A picture of the Sens’ new hockey rink

James to Conrad, Pete

CCFR Fantasy Update:

Dany Heatley’s return to Scotiabank Place is one he wont soon forget. The Senators set the tone early with Chris Neil delivering a thunderous check on his former teammate in the opening minutes leaving him clearly shaken up. The chanting of “Tree, Leaves, Trunks! Tree, Leaves, Trunks!” or whatever, was clearly getting to the now slumping, former 50 goal man as he totally did not stick handle his way through the entire fucking neutral zone and make the Ottawa’s defense look like old ladies dropping their groceries. With his speed you’d expect him to breeze through but Bryan Murray continues to look like a genius for the deal that shipped him to the West.
Former linemate Jason Spezza was up for the challenge of facing his friend on his tastefully hyped return to the nation’s. Spezza looked dynamite simplifying his game and making it look easy with crisp text book passes that allowed his, speedy and most of all consistent winger acquired in the Healtey trade, Jonathan Cheechoo, to make short work of the San Jose Sharks who did not look like they were on a powerplay all the time.. No, in fact they did not get the chance to embarrassingly take the puck away from Spezza whenever he tried to be too fancy in the high pressure game, which was never. It’s hard to tell who deserved first star more, Spezza who answered the bell against his former sniper or Cheechoo who absolutely lit up his old team.

With Daniel Alfredsson not playing with the flu and looking full of healthy colour in his between period interview, the captain spent most of the game lurking in the shadows killing penalties finally getting to play diminished role on the team no longer having to lead the squad with his 8 goals at age 38. Preserve your energy for the playoffs dear Captain, the rest of the team is at the controls!
On the subject of duels, number one starter Pascal Leclaire continued his inspired play, and not to discredit the Senators potent offense led by the ever threatening Cheechoo-Spezza-Michalek line, fan favorite Snoopy, was the best player on the ice and was rewarded with yet another win. Some argue that Leclaire’s league leading GAA is padded by the fact that he plays behind Ottawa’s tough mix of punishing, legitimate NHL level shut down defenders and effective zone clearing puck movers. Regardless, there was little doubt the net minder had the game in hand as the Sharks clearly looked tired having travelled the across the entire span of NORTH AMERICA TO PLAY THIS GAME. The visiting goalie was little match for Leclaire as Anti Niemi was not made to look sharp by all the quality shots he faced (especially in the second period) and displayed why he could BARLY GET SIGNED DISPITE WINNING THE MOTHERFUCKING STANLEY CUP LAST SEASON. One has to feel a bit sympathetic toward former Ottawa 67 and draft bust Logan Couture who was held off the score sheet again and looked listless with his one dimensional play dispite playing in front of his family. Couture is the first great quality 67s player that the Senators have missed out on at draft time. Dispite Doug Wilson being a 67’s alumni himself, the Sens always seem to cherry pick all the 67s best players BECAUSE THEIR SCOUTS DON’T EVEN HAVE TO GET ON A MOTHERFUCKING PLANE TO WATCH THEM PLAY

News and notes: Alex Kovalev was at the game.

I cant keep doing this… oh wait yes I can…

CCFR Three Pentagrams:

1.Jonathan Cheechoo (3G, 1A)
2. Pascal Leclaire (More saves than the other goalie)
3. Filip Kuba (Strong physical play, holding the puck in, showing leadership)

Hon mention: If only we could give a star to coach Cory Clouston we would definitely have as the players have clearly bought into his solid puck possession game plan okay im fucking done. Im firing myself now
I’M FIRED.

News and Notes 2 (remix): The entire team, save for Alfie WHO STILL HAS TO PLAY ON THE FIRST LINE AT AGE THIRTY-EIGHT WITH THE FLU, are fucking fired. More fired than me…and believe me I am FI – RED.

Game Quality: Definitely fun to watch on TV but better in person.

Conrad to James, Peter

Well, that was definitely…what happens when a good team from the
Western conference plays a mediocre team from the Eastern conference.

Sens I would trade for future considerations

The Ottawa Media. Between bringing up Dan Snyder to the Photoshopped cover of The Sun to the endless hyping (while repeatedly calling Ottawa fans docile and laid back, only further calling attention to the fact that YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES HYPING), they did their best to validate Heatley’s choice to leave.Then TSN brought in their fifty straight panels to say “Oh, it’s going to be REALLY interesting to see how the Sens respond” when we all know most of the team is probably still friends with the guy, and the coach is preaching “do not respond.”

Cory Clouston. The Sens are increasingly looking like a team without a
plan or a system. There’s no puck movement, there’s no puck
possession, no one has any idea what to do on breaks, and there’s no
physicality in the game.

Kuba. I saw you get deked out fourteen times. Don’t think I didn’t.
Common criticism for Kuba, but put your goddamned shoulder into it.

Erik Karlsson, for giving up a short handed breakaway while manning
the point on the PP for the five hundredth time this season.

Sens I would sign to lifetime deals

Leclaire continued in his proud tradition of playing pretty well and
not coming close to winning a game.

Michalek tried his best to distinguish himself. I noticed him for the
first time in forever.

Neil is such a dickhead. In a good way.

Gobbledegook

Anyone else notice how well Edmonton is playing on their swing through the NE? Makes me feel a little bit better about losing to them. That is, until they get annihilated by Boston and I realize it’s just that most teams in our division are pretty bad.

So, I know that Ottawa can’t make a trade just for the sake of making
a trade, but let me ask you this: are you willing to give up on
Foligno or Regin at this point if it gets us a different kind of young
player with upside?

Peter to Conrad, James

Didn’t watch the game, never really cared for TSN riding into town to stir things up. It’s a shame to since its probably the only game TSN will cover in Ottawa. I thought it was mucho rude of them to list the parts of the proposed trade with the oilers (smid, penner and cogliano) and how many points they’ve picked up since the Heatley deal. Booo!

But really, who can blame them? None of their panel of experts ever thought to bring up the fact that we don’t care about Heatley since our team has problems of its own. Mainly how shitty they’re playing right now. Bob MacKenzie was preaching that the sens wanted to win this for thier owner, in reality they wanted to win because they’ve been playing like turds right now and if they were out West, they’d be in second last place.

I’m not a huge proponent of sports clichés but for reals, this team lacks an identity. Spezza is non-existent out there and I get the feeling Alfredsson is hurt again. The top two players are not carrying the mail and the trickle down effect is evident.

I don’t know about making a move just to shake things up. But it’s true, things need to be shaken up. What are the possible options for third and fourth liners on a very suspect team? Best case scenario we get someone elses underachieving projects. I think the guy that would get the best return is Phillips, but I have no idea what kind of deal could be put together.

The sad thing about all this is that there is some truth to the label of Ottawa fans being apethetic and its only going to get worse. Sometimes I wish we were delusional leaf fans, if only for the soothing embrace of denial and oblivion to the wolves at the door.

Damn, its friday. I didn’t anticipate starting my day on such a down note.