907 save percentage. The Flyers have the 11th best goals against per game average in the league too. So what’s the issue here? How did this happen?

Sure, the Flyers have gone through some injury problems with Daniel Briere and Simon Gagne, but a number of NHL teams have been hit harder. Look no further than the Montreal Canadiens who’ve had more significant injuries than the Flyers with far less depth to fill empty positions. By the way, the Canadiens are 1 point back of the Flyers.

Some troubling Flyers stats…

  • 5-6-0 away from Philadelphia and that could be a problem as 8 of 15 games in December are out of town.
  • Started the year with a 10-4-1 record, since have gone 3-6.
  • 1-5 record against Western Conference teams this season.
  • Rank 23rd in winning percentages when trailing after the first period.
  • Rank 24th in faceoff winning percentages.

Clearly there’s a lot going on with this team. The timing of coach John Stevens comments yesterday about his lack of job security make me wonder. For whatever reason I’ve never felt Stevens job as a the Flyers head coach was that secure, even after reaching the Conference Finals 2 years ago. At any rate, it’s clear this Flyers team has underachieved after 24 games this season. This team is too talented to miss the playoffs this year, but it’s about time they get their act together.

Of the Flyers next 15 games, 14 of them are against Eastern Conference teams – a perfect place to start making up points in their playoff push.

Stay classy, Philadelphia Flyers.

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Thoughts from last night’s Senators-Flyers game

November 13th, 2009

Philadelphia Flyers-5, Ottawa Senators- 1

One warm spring day in June, as I’m sitting in my living room in a Stanley Cup induced coma of euphoria, I’m going to look back on November 12 and I’m going to laugh. It’s going to be a hearty laugh, and a laugh filled with relief. Pain and suffering from the past will just roll off my shoulders. And that’s the solace I’m taking out of last night’s game.

What do you say about last night’s game? Um, it was awful? All three periods were incredibly boring? Neither team had any life? My HD feed makes those bright orange jerseys a little too bright? Maybe we should have held onto Ray Emery? Ed. note- Tambland has been saying for years that we should have kept Ray Emery.

In essence, this was an awful game for the Senators. So without further introduction, I’m going to attempt to find something Classy, sort through the abundance of Non-Classy, and maybe find hope that someone out there Could-Have-Been-Classier…

The Classy

So, um, yeah.

Trying to find the Classy from this game is like trying to avoid police surveillance in Ottawa when driving a white Hummer. It just doesn’t happen.

But, since I owe the readers something, I thought of one Classy moment: Mike Fisher’s powerplay goal on Ray Emery. Not only did he beat him far side and caught Emery cheating a bit, but he beat him with his back to the goal on a backhanded laser shot. It really was a thing of beauty, and Fisher continues to show that this is going to be a great bounce-back year for him. So well done Fish; you’re the only Classy moment of the night.

Non-Classy

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Ottawa Senators. Oh, and Alex Kovalev. But we were just thinking about changing the category name to the Kovalev Moment of the Night anyway.

Could-Have-Been-Classier

Holy crap Pascal Leclaire. I thought I kind of put you on notice about those soft goals. I get that they’re going to happen, but they shouldn’t be happening to us first! That’s Martin Gerber Bush League Goaltending. You’ve got to step it up a bit here buddy. I understand there’s a lot of pressure to playing in a Canadian market, and I get that you had the flu, but there was a reason we were so excited only 15 short games ago. You seemed to deflect everything; point shots, criticism, redirections, invitations to the orthodontist. You name it, and you just weren’t having it. Find your mojo Pascal, and do it quick. Brian Elliott is chomping at the bit.

–

This is really starting to become a horrible trend. Win one, lose two. Win one, lose three. I can’t really remember what a winning streak felt like. The Senators have better start to get their game figured out, because these November games will mean a lot down the road. Especially in this crammed Olympic year schedule.

Next up is an AFTERNOON game (for those of you with tickets that say 7:00, they’ve moved it to 2:00) against the New York Rangers. The last time these two teams met, we were so full of youthful exuburence and optimism for the future. Even though we lost, we were excited about any number of things, including: Some pugnacity from Mike Fisher at the end of the game, an amazing second period from Pascal “Chuck Norris” Leclaire, the emergence of Matt Carkner as, well, Matt Carkner. There’s good things with this team; they just need to find out how to make it all click again.

Stay classy, Senators games that completely bore me to tears.

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