Author Archives: worsteverything

JAMES DAY HYPE UP: GET HYPED EDITION!

Posted on by
3

GAN-DHI GAN-DHI GAN-DHI

Happy Xmas Pagans, its Saint Swithin’s Day for 2 more minutes and you know what that meaaaaaaaans…

BERRP TERRRP DERRRPYYYY DERRRRRRRRRR!!! (that’s that Sens trumpet thing btw)

Its playoff tiiiiiiiiime! I know I haven’t been arouuuund latelyyyyyyy I was picked up by the poliiiiiiice for VAAAAAGRAAANCYYYYYYYYY!

Okay, so are we all bleeping excited for this? It’s game 3 and the Sens return to the friendly confines of Scotia Bank presents: Large Building and —

You know what? Let’s just get to the Chipotle-Sandalwood Dijonaise of why I’ve met here with you today:

Been reading a lot of “MSG was Electric for Games 1 and 2 …Will SBP be loud?” on the Sensphere. WHOA! Wait a minute. Really, friends…no, look at me….look in my eyes.  You know I love you and I need to know…is that where we’re at? Is THAT where our Ottawa self loathing is AT right now? We’re doubting our ability to adequately cheer for the Sens returning home after defeating the Rags in OT on the road down 2 men? Puppy, puppy no, no, nooo and we were all feeling so chuffed after the All Star Game. You’ve been hanging around too many leafs fans jerk faces planting seeds of doubt in your mind.

I’m not trying to bum you out little buddy Im trying to light A FIRE UNDER YOU. Look, I’ll be realistic, I’ve been to some games lacking in intensity, usually they are of the
late season 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the Carolina Hurricaines variety but fair enough. Like the great singer-songwriter Chris Martin said in that Coldplay song that sounds really different from the other Coldplay songs, “Nobody said it would be easy / Something something cheering at a hockey game” Right? Lets take it back to the start (see what did there?)
The Ottawa Senators is a 20 years young (doesn’t look a day over 17) franchise and has the VERY FORTUNATE circumstance of being wedged between two 100 year old hockey clubs one’s fans
insane and accustomed to victory to the point of setting their city on fire if their equipment manager doesn’t get 5 points a game and speak fluent Portugese and the other suffering from a Napoleon complex where the worse the team their dad loves they love performs the more they have to lash out at Ottawa. TRY TO GUESS WHICH IS WHICH! Hard times have been given. Ottawa is a house thrice divided. We Sens fans despite building this fanbase on hostile territory have gotten a complex all our own as a result.
Another conceit I will afford this line of thinking is this: have you ever tried to start a GO SENS GO chant? I have. IT CAN BE CHALLENGING. Its just a hockey game, help your fellow fans out! But again, I want to light a fire under you, so Im here to offer answers.
If you find the atmosphere lacking at the arena YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CHEER MORE. Like many criticisms of Ottawa itself, many people enjoy being part of this faceless mass of complaining about stuff but seem to do very little in offering a solution to the things that are irking them. Theyre called “People who write in the comment section on the Ottawa Citizen website.” You’re not one of them are you? Of course not. Heyyyyy, don’t have any friends like me and you’re looking for people to get rowdy with? Look no further than the awesome and ever growing presence that is Red Scarf Union. These guys and gals are fighting the good fight! Hear that chanting on the TV? Yeah, they started it. Join em! Its free, respectful and it(?) wants to hang out with you. Scotiabank place is far and you have to drive and youre tired and whatever? Take the bus to the game. Its easy, you get out of the parking lot first and take the bus lane on the 417 (speaking of favorite complaints) AND you get to chirp the guy in the leafs jersey at a non-leafs-Sens game with me! No one hates the bus system more than me and my car but I will say the service to SBP is one instance where OC Transthing gets it right! Plus no one will rat you out about your flask *WIIIIIIINK* There, now you can have a few drinks and loosen up a bit! Maybe you’ll finally get up the courage to ask Varada to go see the new Three Stooges movie with you! He told me he “likes you likes you” btw…just DO IT.

Anyway pals, we’ve had a quite the upbringing and are pretty hard on ourselves as a fanbase. Yeah, SOME people booed Gonchar and Kuba on opening night. I was there. It was a small portion of the crowd but yes it sucked and was very awkward. Anyway, we kick ourselves all year over stuff like that but look around, how many times did Montreal and Toronto boo their own team this season alone? Like 10 (being conservative)? They are “great fans” that they wear fucking bags on their heads. Chill mon, the shit happens.

We’re all a bunch of hockey loving doofuses at heart. There’s lots of boneheads everywhere. Its weird, lets get over it. Okay aaaaaaand the last and most important reason is becaaaaaaauuuse….

It’s the playoffs. Our sweet, sweet Captain of a man might not be back next year AND (on a very related note) the Sens might not be back in the playoffs next year OR the year after. We’re lucky we’re getting to be a part of this stuff so lets shut up and go a bit bananas. If youre going to the game get wild (consider trying a hint of meth before the game 🙂 My favorite flavor is Dave’s Memories of the Meth Belt, Zesty Louisianan Style ) buy a XXL red Senators snuggie and if the name Daniel Alfredsson gets announced over the PA …well…

Here’s the words to the chants write them on your hand with a pen 1. “GO SENS GO” repeat 2. “ALFIE” repeat.
GO SENS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCKINGPLAYOFFSANDSHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, Internet, what are we searching for?

Posted on by
1

A mildly less racist look at what’s getting you from the comfort of your snuggie to the pacifying waters of Lake WTYKY…

Ugh, Corporate sponsorship is ruining the NHL….though the Ottawa Baconators does have a good ring to it and would only require a few changes letter wise.

James Day Preview: Ottawa Turricanes vs. Raleigh Freezing Rain

Posted on by
1

Hi everybody!

Can I interest any of you in a game of three card monte? Pick the reeeeed get ahead pick the black set ya baaaaack..STEP RIGHT UP. Forever Red?

Ugh…fine. I’m just trying to get some playoff ticket money up in here. That’s right acquaintances another WTYKY EXCLUSIVE you heard it here first, The Ottawa Senators are going to the playoffs! Your old dad’s pretty cool huh? Knowing on the hockeys, eh? Almost as hip as Kevin Spacey’s character in American Beauty. It was cool how he took back his existence by smoking weed and trying to have sex with his daughter’s friend. Creep Dad showed us the true meaning of something something because life is short and plastic bag in the wind and working out.

MOVING ON.

With a playoff spot secured, there is a lot of mathemagicery going on as to how Ottawa will finish the regular season and hence who they will meet in Round 1 of the playoffs. Well that starts tonight. It will be edutaining to watch now that the major stress is over. Will our heroes continue to put the boot to the floor and try with their might to beat the Devil(s) like Schwarzenegger in the movie End of Days aka THE BIBLE ON DVD to face the Sunrise Panthers? Will the stay on pace and face the Bruins or fall back and face the Rangers?

Admittedly, Boston is not the most exciting team that one can face both in terms of playing style AND chances at victory but if you’ve come here for playoff math I’ll say this, this AINT my real job..I come up with reality shows about wedding stuff.

Sidebar: Here’s a show I’m working on in another window right now. Okay, so this couple is getting married right? A-a-a-and they want to have THE PERFECT wedding, right? Okay great, sounds goo—Not so fast…one problem, the bride no likey the dress. WILL TWO LADIES AND A GAY DUDE WHO WORK AT THE DRESS STORE FIND THE RIGHT DRESS FOR HER IN TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME?!?! (spoiler: they doOOOoooOOOOooOOOO)

GAME: Alright so if you havent read Ian Mendes’ article read it but I’ll describe it quickly so you stay on this website: Philips, Spezza and Alfie had a dad meeting with Ultra Dad Paul MacLean, when it was looking shaky that theyd even make it at all…they were probably eating Baconators and came up with a strategy to treat the next stretch of games as a playoff series. Well, “SERIES: ACCOMPLISHED” – G. Bush Jr. They swept it 4-0 if you think about it. Now what happens? Great preview? Have I even talked about anything yet?

It starts tonight against Carolina at the Palladium.

Carolina stinks so that just about wraps it up *dusts hands*
No, Carolina is one of those funny teams that Ottawa can have a hard time with, in fact, theyve dropped 4 of the last 6 matches to ‘Caines (like the kids call em) BUT Ottawa tends to dominate Carolina at home. Ugh, whats a girl to do with all of these facts?

Carolina is not the hottest team but do have their things going for them

Players to watch:

Jeff Skinner: May not be the force he was before missing some time but he’s got the moooves like Jagr.

Tuomo Ruutu: Always a pain in the ass against the Sens.

Eric Staal: Watch out for his size medium head in a size XXL helmet, no seriously, 24G and a -16 rough season for the Olympian…maybe DONT watch out for this guy.

Cam Ward: Could be a difference maker…poor guy having a very solid season on another cruddy Hurricanes team.

For the good guys:

Erik Karlsson: Bro, you’re killing it…can you PLEASE score that one goal to hit 20 and make me look smart? I want to be smart just this once. Thanks. Karls hasnt scored in a while and the Sens could use that cannon of a shot clicking come post season!

Tyle Kurris: Thats right. Colonel Clinch led the Sens last game and I want this kid’s confidence at max going into the post season.

Craig Anderson: Aside from his first game back it would be a coup to see him get a 5th straight win since returning. Andy has looked great very excited to see him in playoff mode.

Return of the Spezz: After a blessing upon his house by the name of Nichola Spezza, congrats homie, Spezza draws back into the lineup. It would be so glorious to see him to have a multipoint outing just because I want him to get ALL THE POINTS this year. I want him up for the Hart. I think Ottawa’s won one or two games without him. Oh whats that? He already won OUR HEART Trophy (Wammmmmmp waaaaaaawawawwawaaaaaaaaa)

Okay, holy shit the game starts soon I have to change into something more seductive.  You’ve done me a Mitzvah by even reading this.

James Day Preview: Ottawa Emotions VS. Winnipeg Locomotions

Posted on by
5

Full Disclosure: She's never once said that to me.

Hi everyone. What’s happening? What are you up to?,

Me? Nothing much, just thinking about Madagascar. What do you mean the place, the animated movie or the Guns n’ Roses song? Look, if you gotta ask…

___________? Anyway,

A wise woman, a chanteuse, named Mariah Carey once sang-said,

“Youve got me feelin’ emotions
Deeper than I ever dreamed of.
Whoa, oh youve got me feelin’ E-MO-TIONS
Higher than the heavens above”

Emotions, right? So, since it is presumed that we each and every last one of us gathered here on James Day all have two ears and a heart, we can agree that we are feeling us some emotions lately.

Can we explore some of really just my our emotions?
I have spent this NHL season both pleasantly surprised and incredibly proud of the performance of the boys. Rarely do I remember a season so true to the “This is why they have horse racists races” adage for an Ottawa team. We get so wrapped up in off season FA signings, prediction panels *tugs collar*, hype around up and coming talent and general fan base built hope that regardless of who we cheer for we think we have the Season’s end result all but figured out by the time October rolls around.
Without getting bogged down with such details as teams such as the Caps, Sharks and Kings all barely scraping by, Brian Elliot both playing in the NHL and killing it at that, or Columbus trading Jeff Carter for a bag of delicious dream sandwiches, there is only one point to be hammered on endlessly here: The Ottawa Senators did not spend the season in last place.
It’s safe to say that we are used to it at this point in time, perhaps some of us are even a bit over it a little seeing as its late March and the Sens are still firmly in the shit. The wheels so many Nick Kyprioses said were going to fall off never really did. Despite some pretty rough patches it’s actually just been a pleasure to take the season in. I’ve been looking at the good that the Sens have done as a delicious mushroom based gravy on everything and making a conscious effort not to raise my expectations too high.

That is until about last week. *Pause for dramatic effect for 3 and a half minutes*

When the Sens managed to pull into AND maintain a spot in the top 8 I said to myself, “Regardless of what happens, this has been a fun season and the team is rebuilding and it doesnt matter if they make it or not and life is precious and God and the bible on DVD.”
Which I presumed was a well and good philosophy until Washington and Buffalo decided to stop losing. Quick sidebar: Seriously, Ovechkin? Had to wait till now to decide to stop being the most disappointing player in the league? Ugh.
All of a sudden the Sens stopped scoring goals and winning and the teams in the hunt below did the opposite. A reason to feel panic. The season stopped feeling all gravylicious to me. With less than ten games remaining, to see them miss the playoffs and lose out on all that they’ve worked for against the odds would be absolutely heartbreaking. There, I said it. The Sens electric slide into the league’s toughest building for one of their biggest road games of the year. I know all of us in the Sensphere have been saying that for a few weeks but we thought the games would be less important at this point back then. We were drunk on power and 4 Loco.

Welcome back scoring, please do stick around for tea!
So Saturday’s game was another lesson in my upcoming “For Dummies” book, “Dont EVER Bet On Hockey Because You Will Lose All of Your Money, Dummy, For Dummies.” Oh you know how we we’re talking about how Ottawa does so well on HNIC games and how they will score 8 goals against the Pens and break their 15 game winning streak? ITS CALLED BEATING THE SPREAD LIKE WE PREDICTED.
In pure Sens fan fashion, a lot of people pointed to the fact that the Penguins started their backup as the main factor in the Sens victory. YEAH BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW WE STARTED NHL LEGEND BEN FUCKING BI$HOP AGAINST A TEAM THAT HAS SIDNEY CROSBY AS THEIR THIRD LINE CENTRE! Right. Ugh. Sens win you guys, its okay for that to happen, leave the self loathing for the blue team.
What I’m saying is lighting up a Penguins team that has been pounding everyone lately is truly something to build confidence off of. The Pens dont just give up 8 goals here and there.  That game was especially positive for the 2nd line of Turris-Alfredsson and Foligno who combined for 9 points on the night. Their contribution to the scorecard has to be a rule not an exception if the Sens are to make the post season looking like a team that could surprise. The second line putting up points tonight would be a bigger statement to me than last game.
The game also saw Spezza, Michalek and Greening each tally and all I can say is phewph (sic?). In weird news, Erik Karlsson somehow only got one point in a game made entirely of stretch passes AND finished the night a minus 2. What? If a lot of players broke slumps on Saturday by EK’s standards despite having one assist, he is still in the weeds and needs desperately to make tonight his coming out and smashing faces into a delicious goo party. C’mon little buddy, get that 20th tonight!
I was very happy to see all sorts of goals get scored, breakaways, trash baggers, deflections, highlight reel beauties (Alfie! Alfie! Alfie!) Please Sens, come out shooting again tonight. Shoot Shoot SHOOT YE BASTARRRDS!!!!

Speaking of very promising confidence builders after an understandably shaky but backbreaking game against Montreal, Craig Anderson looked rock solid in relief of the PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NOT BADLY injured Ben Bishop. Damn did he need that game. Imagine how nervous we’d all be for his next start if he hadn’t’?

The Sens have done a lot of winning games they had no business winning and looking like refried dog garbage against teams that they should be flogging like a thing that gets flogged. Now, that said, LISTEN UP SENS AS I KNOW YOURE READING, remember, that that whole thing is just a stupid thing us dummies have been talking about you can go ahead and win ALL KINDS of games for the rest of the season.
Tonight for instance. Youz can beats these guys. SO BEAT EM.

Smooth Jimmy’s Keys to Victory:
– Be better than this game preview
– Score 8 or more goals

Puck drop is scheduled for the drop of the puck. Let’s all hopefully enjoy the game!

Jeez, should we start a new column called “Rant about how I hope the Sens dont blow it and miss the playoffs” so that it doesn’t get confused with a James Day Preview? You decide in the comment seciton, or on twitter @WTYKY THE OOOOTHER COMMENT SECTION!

James Day Preview: Ottawa Don’t Mess This Ups vs. Ottawa-Gatineau Francophone Hockey Fan Canadiens

Posted on by
2

look at that hangdog expression...he's learnt his lesson!

Hi Friends…just finishing up a text………… here…………………………….wait….ugh, this autocorrect eh? It says “C U soup” hahaha …imagine? K………………and……………….DONE.

Only a few sweet hours left of March Break. I’m not trying to bum you out before the closing ceremonies. I just want to talk to you about a funny thing that only you would get that I saw on Judge Judy today. The guy (or defendant if you want to be a dick about it) was all “She gave me that money as a gift” and the Judge J was all “NO WAY, JOSE!!!” Classic Judy. What a week. It just flew by and now there’s only a few more days of freedom before I’ll be back in Mrs. Lewandowski’s stupid Language Arts class. How did I manage to get stuck with the meanest fifth grade teacher…AGAIN?!

There’s a Hockey Game Tonight!
So, the boys in red, black, and either off white or regular white with gold sparkle…depending on what uniform they are going with, return home to the somewhat friendly confines of Scotia Bank Presents: Place. Puck drop is at 7:00 on CBC, Bob Cole is less than impressive at his job.

The Sens are coming off a tough overtime loss suffered at the hands of impressive individual efforts from Carey Price and Matt Gilroy. What? I kid because I am still pretty frustrated about that love. Look, we’re all sensitive people with so much to give in this work a day world. Sometimes the puck goes in the net and you’re “Correct as usual King Friday,” other times you miss just high and wide and you’re Lou Reed featuring Metallica.
I think Marvin Gaye said all of that.

What I’m saying is, it’s not like Ottawa didn’t try last game but these are the Montreal Canadiens standing in the way of 1st place in the Nor’ East and potential home ice in the post season. Is it too much to ask to pummel the last place team already? That goes for tomorrow’s game against the dung beetles as well. If this team is going to go to / do anything in the playoffs, ya’ll BETTAH get ya’ll act TOGETHA and beat teams they are clearly beatable and get those Viking Points. Is it still Viking Points or did the NHL switch to Acme Crime Bucks yet? That’s up in the air with the new CBA? Okay, let’s move on. What’s that? Everyone skimmed to the end as soon as I started going on about Judge Judy? But you LOVE that show…

You guys, I’m worried about Jason Spezza.
Jason Spezza is going through a rough time. He lost a good friend which alone is like…I don’t know who does a fantastic job at work for a few days after getting news like that. Cant fault the guy at all for not having that extra gear right now. I also think he might have a bit of an injury going on too. He’s missed a couple practices but I find you can get that impression he’s hurt when he is trying to pull the cuuuuuuuuuuuuuutsiest majik over the blue line instead of working it in aka he wants to break into the offensive zone without touching any other human beings. This plan usually results in “not working out.” As was prophesized, over the next stretch if one or a combination of Spezza, Karlsson or Bishop faulters, les boys are going to have a hard time winning let alone taking the North East divisionIcantbelieveIamevengettingtowritethisfuckingsentencewow. Gentlemens…give your boy Spezza a hand this weekend. Dude has well over a point per game up to here. Someone get in there and get a point per this game. Bobby Butler draws into the line up in place of Kaspars Daugavins because I suppose the 3rd line was killing penalties too well. One gets the sense that Turris is due. The effort is definitely there last game. Great to see Greening pot one. I’d love to see Condra the OTHER Colin Greening get one. He has been quietly dependable the past while, let’s get him a present.

Special Little Guy Watch
Resident Goon, Desharnais Dead Lifter and Lars Eller agitator Erik Karlsson is one goal away from the sweet, sweet 20 mark on the season. You can do it little guy! Speaking of goons, this is the type of game where you get the feeling Chris Neil is going to come out of the woodwork and play his ass off.

Smooth Jimmy’s Key To Victory:
The Ottawa Senators must play a version of the last game except where they win instead of lose. You’re probably not going to get 2 points heading to a shootout against Carey Price.

Enjoy the gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame….I love you. Oops…I mean….enjoy the game.
I love you.

James Day Preview: Ottawa Heritage Trains vs. Montreal Post Season Position Pains

Posted on by
2

Hi everybody.

Welcome to March Break 2012 and to a lesser extent welcome to this post previewing tonight’s game. It’s not that you’re not welcome here, it’s more that I just cant promise you the glitz and glamour that is listening to your children scream at their Playstation 360 while you try to watch The View. How are your toaster strudels? Are they good? Good.

Okay, lets start today’s preview with a wee chant shall we?

LAST PLAAAAAAACE, LAST PLACE, LAST PLACE, LAST PLAAAAAAACE, LAST PLAAAAAAAACE LA-HA-ST PLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!!!!!!!

If you’re heading to the game at SBP try it out! If you’re attending the game in Montreal tonight…mmmmmmaybe save that one as I don’t want anyone to get murdered at the game. Just kidding, there’s nothing to be afraid of,Montreal fans are perfectly reasonable!

😉 ...relax

..i mean ;( …a bit weird, that.

Okay! Match up you guys…

Okay, the kid keeps giving me reason to harp on this but Erik Karlsson is now 2 bleeping goals away from our once bandied about topic of 20 goals. The Stockholm Slickback continues to surpass expectations. Even when it was becoming evident that EK was going to have a pretty outstanding season, I didn’t think that a point per game clip as being a very real possibility or 20+ goals. Damn! You get the sense that Karlsson might want to reach that milestone as well as he has been putting up multi-goal games of late. Karlsson has a paltry 21 points in his last 13 games STEP IT UP. I kid, I kid because he’s insanely good.

While on the topic of defence, human being Jared Cowen recently experienced a downturn in his play which drew a lot of criticism but he has bounced back of late. Hopefully we get to see some of Cowen’s classic putting players on their asses against Montreal’s relatively diminutive line up of forwards. Cowen is picking the right time of year to get his house back in order as all of the teams in the East’s playoff hunt have decided to not lose.Ottawa’s defence will have to be on their gizzly as Ben Bishop* hasn’t even played 20 NHL games and as such will need some insulation in a hostile environment like the Bell Centre.

Montreal has received some pretty good play from Pernell Karl Subban putting up a solid 4 points in his last three. Veteran Andrei Markov has been quiet since his return (save for getting made to look like Tyler Ennis’ step nephew on an absolutely dynamite goal the other night), the guy basically hasn’t played all season and is very likely still adjusting to the pace of play. That said, should Markov get a little more comfortable he is always a threat. I’m sure you don’t remember but back in the late 1700’s when he last played a full season, but my great great grand pappy Skyler, passed down tales of his domination on the Mount Royal Affluent White Gentlemen’s Ice Cane Club of the New France League.

Meanwhile up front, the Sens have seen some of their colder players snap some streaks recently and that would be greaaaaaaat to see carried oooooon…looooking at youuuuu Colin Greeeeening or Nicholas Foliiiiiiignoooooo… Coming up on this home and home/back to back bull, the boys might want to brace for some of the top end guys to not being able to win every game for them. Lets DO THIS. One more for 30 on the year, Mr. Jason Spezza!

Despite their place in the standings *see above chant* Montreal has enjoyed pretty good production from, Erik Cole, Max Pacioretty, and of late Daniel Day-Har-Nay. Also Rene Bourque is a guy who plays for the team. Which is nice for him.

Carey Price gets le start against Ben Bishop. You know, there was a poll on Team 1200** this morning asking who gentle listener thinks is more up shit’s creek going forward Montreal or Toronto. I gotta say despite their respective places in the standings I think it’s T.O. Why? Carey Price. He’s had his ups and downs…and by downs I mean Habs fans completely throwing him under the bus if he has a bad (preseason) game but Carey Price is a proven NHL no 1. Oh Montreal has plenty holes to fill…actually…WHAT THEY NEED IS A FRENCH COACH SO HE CAN TALK TO THE MEDIA! THAT’S WHAT WINS CHAMPEENSHIPS! No but the seriousness, we Ottawa fans know how hard it is to find a guy who can handle the number 1 job in a Canadian market…Wamptimus Reim and Jonas “The Wampster” Gustavsson are giving off a mild “Back to the drawing board” vibe. Soooooo is this a paragraph about tonight’s goaltending match up orrrr was this an excuse to make Wamp names for the leafs goalies? Make your voice heard in the comments section! Or contribute your own ideas. Anyyyyyfffffffingway, Carey Price is good and Ottawa’s going to break his spirit early. A few quick goals will deflate the building that sometimes cheers for him if he’s playing well. Ben Bishop has those amazing all over the place numbers a goalie can have when they’ve only played a handful of games. You know like how Lehner was undefeated with a GAA of 1.00 for most of the season? Still, B.B. has been holding it down and that’s reflected in his .940 save percentage his last two starts. Hopefully he can extend those stats just a few games longer.

Although the next few games are against divisional opponents who sit lower in the standings this is far from a slam dunk of a stretch if you ask me. Which you didnt and now im mad at you.
First, I find Ottawa has habit of blowing “easy games” this year, second, the schedule is terrible a home and home with a back to back? Short distance but a lot of hockey for a couple of days. If one or a combination of Spezza, Karlsson, or Bishop falters, that could be a lot of missed points for Ottawa at a crucial part of the season and with Boston currently diarrheaing all over themselves, I don’t know if those points have been more valuable this season. Enjoy the game!

*He’s tall. Geez, what else? Oh Paul MacLean has a moustache. I know, what a wooorrrrrrld. What’s next a lady police officer?

** I mostly listen to my Boomerang Original Soundtrack cassette

James Day Preview: Walker New York Rangers Vs. Ottawa Beast Towers

Posted on by
1

I had that same stupid poster of that stupid ice man, man.

Hi.

How’s going? Great orrrrrrrr really great? Really great? Well great.

Before we get started—whats that? Already started? Okay, well, whatever, so, bloggingly speaking, am I alone in being a bit confused over people’s comments about Ben Bishop’s game against Tampa out in the Sensphere? It seemed like I kept reading thing after thing about how the guy looked shaky and that Lehner is better than him etc. Damn. One game and people have some serious opinions. I was pretty surprised how dismissive of his performance people were being. I don’t really know if giving up a power play goal from Stevehair Stamkos is “one you wish you had back” nor did I think the other two were Martin Gerber specials.  A win is a win and full credit to a guy who played his first game with a new team and on the road at that. If I’m going to dismiss anyone’s play its going to be the established NHL goaltender who had a dog garbage outing on the other end of the ice. Sure he wasn’t slated to start that because Garon went down from injury due to Erik Karlsson’s manliness, but after a 73 year career you’d think Dwayne Rollerblades would be able to handle something like that.

Tonight the Sens will not look like they are on a power play for whole periods at a time when they face the New York Rangers. After an Andersonian 26 consecutive starts and a bad loss at the hands of New Jersey last night, Henrik Zoolander will get a rest and Martin Biron the OTHER Matthieu Garon gets the nod. Now, playing for the no.1 team in the East, Biron has enjoyed a stellar season going an amazing 11-3-2 this season. Biron also has a .911 PCT and 2.20 GAA. Those are back up numbers you can hang your hat on. So, just because the Crown Prince of the Republic of Handsomeness is warming the bench don’t mean this one is going to be easy.

So, yeah, Ben Bishop is a human man from the United States of America and enjoys goaltending. Not too much to say here yet what with it being his second start here. This goalie preview is a stub, help WTYKYpedia by expanding it! OOH first game on home ice, that’s a thing I can say! So if you find yourself at the game or watching it on television, Ben Bishop is Ottawa’s starting goaltender. Bishop is in for a serious test but if he can hold off the Rangers who are not exactly lacking in the firepower department, that will be huge for him going forward. Also: Water = wet.

A few posts back we, as a family that loves and cares about each other, discussed the possibility of Erik Karlsson netting 20 goals. The basic consensus (self included) was that he probably wasn’t going to do it this year but would more than likely would put up 20 in the next year or two. So, fast forward to this exact moment, King Karl now has 16 goals on the season. He is currently on pace for 19 but as I’ve said before, I find those projections tend to be quite conservative. I mean, now that I think on it, I suppose it would be pretty hard to predict hot and cold streaks so calculating it as steadily as possible seems like the smartest way to go but come here and check this out for a second: 4 more goals people, 4 more frigging goals. Can he inch closer tonight?

Speaking of goal milestones on the year, I would love to see Spezza climb to the 30 mark. He’s done it thrice before but those were in some powerhouse years and for Spezz to do it this year surrounded by a much different cast and a whole lot of rookies would just be special. He could even potentially do it tonight. Its not unreasonable to see Spezza pot two in a game, even against the Rangers. Great to see Turris and Greening get on the board against the Bolts, this would be an absolutely ideal time for frankly anyone who done need heating up to heat up. Hopefully Michalek wont be too thrown off tonight by there being a goaltender in the net.

Thinking back to the last couple of games the Sens and Rangers have played I’m not sure if the Rags they were quite east coast dominators they are now back then. Maybe they were but I always feel like the Sens have a chance against them. Its funny when you consider these teams respective places in the standings as Ottawa’s top line centre in Jason Spezza has 72 points while NY’s Brad Richards has 45 (three less than 39 year old Daniel Alfredsson) and Erik Karlsson has more points than everyone on the Rangers roster. But a quick glance at how those points are spread out over the team, the defense corps and the performance of their goaltending tandem offer a strong case for why they are challenging for the President’s Trophy. At the very least tonight we’ll get to see Biggitty Ben Bishop’s sample size that we will judge him intensely on grow.

 

Enjoy the game!