This person’s image comes up when you search for ‘Chris Kelly’. I can only assume the actual Chris Kelly struck the same pose upon learning that he was being traded to a bona fide contender and wouldn’t have to watch Brian Elliott piss away the lead again.

Marc

Hot 89.9 is banning all Kelly Clarkson music to protest the Chris Kelly trade to Boston. Enter: another pick in the 2011 Draft, this time in the second round. At this pace Ottawa is gonna have 20 picks in the first 2 rounds.

If the Sens can trade Phillips for that Leafs pick as Conrad suggested, this team will be in a good position sooner than we all might think.

Butler was killer again tonight. This guy looks like the real deal after the 10 game goaless streak to begin his career. Elliott was terrible again tonight. This guy gives his team zero confidence. The shorthanded goal hurt my feelings on so many levels. I dig that Grabner is fast. But there is no valid reason for Elliott to be that far out of position. That was the CCFR turning point of the game for me. Lehner is not impressed and will break him.

The game is decided by a shootout and the Sens come out with a pointless point. The journey through the 9 faceoff circles of overtime hell continues while the old pieces are shipped out of town.

James

Bryan Murray on Kelly Trade:

“We are prepared as an organization to get scored on on each penalty kill
for the remainder of the year”

Conrad

Having put up a post last night suggesting that Kelly should be targeted in exchange for a 2nd round pick literally at the same time as Boston was targeting Kelly for a 2nd round pick, I’m now going to say the exact opposite: I don’t like this trade. I’m okay with Kelly for a 2nd rounder, which is fair, and I’m even okay with not having a veteran, affordable, versatile utility player around for the rebuild, which I admit is problematic. What I’m not okay with is trading such a useful player inside the division. Boston already has the potential to be scary good (though they never seem to be quite as tough to play against as they should be. Ask Philly about that). Kelly is perfect for that team. He can contribute offensively, and slots in perfectly in a defensive, grinding system. And they’ve got him for next year, too. Boston just got a lot stronger, a lot stronger than the addition of a 3rd line grinder would imply. I guess it shouldn’t matter, considering Ottawa will probably stink next year, too, but I would have liked to see him go out West or not at all.
 
Also, why are our highest value players being traded two weeks before the deadline? Are we screwing ourselves out of a bidding war, here?

A shout out to The 6th Sens, whose latest podcast features Sens President Cyril Leeder. Leeder says some encouraging things about where the franchise is heading, and talks about some of those decisions which we now know to be mistakes (ahem, Kovalev). Worth listening to. Funny how hearing it from the mouths of those making the decisions makes their logic seem so much more reasonable. I also felt like this regime is taking this catastrophic season really hard. They’re doing town-hall style consultations with groups of fans from 10 to 100 to talk about what went wrong (!). I think the Senators and their fan base have a really high-maintenance relationship.

Peter

Two ways at looking at this trade. 1. Yes trading him to a division rival is sketchy business that happens way more in the NHL than it does in any other sport.  You’re allowed to be upset that a good character, faceoff guy who does everything else well but nothing else great is gone. 2. You can view it that when his contract expires and if he’s still a sen, management will have a tough decision to resign him. Will he fit with the youth movement? Will all this wheeling and dealing leave room in the top six for him? Would he even bother to resign to be a 4th liner with kids ahead of him on the depth chart?

In my opinion two years from now we won’t need a Chris Kelly. Who knows, maybe Eric Condra is a Chris Kelly clone. Not that we would know after one game but this brings me to my next point.

I know I rant about Denis Potivn alot but last night but his wet-eyed remembrances of high sticks past with his beloved islanders was fucking shameful. He spent the entire third period practically fellating Michael Grabner and Garth Snow. Forgetting that they’re a shitty team too and have used 6 goalies this year.  I still know very little about Eric Condra who played well in limited ice time. Do I know everything about Michael Grabner? Yes granted he’s the hottest player in the NHL but home broadcasts are for home fans. I like watching games on TV since there is additional insight. What insight did we get about Condra from Denis? Basically a faux-rockwell ode to how kids want to play hard for their dads. What? Who gives a shit? What does he do well? What does he need to work on? No one spends any time talking about the up and coming talent on this club until they get called up. Then when they do, we instead have to hear about the time Denis and Butch Goring stole a bunch of hotel mints. 

Look, I don’t know the rules about slander and his job is probably harder than I think but I’m going to say this. I get pie eyed and sentimental too, when I drink. I also slur my words and have a hard time keeping up with the play. Not saying, but I am fucking saying.

Denis Potivn’s legacy has little or nothing to do with the Ottawa Senators and I’d really appreciate it  they ease up on force feeding it to us.