GDT: GAME 44 | Sens vs Caps| Sebrangonaro edition | Thurs Jan 16 2025, 7:00PM | TSN5, RDS2

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Still the most encouraging and best the team has played for 8 years.

From being a good defensive team you can build a great offense.

Thats the Jaques Martin approach for sure. Worked for the team in the 90s.

Even if they didn't score, they stopped the best team in the league from scoring for a full game, minus the gimmick 3 on 3 overtime

Thats promising. Goals will come. Middle 6 offensive wingers aren't that hard to find. They have the defense and they have the centers. Hopefully now even the goaltending.

 

[OUT HOUSE]

I still can't get over how bad that out of town scoreboard was last night. Every single game went against us.

 

[Cosmix]

Yeah, because Ovechkin has spent his career coming to within 21-goals of Wayne Gretzky through sheer luck.

A lucky snipe can be true for any player including the great ones: Ovechkin and Gretzky.

Thats the Jaques Martin approach for sure. Worked for the team in the 90s.

Even if they didn't score, they stopped the best team in the league from scoring for a full game, minus the gimmick 3 on 3 overtime

Thats promising. Goals will come. Middle 6 offensive wingers aren't that hard to find. They have the defense and they have the centers. Hopefully now even the goaltending.

Roster additions/upgrades are still required to make this a true SC contender. The "building" has not been finished.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

A lucky snipe can be true for any player including the great ones: Ovechkin and Gretzky.


Roster additions/upgrades are still required to make this a true SC contender. The "building" has not been finished.

Is there anyone here who thinks this team is a finished product?

 

[PlayOn]

Is there anyone here who thinks this team is a finished product?

I think people get stuck on how long we’ve been building, but not much we can do about that. Staios himself said we now have a foundation. Obviously after 7-8 years you’d like to be further along than setting a foundation, but we aren’t. With rebuilds where you find superstars like McDavid or Matthews you’ll get out of them quickly because they can carry mediocre teams, but otherwise you kind of just wind up chipping away at your issues slowly until you get there.

And I mean even with the Oilers it took awhile. McDavid/Draisaitl just carried them to the playoffs early but it was a long time before they had a real contending team, and that’s because over the years they added Hyman, Ekholm, Bouchard etc.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Crowd was dead yesterday but appreciated the cheers and the Leevi chants during overtime.

Nice little love affair that he and the fanbase have right now.

 

[darude]

Gaudette would be the player I take out for Perron, thought Gaudette was our lightest player last night by a large margin, love the hands but he’s not generating enough playing with Timmy

I agree with the idea but I think the reality is that Gaudette is Green's pet project, so I'll be shocked if it's not Highmore or Ostapchuk coming out for Perron.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Love Ostapchuk but he needs to provide a little offence here or there once in a while, can't have your developing 4th line center give you only 3 assists in 30 games with 0 goals. Would rather Highmore take his spot and Chuk sent down to continue developing his offence down in Belleville.

Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Giroux-Stutzle-Perron
Cousins-Pinto-Greig
Amadio-Highmore-Gaudette

 

[ottawagm]

Thats kinda what you would get if you just look at our roster tho.

There’s no line combinations that will unlock some goals.

There is no goalscorer on this team.

Everyone is on pace for kinda what they should be other than pinto

And our offense from the back end is nonexistent. (Not literally non existent)

Then we're paying a lot of money for grinders who can only score on the PP in October.

They need to figure it out.

I just think they are having to spend too much energy / focus on defense, so they don't have a lot left once they get into the offensive zone. Hope that gets better with time as the system becomes more automatic and players are in better positions on D.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Then we're paying a lot of money for grinders who can only score on the PP in October.

They need to figure it out.

I just think they are having to spend too much energy / focus on defense, so they don't have a lot left once they get into the offensive zone. Hope that gets better with time as the system becomes more automatic and players are in better positions on D.

Well Norris is overpaid but he’s on pace for a fine goal total
Batherson is not a scorer.
Stutzle not a scorer.
Tkatchuk not really a pure scorer.

giroux not a scorer anymore.

Sanderson and chabot forget about it.

Gaudette this is like a magical season for him.


Amadio not a scorer.
Pinto slow start. He should be a perennial 20 goal guy in the future.
But that’s it? It’s not like people are underproducing?

 

[Norris4Norris]

Well Norris is overpaid but he’s on pace for a fine goal total
Batherson is not a scorer.
Stutzle not a scorer.
Tkatchuk not really a pure scorer.

giroux not a scorer anymore.

Sanderson and chabot forget about it.

Gaudette this is like a magical season for him.


Amadio not a scorer.
Pinto slow start. He should be a perennial 20 goal guy in the future.
But that’s it? It’s not like people are underproducing?

Tkachuk is a goal scorer.

30+ in his last three seasons. 37 last sesaon, 35 the year before and he is on pace for 34 this season.

Batherson, Stutzle, Norris and Gaudette are on pace for about 27 goals. Not great but I wouldn't say that they aren't scorers. (Gaudette may come back down to earth).

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Tkachuk is a goal scorer.

30+ in his last three seasons. 37 last sesaon, 35 the year before and he is on pace for 34 this season.

Batherson, Stutzle, Norris and Gaudette are on pace for about 27 goals. Not great but I wouldn't say that they aren't scorers. (Gaudette may come back down to earth).

Okay so tkatchuk on pace for 34. Batherson stutzle Norris on pace for almost 30.

So the offense is fine? This is what to expect from them before the season started.

We don’t have a juggernaut offense

We have a like a ok offense? That is going to dry up if they have to play great defence because while the goal paces are fine there’s one electric player there. One guy who can fly and create out of nothing. And he is not yet good enough to elevate sub par players

 

[Norris4Norris]

Okay so tkatchuk on pace for 34. Batherson stutzle Norris on pace for almost 30.

So the offense is fine? This is what to expect from them before the season started.

We don’t have a juggernaut offense

We have a like a ok offense? That is going to dry up if they have to play great defence because while the goal paces are fine there’s one electric player there. One guy who can fly and create out of nothing. And he is not yet good enough to elevate sub par players

I agree we don't have a juggernaut offense.

We need that dynamic centre who can be well over a point per game by setting up his teammates and elevating everyone around him. We could also use a dynamic winger as a prolific scorer and creator.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I agree we don't have a juggernaut offense.

We need that dynamic centre who can be well over a point per game by setting up his teammates and elevating everyone around him. We could also use a dynamic winger as a prolific scorer and creator.

Stutzle can be that center but yeah def need a winger for him. Or a winger that can elevate Norris and batherson. I really like the tkatchuk Norris batherson line.

But we need to build beyond it now. Stu needs help.

 

[PlayOn]

Okay so tkatchuk on pace for 34. Batherson stutzle Norris on pace for almost 30.

So the offense is fine? This is what to expect from them before the season started.

We don’t have a juggernaut offense

We have a like a ok offense? That is going to dry up if they have to play great defence because while the goal paces are fine there’s one electric player there. One guy who can fly and create out of nothing. And he is not yet good enough to elevate sub par players

Since December 1st:

Tkachuk - 12 points in 21 games
Batherson - 14 points in 21 games
Stützle - 14 points in 21 games
Norris - 10 points in 21 games

They were great out of the gate but what they’ve been doing since December is less than what we would expect of all of them.

They’re probably facing more #1 goalies than they have in years past (idk the stats on this, but it seems that way), and they’re also not chasing the game all the time. They used to be down 2-0 in the first ten minutes of every game, and it’s probably easier to score as other teams start sitting back. So maybe this is just an adjustment for them, or maybe they’re just not that good, or they need better support. Maybe all of the above. Hard to pinpoint one thing honestly.

 

[coladin]

Incredible performance by a team who now knows the script. Obviously Thompson was equally amazing and made 4 point blank saves. Leevi was hardly tested until the 3rd and OT, but while not scoring, it wasn't for the lack of creating chances. Brilliant debut by Sebrango and once again, Kleven stood out

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

delete format foobared



.

 

[bicboi64]

As much as I hope the forwards start picking it up, I love how much better everyone is in their own end. Shows we aren't one dimensional and that the lads are capable of locking in on D

 

[Cosmix]

I agree with the idea but I think the reality is that Gaudette is Green's pet project, so I'll be shocked if it's not Highmore or Ostapchuk coming out for Perron.

Highmore I think.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Since December 1st:

Tkachuk - 12 points in 21 games
Batherson - 14 points in 21 games
Stützle - 14 points in 21 games
Norris - 10 points in 21 games

They were great out of the gate but what they’ve been doing since December is less than what we would expect of all of them.

They’re probably facing more #1 goalies than they have in years past (idk the stats on this, but it seems that way), and they’re also not chasing the game all the time. They used to be down 2-0 in the first ten minutes of every game, and it’s probably easier to score as other teams start sitting back. So maybe this is just an adjustment for them, or maybe they’re just not that good, or they need better support. Maybe all of the above. Hard to pinpoint one thing honestly.

If they kept going like they did at the start then they would simply be players that they are not lol.

 

[PlayOn]

If they kept going like they did at the start then they would simply be players that they are not lol.

Sure. If you think this is a cold streak, then it’s probably not a big deal, it levels out their torrid paces earlier in the year. But they’re now operating at this pace for 1.5 months, which is enough to raise alarm bells that we have an issue if it continues.

If they produce exactly as they have since Dec 1st, then for context this is where they would end up after 82 games.

Tkachuk - 59 pts
Batherson - 64 pts
Stützle - 68 pts
Norris - 43 pts

I don’t think this is indicative of their talent level. Saying they’re on pace to do what’s expected is true but they’re being elevated by a hot start. What we’ve seen of late is a concern if it continues.

 

[SanderSen]

To bad they could not get it to a shoot out. I was really looking forward to seeing Meirilainen handle that.

 

[starling]

I still can't get over how bad that out of town scoreboard was last night. Every single game went against us.

Panthers lost in regulation. They are not that far away.

 

[LiseL]

I'd blame Logan Thompson first.

With that type of goaltending, you need more net front presence to affect his sightlines. There wasn't enough of that IMO.

 

[LiseL]

Sucks to lose that point. Only bright spot is dad's happy. He's 83 and adores Ovie. He also said the Sens should bring baskets with them so they can carry the puck, and a map to help them find the net.....and I can't disagree with that. This team really needs some polishing in the skills area.

Loved your dad's comments, he must be a hoot to watch games with.