EMERGENCY FAN MEETING: The Senators are Soft, Broken, and Have No Identity - Here's My Fix. Share Yours.

[OUT HOUSE]

I forgot Mete played on this team

 

[Micklebot]

I hated that division so much. Those dogshit Sens teams were the single greatest contributor to McDrai having next level scoring that year.

He scored more against Van and Wpg, if that makes you feel better, though he did play Vancouver one more time than Ottawa.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I hated that division so much. Those dogshit Sens teams were the single greatest contributor to McDrai having next level scoring that year.

It was terrible, and there is some wonky opinions on the mains for division realignments to bring it back. None of them supported by Canadian fans.
No matter what reasons you give for them being bad, they come back with ya buts.

 

[Flamingo]

My fix?


You might not like this. It might even sting a little. But consider starting with change at home.

Tomorrow, tune out the game noise and put on some headphones and soak in some Sun Kil Moon. It’s a much better experience.

 

[Silky Johnson]

No need to do ANYTHING right now but wait.

New goalie and new coaching system.

We are .500 in December.

Ulmark is a legit player and is finding his game.

Zub being out hurts our defence alot. The outside problems that have hit Perron have hurt the depth. Pinto is in a serious slump and Grieg while not playing bad has alot more upside.

Stützle, Tkachuk and Batherson are all having career years but it's obvious that they can take an even bigger step forward.

My hope was that the team could stay close in the first half to then bring it together for a strong push for the playoffs.

So far so good - especially considering the above challenges and potencial for improvement.

WTF was everyone's expectation after last year? We would be world beaters day one? This is a project that will take more than 26 games to figure out.

It's a good thing that Andlaluer is a smart patient man and won't blow it up because there hasn't been immediate overwhelming success.

This fan base - especially the ones on this forum are insufferable & hyperbolic to the point of ridiculousness.

 

[Senovision]

Since my scathing rant. calling the team yellow bellied etc....post # 3739 in the Brady Tkachuk thread the Sens have gone 4-2.
Coincidence? I think not!
They obviously read my post to the team and that was the hard love that this team needed to pull them out of their tailspin! And clearly they have responded!
If we were to win the Stanley Cup this year I would get my name Senovision engraved in the cup as well for my part in turning their season around.

 

[Wondercarrot]

Team is off to its best start in 8 years, nicely done T Green!
Everyone else see this stat last night?

When ottawa gets over .900 goaltending they are 30-8-5 since the start of last year.
.900 is exactly average. Not good, not a little better than average. AVERAGE. LIKE 15th -18th.

Granted it’s not a completely anecdotal stat like “I didn’t like Brady’s back check that time, or that other other time” so who knows how much value this actual quantifiable stat has on winning games but seems important!

 

[Micklebot]

Team is off to its best start in 8 years, nicely done T Green!
Everyone else see this stat last night?

When ottawa gets over .900 goaltending they are 30-8-5 since the start of last year.
.900 is exactly average. Not good, not a little better than average. AVERAGE. LIKE 15th -18th.

Granted it’s not a completely anecdotal stat like “I didn’t like Brady’s back check that time, or that other other time” so who knows how much value this actual quantifiable stat has on winning games but seems important!

That kind of disparity isn't unique to the sens though,

I ran the numbers for goals against a goalie on NTS, and while I don't have OTL stats, I was able to get W/L. The average sv% came out to .9027, so a little higher than 900,

Sv% > .9027, 1287 W, 559 L, or W 69.7% of games
That's pretty much identical to the 30-13 ration you showed for us, but if I change the sv% to 900, the league actually wins 70.2%

 

[Wondercarrot]

That kind of disparity isn't unique to the sens though,

I ran the numbers for goals against a goalie on NTS, and while I don't have OTL stats, I was able to get W/L. The average sv% came out to .9027, so a little higher than 900,

Sv% > .9027, 1287 W, 559 L, or W 69.7% of games
That's pretty much identical to the 30-13 ration you showed for us, but if I change the sv% to 900, the league actually wins 70.2%

Listen man, if you’re going to start spewing things like “facts” and “evidence” based analysis I’m not sure how we’re going to have a productive conversation here.

 

[Micklebot]

Listen man, if you’re going to start spewing things like “facts” and “evidence” based analysis I’m not sure how we’re going to have a productive conversation here.

I mean, the end result is get good goaltending and you will win.

 

[Wondercarrot]

I mean, the end result is get good goaltending and you will win.

lol for sure

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

I mean, the end result is get good goaltending and you will win.

Funny how that works.

If this is Ulmark for the rest of the season, the boys have as good a shot as any at making the playoffs.

Every team has warts, the Sens have more than a couple . .. but consistent, quality goaltending masks a lot of it. And when every mistake isn't ending up in your own net, confidence grows and they just get better.

Lets hope this is the start of a real run, and not just another look promising for a stretch then lose 5 in a row.

 

[Knave]

Washington gave up 5 breakaways to Montrealol.

I think it's fair to say while our opponents haven't been the strongest the team is starting to find its game again and it's hard to blame them for sitting back in the third when they went up 3-0.

They still need to continue playing and scoring and make the playoffs for me to change my mind on much of anything.

 

[SanderSen]

Meanwhile while fans are having a meltdown the wild card race, including the Senators is super close.

 

[dumbdick]

The State of the Senators: SENATORS: NO IDENTITY, SOFT, BROKEN & LOST - I Have Solutions, What Are Yours? (A 30-Year Fan's Deep Dive)

[Warning: Grab a coffee and get comfortable. Like our playoff drought, this is going to take some time.]

---------------------------------------------------------------
PART 1: INTRODUCTION
---------------------------------------------------------------

1.1 The Journey

I've been here since day one - from Rick Bowness to Jacques Martin, from the Civic Centre to the Canadian Tire Center, from Laurie Boschman to Brady Tkachuk. I've witnessed the brutal 10-win season in '92-93 and felt the excitement of our Cup run against the Ducks. After 30 years of bleeding Senators red, I've seen it all - the good, the bad, and the "maybe next year." I am super passionate about this team and have kept my thoughts to myself for the most part this year, but I just can't hold back anymore.

1.2 Current State

Here we are again, watching another November meltdown torpedo our playoff hopes. Yes, we're seeing flashes of brilliance in some games, moments where we look like world-beaters. But those two points we let slip away in October and November? They don't come back in April.

The frustrating part? On paper, everything's fixed:
• New ownership ✓
• New management ✓
• New coaching staff ✓
• Fans back in the seats ✓
• Relatively healthy roster ✓

Yet here we are, still stuck in the basement, still making excuses about bounces and bad luck.

---------------------------------------------------------------
PART 2: CORE ISSUES
---------------------------------------------------------------

2.1 The Identity Crisis

For five years straight, we've been "searching for an identity." That's NHL-speak for "we don't know what we are." When a team with this much talent still can't define itself, there's a deeper problem. Every team claims they want to be "hard to play against" - that's like saying water is wet. We need something more concrete, something that actually means something in today's NHL.

2.2 The Leadership Dilemma

Let me preface this by saying I'm Brady's biggest fan, but here's the hard truth: we threw him into the captain's seat too young and then tried to change his game. Why? Because we had no one else ready for the 'C'. Instead of bringing in a veteran to show him the ropes, we went with trial by fire.

Here's the real kicker - we're telling a power forward to play like a finesse player. His brother just won a Cup in Florida playing the exact style we're trying to coach out of Brady. When Brady plays with edge, throws the body, and gets in your face, that's when he's at his best. That's when he's the leader this team needs.

The coaches want him to avoid fights, limit the big hits, stay out of scrums. No! That's exactly what this team needs - that's the identity we should be building around. I'll take 23 Bradys any day (heck, put one in net while we're at it).

2.3 The Clone Factory

Our roster is like a bunch of photocopies, and here's why:

Looking at our forward group:
• Tim Stützle: Skilled but not physical
• Josh Norris: Great shot, but won't win board battles
• Drake Batherson: Skilled but disappears in tough games
• Shane Pinto: Not living up to early promise
• Claude Giroux: Veteran skill but not changing the culture


We've got snipers and playmakers, but where's the edge? Where's the nasty? Brady brings it, but he needs company. Even Greig, who has some bite to his game, isn't consistent enough with it.

The bottom six? They might as well be invisible most nights. Our third and fourth lines aren't changing momentum, aren't wearing teams down, aren't making opponents pay a price.

---------------------------------------------------------------
PART 3: DEFENSIVE ISSUES
---------------------------------------------------------------

3.1 The Soft Blue Line

Let's break it down:
• Nick Jensen (+11): Quietly our best defensive D-man. Nothing flashy, just solid positioning and smart plays
• Jake Sanderson (-14): Great potential but getting exposed against top lines
• Thomas Chabot (+5): Making $8M to play like a #2/3 D-man. Great offensively but not the shutdown guy we need
• Artem Zub (-7): Struggling with injuries and consistency
• Hamonic: Looking done. Time to move on

The bigger issue? No physical presence. Nobody clearing the crease. Nobody making forwards pay a price for cutting through the middle. Our hits might look good on paper, but watch the games - they're love taps, not momentum-changers.

3.2 The Goalie Graveyard

Let's talk about our goaltending situation, because it's beyond ridiculous at this point. We've become the place where good goalies come to lose their mojo, and it's not by accident.

Take a look at our recent history:

• Ullmark: Walks in with swagger and an $8M contract, six weeks later looks like he's seen a ghost
• Talbot: Solid elsewhere, struggles here, Solid Elsewhere
• Forsberg: Can't find consistency
• Daccord: Leaves and suddenly looks like a Vezina candidate
• Gustavsson: Finds his game the moment he leaves

Here's the thing - we can't be this unlucky with goalies. When EVERY goalie struggles here but plays well elsewhere, that's not a goalie problem. That's a US problem. Let's break it down:

The Defense Problem:

Our "defensive" corps is about as protective as a screen door in a hurricane:
• Scattered coverage in front of the net
• No consistent net-front clearing
• Defensemen built for offense trying to play shutdown roles
• Constant positional breakdowns
• Zero intimidation factor for opposing forwards

The Coaching Issue:

We're trying to develop NHL goalies with AHL-level goalie coaching. It's like trying to fix a Ferrari with a hammer and screwdriver. Our goalie coaches seem overwhelmed and out of their depth. These aren't beer league goalies - they're elite athletes who need elite coaching.

The Mental Game:

Goalies are a different breed to begin with - they need special handling. Instead, we're:
• Hanging them out to dry defensively
• Providing inadequate technical support
• Offering zero mental health support
• Watching their confidence erode game by game

Look at Ullmark - guy showed up looking like he owned the place, had that championship swagger. Now? Six weeks in and he looks like he's questioning if he remembers how to stop a beach ball. That's not bad goaltending - that's a systematic destruction of confidence.

---------------------------------------------------------------
PART 4: ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES
---------------------------------------------------------------

4.1 The Money Problem

Under the old regime, we were always worried about losing players we couldn't afford. So what did we do? Backed up the Brink's truck before guys even earned it. Everyone got $8M based on potential, not production.

Think about it - if someone backs up a truck full of cash to your house, are you working as hard at your job tomorrow? These guys can retire and never play another game in their lives and be set. Where's the hunger? Where's the drive? Yes, they want to win - all players do - but that desperate edge that comes from having something to prove? That's gone.

4.2 Development Issues

We're failing our players at every level of development, but nowhere is this more evident than with our goalies and young defensemen. We're throwing kids into the deep end without proper support systems in place:
• AHL-level coaching for NHL-caliber talent
• No veteran mentorship program
• Inadequate mental preparation
• Poor physical conditioning oversight
• No clear development path

It's like we're building a house without a foundation and wondering why everything keeps falling apart.

---------------------------------------------------------------
PART 5: THE SOLUTION
---------------------------------------------------------------

5.1 Identity Reset

Stop trying to be something we're not. Want an identity? Look at your captain when he's playing his natural game:
• Physical presence every shift
• Making opponents pay a price
• Playing with emotion and edge
• Leading by example
• No shift off, no excuses

That's your identity right there. When Brady plays his game - the way his brother played to win a Cup - that's who we should be. Instead, we're trying to be some watered-down version of a skill team when we don't have the right mix for that.

5.2 Roster Reconstruction

Too many similar ingredients don't make a good meal. We need:
• Different player types throughout the lineup
• More edge in the top nine, not just the fourth line
• Guys who make opponents dread coming to Ottawa
• Players who complement each other instead of duplicating skills

Sometimes good players aren't good together. Having six playmakers doesn't make you six times better - it makes you predictable. We need sandpaper, we need nasty, we need guys who make opponents check the schedule and groan when they see Ottawa coming up.

5.3 Cultural Revolution

The culture needs a complete overhaul:
• Stop waiting for someone else to step up
• Play like you're down a goal even when you're up by two
• Make teams earn every inch of ice
• Hold each other accountable
• Get angry about losing
• Play like Florida - aggressive, relentless, physical

Look at what Florida did last year - they weren't the most skilled team, but they made you pay a physical price every single shift. That's what we need. That's what we're missing.

5.4 Specific Action Items

Immediate changes needed:
• Bring in a proper sports psychologist for the goalies
• Add veteran defensive presence who can actually clear the crease
• Upgrade goalie coaching to NHL caliber
• Rebuild the bottom six with purpose, not just bodies
• Let Brady be Brady - take the leash off
• Create accountability at every level

---------------------------------------------------------------
PART 6: CONCLUSION
---------------------------------------------------------------

6.1 Final Thoughts

This isn't about one player, one coach, or one bad stretch. This is about fundamental changes needed in how we build and play as a team. The talent's there, but the mixture is wrong. Chemistry isn't just about putting good players together - it's about putting the RIGHT players together.

6.2 The Way Forward

We need to be the team that makes you wake up the next morning feeling like you've been hit by a truck, not the team that lets you dance through the neutral zone untouched. Make Ottawa feared again - not just for skill, but for the complete package:

• Physical dominance
• Mental toughness
• Complete game
• Clear identity
• Winning culture

No fear. No excuses. The time is now.

[P.S. - Feel free to disagree and reference any section number in your replies. That's what makes these discussions valuable. But something needs to change, and it needs to change now. We can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results - that's the definition of insanity, and we've been insane long enough.]

I waited a while to shit on this post, but here goes.

Everything you're saying is naive and screams of fans pushing an easy fix.

Most of what you said boils down to "give 110% every night", "leave it all out there" and other bullshit platitudes.

There are 32 teams. They all want to win. They all want to play hard and clear the crease and do all the other things you suggest. Do you think you've stumbled across some secret knowledge that the pros haven't considered? We need more grit in D? Were you screaming to keep Gudbransson? Or were you riding him out of town like everyone else when the pendulum was swinging away from grit towards talent?

I appreciate the energy and effort that went into this thread. I really do.

But we're just average joes. Have some humility.

This is a franchise that has 10s if not 100s of millions of dollars on the line to win.

Don't be that fan that pushes this "easy answer" bullshit.

 

[Beech]

The Euge was off by 5 years on his FYOUS. Year versus win percentage. On Dec 8, 2026 we will hit 0.600 win percentage and that will catapult us to a playoff spot

by 2026.. Giroux is an assistant GM or coach or living in Florida or Philie
Brady is 27 and may or not be here
Batherson is 28 and may or not be here
Norris is 27 and may or not be here
Chabot is 29 and almost definitely gone
Ulmark is a 33 year old goaltender

Chabot/Tkachuk/Norris/Batherson are in years last or second to last of their contracts

The 2021/2022/2023 draft holes are now major voids in the lineup.

FYOUS is going to be???????

But at least we will make it. Here is to the 2027 playoffs. The 2025 win percentage on Dec. 8 will be 0.537, not enough to get us in, but enough to knock on the door.

 

[Micklebot]

So, since we went on our losing streak and everyone started really being critical of the team;

We've played 7 games, with a 4-2-1 record. That run included a game we never should have won (SJ) and a game we never should have lost (NYI), so we can call that a wash.

4-2-1 is a 105 pts pace. If we keep that up, we'll finish the year with about 96 pts.

During the 7 games,
5v5:
GF 2.66/60
GA 1.78/60
GF% 60%
xGF 2.51/60
xGA 2.39/60
xGF% 51.24

PP 18.5%
PK... 56.3%... (wow that's bad)

We are currently playing at the pace we need to in order to make the playoffs, the underlying numbers outside of the PK seem to support it being fairly sustainable,

 

[Yak]

So, since we went on our losing streak and everyone started really being critical of the team;

We've played 7 games, with a 4-2-1 record. That run included a game we never should have won (SJ) and a game we never should have lost (NYI), so we can call that a wash.

4-2-1 is a 105 pts pace. If we keep that up, we'll finish the year with about 96 pts.

During the 7 games,
5v5:
GF 2.66/60
GA 1.78/60
GF% 60%
xGF 2.51/60
xGA 2.39/60
xGF% 51.24

PP 18.5%
PK... 56.3%... (wow that's bad)

We are currently playing at the pace we need to in order to make the playoffs, the underlying numbers outside of the PK seem to support it being fairly sustainable,

Please don't take this the wrong way but when you cherry pick stats you can make anything look good. I respect your posts very much. However, I have to take this one with a grain of salt.

 

[Yak]

I waited a while to shit on this post, but here goes.

Everything you're saying is naive and screams of fans pushing an easy fix.

Most of what you said boils down to "give 110% every night", "leave it all out there" and other bullshit platitudes.

There are 32 teams. They all want to win. They all want to play hard and clear the crease and do all the other things you suggest. Do you think you've stumbled across some secret knowledge that the pros haven't considered? We need more grit in D? Were you screaming to keep Gudbransson? Or were you riding him out of town like everyone else when the pendulum was swinging away from grit towards talent?

I appreciate the energy and effort that went into this thread. I really do.

But we're just average joes. Have some humility.

This is a franchise that has 10s if not 100s of millions of dollars on the line to win.

Don't be that fan that pushes this "easy answer" bullshit.

Well I'm glad you waited a while to take a crap on my post. It's too bad I didn't see you offer up any bright ideas or any suggestions other than criticism of my post.

You want to hear some real hot takes on what this team needs. This might not be popular, but here it is.

The defense sucks. It's no longer about the system. It's about the players. They've been here long enough and they can't get the job done. They leave the goalies to hang out to dry all the time. They play scared all the time scrambling around with very little structure. They can't clear the crease. They don't even throw any type of physical checks or plays. They don't even come close to winning board battles. They are continuously pushed off the puck. All of them make Timmy look like Chris Neil. They are the easiest group of defensed play against that I have ever seen in the history of the Ottawa Senators. Everyone says that these guys are more of a offensive defenseman except for the stats. They don't back them up at all.

I guess you missed the part where I criticize the goaltending coaches that have chewed up and spit out how many goalies now? The goaltenders are shell-shocked. They face way too many shots. They have no confidence and when you look at them they look like they just got back from Vietnam. PTSD.

The forwards I guess you missed that whole part. Also. Not sure which post you are reading. I think you should have responded it a lot quicker. You obviously just read my cliche comments and not the specifics. The forwards don't forge check aggressive enough. We used to leave the league and hits. I'm not sure what they were counting as hits as most of the time. The guys are giving very little physical play. I think it's them hitting the boards most of the time. Or they're shots because a lot of their shots miss the f****** net. Our shots seem to come from the perimeter all the time. Another sign that our team needs to play gritty which yes I said yes and I said more like the Florida Panthers who play a more aggressive in your face and mix it up. Style of play going to the net. I'm not sure what you were expecting. Maybe you were expecting me to come up with some new system for the NHL that no one has invented? I mean really come on. But I am just stating what is Captain obvious about this team. I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to see it. The problem is these guys don't get it or they don't want to get it. Personnel changes are required when people start tuning you out. These guys all got paid and now they show up whenever they want to. The inconsistent efforts is showing that these guys have no consistency to their level of intensity. They take shifts off regularly and play however, the hell they want. Take for example shift changes. How many penalties are we going to take for this? This is basic stuff here and these guys. I'm not sure care. We all like them like they are family but unfortunately they're high paid athletes that if we didn't pay them they would leave real fast. So at the end of the day no more excuses. People need to be held accountable and if you don't perform at your job, usually you get fired. In this case you get traded. That's where we're at now.

Of course we have an easy part of our schedule and their backs are against the wall and literally if it didn't win these games we probably would burn down the Canadian tire Center. Let's see how they do against more competition and where they're at by the end of the month if we're still in contentions or we're still pretending.

I don't seen Wayne Gretzky around here. Yeah we're average Joe's. I got 30 years on this team. I can say whatever I want. You don't like it. I don't care. Just don't run your mouth unless you got something else to say other than criticizing someone else's thoughts. I never said that my thoughts were going to turn the franchise around. They were just my opinions and well you shared your opinion. Now you know what I think of it.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Well I'm glad you waited a while to take a crap on my post. It's too bad I didn't see you offer up any bright ideas or any suggestions other than criticism of my post.

You want to hear some real hot takes on what this team needs. This might not be popular, but here it is.

The defense sucks. It's no longer about the system. It's about the players. They've been here long enough and they can't get the job done. They leave the goalies to hang out to dry all the time. They play scared all the time scrambling around with very little structure. They can't clear the crease. They don't even throw any type of physical checks or plays. They don't even come close to winning board battles. They are continuously pushed off the puck. All of them make Timmy look like Chris Neil. They are the easiest group of defensed play against that I have ever seen in the history of the Ottawa Senators. Everyone says that these guys are more of a offensive defenseman except for the stats. They don't back them up at all.

I guess you missed the part where I criticize the goaltending coaches that have chewed up and spit out how many goalies now? The goaltenders are shell-shocked. They face way too many shots. They have no confidence and when you look at them they look like they just got back from Vietnam. PTSD.

The forwards I guess you missed that whole part. Also. Not sure which post you are reading. I think you should have responded it a lot quicker. You obviously just read my cliche comments and not the specifics. The forwards don't forge check aggressive enough. We used to leave the league and hits. I'm not sure what they were counting as hits as most of the time. The guys are giving very little physical play. I think it's them hitting the boards most of the time. Or they're shots because a lot of their shots miss the f****** net. Our shots seem to come from the perimeter all the time. Another sign that our team needs to play gritty which yes I said yes and I said more like the Florida Panthers who play a more aggressive in your face and mix it up. Style of play going to the net. I'm not sure what you were expecting. Maybe you were expecting me to come up with some new system for the NHL that no one has invented? I mean really come on. But I am just stating what is Captain obvious about this team. I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to see it. The problem is these guys don't get it or they don't want to get it. Personnel changes are required when people start tuning you out. These guys all got paid and now they show up whenever they want to. The inconsistent efforts is showing that these guys have no consistency to their level of intensity. They take shifts off regularly and play however, the hell they want. Take for example shift changes. How many penalties are we going to take for this? This is basic stuff here and these guys. I'm not sure care. We all like them like they are family but unfortunately they're high paid athletes that if we didn't pay them they would leave real fast. So at the end of the day no more excuses. People need to be held accountable and if you don't perform at your job, usually you get fired. In this case you get traded. That's where we're at now.

Of course we have an easy part of our schedule and their backs are against the wall and literally if it didn't win these games we probably would burn down the Canadian tire Center. Let's see how they do against more competition and where they're at by the end of the month if we're still in contentions or we're still pretending.

I don't seen Wayne Gretzky around here. Yeah we're average Joe's. I got 30 years on this team. I can say whatever I want. You don't like it. I don't care. Just don't run your mouth unless you got something else to say other than criticizing someone else's thoughts. I never said that my thoughts were going to turn the franchise around. They were just my opinions and well you shared your opinion. Now you know what I think of it.

Wow, a lot wrong with this post.
They give up too many shots lol.
Big improvements there, 7th in the league on shots against, just gave up 12 shots the last game.
Hits they are seventh in league, and first in hits/60, not sure what your watching.

 

[Alex1234]

Big big problem with this team is the NHL doesn't reward the advanced stats enough only Ws and Ls

 

[Yak]

Wow, a lot wrong with this post.
They give up too many shots lol.
Big improvements there, 7th in the league on shots against, just gave up 12 shots the last game.
Hits they are seventh in league, and first in hits/60, not sure what your watching.

Hey Stats Master Flex!

Cute cherry-picking there, bud. 7th in shots against? Maybe watch the actual games instead of just refreshing your NHL stats page. Those numbers are about as meaningful as my beer league scoring title right now.

Listen, I actually worked for Stats Inc. - you know, the company that LITERALLY provided the NHL's official statistics, including those fancy numbers scrolling across your TV screen during games. I covered every Senators game and through to the Stanley Cup playoffs because of my accuracy. But you know what I learned from all that number-crunching? Stats are like a rookie's flow - looks great on paper, but doesn't mean jack when you're getting lit up on the ice.

Sure, we're 7th in shots against. Congratulations, we're successfully preventing shots from the neutral zone! But maybe watch our goalies' body language - they look like they've been playing without a cup. Those aren't just any shots we're giving up; they're Grade-A chances that would make Hasek nervous.

And please, don't get me started on these "hits." I've seen harder contact at a Tim Hortons drive-thru. Being "seventh in hits" is like being the tallest Smurf - who cares? Half these counted hits wouldn't even spill a beer, let alone create any real physical presence on the ice.

You can wave your fancy stats around like a ref with a new whistle, but at the end of the day, the only stat that matters is whether we're booking tee times in April or playing hockey. Right now, I'm pretty sure our boys are already checking Tee Time's at the Royal Ottawa this.spring.

Here's a stat for you: 100% of armchair coaches who throw numbers around without actual game analysis end up looking like a bantam player at an NHL tryout - completely out of their depth.

But hey, keep refreshing those stat pages, bud. I'm sure that'll change everything. Meanwhile, some of us will keep watching the actual games and calling it like we see it, rose-colored glasses checked at the door.

P.S. - Next time you want to school someone on hockey stats, make sure you're not bringing a calculator to a hockey fight.

How's that for some "insight," eh?

 

[Senovision]

We are 7th in the league in hits because we hit a player once and it is so soft of a hit that we have to hit him again. Other than Brady who is near the top of the league in hits there are no other players on our team that other teams fear because of their hitting prowess.The first hit we give does nothing. In our own zone watch how many times one of our players hits a guy and then they have to go back and hit him again. Our hits come from our soft players and are ineffective.
We are 22nd in puck possession. We have to hit other teams players to get the puck back.
We need a Scott Stevens hitter on defence.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

making the playoffs this year is like being the fastest cripple.

i hope we're the fastest cripple.

 

[SpezDispenser]

Here's my fix: you ride Ullmark for the rest of the way, spotting him a game here and there. End of story.