GDT: Florida Panthers at Ottawa Senators - 2PM - TSN5/RDS - Kitty Kats Katerwauling in Kanata - Ain't No Tkachuks Edition

Were we the better team out the gate? We struggled early in both of the last two games. We got the lead early but weren’t that much better.
We had twice the expected goals and had a 2-0 lead at the first intermission:
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Edit: The game on Thursday was closer, but we were still the better team at the 1st intermission:
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I'd be way more concerned if we were playing this way without the lead. But this is clearly the game plan. Time and time again, we're the better team early in the game, we get a 2 goal lead, then coast to victory. Obviously, today they maybe took their foot off the gas a little too much, but they kept things to the outside and secured the 3-0 W. Good teams find ways to win even when they aren't running at 100%. The playoffs are long and grueling.
Yeah, like the only time in recent memory we've been outplayed without a lead was against Colorado and the 3rd period against Pittsburgh (And in Pittsburgh's case understandable with the circumstances).
 
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We had twice the expected goals and had a 2-0 lead at the first intermission:
View attachment 1006883

Edit: The game on Thursday was closer, but we were still the better team at the 1st intermission:
View attachment 1006886
Too bad that's only 1/3 (minimum) of how long they have to play.

Goalies are part of the team, so I am not going to throw away the W, but you have to be next level fanboy to suggest either of those games styles would lead to sustainable success.
 
Yeah, like the only time in recent memory we've been outplayed without a lead was against Colorado and the 3rd period against Pittsburgh (And in Pittsburgh's case understandable with the circumstances).
Exactly. The Colorado game was very concerning. But recently, the team has been great, despite all the whining about us turtling in the 3rd.
 
We had twice the expected goals and had a 2-0 lead at the first intermission:
View attachment 1006883

Edit: The game on Thursday was closer, but we were still the better team at the 1st intermission:
View attachment 1006886
The first half of the game we played well, it's the 2nd half that the Panthers took over regarding shots on goal, but of course they were trailing 0-2 so of course they will push hard to come back!
 
Too bad that's only 1/3 (minimum) of how long they have to play.

Goalies are part of the team, so I am not going to throw away the W, but you have to be next level fanboy to suggest either of those games styles would lead to sustainable success.
I think there's definitely a ton to improve on, but there's a ton of positives to take in as well.
 
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I had to watch the Panthers feed and they showed shot attempts with about 5 minutes game.

It was 84-28 or something crazy.

That Panthers team was missing their 2 best F, a top D plus good depth players and skated us into the ground.

Yes, we won, but let's not pretend we withstood "The mighty Stanley Cup champs".

The boys need to get their act together and find some speed and flow to their game. We looked slow and ill equipped to handle that pressure. Similar to how the Habs speed and forecheck gives us fits.

They are a completely different team without Tkachuk.

I don't know if it's because it makes line matching easier, if it's something about his presence, or both.
 
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I had to watch the Panthers feed and they showed shot attempts with about 5 minutes game.

It was 84-28 or something crazy.

That Panthers team was missing their 2 best F, a top D plus good depth players and skated us into the ground.

Yes, we won, but let's not pretend we withstood "The mighty Stanley Cup champs".

The boys need to get their act together and find some speed and flow to their game. We looked slow and ill equipped to handle that pressure. Similar to how the Habs speed and forecheck gives us fits.
Craziest thing is the Panthers weren't even fast. They're the only team in the league that's more deadly when dumping and chasing forechecking than controlled zone entries.
 
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For sure, and I don't really believe in momentum in the playoffs.

You can have a crap game and then turn around and have a great game. And if your goalie wins you the crap game, and you win the great game, you're halfway to a sweep.

I just want to see more great games leading into the post-season.
Me too. I thought they had finally put it together after the first period, but then we had a lack lustre 2nd and 3rd.
 
Craziest thing is the Panthers weren't even fast. They're the only team in the league that's more deadly when dumping and chasing forechecking than controlled zone entries.

What they are good at is pressuring the players higher up on the ice.

So sure, we win the battle to the puck behind the net. And we move it to the next guy. But that guy is already under pressure from the 2nd Panthers forechecker. But sure, he manages to move it along again, and then THAT guy is under pressure by a 3rd Panthers forechecker.

I'm used to seeing one or two guys, but every pass leading to a zone exit would have a Panther sitting on it. Either we are too predictable or not moving the puck fast enough or not winning enough battles.
 
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I'd be way more concerned if we were playing this way without the lead. But this is clearly the game plan. Time and time again, we're the better team early in the game, we get a 2 goal lead, then coast to victory. Obviously, today they maybe took their foot off the gas a little too much, but they kept things to the outside and secured the 3-0 W. Good teams find ways to win even when they aren't running at 100%. The playoffs are long and grueling.
We have a back to back so they needed to keep as much in the tank as possible. I get it's a risky play to back off, but with a 2 goal lead, you should be able to win.
 
We have a back to back so they needed to keep as much in the tank as possible. I get it's a risky play to back off, but with a 2 goal lead, you should be able to win.

I was fully expecting the coronary inducing 1 goal lead with the opposing net empty scenario again.
 
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I think there's definitely a ton to improve on, but there's a ton of positives to take in as well.
What is your list of "ton of positives"?

My list is short:
  1. The Senators won the game.
  2. Forsberg played a great game, stopped 100% of 40 shots on net and got a shutout.
  3. Sanderson played a solid game on defence and contributed significantly to the offence too (1G+2A=3Pts).
  4. ?
 
What is your list of "ton of positives"?

My list is short:
  1. The Senators won the game.
  2. Forsberg played a great game, stopped 100% of 40 shots on net and got a shutout.
  3. Sanderson played a solid game on defence and contributed significantly to the offence too (1G+2A=3Pts).
  4. ?

4. We scored first.
5. We scored an insurance goal.
 
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It would need to be a 1 year "show me" deal, but I would actually love to bring Forsberg back as our #2 next year.

He is comfortable and well-liked here and putting up another good season behind a 55-ish game starter next year could set him up for a legit UFA contract.
 
What is your list of "ton of positives"?

My list is short:
  1. The Senators won the game.
  2. Forsberg played a great game, stopped 100% of 40 shots on net and got a shutout.
  3. Sanderson played a solid game on defence and contributed significantly to the offence too (1G+2A=3Pts).
  4. ?
Well we played better in the first, mostly made sure the shots were visible and not high quality.
 
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It would need to be a 1 year "show me" deal, but I would actually love to bring Forsberg back as our #2 next year.

He is comfortable and well-liked here and putting up another good season behind a 55-ish game starter next year could set him up for a legit UFA contract.

I don't know if there's any way of giving him a two-way at this point.
 
I have this funny anecdote.

I did Harvard Model United Nations when I was a student at Queen's, and it was when the 2002 Olympics were on.

So a bunch of the Canadian university students arranged to have a nearby bar in Boston play the CAN-SWE game, and we all snuck out to watch it. RMC, York, U of T, U of Ottawa, Concordia, McGill, we were all psyched to see Canada destroy Sweden. And they scored very quickly (Rob Blake), and we "didn't want to run the score up too much and make them look bad". By the end of that disaster, the bartender was giving us free shots out of pity.

Anyway, this regular at a barstool calls me over. He looks like a regular, with that slumped posture, sort of haggard and ground down by life.

"Yer Canadian right? From Canada?"

"Yessir."

(his voice lowers to a whisper)

"I gotta tell you something."

(leans in more closely)

"I'm really getting into this curling."

"Oh, ok."

"Yeah, 've been watching it a lot. I find it very relaxing but still riveting."

"Well, yeah, it's a pretty big deal back home."

"Anyway, I can't really talk to any of my friends about it, but I can't stop watching it."

Sounds like Whitey Bulgar hitting on you in a 90s style direct to video romcom ahahaha. Thanks for sharing.
 
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It would need to be a 1 year "show me" deal, but I would actually love to bring Forsberg back as our #2 next year.

He is comfortable and well-liked here and putting up another good season behind a 55-ish game starter next year could set him up for a legit UFA contract.
He will become a UFA this summer.
 
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Too bad that's only 1/3 (minimum) of how long they have to play.

Goalies are part of the team, so I am not going to throw away the W, but you have to be next level fanboy to suggest either of those games styles would lead to sustainable success.
Both Fla and Tbay are better teams than we are, so they'll push back and should get the better if the play on average. Add in score effect, and it explains a good chunk of why the chances look the way the did in both cases after we took the lead.

Yes, they were missing some good players, but missing Tkachuk and getting the LTIR and Ekblad being suspended (and for some reason not counting against the cap) is the only reason they were able to add Marchand and Jones, a downgrade sure but there's no reason to show any empathy to them missing key players.
 
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