Time To Reconnect - A Blog's Return

First off I need to make the following statement:

As it has been said by one of the great wordsmiths of our generation " Don’t call it a comeback I been here for years, Rockin’ my peers, Puttin’ suckers in fear, Makin’ the tears rain down like a monsoon - Listen to the bass go boom" - LL Cool J

The last month or so has been rough and I have just not had the energy to be creative as it relates to this Blog and for that I apologies. To those loyal readers I am sorry for the lack of content and updates and I will try my best to supply you with more sports news and opinions and maybe if all goes well some laughs too going forward. Time got away from me but I am back on the horse and It is time for some brief updates just to ease back into the game as it were.

My boy Jimmie Johnson is only a few points behind leader Denny Hamlin in the NASCAR Sprint Cup going into the last race of the season at Homestead Miami Speedway. This is the closest that the series’ Championship race has been since they changed to the "Chase" format. Also in contention is Kevin Harvick who, despite being more of a dark horse is still in a very good position to sneak up and take the lead an win his first Cup Championship. Jimmie Johnson is going for an unprecedented 5th straight championship and if he was able to pull of that minor miracle he would have to be in the discussion as the greatest driver ever. Sure he is probably one of the tops of all time but to string together a run for "Cinco" would be epic. I love the dynasty and seeing historic moments so I am rooting for that story line to play out but as a realist I think that unfortunately it may now be time for Denny Hamlin’s time to shine.

The World Series was taken again by the team with the best pitching and a surprising timely offence. This time it was the San Francisco Giants. What is the worst most sad aspect of this is that my Braves were 3 Brooks Conrad errors away from ousting the Giants in the Wild Card Round. Who knows what might have happened had they managed that final victory in Bobby Cox’s final playoff appearance...oh what could have been. But it what the "Mitch Kramer" look alike Tim Lincecum that led the team to the victory.

The Lakers are who we thought they were so if you want to crown them, then crown their asses. Kobe is still the man and lets just hope they have enough talent to take the title again. In that same line of thought lets hope the Heat don’t even get a sniff at the finals so we don’t have to deal with LeBron, Dwayne, and their tag along little brother like forward Chris Bosh. They could have saved them self a lot of trouble by just keeping Michael Beasley whom they gave away for nothing and is virtually the same player as Bosh. Granted the Raptors should have got Beasley in the sign and trade but that is just another bad personnel move by people at MLSE.

As for the Ottawa Senators they are in the middle of the pack, right where I figured they'd be. At the beginning of the season I was worried where the offence was going to come from and thus far I still have the same concern. They have a lot of depth on the team but without a true trigger man or two it is hard to get consistent scoring, even from the top players. It has been better of late but there is plenty of room for an upgrade on the first two lines. Only problem with that is that it is so hard to make deals. Getting what they need is far easier said then done. The defence is starting to help out offensively so that is good but you can't presume that that kind of help is going to consistently be there. We are near game 20, a traditional measuring point for a teams success going forward and it is what it is. Guess we will see where the team is at in another 15-20 and re-assess.

The View From The Top

So after local boy Matt Carkner scored the winning goal in game 5 versus the Penguins and Pascall LeClaire decided to be a wall and become a quality goaltender helped make my decision to get a ticket for game 6 back in Ottawa. As soon as the puck crossed the line I was on the computer and attempting to connect to capital tickets. After a few slow periods I managed to get through and after a little panic of forgetting my log in information I managed to get in and secure a seat. That seat was in the Home end in the upper 300’s. Upper being an understatement. It was the last row before standing room but it was one of the best worst seats in the house. It was like being on an isle because I was right beside a pillar and there was an opening from the ledge behind so I only had 1 person to the right and open space to the left so that was a bonus.

I was expecting for there to be a lot of people out early at the Red Zone since it was such a nice day and it was a Saturday playoff game so I figured that I should go early and get situated in the lot and avoid traffic as best I could. So I decided that being in Kanata I couldn’t not get my pre-game meal at Arby’s so with a quick detour I procured a succulent Med Roast Beef Combo including beverage and well seasoned Curly Fries. With that in had I made my way to Scotiabank Place or a mini tailgate with a delicious Arby Sandwich!

Once that was done and listened to the pregame for a bit I made my way to the festivities. Basically I just took it all In but didn’t get too involved as most of the stuff were for the kids and the tent, was not a option as time did not permit it also it was pretty full by that point. (I took a few pics with the cell phone which I will try to post later on). Then entered the building for what I hoped was a successful and entertaining game.

Got to the seat and was pleased to find a nice white Playoff Rally towel on the back of my chair (so it was a good thing that I decided to spring for a seat and not standing room). Little did I know at the time that it would be more for dabbing the eyes after the game rather then waving it in celebration.

Anyone who say the game knows that it started out great and the team came out strong, looked good and looked poised to take the game. Only problem with that is that after a 3-0 lead they seemed to take their foot off the gas and things took a turn for the worse. 1 went in, then another, now we are only up 1 and you could see the ice beginning to slope and the Penguins were gaining momentum and began to out shoot the Sens and Ottawa looked to go into a prevent defence. If we have learned anything from a prevent defence is that all it does is prevent a team from winning. Then the 3rd goal went in late in the third and you could feel that the ceiling was starting to cave in.

At this point things got rough in section 328- There are in fact something worse then French Montreal Canadian fans... I know I wouldn’t have believed it either had I not seen it with my own eyes and heard it for myself. Turns out that French Pittsburgh Penguins fans with Canadian Tallboys are worse. It is one thing to cheer, it is another to be obnoxious little SOB’s. I hate to use stereotypes but these were your typical greasy looking scruffy faced punks that looked like they should be out drinking on the farm, not at a hockey game. Just when I was able to come to grips with that and figured if that was the worse we were doing ok... then it happened, the French guys were topped by a surprising source... This was none other then "Ridiculous Hyper Old Lady Who Thinks She Knows Hockey" This lady was not only opinionated but wrong. The high pitch Squeal did nothing to help her case either. Yelling Shoot when they don’t have the puck is not helpful. Telling them to stop hitting is not the answer to playing aggressive. How she managed from even further up then I was to be so sure that a goal was scored during the second lengthy review was amazing, as she felt the need to make a call on her phone to voice he displeasure to one of her bitty old friends. Worst of all was the yelling/screeching of "SHIT, SHIT, SHIT" every time the Penguins touched the puck like she had a case of Tourette’s syndrome. It was almost as bad as sitting in front of a kid questioning everything at a Globetrotters show. It almost came to the point where I was felt forced to turn around and let her know how classy a lady she was. I don’t know if it was too much wine or not enough but It was trying on the nerves for sure.

As soon as the overtime goal went in was quiet and people began to file out. It wasn’t a bitter or bitchy crowd, just somber. The Sens were the underdogs going in and despite 3 major injuries stood tall versus the defending champs. All in all they played hard and left little on the table, fans seemed to be more forgiving this time around, maybe it was because they missed the playoffs last year and it was good to be back but also the team showed progress and fought strong. Hopefully going forward they can use this to continue to improve.

The final saving grace was that I shot out of the parking lot in record time. It was well timed and well maneuvered and I was in line and out in 4 minutes, a far cry from 1/2 hour, probably a benefit to arriving early.

On a side note the only thing harder to watching you team get eliminated from the first round in 6 games is watching your newly adopted Favorite(s) Western Conference team The Los Angeles Kings also get eliminated in 6 games. Hopefully going forward they can use this to continue to improve as well...but I do loves me some Doughty

Quality Zebra's Becoming Extinct?

With the first round of playoffs well in hand it is just great for the fans. There are a handful of games on every night. You can pick the game/teams that you want to see or you can be the flipper, where you go back and forth between all or some on any given night. With the games being so well contested you are almost assured of getting to see a decently entertaining game whether you like the outcome or not is a matter of personal preference.

With every series being available and seeing most of the teams play one thing is becoming even more and more evident. The refereeing is very poor. It is poor in terms of quality, consistency and the ability to control the game. After watching the Sens game last night I am even more convinced. Now, it has been bad in the Montreal series as well and only marginally better in any of the other series but on the whole... not good. If there is one thing players coaches and fans want is consistency. You can adjust to a tightly called game and you can adjust to a game with little or no calls but it is the grey areas when you don’t know from shift to shift what will be called and what is going to be overlooked. It hamstrings the players from playing aggressive and takes away from the flow of the game. It is frustrating for all involved.

There are some veteran referees that are retiring this year and that is not a good thing. When they moved to the two referee system they had to double the referees that were working in the league and the curve has proved to be steeper then maybe the league would have thought or hoped. A guy like Kerry Frasier may not be well liked but you knew what you were going to get and that goes a long way. When the talent pool is already shallow and not good and you are taking out some of the veterans you are just watering it down even more with rookies. That is not a recipe for success. I fear that it is going to get worse before it gets better.

I don’t know how they are going to fix this when they can’t even decide what some penalty’s are. In the referee’s defence; What is a head shot?? If the league doesn’t know how can the referees? What is a kicked in goal? There is no way that you can direct a puck into the net with your skate and have it not called a direct kicking motion. In slow motion every movement of the leg looks like it is a kick,,, at full speed it is usually just a matter of inches. If a player can make the puck go into the net with your foot I say count it.. provided that the blade stays on the ice, the hinge of that knee can not be the determining factor. Lifting the blade of the skate will need to be looked at like a batter in baseball on a check swing, there can be motion but the wrist has to break and/or the barrel to cross the plate. This is clearly only an argument during video replay because as we have seen the refs on the ice are already missing enough calls to have to add this into the mix.

My Bad

Thanks to all the loyal lookers on my blog. I have been a little negligent with updates and takes. It is especially bad now that the playoffs in hockey are now on as well. I will work to make a greater effort to keep getting some updates up and out!

My only excuse right now, in honour of the playoffs is to say that I have been sick the last week and not a lot of energy to churn out the quality that you are accustom to! So lets chalk that up to an Upper Body Injury and list me as Day to Day. I will get back to the goods as soon as possible.

In the mean time lets Cheer on the Sens and the Los Angeles Kings in their respective playoff series'


Thanks and keep checking back!

When A Goaltender Is Not A Goaltender

While watching the Ottawa Senators game, Chris Phillips took a goaltender interference penalty when the Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller came out of his crease and made a play on the puck. In doing so he was handling the puck with his side to the oncoming Phillips. Phillips ran into the side of him, not with a violent or predatory hit but just a low impact body check that a Pee-Wee player could absorb.

At this point Tyler Meyers come to the 'aid' of his goaltender and somehow Phillips gets 4 minutes and Meyers gets 2 for roughing. I am all for protecting the goaltender but only when he is in his crease, you know the on painted BLUE. If a goaltender can't play the puck in the corners why is he overprotected behind the net. If those line are there to promote offence is what Phillips did not, by rule, a legal hit to a player playing the puck? If anything it should have been 2 for roughing and 2 for instigating on Meyers and nothing or at best 2 min to Phillips even though all he did was attempt to get away and/or defend himself.

If a goaltender is going to put himself in harms way then he needs to expect to be treated like a skater. Gary Galley said on the broadcast that it was the right call...I would argue that it was the convenient call and the one that always gets made, however, that does not make it the right call. Either fix this rule or don't let the goaltenders out of the crease at all. If it is a contact sport you have to allow contact. This is not as difficult to police as head shots, elbows and hits from behind.

Sens Army...Wounded

Mike Brodeur stepped into the Senators lineup and low and behold - pitched a shut out. The Sens took down the Rangers in a battle of struggling offensive teams. Lets not read too much into that. The Rangers have been shut out twice in the last 2 games both by goalies named Brodeur, although one may be a little more seasoned then the other. The next game he started again and he stoned the Habs in Montreal. Boarderline impressive. It was good to see the quick healing Captian Daniel Alfredsson back in the lineup.

The shutout win broke a 5 game losing streak by Ottawa that has seen them fall from a decent 6th place position to 8th and on the brink of falling out of a playoff position...if the season were to end today.... (I hate when people say that).

At this point I am resigned to the fact that the Sens are not the greatest team that they have ever fielded and that they really are not that good. Players at both the pro and minor league level are not top end and that is something that fans here in Ottawa are not used to. The rash of injuries that has hit the team has not done anything to help the situation. When you are not a great team and then you take out some $20 million from your a top scoring line in its entirety and you goal tending, struggling as it may be are out it is tough.

When you have a tough time scoring 2 or more goals a game and your goal tending is considered doing a better job when they allow 4 goals in a game it is no wonder why your team is in a big slide.

The fact that this team continues to lose man games due to injury makes it very hard for line to gel, players to click and in turn play a cohesive game. When, at one point or another you are missing a Spezza, Alfredsson, Michalek and throw in Brian Elliot, Pascal LeClair, Chris Neil and Nick Foligno for a spell it is of little wonder about the woes in Sens Army. It is getting to the point where maybe it is just worth playing out the string of games and become a seller not a buyer and maybe try and position yourself better for the draft and free up some money going into free agency. Clearly there needs to be a restocking of talent in the minors so when we need help some is available and they need some sort of a consistent scoring threat. Maybe that is too much for Bryan Muray to do but if that is not possible he may be closer to the hot seat then ever before.

I don’t want to see the team just give up and mail it in. Hard work and good games are a must but if they have a chance to better themselves for a quick turn around next season then maybe they need to look at that.

Best And Worst Of The Weekend

Best: The Indianapolis Colts passed two dynasties with one win. They have now won 22 straight games in the regular season Passing the New England Patriots and won their 114th this decade passing the mark set by the San Francisco 49ers. The only difference is they have won 1 Super Bowl vs a few more by the other 2 combined.

Worst: Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys lost again in December and are perfectly miserable in the most important month of the regular season. Maybe it is history repeating itself or maybe it is because the NFL wants teams to be in contention until at least Thanksgiving and give out more favorable beginnings of the schedule to have a bunch of wins stockpiled early and then they play better teams in December and are exposed. In any event a loss is a loss and the criticism of Romo are already starting to rumble and gain steam.

Best: Brandon Marshall snagged a record 21 catches. Marshall said after "I believe it was one of those games where, whenever you accomplish something like that, it definitely feels good," he said. "But we have goals, and our only goal is to win games. I’d definitely trade in a couple of those catches for a win."... I’d definitely trade in a couple of those catches for a win?? What does that even mean? I would give up the catches that didn’t go for touchdowns? I know he just meant that it would have meant more had his team won, but that doesn’t do much to change the perception that a Wide Receiver can be a bit of a diva.

Worst: It is basketball season and all I can find on TV is 1 Kentucky Game on Saturday and a Raptors game vs Houston on Sunday?? Granted that NCAA regular season basketball is a nameless and faceless sport, usually until March Madness come around but sometimes there are some engaging games on before that. You watch and game at Cameron Indoor at Duke or the Dean Dome in North Carolina and just the atmosphere of the crowd is enough to keep you interested. Yet another reason that we should have the option for ESPN to be shown or optioned in Canada and not have to purchase a specific pay per view NCAA package. Every time this issue comes up.

Best: NHL Center Ice free preview on Bell ExpressVu. Managed to take in 6 games at the same time on the TV Saturday night with the Ottawa game streamed on the Computer at CBC.ca. With the multi screen option that is offered, it gave a nice variety and options without having to change the channel. Sure each frame is a bit small then one might like but being able to see all the games live at the same time is cool. Having the little goal light with real time updates was an added benefit. It is still very sad that it was clearer to watch the Sens game on the computer then on the Standard Def feed on CBC Ottawa.

Worst: There were 2 scary injuries that were suffered by a couple athletes over the weekend. Former Senators goaltender Martin Gerber suffered a serious injury playing for Atlant Mytischi of the KHL. Apparently Gerber was involved in a collision during a game against Vityaz Chekhov and left the ice on a stretcher. He was diagnosed with a compression fracture of one of his cervical vertebra and could be in hospital for two months. Then there was Cowboys defensive stalwart DeMarcus Ware who was carted off the field on a stretcher during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Chargers with a reported sprained neck. He had full movement and gave several hand gestures but was otherwise immobilized for safety reasons. Both are collision games but you never want to see a stretcher on a playing surface.

What Grinds My Gears!!

Now I know that I may be "sampling" the title from a few sources including another blogger but in a case like this I think that it is not only warranted but may even be embraced.

You know what Grinds My Gears? You CBC and CRTC ... F#^% You - When the Toronto based CBC shows a crappy Leafs Game in HD and not the Ottawa-Montreal game I get a bad taste in my mouth.

The Montreal Canadians are playing the Ottawa Senators on a Saturday Night. This is good, after all it is Hockey Night in Canada. What is better then the most successful team in NHL history versus another great Canadian team from our Nations Capital? I can tell you what it should be and that is the availability of the game being shown in HD. This is the most ridiculous thing I have seen in some time. What game does the CBC decide to show...the NY Rangers and the WINLESS Toronto Maple Leafs.

So when you have 2 Canadian teams facing off that are not only divisional rivals but separated by a mere 200 or so kilometers on a Saturday night, on a Canadian network and you show a winless team who is in such a bad place right now that their practices now consist of playing dodge ball on the ice with tennis balls.

What just made things worse, just this second... they were just interviewing Tomáš Plekanec and it was Cassie Campbell conducting the interview. Yeah, I was just robbed of seeing Cassie in High Def.

Ok, sorry, back to the issue at hand. I was recently notified by Bell that I am now going to be charged monthly for a local television fee. First off there is no "local tv" they don't even have the Ottawa CTV on my satellite, I get the news and like Regional Contact or something on some alternate channel. All the other "local programming" is simulcast programs from American networks. That is a far cry from local. If I am going to be charged for local programming, which I am already paying for I would think that a Senators-Canadians game should apply. I don't think that is too much to ask. I have had a big issue with the CRTC and how limited the options are when watching sports and getting sports channels and it is just getting worse. It is just like having games blacked out. I know that that is partly the sports leagues bylaws but I still think that if I am paying for Sportsnet West and there is a Flames-Oilers game I should have the right to watch it.

AND THAT IS WHAT REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS

Who's Shooting & Who's Scoring

In an ode to the immortal Elvis Presley last night it was- One for the money, Two for the show, Three to get ready, Now Go, Dany, Go. Only difference is that Dany’s shoes are now Teal or perhaps a Sea foam Green and not Blue Suede. In the San Jose Sharks home opener the newly acquired winger Dany Heatley hit the ice with his stick afire. He gave the home fans just what they wanted to see...a goal and then followed that up thricely netting himself a Hat Trick. Not a bad way to welcome yourself to a new team, new city and new fan base.

After a summer of turmoil, speculation, questions and complaints nothing could have been better for not only Heater but for the Sharks. Joe Thornton ended the night with 4 assists and the line of Heatley, Thornton and Setoguchi looks to have clicked so far.

This was almost just as bad as it could be for his old club, the Ottawa Senators. Seeing what they are missing and what could have been can be nothing but a kick in the "pads". Sure they managed to squeak out a victory over the NY Islanders 3-2 in overtime but when you not only look at the difficulty that they had with a lesser opponent but also the struggle to score.
Granted that it is still VERY early in the season but not too early to tell that this team is going to have major difficulties scoring. The top looking lines have been the "energy lines" or "3rd and 4th lines". They are outplaying the others enough that the coach even rewarded them with power play time. The top lines don’t look like they are great at creating a lot of offence and nor does the rest of the team. Just take a snap shot of the 2 regular time goals that were scored. The Peter Regan goal was a lucky jam play after the puck left the ice surface, hit the mesh and came back in...the players all stopped, the reffs didn’t see it and then the puck was in the net...Fluke. The second by Matt Carkner was a bank shot from behind the goal line that banked off the goaltenders stick and trickled over the line. Sure a goal is a goal but these type of goals are not something that can be counted on in a game by game basis . Then look at the goals Dany scored, wrap around top shelf, snap shot while storming in down the wing and finally a penalty shot for the Hat Trick. Not only were they goals but they were pretty goals, goals that seemed not effortless but easier.

It could be a long season if they aren’t going to be able to manufacture goals 5 on 5. Again, it is only 2 games in and there is a lot of time for the guys to get thier feet wet and have the new guys get used to playing with one another. I am just saying that matching the number of goals is one thing matching the threat is quite another. I will presume that a goalie is going to be a lot more intimidated with Dany Heatley coming at him then Jonathan Cheechoo.

Ottawa Senators Early Look

In a bit of a pre season preview for the Ottawa Senators there is some room for some cautious optimism as the team is being put together. The team may be more even now but are they better? There are other teams in the East that have also made moves to get better too. There will be plenty of teams with a good shot at the final 4 playoff spots. With the Dany Heatley situation now over (still would rather him in a Sens uniform but what can you do) and the new players in town and ready to go, the team is looking for an identity.

Without the "sniper" in the lineup the team will have to rely on everyone to help out with the load offensively. Maybe the team will be more free now to be more creative in the offensive end but along with that comes some real pressure. Over the last 2 pre-season games Mike Fisher has proven that he can score versus non elite or AHL players and may have played his way to center the 2nd line to start the season but can he do it when it counts is the question. Fisher is very hard worker but has shown struggles putting the puck in the net, which is frustrating because he has a great wrist shot and quick release, not to mention a very hefty contract that may be a little too steep for what he can give you. Speaking of overpriced players there are 2 more that spring to mind and those are Chris Neil and Chris Kelly. I didn’t want Neil to get re-signed this season and especially for the money that he got. The team now has the potential to run out a 4th line that is paid like a second line...but without the same level of talent.

There is also too many bodies on 1 way contracts and there are some young kids that could prove to be better fits given the chance. I have broken down some potential line combinations given the players available but there is room for movement. GM Bryan Murray has hinted that calls have been made around to see if other teams are in the market for some veteran players and based on some of the line that I have looked at there could and/or should be some players that could be moved out for cheap.

Right now this is how I see the team looking: With that there are also players that don’t seem to have a place unless other moves are made

Milan Michalek - Jason Spezza - Daniel Alfredsson
Jonathan Cheechoo - Mike Fisher - Alex Kovalev
Nick Foligno - Ryan Shannon - Chris Kelly
Chris Neil - Jesse Winchester - Jarkko Ruutu

Chris Phillips - Anton Volchenkov
Filip Kuba - Erik Karlsson
Chris Campoli - Alexandre Picard
Brian Lee

Pascal Leclaire
Brian Elliott

It will be interesting to see where these guys end up and if sent down how quick do they get called up - Shean Donovan Christoph Schubert Zack Smith Peter Regan Cody Bass

After final cuts are made maybe things will be more clear and there may or may not be less bodies to have to try and juggle. It would be a huge bonus and a good bit of managing if Murray can work out some deals to free up some money and some roster space while acquiring a few more draft picks going forward.

First Sens Game Of The Year

After attending the Ottawa-Montreal pre-season game on Saturday night there are a few things that I have learned:

~Most Montreal fans are obnoxious, not all, that would be wrong to say as I know some good guys that like the team. Knowledgable fans are ok but seem to be in the minority. Heck before he Sens came along I have to say the were my favotite team. Maybe it is more the natives from that province that are the problem.

~ There are few things more annoying then stupid fans that don't know when and more importantly when not to sing the Ole Ole chant.

~ Full parking price for pre-season games should not be enforced

~ It is pre-season for everyone...especially the lady at the concession stand who had a lot of trouble working her cash register, pouring beer, giving back not only the correct change but any change at all ,and most importantly, there is in fact a difference between Canadian and Coors Light and when one orders a Coors they in fact would prefer a Coors. Granted a beer is a beer and not something to be wasted but when it comes to personal preference getting what you ordered would be a nice touch.

~ The free Pizza at Pizza Pizza only apparently applies for a 24hour period...therefore a Saturday night 6-1 is good for pizza on Sunday not Monday as well. Even if their pizza isn't that good to begin with, when you expect a free slice it is disappointing when there is no pizza to be found.
Now I am just hungry and bitter

~ The line of Mike Fisher Peter Regan and Nick Foligno proved to look pretty good. If Regan can stick with the club we may have a nice little line combo, If not maybe Nick and Mike can work well as a combo.

~ Erik Karlsson was a + 3 and looked not at all out of place. He seemed to handle the puck as well or better then any of the other Sens blue liners - him making the team may not be a bad thing at all

~ Erik Karlsson may make the team....Brian Lee is in tough to make the team out of camp as he was a) not drafted by the Murrays b)He is on a 2 way contract C) there are a lot of bodies already on the back end and d) his mane isn't Marc Staal...the player they should have drafted with the 9th pick that year

~Sitting in good seats kind of spoils you, especially when you know the next time you go to a game it will be up in the 300's again, wedged in like you are in a can of sardines...without the oil

~ Most importantly when you take a broad to the game and she wants to go meet up with a friend for a minute in another section for the love of god go to the washroom first before she leaves. If you don't you will be stuck standing in the hallway holding a very effeminate Teal purse doing a little dance in one place in extreme agony waiting for said person to return. Not to mention missing the beginning of the final period...lesson learned I suppose... but let me assure you I am no further ahead for gaining this knowledge after I needed to know it.

All in all a good experience for the first game of the season. Hopefully I will be able to get to more and they will be good games. Taking in games in person is always a good time.

Done Deal Heatley To San Jose!

So there you have it, the game is over, the dance is done and the fat lady has sung. After months of uncertainty, speculation, and wonder the Ottawa Senators have completed a trade that has sent Dany Heatley and a 5th round pick to the San Jose Sharks. In return the Senators get Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick.


I can say that I have no idea at this point if I like this deal or not as far as the Senators go.Looks like in the end Bryan Murray was forced to cave and just give in. This may be the best deal that was available to avoid a distraction at camp but it looks like they didn’t win in this deal. They didn’t save any real money as Michalek earns $4,333,333 an Cheechoo $3,000,000. Just a 2 for 1 with a better pick next year.


Is this a better deal then Edmonton offered? (Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, and Ladislav Smid.) Probably not, even though i didn’t much care for that one either but beggers can’t be choosers in a case like this I suppose. Maybe this frees Murray up to make some more deals as the season goes on, who knows, guess we will wait and see.

I still value Heatley very highly and he will remain my favorite player, regardless of the shennaniganz of the last 4 months. His presence in the San Jose lineup with the likes of Marleau, and Thornton amongst others will only help out the Sharks. They needed a shake up as they try to get over the hump and that is just what they get with Heater. For Ottawa, Cheechoo, who will likely play with Spezza does have a season where he managed to light up the net but that was 2005-2006 and is coming of of a jut dreadful season where he managed just 12 goals. Hopefully having a skilled center like Spezza setting him up he can get his trigger finger ready to fire. Milan Michalek is an interesting player and one with an upside. He had 23 goals 34 assists for 57 points. I have no idea where he will play, maybe along side Kovalev.

In a quote on his way out of town he said: ''I'm excited obviously, I'm excited to be a Shark,'' Heatley said. ''I want to thank everyone in Ottawa, the organization the fans, and the city. I had a great four years here (and) I'm happy to move on.'' Also Dany said ''I don't think I did anything wrong asking for a trade,'' - ''I have my reasons for it. If people think differently of me that's fine but I believe I did nothing wrong and I'm happy to move on.'' I know I am in the minority in Ottawa but I am going to wish him well, up until May he was a model citizen. He was great with fans, great in the community. He did take time to sign autographs and talk to people when approached. Like I said I never had a problem with him and he gave the team and the fans a hell of a 4 years and a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sports may be a game of what have you done for me lately but lets not forget too fast what good he did while he was here.

I will undoubtedly have more to say on the Heatley and Senators in the near future so feel free to drop by and have a read later.

Time To Lace Them Up And Hit The Ice

Thankfully the rookies are on the ice and the real camps will start up on the weekends for most of the other NHL teams in the league. I think everyone can agree that it was a long off season for not only the Ottawa Senators and their fans but fans of hockey in general. Around the league there has been a lot off off ice issues that have done nothing but make the league look bad, alienate fans and annoy just about anyone with any sort of vested interest in the NHL and professional hockey.

Locally, the Senators ended strong but still had a very disappointing season, making for an even longer off season. Of course there is little doubt where most of the interest lies, that of course is what is going to happen with Dany Heatley. Is he staying, is he going, where does he want to go, where will he not, why does he want to leave, how is this going to affect roster moves by the team? All valid questions and deserving of answers even if none seem close to being answered. The only people that are benefitting are the rumor bloggers that throw out names and "time lines" in hopes that maybe they can will something to happen or to merely keep coming back and getting plenty of hits to see what and if there was any developments....Is it going to happen to day? Nothing happening ...they can’t have him back, and so on and so forth. Ahhhhh Ahhhh Ahhhhh this is an ordeal!

Next there is the situation involving the Phoenix Coyotes. Who is going to own the team? Where are they going to play? Can the NHL get the team and if so how long will they stay in Phoenix? Will Jim Balsillie get the team? Can he move it? If so, for how much? If he get the team will the leagues board allow him to join the league? Can you own a team but not be allowed into the league? Painful questions every one of them. Yes looking at this list the are a lot of questions and there is a noticeable omission right here and that is ANY ANSWERS. I don’t think anyone at least on the fan side of things care. It is too bad because for the first time in maybe ever the team is starting to make progress on the ice and has the potential to be good on the ice...where that ice is may be interesting and who is signing the pay checks is any ones guess.

Then there is the ownership problems in Tampa where Len Barrie and Oren Koules can’t seem to get along and It looks like the NHL has stepped in to try to get one to buy the other one out. Infighting and a lack of direction was a big issue, hopefully Brian Lawton can keep the train rails.
Speaking of ownership, William (Boots) Del Biaggio III , former owner of the Nashville Predators, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for bilking investors and banks...that is some good due diligence by the NHL, yet Jim Balsillie is bad....whatever.

What we need now is a distraction, and that distraction is players on the ice, competing for jobs, preparing for the season, and even for a lucky few looking to start hot and work their way onto their respective countries Olympic and World Junior rosters.

Leclaire's New Headgear

Pascal Leclaire's new mask

I like it, it has original O with the red and black stripes and the Warrior on the side which is nicely detailed. My only criticism would be that it has the look of a World of Warcraft character. I just hope that this isn't a sign that he is going to spend too much time online playing make believe and not focusing on being a #1 goaltender. There doesn't seem to be much on the front in the forehead are which looks a little odd but I will still give it a thumbs up. The rest of his gear is to have a red, black and white barber pole look to it. He is with Sherwood and they have come up with his gear to have a similar look and colour scheme from the Original Senators look from the 1920's.
Now if he can manage to stop a few pucks and not just look good in the nets then that will go a long way towards him being embraced by fans and management.

Best and Worst For A Wednesday

Best: If you are Roberto Luongo, signing a 12-year contract extension worth $64M is definitely a best. If you are the Vancouver Canucks you hope that he continues to be the goalie he is now for a looooog time and remains healthier then another long term contract goalie that plays for the Islanders. If that is the case it may be a win win.

Worst: World No. 1 Dinara Safina had to come from behind in the third set in order to win her first-round match. She narrowly avoided being the first #1 seed to fall in the first round of a US Open. There is no reason it should have been as close as it was.

Best: Adam "Pacman" Jones is going the Canadian route to get back into the NFL. It appears that he will suit up for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I know that the CFL isn’t the most compelling thing to watch but this has the potential to be a train wreck which is always fun to see. Plus revenue at local strip clubs are likely to go up and patrons can make money going to the rippers if Pacman decides to make it rain.

Worst: Adam "Pacman" Jones is on his way to the CFL. It is like this league is the equivalent to house arrest for troubled NFL players?

Best: Ottawa Senators defenceman Jason Smith has announced his retirement. After 16 NHL seasons, 1,008 games and being captian of 2 clubs he is able to walk away on a high note. Also this frees up the Sens for $2.6M off their cap in the event that they can’t move Heatley before teh beginning of the season or if they do make a move may allow them to make another move for scoring help upfront...where they may be lacking.

Worst: Anything that comes out of the Phoenix courtroom today as Judge Redfield T. Baum determines whether Jim Balsillie can remain in the hunt for the Coyotes. This saga over the club and who owns it or where they may play is played out and it is probably safe to say that most people just want to end the madness

Why Dany Heatley to the LA Kings is a good idea.

Even with all the bad feelings in Ottawa in regards to Dany as well as the situation in general one thing is for sure, he is still a good player with a proven track record and can help just about any team. All parties involved are sure to be just about ready for the circus to fold up a go so hopefully a quality resolution is going to come soon.

Personally I am still on the fence about which team to throw my support behind and am pretty much just waiting the Heatley shoe to drop. If he goes to LA then that will probably seal the deal and slide them ahead of St. Louis. As it stands now it is 1 and 1A and both may get a bit of love from me going forward, I think that may be the only fair alternative.

- As far as Ottawa is concerned it may be in their best interest to pull off a deal before camp if nothing more then to just put the whole ordeal behind them. After a long summer of speculation getting a fresh start would not be a bad thing
- Getting a decent current player and maybe a defensive prospect or and a draft pick or another young body could be just what the doctor ordered for Ottawa
- If Heatley goes to LA they would get a true scorer which they really need. There is some good talent coming down the pipeline but they a still a bit away.
- The Kings are in a position financially to fit Heatley into the mix and still leave them with some flexibility as well.
- LA has some very attractive pieces that I think could be potentially be moved that Ottawa could be or even should be interested in.
- Heatley would fit well in that market if in fact he wants a bigger role, this is a young team that struggles to score so he could go in and be a leader on the ice in regards to scoring, ice time and power-play time.
- The market may be good too, LA is LA, nice weather and not a lot of media attention. There is so many other famous people around that he would be able to blend into it all. A move there would be big but by no means is he going to overshadow Kobe.

A lineup that would have a look like this could make them into a team that could fight for a playoff position in the coming year, Just think, wouldn’t this lineup look good for the Purple and Silver? This is just a hypothetically if the trade were to take place and say a Frolov-Moller-Hickey deal. Sure the back end is a little thin but that can leave room for a young kid to step up and earn a spot and maybe surprise some people.

C-Anze Kopitar F-Dustin Brown F-Dany Heatley
C-Michal Handzus F-Justin Williams F-Ryan Smyth
C-Jarret Stoll F-Wayne Simmonds F-Ted Purcell
C-Brian Boyle F-Trevor Lewis F-Brad Richardson

D- Drew Doughty Rob Scuderi
D- Jack Johnson Matt Greene
D- Sean O’Donnell Colten Teubert

G-Jonathan Quick G-Erik Ersberg G-Jonathan Bernier

Alex Kovalev Ottawa Bound

The Ottawa Senators have now signed Alex Kovalev to a 2 year contract for a reported $5mil per year. This is an interesting signing to say the least. Kovalev is one of the most talented players in the NHL and fits the bill for Ottawa who has been looking for a to 6 forward to add to the lineup so that solves one issue. Where we may have a bit of an issue is the knock on Alex that he doesn’t always show every night. That being said it has the potential to bring to town another ready made whipping boy for post game crybaby callers. Heavens forbid that he ends up on Spezza’s line - talk about a lightning rod for controversy is everything doesn’t go perfect every game.

Outside of the actual hockey issue is the fact that this signing puts Ottawa well over the salary cap for next season and they are going to have to drop a significant amount of money to make this work. Does this meant that a Heatley deal is close? Are there more deals in the works involving say a Jason Smith, Chris Kelly maybe even a Mike Fisher? Makes it look like there are going to be a lot of young players playing next season just for the fact that they have a low cap hit. This is going to make the team look a lot different entering camp and depending on what deals can be made a very young 3rd and 4th line and back end to the defence.

More on this when more details become available for sure

Still Very Quiet On The Western Front - What Is The Endgame?

The first day of free agency has come and gone and Ottawa looks about the exact same as they did the day before. I was hoping that Dany Heatley would help out Bryan Murray in handcuffing him enough that he wouldn’t be in a position to make any bad moves or be trigger happy and overpay on anyone. Sadly that was not possible, he tried and he tried but in the end Murray did manage to find the time to make 1 bad decision and over pay on money as well as term on Chris Neil. 4 years and $8 million. I would much rather have a sub $1mil on a Cody Bass or someone of that nature. I fear that this was a knee jerk reaction to Bryan Burke and his moves to get bigger and a little tougher on defence with his moves as well as trying to keep him away from Burke getting him in a Leafs jersey as well. After seeing how the Kadri situation on draft day went between the two teams, I just hope the deal wasn’t made out of spite even if it was just a little.

As far as the Heatley situation goes I am not in the majority of calling him out as much as everyone else. Sure I am a little disappointed that nothing came from all the talk and speculation about going to Edmonton but only a little. After looking further into the deal it began to look less and less great from an Ottawa perspective. I was never a Penner fan, and questioned the offer sheet that he was signed to by Kevin Lowe, Smid is a decent young player and a nice piece coming back and Andrew Cogliano is a decent player but I have been looking at him with Maze and Gold coloured glasses from his Michigan days and thinking that he is a better player then what he is.

The $4 million bonus that has had to be paid to Heatley sucks from an Ottawa perspective but maybe it allows the Sens to get a bit better of a deal and be able to either get a better player or pick or maybe move out a little more money by throwing in a Jason Smith, Chris Kelly or Christoph Schubert contract into the mix and freeing up and recouping some of the $4 mil. If that doesn’t happen then either another team needs to step up or there will have to be some major Reconstruction to the bridge that was burned to have him back in Ottawa at the start of camp.

In an update on the 2 team showdown of my Western Conference favorite between the St. Louis Blues and the LA Kings there is little to report just yet. Both teams were very quiet yesterday with the Blues only adding Ty Conklin in net. LA still has a lot of space left which is important going forward but showed good restraint in not spending money recklessly and overpaying on either risky guys or over hyped players. Having a plan and sticking to it is impressive. Sometimes the move not made is the best move. I will give it a little longer as there are still lots of mid level free agents left out there that may sign but also may come at more of a reasonable price.

Dany To Edmonton?

It looks like Dany Heatley is soon to be an Oiler. It seems like we are just waiting on him to officially waive his no-trade. Proposed to come to Ottawa is Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid.

We will see how this plays out and the effect that it has on tomorrow's Free Agent Frenzy

Sens Get Big On Defence

The Ottawa Senators seemed to do pretty well at this years NHL Entry Draft in Montreal. Where they did not do well was on the trade front in any attempt to move Dany Heatley. As far as the draft itself goes it looks like the Sens looked ok and managed to get some good players as well as fill some organizational needs. I was fairly pleased with the selection of big defenceman Jared Cowen with the 9th pick. Cowen was ranked 9th By Central Scouting. It was well publicized that they were looking at Nazem Kadri but he was plucked by the Leafs, that was the one benefit of having Leafs GM mic’d up.

I must say I was glad that Brian Burke decided to go that way and take Kadri from London who was listed 15th by Central Scouting. Kadri is a good offensive player but I just don’t have much interest in him and not sure if he is a true sure thing at the 9 spot let alone the 7th, only time will tell though . I think having a big strong D-man is harder to find. After seeing how the Zedeno Chara/Wade Redden decision went having the big guy seems a little more valuable... especially if you factor in Erik Karlsson who is penciled in to be the more offensive puck mover within the next few years. Cowen suffered a knee injury this year but hopefully he makes a full recovery. If he is able to do so he should be a force for Team Canada at this years World Junior Tournament in Saskatoon.

In the second round they filled an organizational need picking a goaltender Robin Lehner. There isn't too much left on the farm and this guys is thought to be the best goaltender in the draft and comes from a good pedigree (his father was the goaltending coach for Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist). The other player picked up was another Swede, a forward, Jakob Silfverberg. Hopefully with the 2 picks in the second round being so high that they can develop into some quality players in the near future.

Beyond the 2nd round it is a much longer shot to make the team but maybe one of Chris Wideman, Mike Hoffman, Jeff Costello, Corey Cowick, Brad Peltz, Michael Sdao can be one of those diamonds in the rough