Sens

[Shivas Irons]

Hasek will start tonight which may, or may not, give the team more confidence.

The reports I have read today say Hasek will not be playing.

[LobWedge]

I'm amazed that Sens fans were thinking right from the start that this would be a cakewalk, and that Ottawa should be blowing out the Sabres every game. The fact is Buffalo, who ended up as the 4th seed in the conference, only finished 3 points behind the Sens in the regular season. The Sabres are a very good team.

That being said, the whole 1 thru 8 seeding thing is a major misnomer. Just look at the western conference this year. The 8th seed is still better than 7 other teams in the conference, so they're not the worst team, they're actually middle of the pack, and when the playoffs start, they're all at square one.

The bottom line is, right now the Sabres are playing with a greater sense of urgency and desire. I'm not saying that Ottawa has no desire, just that Buffalo has more.

There's nothing saying that the Sens can't go on a 4 game winning streak. Remember Ottawa fans, as the great Yogi Berra once said, "It ain't over till it's over..."

[jbrace]

Hasek will start tonight which may, or may not, give the team more confidence.

Hasek is NOT playing tonight. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=165555&hubname=nhl

[el tigre]

There's nothing saying that the Sens can't go on a 4 game winning streak. Remember Ottawa fans, as the great Yogi Berra once said, "It ain't over till it's over..."

Yeah, but there is big difference in your confidence level when you play crappy and lose and when you play well and lose.

When you play crappy and lose, you know you can play better and hopefully you do. At least you feel that you are in control.

When you play well and lose, you tell yourself that it doesn't work out that way very often. When it starts to work out that way very often (as it has in the playoffs the last few years), your confidence wanes and you put pressure on yourself to be perfect. Nobody's perfect - especially when they're holding their stick in a death grip.

I agree that the Sabres are a very good team that is under-rated. I knew this would be a tough series, but the Sens do not deserve to be down 3-0. They could just as easily be up 3-0, although a 2-1 lead for somebody is more indicative of the play of both teams in the series.

Hopefully they can win tonight, and then we'll see. Stranger things have happened.

[LobWedge]

Okay Sens fans, here it is! The Leafs fan (me ), is predicting a Sens victory tonight! There will be a game 5 on Saturday at the bank!

[Ginker]

Its not over till its over boys.. Don't give up yet!!!

[fireice]

Some desperate hockey by the Sens tonight. Should make for great entertainment. Will see what the boys are made of, start with a victory tonight and play one game at a time. We must still have hope.
Go Sens Go.

[dbleber]

If they play like they did last night, most of them will be free for the forum golf day!

Can't blame the goalie for everything, lack of defense, BAD passing and not taking quality shots on net, just don't win you very many hockey games.

Looks like there playing a game of shinny and not playoff hockey.

[jonf]

I see this series a little differently. In Game 1 both teams played sloppy with lousy goaltending, but the Sens still had the edge in play and should have won. They gave it away instead. In Game 2 the Sens totally dominated the game but Buffalo scored on their few chances and Miller stood on his head. Again the Sens should have won but they didn't. I would give the edge to Buffalo in Game 3 - the Sens played well at times but the Buffalo played their best game of the series and deserved the win.

Should have won game one? I know what you're trying to say, but should haves don't make sense. Meszaros should have had the intelligence not to pinch, Redden should have played the pass, Emery should have covered it up, Volchinkov should have done anything but what he did. But, none of them did. When you play that horrendously, you do not deserve to win. They didn't look like they deserved to make the playoffs in that game. They looked like a punch of Junior B kids on defense. That arena must have absolutely reeked, because there were about a million brain farts in that game, most of them Ottawa's.

Ottawa may have carried play, but they have made big stupid mistakes where buffalo has not. It is the big plays that determine games, and Ottawa has been on the wrong end of all of them. They dominated game two, but allowed two goals on really bad turnovers with sloppy defending. Buffalo didn't play a perfect game, but they played solid defence, and really didn't allow any high quality scoring chances. All a team like buffalo needs is two or three odd man rushes and they will be ahead, and ottawa has been giving those up left and right, on stupid stupid turnovers. Not to mention the fact that Ottawa seemed to forget how to raise the puck. Miller played great, but the sens couldn't hit the top half of the net at all.

Dominating offensively doesn't matter if you don't dominate the scoreboard, especially when your defense is prone to giving up stupid turnovers that result in goals. Ottawa should not have won any of their games. They have been playing like complete crap. Its really disgraceful how such a great team can just fold in the playoffs. That said, its not over until the other guys have 4 wins. If any team can, in theory, turn it on at a moment's notice and go on a tear, its the Sens.

[Big Johnny69]

Looks like the Sens have staved of elimination for a day or so. Great, now we get the boot at home.

Sens got lucky. First period was real good. Second period could've been disasterous. Third was fairly even.

They need to play that desperate for the rest of the series to have a chance.

[jonf]

I think that was just the type of game ottawa needed to win - a close game that they didn't fully deserve to win. Will boost their confidence, as well as Emery's, who saved them in the last couple of minutes. He stole that game for them in the second and the late third, and that may be just what the doctor ordered. Still a long way to go, but its a good start.

[Barnie]

Great, now we get the boot at home.

What's with Ottawa fans. After winning a game can't we come up with something better than this. Stand behind the team and show them some confidence people. Does anyone ever wonder maybe the team has problems stepping it up in playoffs because of the pathetic fan reactions this city offers. Step it up boys and take this in 7. Some people here still believe!

[Big Johnny69]

I'm a true Sens fan Barnie, but I'm also a realist. And nothing in their past playoff accomplishments have shown me that they have the desire and intensity to come back in this series. If anything tonight was a pride game, "Hey, at least we weren't swept."

I'm fully behind this team, but past history has shown me that we could possibly be in for a huge let down. Buffalo tonight still showed me they wanted it more. They never had a let down in the game. The Sens almost lost the game in the second period. Buffalo is just hungrier for this. Just my opinion and observations.

[jonf]

I try to believe, and still am for this year...but in all fairness, they make it awful damn hard. The fans have believed for a lot of years and seen great teams turn into crap in the playoffs. Here's to a turn around on the back of some great goaltending and a hockey clinic a-la mikey fisher.

[Law]

I try to believe, and still am for this year...but in all fairness, they make it awful damn hard. The fans have believed for a lot of years and seen great teams turn into crap in the playoffs. Here's to a turn around on the back of some great goaltending and a hockey clinic a-la mikey fisher.

couldn't have said it better myself.

[B Nation]

Buffalo tonight still showed me they wanted it more. They never had a let down in the game. The Sens almost lost the game in the second period. Buffalo is just hungrier for this. Just my opinion and observations.

Based on what? At the end of the day the score is all that matters, so when you see Buffalo up 3-1 it is so easy to say "The Sens just don't want it enough." And Buffalo does??

Have you guys been watching this series, or do you just tune into the highlights?Did you watch games 1 and 2? Neither team played particularly well in Game 1, but Buffalo was atrocious and very lucky to win that game. Game 2 was pure Miller and some bad breaks, Ottawa pretty much dominated, Buffalo just sat back and tried to hang on for dear life. Games 3 and 4 have been a lot more even, but you'll have a very hard time convincing me that Buffalo has outplayed the Sens all series long.

[Big Johnny69]

Never said Buffalo has outplayed Ottawa all series long. Just mentioning that the Sens had their usual lull again last night where as Buffalo kept coming at them all night. If the Sens ever decide to play 60 mins the way Buffalo plays 60 mins of hockey I don't think too many teams could keep up with the Sens.

Way too many times I've seen this team just put it into coast mode, and the second period was like that. Where did all the hustle and intensity from the first period go? Did they think because they had a lead they were safe? You are playing for your playoff lives and you come out with that kind of effort in the second period.

Put it this way, the Sens played well in the first period. I think they might've even shocked the Sabres a little with their play. If anyone watched the interview with Brian Campbell he even said its not so much that the Sens were that much better but that they were just sloppy in the first period. And so the Sabres adjusted and came out aggresive in the second and the Sens couldn't answer. But it never should have been like that. The Sens should've continued trying to take it to the Sabres, but they didn't. They just sat back and tried to survive. New coach or not, I see the same tendancies.

[jonf]

Last night was a game in which Ottawa should have come out flying. Down 3-0, you can't let yourselves be outshot 16-3 in the second period when you've got a lead. I would agree 100% that up to this point, Buffalo has looked the hungrier team. Game 1, neither team played particularly well, I agree, but buffalo was not atrocious compared to ottawa. That game saw the most giveaways and odd=man rushes against the sens that i've ever seen. Game 2 - Bad breaks? Since when is a terrible giveaway at the blueline on a cutesy pass a bad break? or a bad pinch? I have all the hope in the world that Ottawa will come back, but that does not mean that I can't be realistic about the way they have played so far - very poorly. Those games are done, and game 5 is a new game, but I'm not going to simply ignore the fact that they've played like crap so far.

[B Nation]

Never said Buffalo has outplayed Ottawa all series long. Just mentioning that the Sens had their usual lull again last night where as Buffalo kept coming at them all night. If the Sens ever decide to play 60 mins the way Buffalo plays 60 mins of hockey I don't think too many teams could keep up with the Sens.

Way too many times I've seen this team just put it into coast mode, and the second period was like that. Where did all the hustle and intensity from the first period go? Did they think because they had a lead they were safe? You are playing for your playoff lives and you come out with that kind of effort in the second period.

Put it this way, the Sens played well in the first period. I think they might've even shocked the Sabres a little with their play. If anyone watched the interview with Brian Campbell he even said its not so much that the Sens were that much better but that they were just sloppy in the first period. And so the Sabres adjusted and came out aggresive in the second and the Sens couldn't answer. But it never should have been like that. The Sens should've continued trying to take it to the Sabres, but they didn't. They just sat back and tried to survive. New coach or not, I see the same tendancies.

The game last night was pretty even dude, very difficult to say that Buffalo played 60 mins after watching there 1st period. What is Campbell going to say? That they are better than us.

Buffalo is a very good team... in fact if you throw away the 1st 5 games of the reg season, they had a better record than us. People in Ottawa assume that we are by far the best team, and all we need to do is put a little effort in and we'll dominate. Thats far from the truth. Teams as good as the Sabres are going to carry the play from time to time, they are a very skilled team. When one team carries the play, the other inevitably is going to look they are on their heels. I The last two games in particular have been very close with both teams carrying the play at different points in the game.

I haven't seen Buffalo either A) show more desire or B) play a more decidedly complete game than Ottawa, yet.

sorry

[jonf]

Apart from the first game where the offence was good and the defence atrocious, Ottawa has yet to play anything close to a solid game. Their passing has been terrible, when it exists. They have been unable to score or raise the puck. They have looked sloppy on defence. The very few times they have had an odd-man rush, they have screwed it up. Neither team is playing a great series, I will agree, but Buffalo, in comparison, is playing much better. I can live with Buffalo beating Ottawa if we play to our potential, and they just come out and beat us. I have yet to see Ottawa even come close to reaching that potential.

[B Nation]

Yeah, but there is big difference in your confidence level when you play crappy and lose and when you play well and lose.

When you play crappy and lose, you know you can play better and hopefully you do. At least you feel that you are in control.

When you play well and lose, you tell yourself that it doesn't work out that way very often. When it starts to work out that way very often (as it has in the playoffs the last few years), your confidence wanes and you put pressure on yourself to be perfect. Nobody's perfect - especially when they're holding their stick in a death grip.

I agree that the Sabres are a very good team that is under-rated. I knew this would be a tough series, but the Sens do not deserve to be down 3-0. They could just as easily be up 3-0, although a 2-1 lead for somebody is more indicative of the play of both teams in the series.

Hopefully they can win tonight, and then we'll see. Stranger things have happened.

I missed this post when I was reading this thread earlier.

These are my sentiments exactly.

[fundonny]

Fact is ottawa is down 3-1, and likely not to move on. Who played better in those games is irrelevant.

[Big Johnny69]

The game last night was pretty even dude, very difficult to say that Buffalo played 60 mins after watching there 1st period. What is Campbell going to say? That they are better than us.

Buffalo is a very good team... in fact if you throw away the 1st 5 games of the reg season, they had a better record than us. People in Ottawa assume that we are by far the best team, and all we need to do is put a little effort in and we'll dominate. Thats far from the truth. Teams as good as the Sabres are going to carry the play from time to time, they are a very skilled team. When one team carries the play, the other inevitably is going to look they are on their heels. I The last two games in particular have been very close with both teams carrying the play at different points in the game.

I haven't seen Buffalo either A) show more desire or B) play a more decidedly complete game than Ottawa, yet.

sorry

I'm as big a Sens fan as the next guy. But have you not been listening to all the analysts as well. The guys on TSN last couple of nights have been wondering where the Sens team from the regular season has gone. And I tend to agree with them. Chara has played no where near as well as he could. Where's the Havlat from the first round? And just where's Heatley, apart from the first game of the series. I really wish everyone on the team would play with the grit and determination that Fisher plays with. I'm hard pressed to recall a game where he didn't give it his all.

The first game aside, the Sens deserve to be down 3-1. Granted they did play better in game two but the Sabres still made the most of their chances.

If we could infuse the heart of Fisher in everyone we would stand a good chance of coming back. But most likely it will be a case of too little too late.

[larry]

Ottawa outplays Buffalo the first 3 games an ends up 3 down. Last night Buffalo plays their best game of the series and loses. Go figuer.

[Shivas Irons]

New coach or not, I see the same tendancies.

I agree, and believe this, and not Emery's abilities, is the most disconcerting part of the Sens playoff performance.