GDT: GAME 24 | Sens @ Ducks | Just #%*&#* Win | Sun Dec 1 2024, 8PM | TSN5, RDS

[PlayOn]

Might as well stick this here. We need a .600 record until the end of year.

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If the Sens don’t have another gear, and there’s no evidence they do, that number is out of reach.

But who knows, just gonna have to hope it comes.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

We have the next 4 and 5 of the next 6 games at home, I wanna be optimistic that we can string some wins together to get back into the wild card race, but maybe I'm being naive.

How many of those teams we play are playing B2B? Those are auto losses.

 

[Senscore]

Really hope nobody has the idea that a .500 record on the "California Road Trip" is acceptable.


It's 2024, not 2014.

Two of the teams are openly rebuilding ffs

 

[Ouroboros]

We have the next 4 and 5 of the next 6 games at home, I wanna be optimistic that we can string some wins together to get back into the wild card race, but maybe I'm being naive.

This upcoming stretch of 6 games is probably their last stand, so to speak. After that they have a 9 game roadie and I think we all know what to expect from that.

 

[PlayersLtd]

Their 5 on 5 underlying numbers are objectively garbage and the only time they looked good was in their game against us.

Spin whatever that means anyway you want, those are objective facts.

It isn't a spin, we won the game so there is nothing to spin.

I'm on the west coast and I've been watching the sharks lately and too many simple minded people, yourself included, look at stats and make up their mind while conveniently ignoring that they are the highest scoring team in the NHL the last 2 weeks and have been giving teams fits for a while now. That version of the Sharks that we played is significantly better than their record indicates but sheer ignorance prevents people like you from giving them any credit.

 

[KingAlfie11]

This team is not making the playoffs guys let's get that straight. They need to change the composition of this team. This team is stuck in neutral and they need a new transmission.

 

[DrEasy]

Random thoughts:

- This Ducks team is fun to watch; lots of familiar names from recent WJCs, lots of skill.

- I didn't know that LaCombe kid, seems like a good pick at 39OA in the 2019 draft. FWIW we picked Sogaard at 37OA, and he was followed by Raphael Lavoie, Jackson LaCombe and Neils Hoglander.

- I really like Jensen; wish we had 3 like him.

- Best game by Cousins so far, and not just because of the goal or the fight. He was dynamic out there.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

It isn't a spin, we won the game so there is nothing to spin.

I'm on the west coast and I've been watching the sharks lately and too many simple minded people, yourself included, look at stats and make up their mind while conveniently ignoring that they are the highest scoring team in the NHL the last 2 weeks and have been giving teams fits for a while now. That version of the Sharks that we played is significantly better than their record indicates but sheer ignorance prevents people like you from giving them any credit.

I’ll give the Sens as much credit for winning that game as I gave the Rangers for beating us.

 

[PlayOn]

It isn't a spin, we won the game so there is nothing to spin.

I'm on the west coast and I've been watching the sharks lately and too many simple minded people, yourself included, look at stats and make up their mind while conveniently ignoring that they are the highest scoring team in the NHL the last 2 weeks and have been giving teams fits for a while now. That version of the Sharks that we played is significantly better than their record indicates but sheer ignorance prevents people like you from giving them any credit.

This fanbase carries the baggage of the last seven years into every single game and it shows. I understand why, but it’s a skewed perception.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Gutsy effort to get the point, we didn't have a great game but we found a way to get a point. That's decent.

3 points out of 6 is not awful but not great. Unfrotunately we really need great right now.

Hard to not really start wondering if this core is just straight up not good enough. I was confident going into this year, I'm really not anymore.

 

[PlayersLtd]

This fanbase carries the baggage of the last seven years into every single game and it shows. I understand why, but it’s a skewed perception.

Exactly. Skewed and childish in many cases.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

At this point I'm more excited for the next generation of the Sens.

Rather than any real excitement that this core will be able to do anything.

They can't even make fighting for the playoff spot a thing, so who actually thinks they have any chance of winning a cup?

Looking forward to the reset around Stutzle, Sanderson and Yakemchuck.

 

[Boud]

I have a feeling this will be a loss.

They don’t show up against teams that are in a similar spot in the standings to them. They’re on the back half of a back to back. Ullmark has been shaky and up and down the majority of the season and coming off a strong performance.

Dostal has been lights out and I mean dominant. We have a hard time scoring 5 on 5. Ducks play hard and fast.

I don’t see it.

It reeks a loss. I foresee another game where we say we should’ve won but didn’t. “Teaching moments”, “mental lapses”. “Little moments of the game”.

We got a point but I called this from a mile away

 

[darude]

For every nice play Hamonic makes on the penalty kill, there's at least one matching play where he gets brutally exposed for his lack of speed. He's playing half court hockey and that doesn't cut it in the NHL.

He seems like a good dude. If he likes the city and working with the team, buy out his contract and give him a development role as a way of saying thanks, and then move on. Just please stop making the guy try to defend for 20 minutes a night.

 

[Micklebot]

Again, LA played 3 games in 4 nights and we were desperate. That is a game you NEED to have or at least outplay them in the 3rd period. We had two days off and they still crushed us.

Every team in the NHL is good, but you need to win. We also suck against the bad teams too. We lost against Montreal and got outplayed by both San Jose and Anaheim.

The impact of playing 3 in 4 is being overplayed here, yes it's a potential advantage, but not as big as you'd think given they had negligible travel. It also doesn't make good teams bad, it's a fractional impact.

Here's a look at the numbers,

In the first game of a back-to-back, teams got an average of 1.081 points per game and in the second game of a back-to-back (where teams should be more tired), teams averaged 1.014 points per game. In non-back-to-back games, the average was 1.125.

That's the differnce between ~92 pts pace and an 83 pts pace.

You know what the difference between home games and away games is, since 2017-18 home teams, home teams get 1.184 pts per game, while away teams get 1.037, or a 97 pts pace vs 85, so home ice is bigger advantage than tired vs rested.

Every team loses to bad teams, losing to Mtl is not unique to the Sens, the Leafs and Edm also lost to Mtl, how could that be... The difference between bad and good isn't as big as you think, that's evident based on the way people think about SJ, likely those who really haven't watched that team much and are just going be the standings.

When you start thinking that you should win games against a team on pace for over 100 pts, then you've lost perspective on the league. Nobody should expect to win that game, especially not a team that is fighting for a wild card spot.

 

[Tuna99]

Exactly. Skewed and childish in many cases.

Senators players saying the road trip was a success and over those 3 games they dropped from 5th worst NHL team to 4th worst NHL team and had their worst performance in team history against the worst team in the NHL.

Maybe the players have a skewed perception and the fans see clearly what’s going on?

 

[Loach]

What's our point % though? The standings aren't important, it's point %.

 

[BankStreetParade]

I like how during the broadcast they kept calling the Detroit game on Thursday a big game. A big game for what lol? We're 28th in the league in p% and Detroit is 25th. It's the clash of the basement titans.

 

[lancepitlick]

Brady Thachuk post-game in L.A. and Anaheim:

“I only care about winning”

These are the statements that make me worry. 8 years man. #FreeBrady

I can't imagine he doesn't request a trade soon. The only way I can see that he doesn't is if Staois pulls off a literal miracle in terms of improving the team. If I was Tkachuck I'd be looking for the exit. I don't think he wants to spend his entire career on a literal bottom feeder. Especially while watching his brother win a championship.

 

[Micklebot]

So, I thought this was the best game by Pinto in a long time, possibly all year. If he can get going, that will help a tone. Edit: Cousins too, his best game of the year I think.

We need Zub back, Hamonic has been far better than last year, but he just doesn't belong on the top pair.

Greig needs to be better too.

 

[Senscore]

So, I thought this was the best game by Pinto in a long time, possibly all year. If he can get going, that will help a tone.

He played better after getting crunched by Gudas.

A lot of this slump really has to be mental. For more than a few guys on this team.

 

[Micklebot]

He played better after getting crunched by Gudas.

A lot of this slump really has to be mental. For more than a few guys on this team.

Ya, the skill is there for guys like Pinto, Sanderson, and even Greig to be much better, part of what makes it so frustrating.

The other potential explanation is health, Pinto was coming off an injury, Sanderson seemed to have some issues earlier, Ullmark was out for a while too, Zub struggled after the concussion

Probably a bit of everything.

 

[PlayersLtd]

Senators players saying the road trip was a success and over those 3 games they dropped from 5th worst NHL team to 4th worst NHL team and had their worst performance in team history against the worst team in the NHL.

Maybe the players have a skewed perception and the fans see clearly what’s going on?

That doesn't relate to what we were talking about.

 

[Emrasie]

It's really wild because there was a stretch in October where they were playing legitimately good hockey and I thought to myself, "this is it, they've finally put it together."

What's that saying? "Fool me once, Shame on you, Fool me seven times, Shame on me"?

They were and i said to myself the same thing. What happen since? i don't know.
Maybe they are just too soft mentally to sustain this type of effort.
If it's the case, rebuild or trade half the core.