Sloppy Senators

[Big Johnny69]

Have you ever seen a team so poor in offensive zone creativity? On the rush probably not a better team in the league. But man oh man do they hurt when they have to set up in the offensive zone. Spezza loves trying to go cross ice from the half boards or just dump it into the middle. They were 0/8 on the PP with only 9-10 shots. You have to at least get three to four shots per PP to create enough chances. Being a Sens fan it is tough to watch such poor play from such a talented team.

This isn't just a one game observation. I try to watch every Sens game on tv and if you notice most of their goals come in transition. Very few from solid movement of the puck from within the offensive zone. Yeah, yeah they get 30-40 shots per game but lots of them are mid to long range shots with no one in front of the net. Where has Neil gone on the PP to create traffic? Here's hoping Murray can find a solution. Don't ge me wrong I pleased with the start to the season but they have to do something or they will lose more games like tonight throughout the season.

[jonf]

At least Heatley kept his scoring streak alive. Just 66 more games left until he hits the 82 gamer that I predict

[Andru]

Guys

They're not going to be great at everything. They're not going to win every game. It's hockey there's another team on the ice doing things defensively to kill that offensive zone dominance. And in case you haven't noticed Ottawa's a little weak down the middle.

Will it stop them from winning the cup? Not likely, but they're going to have to play hockey to win it. That includes the dirty work in the corners.

[broken27]

one main thing that stood out to me tonight:

Spezza - SOFT passes as opposed to CRISP passes through the middle.

But give Gerber credit. He was IN the net....lol....

Dan

[NoBack]

But give Gerber credit. He was IN the net....lol....

Dan

Yeah and he stopped 35 shots plus there was 22 shots blocked and another 25 missed the net.

[Andru]

one main thing that stood out to me tonight:

Spezza - SOFT passes as opposed to CRISP passes through the middle.
Dan

Ice looked crappy.

[Hank Hill]

Ice looked crappy.

I thought that too, but dismissed it, surely the Sens own ground crew would not make the ice bad as it would hurt the Sens speedy play, would they?. 5 or 6 players blew a tire in the corner just to the right of the goal that Hasek was keeping in the 1st period.

Yes the powerplay was poor and it's awful to see them lose, but better to get the kinks worked out now in the regular season than to start second guessing in a game 5 or 6 of the playoffs.

Funny thing is that Ottawa produced a lot more scoring chances on the PK than on th PP.

As long as Toronto don't acquire Gerber for the playoffs we're okay .

[Big Johnny69]

Funny thing is that Ottawa produced a lot more scoring chances on the PK than on the PP.

That's because of their high pressure and team speed. They know it will put pressure on the opposing team and create mistakes. The Sens are an unbelievable team in transition. Quick passes and lots of speed but when they get in the offensive zone (PP or five on five) and things start to slow down a little it looks like they get a little hesitant. Things aren't happening fast enough and they rush/force things. Spezza last night on two PPs was looking for Chara cross ice with two Hurricanes and one of his guys between him. He should know better that the pass will never get there. But even five on five they struggle. And you can see what happens when they don't get control of the puck in their own end. There was a stretch last night in the third period where the Sens couldn't get out of their end properly and Carolina dominated them. For the Sens it all starts there, if they get out of their zone with speed look out, but if a pass bounces here or there they scramble too much. But like Hank said, better to fix it now than in the post season. Because that is the type of play they'll encounter in the post season and if they don't smarten up it will be another short post season for the Sens.

Anyways that is how I see it. I am not a pro analyst but I have been around the game long enough (26 years) to format somewhat of an opinion. Go Sens Go!

[Hank Hill]

Spezza last night on two PPs was looking for Chara cross ice with two Hurricanes and one of his guys between him. He should know better that the pass will never get there.

Yeah it looks like they are trying too hard to produce the perfect tic-tac-toe play to make a highlight reel. Truth is, most PP goals are from shots from the point that are screened and redirected or tipped in front of the goalie. I think Murray has to take Spezza aside and let him know that his no-look and behind-the-back passes are all fine and well but he has to chose when to use them and not try them every time he gets in the zone. I shudder to say this but Murray should show the Sens a tape of the Leafs powerplay. Nothing fancy, just work a pass to the point where McCabe slaps it on goal while the likes of Tucker gets in the way of the goalie. Easy as that, no spinaramas, not dipsy doodles, no blind passes, just pass and shoot on net. Get Neil back on the PP right infront of the goalie and the PP goals will soon flow.

[Shivas Irons]

But give Gerber credit.
Dan

Gerber was outstanding and was the main reason the 'Canes won the game. As a Sens fan I'm not really concerned, they got beaten by via great goaltending just as they did last time they played Carolina. Obviously the power play needs some tinkering though.

[Andru]

I thought that too, but dismissed it, surely the Sens own ground crew would not make the ice bad as it would hurt the Sens speedy play, would they?. 5 or 6 players blew a tire in the corner just to the right of the goal that Hasek was keeping in the 1st period.

Yes the powerplay was poor and it's awful to see them lose, but better to get the kinks worked out now in the regular season than to start second guessing in a game 5 or 6 of the playoffs.

Funny thing is that Ottawa produced a lot more scoring chances on the PK than on th PP.

As long as Toronto don't acquire Gerber for the playoffs we're okay .

Yeah the ice loked bad not the crews fault they're getting ready for an event like a concert. Look for more bad ice thursday after aerosmith tonight.

[dbleber]

Yeah it looks like they are trying too hard to produce the perfect tic-tac-toe play to make a highlight reel. Truth is, most PP goals are from shots from the point that are screened and redirected or tipped in front of the goalie. I think Murray has to take Spezza aside and let him know that his no-look and behind-the-back passes are all fine and well but he has to chose when to use them and not try them every time he gets in the zone. I shudder to say this but Murray should show the Sens a tape of the Leafs powerplay. Nothing fancy, just work a pass to the point where McCabe slaps it on goal while the likes of Tucker gets in the way of the goalie. Easy as that, no spinaramas, not dipsy doodles, no blind passes, just pass and shoot on net. Get Neil back on the PP right infront of the goalie and the PP goals will soon flow.

The Leafs don't really have a choice but to be simple! If Spezza would shoot after he made an awsome play he would lead the team in goals right now. I spend half of the game yelling at him to shoot the stupid puck and I'm a huge Spezza fan.

[Hank Hill]

I spend half of the game yelling at him to shoot the stupid puck and I'm a huge Spezza fan.

Sounds like me He makes some wonderful plays and also some bad bad passes. I don't want him to stop making these potentially game winning plays, but just to pick and choose when he does them, keep the opposition guessing.

[jonf]

The Leafs don't really have a choice but to be simple!

True, but you can't argue with results. First in the league at 25 percent on the power play. Its all about results, not how pretty it looks. Their power play is the only thing keeping them alive this season, and it is working wonders.

[broken27]

That's because of their high pressure and team speed. They know it will put pressure on the opposing team and create mistakes. The Sens are an unbelievable team in transition. Quick passes and lots of speed but when they get in the offensive zone (PP or five on five) and things start to slow down a little it looks like they get a little hesitant. Things aren't happening fast enough and they rush/force things.

Pretty much totally agree with this, although I'd add one thing to highlight the transition game aspect, and it was brought up tonight on the pre-game show on Team1200.

When the Sens are flying (which is usually when their pk is on), they are never caught standing around. They are the best team at going from 0-100% speed in the NHL at the moment, and you will notice that the very first thing a knowledgeable hockey coach will teach you is there: Never stop, turn. It maintains momentum and keeps you from having to re-accelerate as much.

Dan

[jonf]

the streak is alive...hossa who?

[sensfan63]

Alright, everyone back on the bandwagon...4-1 over the Panthers.

Sometimes Ottawa fans make me nauseous...

[Big Johnny69]

Never off the band wagon, just pointing out some team faults. Which I might add, were still present last night. Better PP but still a little sloppy 5 on 5. They are improving though.

[jonf]

Alright, everyone back on the bandwagon...4-1 over the Panthers.

Sometimes Ottawa fans make me nauseous...

Just because Ottawa fans don't think their team is infallible doesn't mean we're bandwagon jumpers - being aware of problems is better than pretending you don't have any.

[sensfan63]

Right, and Bryan Murray is much more aware of these faults than we are...him being an NHL coach and all.

Anyways, they're beating everyone down, and they finally beat Carolina. No cause for concern, let's just hope that all the injuries are going to be minor ones.

[covanant]

The bigest problem in Ottawa right now is the fans expecting the cup.
You can not "expect"anything in hockey.
If Ottawa does not win,fans will be saying "fire the coach"
The playoffs are not the same as the reg. season,anything can happen.
Including upsets.
That to me is what a bandwagon fan is.

[jonf]

I think its unfair to say that anyone expects the cup. I'm hopeful, and I expect them to contend. I will be disappointed if they can't muster a decent run at it. No one will be asking fror bryan murray's blood if they make it into the third, or at least the second round. But if a team who dominates during the season gets ousted by a far inferior team in the first round, you have to make changes - especially if it's happening repeatedly. It's not like Martin didn't have plenty of chances - he just couldn't make it work.

[Big Johnny69]

Well its still early in the third period but this game looks vaguely familiar to another one this week. The Sens just haven't seemed interested in the last couple of games. Very rare this season have you seen the Sens get out hustled and out worked in back to back games. If it wasn't for Hasek tonight the game would be a whole bunch worse! Hope they get back to some high speed, high scoring hockey soon, this stuff is just terrible to watch.

No sooner than I post this do they go and score, but it might the case of too little too late. Hope they come back though.

[davevandyk]

3RD period was better for them, Marty keep the game out of reach for the devils. If they would have played the whole game like the 3rd, they would have won this thing.

Ah well, at least they get a pick-me-up game against the AHL Penguins in their next match-up!!

[Big Johnny69]

Apparently 3 of their next 7 games are against the Pens. Hopefully it doesn't give them a false sense of security.

I agree the 3rd was better, but really only the last 12 minutes or so. They need a strong 60 min performance in the next game to regain what looks like lost confidence. They'll turn it around, just a matter of when.

[jonf]

the name of this thread should be changed to "Spezza is never allowed to touch the puck in his own zone EVER"