GDT: Game 53: Columbus vs. Ottawa | 1/28 7PM EST

[pete goegan]

That hurt. Thoughts:

DMac, Calvert, and Letestu worked hard, all game. Calvert was dug in at the goalmouth for both scores, setting one up with a beautiful pass and setting a great screen for the other.

Wiz made two nice plays on the PP - a very strong shot for his goal and a very smart and crafty soft pass to Calvert for his assist. Other than that, he was as bad as I've ever seen him.

Nikitin and Cody were the best defensive pairing, the other four were terrible.

Joey was lazy and sulky, all game. Don't know what was up with him, tonight. His mates, RJ and Nick were all over the ice, making lots of good things happen, then forking them up.

CMac played much better than I expected, the goals he gave up were the result of stupid, lackadaisical play in front of him. Not clearing the puck, allowing multiple wacks in the paint, not wrapping up sticks, etc., led to all three goals.

Two goals on the power play and it still stunk. The Sens entered the zone with speed every time they had the man advantage. The Jackets wasted time just trying to get to the red line, let alone into the offensive zone.

All in all, an awful performance. Made me very angry.

Edit: First time, for me, to question Richards. How could a team coming off an eight game win streak, followed by two losses, look so totally uninterested and unorganized? In general, I prefer a laid-back coach, rather than the Bobby Knight style screamer, but the coach has to be able to have more of an impact on performance than I saw, last night.

 

[Hooks]

We aren't tough enough, Jack shouldn't back down from that, I don't buy into the old "let them punch you in the face and hurt them on the power play" ********. It never plays out that way, it deflates your team and doesn't do anything to get the fans pumped. We need team toughness, these guys think they are the '85 Oilers all of a sudden and forgot what they are. Stop the cutesy passes and HIT someone! Forecheck, hit, fight, that's the identity of this team! Not behind the back passes and no look giveaways. Grind it out hockey, battle in front of the net!

And knock down the opposing guys in front of your own net! They teach you that in PeeWee hockey, STOP LOOKING FOR THE PUCK IN THE CREASE! Let the goalie get the puck, knock down the nearest player to you. Nobody ever scored a goal looking up at the scoreboard! I'm so sick of seeing our guys with their heads down looking for the puck and then a rebound that's sitting there gets put in. Make them pay a price in front of your own net! Our defense is too soft. I miss a player like OKT, he would make them think twice about standing in front of our net, say what you want about his skill, at least he never backed down.

Too many soft players, you need a mix of toughness and skill and we don't have the toughness to go anywhere in the playoffs. Horton plays like he's 5'7" 175, I've been giving him a pass while he gets up to speed but he isn't improving his skating or hitting. How about drop the gloves Horton? I know you can do it, you've had 50+ fights in your career, step up! Jenner? You fought all the time in Jr. and pre-season and AHL, you haven't dropped them once!

I'm not panicking, yet, but I want to be the Big Bad Jackets, we don't have enough skill to run and gun with teams, we need to wear them down and frustrate them, that's what we did last year. We miss Dorse and Boll badly, I know nobody will agree with me, they would rather have Letestu out there floating around bouncing off everyone.

Well said. I completely agree.

 

[pete goegan]

We aren't tough enough, Jack shouldn't back down from that, I don't buy into the old "let them punch you in the face and hurt them on the power play" ********. It never plays out that way, it deflates your team and doesn't do anything to get the fans pumped. We need team toughness, these guys think they are the '85 Oilers all of a sudden and forgot what they are. Stop the cutesy passes and HIT someone! Forecheck, hit, fight, that's the identity of this team! Not behind the back passes and no look giveaways. Grind it out hockey, battle in front of the net!

And knock down the opposing guys in front of your own net! They teach you that in PeeWee hockey, STOP LOOKING FOR THE PUCK IN THE CREASE! Let the goalie get the puck, knock down the nearest player to you. Nobody ever scored a goal looking up at the scoreboard! I'm so sick of seeing our guys with their heads down looking for the puck and then a rebound that's sitting there gets put in. Make them pay a price in front of your own net! Our defense is too soft. I miss a player like OKT, he would make them think twice about standing in front of our net, say what you want about his skill, at least he never backed down.

Too many soft players, you need a mix of toughness and skill and we don't have the toughness to go anywhere in the playoffs. Horton plays like he's 5'7" 175, I've been giving him a pass while he gets up to speed but he isn't improving his skating or hitting. How about drop the gloves Horton? I know you can do it, you've had 50+ fights in your career, step up! Jenner? You fought all the time in Jr. and pre-season and AHL, you haven't dropped them once!

I'm not panicking, yet, but I want to be the Big Bad Jackets, we don't have enough skill to run and gun with teams, we need to wear them down and frustrate them, that's what we did last year. We miss Dorse and Boll badly, I know nobody will agree with me, they would rather have Letestu out there floating around bouncing off everyone.

There are parts of this with which I can agree - more toughness, physical play, clearing the crease, etc. - and parts with which I don't - OKT, Boll and Dorsett over Letestu, more fights. They don't have the skill to run and gun and they do need to forecheck, hit, and disrupt.

As for Jack, how he gets two for roughing by getting punched in the face by Neil is beyond me. His self-control was admirable and should have resulted in a key power play (4 on three?). That call, as with many other calls and non-calls over the last few days, was inexplicable!

 

[RBarRegular]

I'll keep banging the same drum... get Skille back up here. I know he's not the difference between missing the playoffs and winning the Cup but he can help! He can skate and shoot. No reason for him to be in Springfield. IMHO.

 

[EDM]

The officiating was bad last nite, in Ottawa's favor. The two biggest culprits for me are Horton and Johansen. Joey has not played a decent game in any of the losses. He is the one who looks terrible. If he gets a shot he makes sure to plant it squarely in the goalie's chest. His lack of production is to me the biggest problem we have on offense. RJ and Nick were trying.Joey was just a killer. And his defense is pretty bad too. He looks like the sulking child from last year all of a sudden. Horton? I don't know where his head is at.

 

[blahblah]

I'll keep banging the same drum... get Skille back up here. I know he's not the difference between missing the playoffs and winning the Cup but he can help! He can skate and shoot. No reason for him to be in Springfield. IMHO.

I think Skille should be up here as well.

 

[cbjfaninmo]

I am wondering if this team could use a Vinnie-type veteran. This is a young team with wild ups and dowms. I thought Horton was 'C' material but the jury is still out. Getting tired of watching 'forced' offense. Too many cute passes and/or getting knocked off the puck. What is up with Joey?

 

[Fro]

cannot disagree with your post at the top of the page Pete...spot on

also, i am in the get Skille up here boat...timely scoring, and energy...

i don't get the sitting of Tropp when they put Neil and Smith in the game...we needed someone that would step up to the bell...

 

[ca5150]

There are parts of this with which I can agree - more toughness, physical play, clearing the crease, etc. - and parts with which I don't - OKT, Boll and Dorsett over Letestu, more fights. They don't have the skill to run and gun and they do need to forecheck, hit, and disrupt.

As for Jack, how he gets two for roughing by getting punched in the face by Neil is beyond me. His self-control was admirable and should have resulted in a key power play (4 on three?). That call, as with many other calls and non-calls over the last few days, was inexplicable!

Letestu get's pushed off the puck very easy and brings absolutely zero forecheck. He can score if wide open, he isn't beating anyone one on one, can pass a little bit but nothing to change the game, he's good in the shootout. But for what he brings, doesn't outweight what he doesn't bring, and games like last night expose players like him, he would be non-existent in a rough and tumble, physical playoff series. Boll absolutely brings more, in my opinion. It's not all about goals and assists.

I do agree it was a terrible call on Johnson, he didn't do anything to deserve a penalty. But I disagree that it was the right thing to do and it was admirable. I just don't like someone pushing us around in our own building, nobody and i mean nobody is scared to come in Nationwide. Rarely does a self control penalty equate a goal on the ensuing PP. I just would rather he fight back there and show some heart, I think that does more for your team than a PP, especially how awful our PP has the ability of being, like the one in the third where Wiz was falling down everywhere.

 

[Dr. Fire]

For me, the biggest disappointment is that the CBJ found ways to lose three games against teams that were very, very beatable.

If we don't make the play-offs, the slow start and these three games should be pointed to as the biggest reasons.

 

[Matt]

this looks like a tiredd team. I don't expect a win until after the break

 

[ca5150]

this looks like a tiredd team. I don't expect a win until after the break

I had an awful feeling going into last night that we will be looking back on this pre-Olympic stretch and say that was our chance. I could see us losing every game except Florida before the break and be out of it, for all purposes. I hope I'm wrong, they rallied on the 6 game west coast trip last season, hope they do the same this time, but not unless they push back and get angry.

 

[major major]

Letestu get's pushed off the puck very easy and brings absolutely zero forecheck. He can score if wide open, he isn't beating anyone one on one, can pass a little bit but nothing to change the game, he's good in the shootout. But for what he brings, doesn't outweight what he doesn't bring, and games like last night expose players like him, he would be non-existent in a rough and tumble, physical playoff series. Boll absolutely brings more, in my opinion. It's not all about goals and assists.

I do agree it was a terrible call on Johnson, he didn't do anything to deserve a penalty. But I disagree that it was the right thing to do and it was admirable. I just don't like someone pushing us around in our own building, nobody and i mean nobody is scared to come in Nationwide. Rarely does a self control penalty equate a goal on the ensuing PP. I just would rather he fight back there and show some heart, I think that does more for your team than a PP, especially how awful our PP has the ability of being, like the one in the third where Wiz was falling down everywhere.

You know you're talking about our top goal scorer for 2014, right, and one of our best PKer's? True, it's not all about goals and assists but it's really difficult to argue that a fight is worth more than a goal. In the best of cases a fight creates some momentum that can lead to a goal, but that's rare.

I think JJ was unlucky to have a penalty called on him there, he did the right thing. If your top minute player is expected to fight back every time he's challenged then players like Neil will opt to muck it up every time to keep JJ off the ice. So many goals are being scored on special teams, taking fewer penalties than the other team has to be a huge priority. Horton should smarten up.

I think toughness is important, but what's led to poor play the last 5 or so games is a lack of discipline and focus. If you focus on your defensive play you win the puck back which leads to goals, if you're just focused on offence you cheat a bit on defence and don't get the puck back, which leads to goals against. But scoring in bunches leads guys to think that's their job, and they forget about the little things that structure the game. Johansen should smarten up.

also, i am in the get Skille up here boat...timely scoring, and energy...

i don't get the sitting of Tropp when they put Neil and Smith in the game...we needed someone that would step up to the bell...

Tropp would get his head punched in. He's a willing participant but does it really help us to watch our guy get his ass kicked? We didn't have a single fight from the day after the winning streak started to the day it ended. We don't need a fighter. Yes to Skille.

 

[Cash for Nash]

You know you're talking about our top goal scorer for 2014, right, and one of our best PKer's? True, it's not all about goals and assists but it's really difficult to argue that a fight is worth more than a goal. In the best of cases a fight creates some momentum that can lead to a goal, but that's rare.

I think JJ was unlucky to have a penalty called on him there, he did the right thing. If your top minute player is expected to fight back every time he's challenged then players like Neil will opt to muck it up every time to keep JJ off the ice. So many goals are being scored on special teams, taking fewer penalties than the other team has to be a huge priority. Horton should smarten up.

I think toughness is important, but what's led to poor play the last 5 or so games is a lack of discipline and focus. If you focus on your defensive play you win the puck back which leads to goals, if you're just focused on offence you cheat a bit on defence and don't get the puck back, which leads to goals against. But scoring in bunches leads guys to think that's their job, and they forget about the little things that structure the game. Johansen should smarten up.



Tropp would get his head punched in. He's a willing participant but does it really help us to watch our guy get his ass kicked? We didn't have a single fight from the day after the winning streak started to the day it ended. We don't need a fighter. Yes to Skille.

Really spot on. Kind of how I feel. Not a toughness issue as much as a poise thing for me.

Although it would be sweet to have a power forward who could score as well as dust people at will. Like a Cam Neely, Milan Lucic type. They're pretty rare though

 

[ca5150]

Really spot on. Kind of how I feel. Not a toughness issue as much as a poise thing for me.

Although it would be sweet to have a power forward who could score as well as dust people at will. Like a Cam Neely, Milan Lucic type. They're pretty rare though

You mean someone like Nathan Horton? Oh wait...

 

[Cash for Nash]

You mean someone like Nathan Horton? Oh wait...

Haha...He wishes. With Horton, I'll settle for a one dimensional player with a good accurate shot who doesn't take soft ill timed penalties.

 

[ca5150]

You know you're talking about our top goal scorer for 2014, right, and one of our best PKer's? True, it's not all about goals and assists but it's really difficult to argue that a fight is worth more than a goal. In the best of cases a fight creates some momentum that can lead to a goal, but that's rare.

I think JJ was unlucky to have a penalty called on him there, he did the right thing. If your top minute player is expected to fight back every time he's challenged then players like Neil will opt to muck it up every time to keep JJ off the ice. So many goals are being scored on special teams, taking fewer penalties than the other team has to be a huge priority. Horton should smarten up.

I think toughness is important, but what's led to poor play the last 5 or so games is a lack of discipline and focus. If you focus on your defensive play you win the puck back which leads to goals, if you're just focused on offence you cheat a bit on defence and don't get the puck back, which leads to goals against. But scoring in bunches leads guys to think that's their job, and they forget about the little things that structure the game. Johansen should smarten up.



Tropp would get his head punched in. He's a willing participant but does it really help us to watch our guy get his ass kicked? We didn't have a single fight from the day after the winning streak started to the day it ended. We don't need a fighter. Yes to Skille.

We have lots of good PK'ers, Dubi, Anisimov, Calvert, Dmac. Letestu kills penalties to get him some ice time is all, we don't need him there. And last year was last year, in a shortened year and he only had 14 goals. He isn't producing this year, doesn't matter what he did last season. He has 7 goals in 51 games, most of which have come lately, he went 39 games goal less, this isn't exactly an argument of Boll vs. Johansen. For that matter, I would be fine leaving our top scorer from last season in and sitting Troppe or Comeau for Boll.

I agree that players like Neil will run rampant on players if they fight back all the time, HENCE the reason for Boll, that doesn't happen with him in the lineup!! You just made my point. However, with him out, we need to fight back more than we are.

Just because we won 8 in a row without a fight, doesn't mean that's our identity or that we don't need one. We caught teams at the perfect time and got some lucky breaks and bounces during that stretch. But quite frankly, many periods and even games, they didn't play well. And it wouldn't translate to playoff hockey. You need toughness in the lineup to play Boston, Toronto, Philly, NYR, Pitt, Ottawa, even Montreal and Washington have more toughness than us. Don't forget if a miracle happened, we would physically get steamrolled by EVERY team in the West. Not sure why everyone thinks more goals is the way to winning. It's not so easy, look at St. Louis, they got tougher and more defensive. That's how we were last year, tough and hard to play against. Now we have a couple good games and everyone wants all the toughness out of the lineup and anyone that has scored a goal to play. That may be how you win some mid-season games when you play a team on the second half of a back to back, or the end of a long road trip. But that's NOT how you win in the playoffs. Do i wish we had someone with Boll's toughness that could score 12 goals, yes! that's why i took the Dorse trade very hard....

 

[cbjgirl]

Anyone else of the opinion that the Sens were interfering all over the ice and it wasn't getting called? Our team didn't have much push-back last night, but I had the impression that the Senators were playing with a weird combo of interference and diving.

 

[blahblah]

Anyone else of the opinion that the Sens were interfering all over the ice and it wasn't getting called? Our team didn't have much push-back last night, but I had the impression that the Senators were playing with a weird combo of interference and diving.

It's been two games of play like that. The officials have been kind of crap. Oh well, it was more of an issue in Carolina than last night.

On to other things.

I'm not too concerned about this 3 game streak. Losing streaks after extended winning streaks are not uncommon. All this talk of Horton is started to grate on me. I'm not sure how many of our fans have watched him for more than about 13 games in his career.

Win the next two and we're 2-2 for the week, which would be fine.

Onward.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Not sure why everyone thinks more goals is the way to winning.

Out of context comedy.

 

[blahblah]

Edit: First time, for me, to question Richards. How could a team coming off an eight game win streak, followed by two losses, look so totally uninterested and unorganized? In general, I prefer a laid-back coach, rather than the Bobby Knight style screamer, but the coach has to be able to have more of an impact on performance than I saw, last night.

I've made comments about Richards for a while. Not sure he's really our long term solution has head coach. I'm trying to give him time to mature, but I find all kinds of oddness in his coaching that I don't see a lot in the rest of the league. He's kind of like a better Noel, without all the zen garbage (and Richards doesn't come off as a stoner).

As far as coming off the two losses and looking uninterested, ever coach is going to have games like that. I don't really hold that against him.

As for the rest of your comments about the team. I really didn't get the same impression of Johansen that you did, although I thought he was the weakest of the players.

I did like that Richards shook the lineup up a bit, but way too little and way too late. That was the kind of game that you really needed to switch things up and shorten your bench. There should have been a larger disparity in minutes and there is no way that MacKenzie and Letestu (5 on 5) should have been that low in minutes even with Comeau hurt.

One adjustment should have been to move Dubinsky (or even AA) up with Foligno and RJ. Johansen playing with Gaborik might have woken both of them up a bit.

 

[Xoggz22]

I haven't read this thread but felt the urge to comment....

Neither team deserved to win this game! Lots of horrible play. Too many missed chances to count!

The officiating was horrendous! JJ shouldn't have been sent off! Hortons trip was weak at best. Missed obstructions, holding and slashes.

McIlhenny over played a lot. Wiz was the worst I've seen in a while(goal or not). The defense had brain cramps all night. Joey, paging Joey. If he wasn't sick last night he's hit the wall. No brain, no effort, no push!

This was an ugly game in my opinion. This is still a good team but they need to get back to basics and effort. Too much cute stuff! Not the CBJ mold....

 

[ca5150]

Out of context comedy.

I thought of that after I read it back, haha. But I figured I would let it lay and see if anyone got a laugh out of it.

 

[blahblah]

I haven't read this thread but felt the urge to comment....

Neither team deserved to win this game! Lots of horrible play. Too many missed chances to count!

The officiating was horrendous! JJ shouldn't have been sent off! Hortons trip was weak at best. Missed obstructions, holding and slashes.

McIlhenny over played a lot. Wiz was the worst I've seen in a while(goal or not). The defense had brain cramps all night. Joey, paging Joey. If he wasn't sick last night he's hit the wall. No brain, no effort, no push!

This was an ugly game in my opinion. This is still a good team but they need to get back to basics and effort. Too much cute stuff! Not the CBJ mold....

Couple of comments. Last night we weren't even that cute, lol. It was a rather dull game from us. Also, McBackup did his job. He played more than well enough for the win. We can over-analyze him, but he's basically a first year over-aged career AHL player playing as our backup at basically league minimum. What I like about Curtis is that he's making the save that he should be. He isn't going to consistently make the tough saves that Bob can. However Bob is letting in goals that he shouldn't be.

I don't care if Curtis overplays the puck or allows the big rebounds at times. He makes that first save and gives you a chance to win most nights. That is what I am looking for until we get someone from our system to push Bob.

 

[coladin]

Sens fan here just saying that while many of you here are down on your team, and I haven't read any comments other than the ones on this page, that is a pretty good team that you have there. In a lot of ways, a more complete team. Granted I don't watch them, ever, so I was genuinely interested in their play.

A hard checking team with many big hits...Cowen absorbed a lot of big ones, in fact our defense did all night. That is a team that is playing for their coach, is my impression. Turris got crushed in the 1st. I like the youth in Johansen, Atkinsonm Calvert, Jenner, etc... you can see a good youth core there.

I mean the refs did mess a few up. Obviously the diving call on Zibanejad was comical, but the Johnson penalty was iffy, even the one that rocked Neil, but we had some bad calls too. Right after Ottawa scored to make it 3-2 refs let a few go on Columbus, but we all know how the refs are there to manufacture a game, which is why we have so many 3 point games.

I would rather a penalty be called like the one they did on Horton, where it could lean to a scoring opportunity, instead of the one your player took 200ft away from his net, really no threat there to anyone. Can go on all day on refs!

Anyways, it will be tough down the stretch, but Columbus, to me, looks like a playoff team. Good luck