Is Ottawa good?

[Sun God Nika]

Ullmark 8-0-1 in his last 9 now...

 

[WORLDSTARHIPHOP]

Ullmark the reason for another win tonight...

 

[The Waffler]

12/19/2024 Update:

Yeah. They’re still pretty good.

 

[benjiv1]

 

[danny90]

Not the same team these days under Berube and Treliving. Went from high flying skill to grind it out toughness. We'll see.

The offense has gotten worse which is the biggest problem for the leafs in the playoffs, isn’t that worrying?

 

[SensFactor]

Brady is an absolute clutch beast....Ullmark is Vezina calibre right now

 

[Coffey]

Really hope they make the playoffs!

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

'Good' teams squeeze out points when they shouldn't. This is what has killed Ottawa in the past. The Sens are Good.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Many people (myself included) thought hiring Travis Green was a bad idea. We're only 6 games in, but they've beaten teams like Florida, Tampa and Utah (who have had a good start themselves). This is all without Ullmark as their starting goalie, who has been out since their first game IIRC.

Are they going to make the playoffs? The east is a bloodbath, and the atlantic is a tough divison. Are they going to finally put it together this year?

Ok, is Ottawa good at what? And who is Travis Green? Geez, what a generic name to throw out without any context.

MODS- can we shut this one down? OP didn’t explain absolutely everything to me, I take no responsibility for being here, I don’t know how Google works, oh man this is messed up.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

Hope they get in the playoffs

 

[Hole in the Condon]

I had a feeling I'd see this thread this morning. Just stop. Please.

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

I had a feeling I'd see this thread this morning. Just stop. Please.

Technically still the "night of" until I pass out. I will not abide by your rule.

 

[TeamRenzo]

12/19/2024 Update:

Yeah. They’re still pretty good.

Sens had no business winning that game, it was all on Ulmark.

 

[DJB]

We suck leave us alone and don’t talk about us please

 

[Sun God Nika]

Sens had no business winning that game, it was all on Ulmark.

Can’t beat Ullmark ? Can’t beat the sens

 

[The Waffler]

Sens had no business winning that game, it was all on Ulmark.

No shit

 

[ColinM]

Ullmark is on fire. His streak is likely not sustainable but he will lead them to meaningful hockey in April.

 

[Hint1k]

We suck leave us alone and don’t talk about us please

Using best Harrison Ford voice: "That's not how the main board works!"

 

[HockeyVirus]

The offense has gotten worse which is the biggest problem for the leafs in the playoffs, isn’t that worrying?

Complex question. The honest answer is everything is worrying about this team when it comes to the playoffs but that is just on the trauma of being a Leafs fan.

But for the most part, my opinion was the main issue was the Leafs changing how they play in the playoffs to how they THINK they are supposed to play to win but didn't want to commit to all year. For example last season, playing a counter attack game for 80+ games and then as soon as they went down in the playoffs starting playing the trap and got the series to 7 games.

The problem of course is different system has different patterns. Teams would play 1-2-2 in the neutral zone and basically make carrying the puck in impossible. Leafs players are looking for chances they were used to seeing that weren't there. And they had to dump the puck and win it back to generate possession.

Well in the playoffs for the most part, you are not getting clean looks at the net. So they were getting shots blocked left and right and when they were getting clean looks they didn't have enough time/space to get it all on it. Leafs won the Tampa series because Vasi sucked and they scored so many floaters from distance. Those have not gone in for any other series.

So this year, my hope is 82 games of playing Berube's defense first hockey and structure and over time, the players will find new patterns in games where they know there are plays to be made where before they had little experience in those situations. Also, Berube wants guys to shoot and take pucks to the net. Leafs tend to try and overpass and make pretty plays. He is getting them to quit it and when open just rip it and someone needs to be there smacking at rebounds.

My optimism is those new habits will be enough to get it done when things matter. Goaltending being as strong as it is is also encouraging they can carry you further than you deserve to be, even win you a cup. And Woll was insane last playoff.

 

[NyQuil]

It was smart and perhaps a little late to turf Keefe. They had nothing left to learn from him.

Its the same with Ottawa and Dorion + DJ Smith, who outlasted their jobs by at least two seasons.

The timing of the sale wasn’t ideal for that kind of turnover but it has cost the team dearly including the careless loss of a 1st round pick.

DJ Smith, for all of his efforts in cultivating talent on the young core, had a terrible record with Ottawa as one of the NHL’s longest tenured coaches, despite his assertions that he would coach differently and with more accountability in his final season.

They had nothing more to learn from him.

Its a harsh business but keeping guys around past their expiration date can delay or prevent teams from taking the next step.

A heroic Ullmark at a time where confidence in the team had cratered due to the Groundhog Day effect of another poor November has been making Travis Green look good of late.

I need to see a lot more to make up my mind about him. Insane goaltending has a way of covering up a lot of warts.

But the team needed a spark and he provided it. Can the team build any momentum for when he inevitably goes colder at some point?

 

[Akrapovince]

It was smart and perhaps a little late to turf Keefe. They had nothing left to learn from him.

Its the same with Ottawa and Dorion + DJ Smith, who outlasted their jobs by at least two seasons.

The timing of the sale wasn’t ideal for that kind of turnover but it has cost the team dearly including the careless loss of a 1st round pick.

DJ Smith, for all of his efforts in cultivating talent on the young core, had a terrible record with Ottawa as one of the NHL’s longest tenured coaches, despite his assertions that he would coach differently and with more accountability in his final season.

They had nothing more to learn from him.

Its a harsh business but keeping guys around past their expiration date can delay or prevent teams from taking the next step.

A heroic Ullmark at a time where confidence in the team had cratered due to the Groundhog Day effect of another poor November has been making Travis Green look good of late.

I need to see a lot more to make up my mind about him. Insane goaltending has a way of covering up a lot of warts.

But the team needed a spark and he provided it. Can the team build any momentum for when he inevitably goes colder at some point?

Special players drag their teams into the fight.

We have players now that on any given night can do that.

It just happens that Ullmark has been that guy for awhile.

When it doesn’t happen? Can we bank on a huge hit from Tkachuk or a clutch goal? Do we get a take over game from Stützle? So we get a Sanderson defensive masterclass? I think we can.

We aren’t a 6-4 win team anymore.

 

[TkachukNorris79]

The Sens are good. They are officially in the middle 3rd of the league. Not a bottom dweller anymore finally, but also still a ways away from being a great team.