What Should Senators Fans Be Thankful For in 2012?

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Answer: the rest of the Northeast Division (minus the Bruins)

The Senators, now in a golden age of Reasonable Expectations, can only compare positively to most of their Northeastern brethren.

As I’ve already written about on this blog, the Sabres stink. Not just as a matter of luck, but to their very core, as if to stink is to answer an existential quandary. It’s their identity. How else do you explain their blind faith in Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier after so many years of mediocrity? The commitment to players like Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad and the disgusting Patrick Kaleta? Pegula might get around to firing Regier, which then makes the firing of Ruff possible, but the damage is already done. They’re only in the first year of those brutal Erhoff and Leino contracts. Imagine how much more awful this team will be with about $10M coming off the cap next year. I can’t wait for them to pay Alex Semin all that money, only to conclude once again that “it will all depend on Ryan Miller!”

In Toronto, Brian Burke needs about four assistant GMs so that he can continue to make asinine decisions based entirely on his all-important sense of integrity, whether it be not to avail himself of the mechanisms permitted under the CBA, or to impose restrictions observed by no other team, or to, ludicrously and hilariously, renew Ron Wilson’s contract for absolutely no discernible reason beyond their apparent friendship and shared values. For this he is the highest paid GM in the history of the sport. If they miss the playoffs again by a few points, their story will become the stuff of Greek tragedies.

And then, finally, there’s Montreal, AKA Bizarro Land, where some actually fantasize about bringing back the GM who traded for Gomez, and signed Camalleri and Gionta, and where it falls well within the confines of etiquette and reason to set police cars on fire no matter what the results of a game. Every decision they make this season results in a worse team than the day before. Two more months and they’ll be having discussions about buy-outs and blowing it up. Except that it’s Montreal, so they’ll talk about Rocket Richard and then also put in a bid for Alex Semin.

Toronto and Montreal are both subject to the same temporary insanity we’re accustomed to with all large market teams. Philadelphia and New York act no saner. Theirs are systems with tyrant leaders, whose intuition is treated as scripture, whose credibility in the old boys’ world of hockey is capital. That Buffalo now aspires to be one of this group is just amazing. Let them sit at the popular kids’ table and eat each other alive.

If it wasn’t for Boston, who right now are basically invincible, the Northeast would be the most schizophrenic, irrational, hopelessly lost in all of hockey. And as Ottawa enters the 2nd year of their accelerated rebuild, we should pause and give thanks. They’ll be right where they are now as our window of contention opens, living their perpetual crisis. I can’t wait for it.

James Day Preview: Ottawa Groupons Vs. Florida Grey Poupons

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OH. You thought you wasn’t gon’ see ME? I’m the Osiris of this blog! See, just because it’s the Happy Hollandaise, doesn’t mean the WTYKY machine is sleeping in until 4 in the afternoon, half eaten KFC double down in each hand. No. Whatever gave you that impression? Is it because we don’t really post on weekends or is it the fact that I’m only wearing less than fresh jogging pants right now?  Whatever your problem is, fear not; let me be your spirit guide for a very special James Day Preview.

Tonight we get another look at the Florida City Big Cats as our beloved boys in whatever jersey colours they are wearing tonight play host at The Nova Scotian Financial Services Building. Take a look at all of those Floridian faces and remember ‘em because  according to the NHL realignment plan they will become our BITTER rivals when they join us in the Bridgestone Tires Presents the Travelocity.ca Division next year…well, just until our impending demise in The Mayan Apocalypse of December of the 2012 season that is. I DON’T REMEMBER WHAT EXACT DAY, ALRIGHT! WHAT AM I, MADE OF PREDICTING THE END OF THE WORLD? …

So, GAME TONIGHT, right?  Did anyone else get that Groupon deal for 5 tickets and 5 $10 dollar vouchers for the Precious Times Relaxment Massage Parlour on Montreal road? Stop by and say hello to the whole WTYKY family as we will be on hand in what I imagine will be seats that are located in the last row of a very, very hard to sell section!

You may remember the last time these two teams met the game was of the exciting variety. Nick Foligno shot candy cane dreams out of his eyes with less than 5 seconds remaining. Which kind of  made sense back then. You know, Sens Rule, Florida Stinks, whatever, case closed. Not so fast, the Island of Misfit Free Agents have since become the new kings of the South Easy (that’s right) division. Thanks in no small part to their solid play/coaching and Washington’s signature blend of Deluxe Bed Shittery they now sit in 3rd overall in the East. Yikes right? Mmm I don’t know, I think this is going to be a pretty good little game actually.

Okay, before I get to talking about Kyle Turris *rim shot*
Can I get a small timeout to acknowledge that Daniel Alfredsson has 22 points in 28 games AND IS THIRTY NINE YEARS OLD. He’s also missed time suffering a  concussion this season. Hold me closer Papa Alfie. Wow.

First star of the week, Jason Spezza continues his very impressive run. Another multipoint game could vault him way up in the overall rankings but still far behind leader Claude Giroux who decided out of nowhere that he is Mario Lemieux and is on pace for eleventy billion points. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF just pass Phil Kessel and I’m happy Spezz!

Turris Korner: We are each and every one of us hoping without being overly excited (just kidding I’m a bit excited actually) about seeing another solid performance from new acquision Kyle Turris. I must say, getting a point on a very nice feed to Condra off his own rebound aside, I was pretty damn happy with Turris’ overall performance. Good on both sides of the biscuit, very, very fast, always seemed to be involved with the play when he was on the ice. Keep doin what youre doin white boy.

Special little guy watch continues
With 5 points in his last 2 games, what can be said about the kind of season Erik Karlsson is having? Well, one thing you could say is that he already has more points than Alex Kovalev did as a Senator last year. Ditto Mike Fisher. Ditto Everyone except Jason Spezza this year. He is on pace for over 70 points right now.

On the Florida side, watch out for Brian Campbell who is actually enjoying a good season for a change looks to continue being a Special Grown Up Guy Who Gets Paid A Crazy Amount of Money.

The Net. My favorite 90s movie about tonight’s goaltending matchup:
So even though the Buffalo Sabres are an injury riddled money vacuum, Craig Anderson actually had a quiet little bounce back game on Tuesday. Aside for the one total Snuggle Fabric Softner Bear that he let in. Whatever though, if you let in just one goal that’s fine softie or not. Lets see if he can keep it up  against stiffer competition. Go Craig!

Jose Theodore gets the start in goal for Florida so watch out if it’s a contract year for him because that guy is ALWAYS ON (…when it’s a contract year).

Enjoy the …WAIT …whaaaaaaaaaat
Update: Peter Regin has re-reinjured his re-re-reinjured shoulder and will not play tonight. He is considering surgery. Get well soon, what’s left of Peter Regin’s shoulder/future. Safe to say that no one will be considering pulling on the number 13 for the Senators anytime soon. That has gone…less than smoothly for the young Dane.

Oy that’s depressing news…I want to leave on a bit of a higher note. Did anyone catch Matt Carkner tossing Jason Pomminville to the ice like he was a stuffed WWF Wrestling Buddy for even thinking about crowding the crease after the whistle? It was bad ass. Here’s an artist’s conception via shitty screengrab:

You Don't Mess With The Brohan

AGAIN WITH THIS BY THE FRIGGING WAY!!!

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Hey, Bo$$, need a title for this here Sens/Caps story…OY VEY….but seriously, have you SEEN The Dogman’s TSN profile pic? Feast on THIS….

FIND ME A BETTER PLAYER PICTURE THAN THIS. FIND ME ONE (Brian Elliots weird spit string picture doesnt count. I’m talking wink and moustache class here people)

ENJOY THE GAME!

We complete our Turris trade reactions with the creamy middle

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James

Release the Krackhead…BOOOOOOOOOOOM

I am warming up to this trade I suppose. A huge part of such warming comes with the fact that the trade DONE been made and there’s no undoing it now so might as well think of some of the potential. If you take into account a lot of the prospects looking to move up next season it almost seems like the Sens have two whole sets of teams in the works let alone just a log jam at defense (keeping in mind that Filatov was just sent back to CCCP Srebrenica and DaCosta demoted), the Sens have bodies. I think there’re a lot of exciting players in the mix and logically there’s not room for urrybody. Someone, someone likely very good, was going to get flipped at some point and we as fans would do our jobs and get angry. The real rub of this situation (and I mean in a bad way) is the pedigree and potential of the guy who got flipped. I think if we fans were a week ago leaked the knowledge that a Sens rookie was on the move and asked to make a list of most likely to be traded at the top and least likely at the bottom Rundblad would be more certain to be found in the basement than THIS GUY. Listen, it HURT to hear Rundblad was gone. I got a text from Steven walking down Rideau street and was literally stopped dead in my tracks by the news. I was just saying to someone on Friday night that after attending a few games the last couple of weeks that it appears that once Rundblad can start making his decisions just a split second earlier he could approach Karlsson heights of dominawesomeness. Similar to the Filatov situation before him, I don’t think I’m alone in having the notion that we barely got half a look at the kid’s game. Gone is the organization’s prime prospect AND A Pick. And a pick. You guys, is this the worst or is it not necessarily the worst?

Some people are saying this is Murray cow towing (does ANYONE know what that means? Sound off in the comment section or @wtyky with answers/suggestions) to a playoff push. What? I don’t really see acquiring Kyle Turris as that at all. I think that the deficiency at centre has been the most talked about issue of this season (and the off season: see our HOTTT preseason predictions in the achieves for more! Or don’t!) and Murray has been upfront in communications with the media that he was still looking to add a top 6 forward via trade. Yes, Foligno has been filling in admirably at centre and yes Regin is back and YES DaCosta and Zibanejad (who’s 18 btw) are waiting in the wings but I don’t really believe most NHL GMs think about things like this. I think Murray might see it more as…

1. By around this time last year Spezza was juuuuust about ready to shut ‘er down for an extended period on the IR which saw the team win ONE motherfucking game in a month without him.
2(a). Peter Regin cant even take draws right now because his shoulder has been reconstructed using melted down California Raisins figurines.
2(b) He has a winger who just took TWO knee on knees in a couple days potentially taking draws against the likes of Malkin/Staal, anyone on the Bruins, Scott Gomez (KIIIIIIIIIIIIDDIIIIIIIING but you get the idea)…Im sorry but …yikes
3. Zibanejad looking really awesome but far from ready at 18 years old. Maybe they want to give him 2 years to develop. No need to rush him…like Kyle Turris was uhhh…moving on… Ottawa needed more depth at centre for sure just hot holy shit that was a spicy toaster strudel of a price tag. One sunny side I will offer up about the pain of seeing a 2nd round pick – and this is coming from the guy who has said all year, ‘do what you gotta do Murray just DON’T SURRENDER PICKS, is that … by trade deadline, that pick will be recovered. Right Kuba!?

A lot of bandwidth has been spent on the “Emergence of Jared Cowen” being the impetus of this trade. YOWZERS I hope that’s not the case. That would be on some “what have you done for me lately” type shit that saw Da Costa getting thunderous applause at the introductions at the home opener for scoring one goal and Gonchar and Kuba getting booed for playing poorly in the first week. In the coming years I think we’ll see, as we are seeing now, that Cowen isn’t some Phillips/Carks style shutdownbot 3000. The kid was told to “contribute more offensively” in his last year at Spokane and posted 48 points in 58 games up 18 from a still respectable 30 in 59 the previous season. The kid’s not just a bulldozer, he’s got a little swag. Maybe the organization has more faith in Weircioch than we realize. Maybe this has less to do with blue line mobility and more to do with leaving the offense to King K, Cowen, maybe one other (Gonchar sticking around?) and looking more to bolster the CRYSTAL CLEAR defensive lapses the team suffers from with the likes of Lee, Borowecki, Gryba, Blood…I don’t know. Im just saying…maybe in the end they sold high on….well, an incredible asset.

That said: Maybe they sold stupidly low. I think one of the most painful things in the inevitable comparisons in years to come is that even if Turris works out well, we WILL be forever a touch burned on this trade. In that all Sens fans that are smart and good looking and have the same opinion as me, know that Rundblad is going to be amazing. It will always suck to see him excelling on another team a la Brooks Laich…but maybe more so.
The Filatov debacle is still smarting like …I don’t know…getting kicked in your area by Condoleezza Rice? And this feels like this situations could be Filatov on steroids. To get burned AND lose Rundbald will be…well it will be Bryan Murray’s retirement party no doubt.

So it seems Murray paid up to win the Turris sweepstakes. I suppose that unlike Filatov there were actually sweepstakes to obtain him…so that’s nice. Also unlike Filatov, Turris, I think is a lock for the top 6, more ice time, is not a flight risk and will more opportunity to play, though for his sake I hope they integrate him slowly as there will be a need for some adjustment time. Go easy in the meantime everyone. At least the Sens will improve in the shootout.which should come in handy when Auld is in net. OHHHH and Turris will reportedly be wearing number 7. Sound off in the comment section whether you think this is MORE delicious or LESS delicious than him wearing number 91.

Here we go…

Varada

Most of my thoughts are documented in that hate-tastic rant from the weekend. (And you know I’ve got to hate something to post on a weekend.) But I’ve had a couple of days to think about it, to weigh some of the excellent opinions and reactions on the web, and to consider my position from new perspectives. And yeah. I still hate this trade.
 
I’m excited to see Turris. I’m glad I availed myself of that Groupon for Sens tickets, because now I get to see him in action on Thursday. (Side note: was this trade all a way to sell more Groupons?) Nothing against the kid, center depth is important, and I’ve said all year that it’s only a matter of time before Spezza spends at least a few games hurt, and I’m not sold on Regin as a 20 minute a night man, at which time you either recall DaCosta (playing pretty well in the AHL, by the way) or play Zack Smith as your first line center. So we have options now that we didn’t before. And this is good.
 
But if there was any year that could be sacrificed in the name of having a truly terrifying team 2-3 seasons from now, it’s this one. Yeah, Cowen is playing great, and Karlsson is the new sliced bread. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for Rundblad. It means you can roll a solid defence without having to play your top pairing to death.

As for the whole thing about Gonchar and Kuba coming back…really? Gonchar and Kuba who everyone has been mentally trading in their head from the moment they were brought in? Or maybe one of the best prospects in the game should have been traded because Phillips was re-signed? Ugh.
 
This is a huge risk. Massive. And it might work out, but we don’t even really have a sense of what “working out” looks like. If Turris puts up, what, 30 points, how will we feel? I have hopes for this trade, but the value just doesn’t seem right.

A Slightly More Optimistic Reaction to the Turris Deal

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Right, so every hockey talking head is currently flapping their gums about how Bryan Murray went all Bryan Murray and totally mortgaged the sens promising future/destroyed an orphanage/cancelled Star Trek TNG. I’m here (well, here, not here) to tell everyone to chill out. Armchair GM-mmetry is a staple of hockey fandom and folks have a right to do a bit of head scratching, (okay so my melon is admittedly a bit raw) But let’s see if we can spin this a little more to the positive. Considering how many poop jokes I make I can’t honestly consider myself an actual journalist so any semblance of hockey analysis should be taken with a shot of Wisers (Tryin to get my hand’s on J. York’s hooch money there)

1. David Rundblad is awesome or wait, was awesome, or wait he’s going to be awesome? Totally confused here, it was obvious David was having problems with the lack of time and space big strong NHL forwards are encouraged to impose on young blueliners. This led to an abundance of risky curl-and-drag moves on the opponents blueline. Is this problem insurmountable? Heck no, he’s going to be a good player, that’s not up for debate. What was questionable was how this team was going to impose a defensive system with MacLean being forced to constantly avoid playing Karlsson and Rundblad at the same time. It appeared that having an abundance of risk takers on the back-end was not in Murray’s 2012-2015 strat plan. To me, this boils down to one of those early season fantasy moves, where you either deal from a position of strength or sell high on a guy.

2. The bust as myth. Quick think of any underperforming high draft pick and don’t use the word “bust”. It’s a death sentence in hockey, one that’s all too frequently tossed around. Doesn’t matter what kind of team/system/organization they were drafted to, the ice time or line mates they were provided. Don’t live up to the hype and fail to prove the talking heads right for fawning over you prior to the draft and the onus falls squarely on your shoulders. I can understand how Sens fans might be a bit sensitive thanks to our current relationship with one Nikita Filatov,  but those of you screaming that Filatov never got decent ice time or line mates (yes I just hit Jesse Winchester with a rolled up newspaper) can’t possibly be grading this deal a loss so soon? Filatov and Turris are mutually exclusive.

3. Character issues,  Kyle Turris is a terrible human being. I know right? How dare a young guy over value his production and make an ill-advised career move? What youngster hasn’t made questionable career moves? (not just hockey but in all lines of work) He found his ice time limited and was dangerously close to being labelled a draft bust. So he decided to look out for number one. He used his previous production as leverage. (it’s the only leverage a player will ever get) My point is go ask your boss if you can have more money. Back so soon? What they didn’t think you deserved it? Hmmm, maybe they were wrong about you? Maybe you’re not a team player? Hey what’s that they’re putting in your personnel file? Ruh-roh. C’mon gang, Murray isn’t building a Midget AAA team here, he needs a second line centre with mitts and skill, maybe he won’t end up doing an oil changers commercial or be labelled a room guy (I’m more of a bar guy, if you’re wondering) Character is overrated, most of the talented NHL players are either the product of well orchestrated PR campaigns or tremendous assholes. If it means more points, then bring on the assholes! (do not enter that last line into IMDB!)

4. Future considerations. Think about a few unknowns going into this deal. Particularly with realignment. Murray needs to construct a team capable of winning a playoff series against the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs (gah!) in the not too distant future. Maybe Murray is envisioning a team with top-end talent up front and size on the back end. (not saying Rundblad was tiny but he didn’t exactly play big) Given the big cheese’s propensity to deal this might only be the start. I think the puck moving defenceman experiment might end at Karlsson and Gonchar. Lastly there was quite an incendiary article from professional hockey troll Ryan Lambert on Puck Daddy basically calling the coyotes GM the crown prince of hockey management. My retort is that Phoenix, just like every team that stockpiles young talent, will one day be forced to back up the brinks truck to keep guys. This includes us. Maybe Murray thought he can reason with Turris during negotiating his new deal and thus made this move to avoid the potential disaster of having to decided between Rundblad, Karlsson and Cowan. (and you guys thought Redden v Chara was gut wrenching) If we have to debate between paying our special little guy and our special huge guy James will never get down from the bell tower.

Bottom line is it’s another high risk, potentially high reward type deal. Ottawa has young blueliners in the system and no one close to Turris’ potential in the middle. You want to build a champion, you don’t do it with the Bobby Butler-Eric Condra-Peter Regin-Stephane DaCosta poo poo platter. You swing for the fences, I can live with that.

NOW COME AT ME TROLLS!!!!

I Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate This Trade: A Totally Measured Reaction To the Turris / Rundblad Trade

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One good thing about this trade: TSN dusts off the ol’ “Capital Gain” headline.

Okay, so let’s take the following epithets: “Build from the net out.” “Slow and steady rebuild.” “Five year plan.” And put those in a basket and then just sort of pitch them flaming into the night sky. Because the dream scenario of having three elite defensemen capable of playing 20+ minutes a night, playing solid two-way hockey, and driving the offense for years, of combining them with solid goaltending, and of complementing them with available and affordable 20-goal scorers, is now null. 

It’s not that I don’t agree that the team has its share of depth on the backend, or that forward depth is a priority, or that Cowen and Karlsson are both working out wonderfully, or that the options for the 2nd line center pivot in Zibanejad, DaCosta and Regin are seriously lacking at the moment. It’s just that this isn’t the right time to trade a bluechip prospect, isn’t the maximum yield for that trade, and isn’t the right time for the franchise to be taking on more risk.

It’s the Vermette situation all over again: a good player, who you know you can turn into an asset that will help the team, is flipped in the name of winning now. Like the Vermette trade, this could burn Ottawa in a big way.

Remember where Karlsson was halfway through his first season? Sent down to the AHL for some conditioning, looking small and overmatched, he showed flashes of offensive brilliance but was thought to be a player who might only be used selectively. And if he turned out to only be a powerplay specialist, no one would have minded if he were traded at the time for a player who could “help the team now.” After all, the team had yet to admit that it couldn’t compete. The playoffs were in sight.

And thank god that never happened. Karlsson’s value is now at its height, and he’s a cornerstone of a team rebuild. All the more reason why Rundblad might have become expendable, but two questions:

1) Why trade Rundblad now, after a third of a season, when in a season or two he might be at his most valuable? You’d think Karlsson now might get more than just a Turris-like reclamation project. If Rundblad comes anywhere close to Karlsson’s current state, one thinks he might have gotten much more.

2) Why trade the pick that turned into Tarasenko for Rundblad only to trade Rundblad two seasons later for a player looking less likely to succeed than Tarasenko? If this club is lacking in offense, the players available at the time of the draft might have provided the same services, and without two or three seasons of wasted development.

There’s no doubt that Turris is an elite prospect – or, at least once was – but Ottawa shouldn’t be taking these kinds of risks at this point in the rebuild. Rundblad was as close to a sure thing as you could get. And he’s traded, well before he reaches full value, for a lottery ticket. It’s almost as if the team is caught up in being a bubble team and is fantasizing about that sweet playoff revenue. Gotta pay for that scoreboard, I guess.

Oh yeah, and they needed to throw in a second round pick! Which could very well turn into a very high pick if the team plays more like people expected them to! Perfect.

James Day Preview: Ottawa Senators Vs. Pitt’s Borough Cros’bows

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I taint never scared

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi each and every buddy! Welcome to this thing about tonight’s game! Okay, so, coming off a uhh…less than successful tilt against the Bostonian Brewhahas, the Sens take on the Pennsylvania Penguins in what promises to be an ice bath of exotic delights. Right? That’s a thing. LETS. MOVE. ON.

Mandatory Concussed Star Player Section:
Yeah, we’re all bummed out on this. What’s writing about this going to do? Get well soon, EVERYBODY.

Battle of the marshmallow legs (What? Goalie pads kind of look marshmallowy):
Tonight Craig Anderson makes his…I don’t know…90th start in a row? Does anyone get the feeling that Andy starts a few too many games in a row sometimes? Then as a result he’ll have a bit of a burn out game? Was Boston that game? I don’t know. The defense made some serious flubs against the B’s but on the other side of the meatnormous omelet, for a guy so good at shootouts you think he could stonewall a one on one at least 50% of the time. Anyway, let’s see how it goes, its not like I’m saying lets put (I’m just going to assume former Penguin) Alex Auld in instead. So…let us pray?
Pittsburgh will start good goaltender who I still can’t believe got picked no.1 overall Marc Andre Fluery. Apparently Marc Andre “can’t hurrs what I am saying because he has hisStanley cup ring…pluggings one of his h’ear.”  That said, Tim Thomas, MA Fleuy is not and I as team consultant encourage of the taking of 50 shots like they did against Beantown.

Santa With Muscles:
Last time these two teams met, Nick Foligno engaged in some flumbling AND bumbling all over Fluery. This was amazing to witness because it was during Movember and Foligno could not have looked more like Inspector Clouseau at the time. Fluery was no worse for wear but as you may remember BryMurr got in a bit of a war of words with Penguins star Sidney Cronston after he delivered quite the elbow to the head of our lovable little scamp in retaliation. Foligno was not injured by Sid the Squid (trademark children’s show idea) butMurraypromised to ice the likes of Ziebart Konopka, Matt Carkner and Christmas Neil. Hopefully this results in aLOTof goals. No but seriously bros. Contain Matt Garbagecooke (he cooks and eats garbages) but can we not hurt them on the g’darn scoreboard tonight? That’s all I want. A little scoreo here and there.

Hopes and Dreams:
Spezza take the wheel. Also, get well soon Erik Karlsson’s ability to get his dynamite slapshot to hit the net. Michalek aint there to redirect them no more.

Puck drop is scheduled for the opening faceoff. The game will be broadcast on a television station….Im thinking BET.  

“Lets quit the horseplay and get down to brass tacks, Dracula” – President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

 

You know what? Buffalo sucks. They just suck.

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Varada

Buffalo is one point above Ottawa in the standings, despite spending $15M more than them in salary. And despite often taking the rebuilding Sens to task and just generally eking out some wins to stay in the playoff picture, they’re a team absolutely nobody in the Eastern Conference fears meeting in the playoffs. In 2010 they were talked about as if they were a powerhouse division champions (in a mediocre division), third in the conference, and Boston took care of them like they were bringing a suit to the dry cleaners. It was never in doubt. In 2011, Philadelphia beat them in seven in what seemed to me to be one of the most one-sided seven game series I’d ever watched. Two straight first round exits. Before that they missed completely.

Somehow this team gets talked about the way a child is encouraged by a room full of relatives to believe that he is truly unique, talented, and bound for success. But there’s never been a time watching them I’ve felt like, despite all of their depth, that they played with anything resembling passion, or even a system. They routinely attempt lazy breakouts; the forwards cycle around their own blue line and wait for the puck; their inability to stick up for their goaltender has been well documented. They’ll pull off one beautiful play a game (last night’s tic-tac-to second goal against Ottawa was amazing, I admit it) and the rest of the time it’s like they’re in a skills competition. It must drive Sabres fans crazy.

The blame for this has to be on Lindy Ruff, who’s coached them since 1745. In fact, if ever there was an example of institutional malaise in place, it’s the Ruff / Regier regime, whose idea of putting this team over the top is Ville Leino and Christian Ehrhoff. They’ve got six forwards making at least $4M, and a couple of guys on their third line making between $2.5M-$3.5M. We’ve already seen a half-dozen coaches fired, and if Bruce Freaking Boudreau can be fired by the Caps, then Ruff can be fired by Buffalo. They’re spending the money. And this is still the pillow-soft team we’ve seen year after year. They’ll get killed in the first round again this year. “Unless Miller can steal it for them!” goes the refrain, and I’m sure Miller must be getting tired of being thrown under the bus. A team spending $67M in salary should not hope that their goalie steals them a series.

James

“It’s funny how money change tha situation.” President Glenn Beck said that. In previous seasons when the Sabres were just that sort of middling bunch of hamburger clowns expectations seemed way different. Having a good shot at the playoffs was a great thing for them. Yes, they’ve always had some good players but they were always of that “Connolly, Vanek, Pomminville” variety, meaning: Good players but totally beatable. For a long time now, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Buffalo has been an opponent I don’t respect but damned if I didn’t see them as the “get in Ryan Miller’s kitchen and there’s a 90% chance of victory” house of cards of a team. Even in the blurst of times its felt like the Sens had a real chance at 2 points against them. Now that Rich Uncle Pennybags has bought the Sabres and the 2011 UFA market with them…things are different for Buffalo. They have this team of high skill mercenaries that for the price tag you would almost HAVE to expect the world from. And we know, Ville Leino is going to be an awesome player when he’s a second line scorer on the Flyers but he aint gonna get you deep in the playoffs. Ditto Christian Ehrhoff. Great guy to have in your hockey pool but last night, Colin Greening, who played in the US College system a little over a year ago, got 6 shots past him. Greening putting up Ovechkin numbers of shots against an average Buffalo team? Rough night for the blue line but when they are against a guy who is making that “remember when Heatley was making 10M per year here and a 39 goal year was completely unacceptable” money? You’ve gotta be sweating watching that. Some of those paycheques they have going change everything. Now that we are in the rebuild I see more than ever that I’d rather have an underperforming Peter Regin than an underperforming Scott Gomez. Its hard to avoid of course as Gomez is a former 80+ point guy and a cup champ and Regin is from a country known more for the exports of Lego and pastries than hockey players but those kind of contracts have nearly set players up for failure. In a cap world…try to save that kind of money for generational talent if you can spot it.

To be honest, the Sabres now remind me of the Sens that recently had to be dismantled. Some dangerous players here and there … a little too much money distributed all around making it impossible for team to live up to expectation, too much reliance on one player and if they don’t measure up…they become the scapegoat (Spezza for us, Miller for them). There’s a fair amount of skill on the team but not the kind that has the opposition shaking in their shoes during warmup. Buffalo’s play last night reminded me a little of the “Let’s waste our power play cycling so we can see if Kovalev can fart something cool looking” stuff that had me ripping up my program in frustration watching at SBP. Management wise, Buffalo seems to share the Pre-rebuild Sens’ trademark combination of complacency AND tinkering that had us all calling for Murray’s head last year, though maybe Buffalo has a little more going in the way of young guns getting ice time than the Sens did a few years back.

Speaking of management, I don’t know what Lindy Ruff has pictures of D’Arcy Regier doing but it must be even HOTTER than whatever Bryan Murray has pictures of Melnyk doing! Same set of pictures maybe? But seriously ladies and germs, that guy has enjoyed a more secure tenure than Noam Chomsky at MIT!  *bows and falls on face, while curtain closes over my corpse to everyone’s delight* As Sens fans we know it’s a dangerous game when you have entrenched management, a lot of high priced players (more than a few of them very good) and a perennial “good shot at making the playoffs.” It can lead to some real dragon chasing that can leave you waking up from a few seasons’ too long bender wondering where your pizza line went and what the hell Kovalev’s clothes are doing all over your floor while he’s singing Maroon 5’s “Moves like Jagr” in the shower. As a fan of a divisional rival, I say, keep chasing that dragon Buffalo! Maybe we’ll see you in the upcoming McCain Delicio Rising Crust Pizza Presents New Mediterranean Style Vegetarian Presents Eastern Conference Sector B Playoffs! Don’t run Miller out of town in the meantime!

The Filatov Experiment Ends, for Some Reason

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What a fizzle. In a rebuild year, when you would think this team could afford to gamble on the development of a supremely talented player with incredible pedigree, Nikita Filatov was played on the fourth line with Zenon Konopka as his center, given ten minutes of ice time a game, demoted to the AHL twice, healthy scratched numerous times, and now, finally, is being loaned to the KHL, where Senators management has little hope of monitoring his development or deriving any value whatsoever for the third round pick sacrificed to bring him in.

I don’t know, maybe he’s a coke dealer? What other explanation can there be for the fact that Colin Greening starts game after game on Spezza’s wing–even after going on a mind-numbing cold streak–and Filatov is summarily dismissed by team and fan base alike or lacking the finer points of the game? I can accept that perhaps he hasn’t bought into the system enough. I can accept that his attitude might need an adjustment. I know he needs to get stronger, both with and without the puck. He’s not where he needs to be yet. But if he’s still a prospect, how is this not expected?

Multiple sources are reporting that Ottawa plans to qualify him when his entry-level deal expires after this season, but realistically, what signals have been sent that there’s a place for this high-end prospect on the Ottawa Senators’ roster? Do you get the sense that Filatov has been extended even a fraction of the trust the team’s own picks have received?

It seems already that there are players who have earned the benefit of management’s doubt, and Filatov is just not one of them. There might be plenty of reasons why this is the right decision. But hopefully some measure of communication is extended to Senators fans, who were excited to see what an infusion of skill might bring to a team who is still one Michalek or Spezza injury away from basically getting shut out every night.