Meaningful March

[Sens Vader]

It was a pretty low bar, only Teams in our conference that didn’t play meaningful games in March were CBJ, MTL, and PHI

It did however make the ending of this season a lot more fun. Those two games against Detroit being my fav

 

[Micklebot]

It was a pretty low bar, only Teams in our conference that didn’t play meaningful games in March were CBJ, MTL, and PHI

It did however make the ending of this season a lot more fun. Those two games against Detroit being my fav

There's lot of parity in the league, going into the season there were 9 teams that depending on who you asked were going to be locks for one of the 8 spots, the math just didn't work, there were too many teams ahead of us in their cycle.

Heck, Clb was expecting to be in the mix team if not for injuries,

So, did we set a low bar, or would the next step up, a wild card spot, set a very high bar?

 

[Sens Vader]

There's lot of parity in the league, going into the season there were 9 teams that depending on who you asked were going to be locks for one of the 8 spots, the math just didn't work, there were too many teams ahead of us in their cycle.

Heck, Clb was expecting to be in the mix team if not for injuries,

So, did we set a low bar, or would the next step up, a wild card spot, set a very high bar?

Yes, we set a low bar. That seems fairly obvious to me.

 

[Micklebot]

Yes, we set a low bar. That seems fairly obvious to me.

We set a bar that aligned with where just about every third party observer predicted we'd finish the season assuming things went well, maybe it's your expectations that are out of alignment with what is realistic if you think the bar was set low given the hockey world seemed to peg that as our most likely result.

 

[Big Muddy]

There's lot of parity in the league, going into the season there were 9 teams that depending on who you asked were going to be locks for one of the 8 spots, the math just didn't work, there were too many teams ahead of us in their cycle.

Heck, Clb was expecting to be in the mix team if not for injuries,

So, did we set a low bar, or would the next step up, a wild card spot, set a very high bar?

I have to wonder how different next year will be versus this year as well. Yes, hopefully we will do better on the injury front. But, still wonder what the results will be next year.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I have to wonder how different next year will be versus this year as well. Yes, hopefully we will do better on the injury front. But, still wonder what the results will be next year.

I think next year my expectation is essentially where the islanders are right now. In the WC spot but not toooootttaaaaalllllyyyy comfortable in that spot until very late in the season

 

[Micklebot]

I have to wonder how different next year will be versus this year as well.

Well, the addition of Chychrun is a pretty big hole filled, that will go a long way towards improving our chances, and realistic expectations.

DeBrincat and goaltending are the question marks. Idk how confident we can be with Forsberg and Sogaard in net, and losing DeBrincat will be a big hit if that happens.

Best to wait till Sept before setting the bar (for the roster), though for whoever the GM is, their bar will be assembling a team that can be expected to make the playoffs, kind of two different bars I guess...

 

[Big Muddy]

We set a bar that aligned with where just about every third party observer predicted we'd finish the season assuming things went well, maybe it's your expectations that are out of alignment with what is realistic if you think the bar was set low given the hockey world seemed to peg that as our most likely result.

I wonder about situational awareness. There was a lot of focus & excitement on what we did in offseason. But, things aren't static and other teams in the Conference that we compete against are getting better as well.

 

[bert]

I have to wonder how different next year will be versus this year as well. Yes, hopefully we will do better on the injury front. But, still wonder what the results will be next year.

I think there are alot of things that will happen over the offseason that will impact expectations.

1. Debrincat - Whats happening with him
2. Coaching, - Will the sens be hiring someone new
3. Goaltending - Will they go get someone established.
4. Forward Depth - This team needs to upgrade its forward depth big time. (this is the easiest thing to do in hockey should not be an issue at all)

 

[Big Muddy]

Well, the addition of Chychrun is a pretty big hole filled, that will go a long way towards improving our chances, and realistic expectations.

DeBrincat and goaltending are the question marks. Idk how confident we can be with Forsberg and Sogaard in net, and losing DeBrincat will be a big hit if that happens.

Best to wait till Sept before setting the bar (for the roster), though for whoever the GM is, their bar will be assembling a team that can be expected to make the playoffs, kind of two different bars I guess...

Yes, adding Chychrun will help but I'm still waiting to see him find chemistry with his partner whoever that will be ultimately. Injuries could play a role with that player as well.

I see a lot of emphasis on better health (less injuries) and other teams falling off. But, neither of those are assured. I've been hearing about Boston's old core and them falling off a cliff for the last 4 years. It hasn't happened. That's just an example.

 

[BondraTime]

Was absolutely a vague, low bar that was almost near impossible to not reach.

May as well have just said not mathematically eliminated with 20 games remaining.

 

[Sens Vader]

We set a bar that aligned with where just about every third party observer predicted we'd finish the season assuming things went well, maybe it's your expectations that are out of alignment with what is realistic if you think the bar was set low given the hockey world seemed to peg that as our most likely result.

1) 3 teams in the conference did not play meaningful games
2) we played "meaningful games" for 2 weeks of the season
3) the highest achievement was a 35% chance of playoffs, held for 48 hours, and never touched the wild card position

It's a very vague goal, that is easily achievable. I don't have out-of-wack expectations, It is just obvious the bar was set to something very easily achievable, when "meaningful games" is so subjective

We played meaningful games under this context, it was a lot more fun to watch than other years. I do not think this season warrants a "successful year" title to the point where DJ and Dorion should not be on the hot seat.

 

[Tuna99]

1) 3 teams in the conference did not play meaningful games
2) we played "meaningful games" for 2 weeks of the season
3) the highest achievement was a 35% chance of playoffs, held for 48 hours

It's a very vague goal, that is easily achievable. I don't have out-of-wack expectations, It is just obvious the bar was set to something very easily achievable, when "meaningful games" is very subjective

We played meaningful games under this context, it was a lot more fun to watch than other years. I do not think this season warrants a "successful year" title to the point where DJ and Dorion should not be on the hot seat.

How any fan can say expectations were met when they got to the point of the seaosn to compete for a playoff spot and they completely collapsed is to me is these fan not wanting to hold the coach and players accountable

before the deadline we were the 10th worst team in the NHL: today we are the 10th worst team in the NHL.

And to be so close after the 2 Detroit games and completely disharea the bed in the ensuing games especially after getting Chychryn - it’s a failure. How anyone sees the Sens play as “met our goals of being a team that collapses in the face of our goals” as a success to me is fans cheering with a losers mentality

 

[Micklebot]

1) 3 teams in the conference did not play meaningful games

If you think Detroit played meaningful games when the first thing they did on March 1st was start to unload their top players, maybe you have a different definition than the rest of the world.

2) we played "meaningful games" for 2 weeks of the season

Had we beat Boston and NJD, both games we were with a goal not including EN, we'd be tied with Florida right now, 3 pts back of the pens and 4 of NYI with a game in hand. We lost two meaningful games in the 4th week of March,

3) the highest achievement was a 35% chance of playoffs, held for 48 hours, and never touched the wild card position

OK?

It's a very vague goal, that is easily achievable. I don't have out-of-wack expectations, It is just obvious the bar was set to something very easily achievable, when "meaningful games" is so subjective

It's subjective enough that you've included a team like Det who literally started selling off the first day of the month, so you've go me there, but I don't think Dorion meant we won't start selling off until the first of March when he said meaningful.

We played meaningful games under this context, it was a lot more fun to watch than other years. I do not think this season warrants a "successful year" title to the point where DJ and Dorion should not be on the hot seat.

Ok, Dorion and DJ should be gone regardless of whether you consider this season as successful or not, they weren't getting fired unt new ownership came in regardless though, so who cares.

Had Dorion said we'll be competitive with Was, Pens, and Florida for the last few playoff spots, everyone would have said he was out of his mind, but that's where we've been all month, and we did it without Norris all year, and with losing both our NHL goalies for all but two games in March. We aimed to be a bubble team, everyone outside of ottawa set expectations as a bubble team, and go figure, we're a bubble team,

The league is about parity, when you aren't willing to acknowledge other teams have the same goals, and also make additions every offseason to reach those goals, you end up thinking what your team did is surely enough to guarantee success, but life doesn't work that way.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I think there are alot of things that will happen over the offseason that will impact expectations.

1. Debrincat - Whats happening with him
2. Coaching, - Will the sens be hiring someone new
3. Goaltending - Will they go get someone established.
4. Forward Depth - This team needs to upgrade its forward depth big time. (this is the easiest thing to do in hockey should not be an issue at all)

Looking at FA wondering who could work.

At wing can we bring in foligno at cheaper than what hes making now? I still like lucic but who knows his cost.

Someone who can play wing and center? White, girgensons?

Ferland is due for a pay cut? Is Miles wood due for a pay cut?

Sheary? Bellemare?

Edit: should probbaly
Put this in the proposal thread

I think key to depth next year is to have people on the fourth line that can slide up into the third.

This year we had kelly and Kastelic on the fourth and there’s simply no way those guys can play any higher up in the lineup right now.

 

[BondraTime]

Detroit started selling because they aren’t trying to do whatever they can to make the playoffs and they have their own 1st. Have a nice pick for themselves plus another as well.

They were essentially in the same spot as the Sens. Keep on winning and hoping the other 4 teams ahead of them lose.

They’ve done worse than the Sens over the past 10 and are still within 2 games with a game in hand. They were writhin the exact same striking distance as the Sens.

Their games over the past 15 have meant the exact same as the Sens in the grand scheme of things. Hope for the best.

I mean, since those games against Detroit, the Wings have picked up 7 points and the Sens have picked up 11. The wings are only 4 points behind the Sens with a game in hand.

The wings games the past 15 were as meaningful as the Sens were, regardless of them understanding they aren’t actually meaningful and selling for futures.

 

[Micklebot]

Detroit started selling because they aren’t trying to do whatever they can to make the playoffs and they have their own 1st. Have a nice pick for themselves plus another as well.

They were essentially in the same spot as the Sens. Keep on winning and hoping the other 4 teams ahead of them lose.

They’ve done worse than the Sens over the past 10 and are still within 2 games with a game in hand. They were writhin the exact same striking distance as the Sens.

Their games over the past 15 have meant the exact same as the Sens in the grand scheme of things. Hope for the best.

Games don't become unmeaningful after the fact because you lost, Det is 4 pts back with essentially the same record over the last 10 (we have a shootout loses on them)

Reality is we could very easily have won vs the Leafs, Bos and NJD games and been 5 pts up from where we are just in our last 5 games, so were those games meaningful, or meaningless? Heck, extend it one game further to the Colorado game where the game winning goal was off a blown call and we could be tied with the pens right now.

These games were clearly meaningful, we just lost them so people are sour and want to complain. Some people didn't think we had a chance to win them so presupposed they were meaningless, but as I said, all those games were withing reach, it's not like we were blown out of the rink.

 

[BondraTime]

Games don't become unmeaningful after the fact because you lost, Det is 4 pts back with essentially the same record over the last 10 (we have a shootout loses on them)

Reality is we could very easily have won vs the Leafs, Bos and NJD games and been 5 pts up from where we are just in our last 5 games, so we're those games meaningful, or meaningless? Heck, extend it one game further to the Colorado game where the game winning goal was off a blown call and we could be tied with the pens right now.

These games were clearly meaningful, we just lost them so people are sour and want to complain. Some people didn't think we had a chance to win them so presupposed they were meaningless, but as I said, all those games were withing reach, it's not like we were blown out of the rink.

And Detroit “could have” won against St. Louis, Philly x 2 and Nashville and be 8 points up from where they are. So it applies to the Sens and not the Wings? They were only eliminated last night mathematically.

The games meant the exact same, win and you still have a very, very slim chance. Exact same as the Sens.

The fact we seem to think it’s a huge improvement, and satisfying meaningful game, is bizarre to me.

Both teams were in the same position. Win games, and scoreboard watch 4 other teams, and you still have a chance. That's as meaningful as the games were, which is very, very little.

March 1st, after the losses to the Sens.
Sens 60 GP 64p
Wings 60 GP 64p

So if the Wings said that they wanted to be in meaningful games in March at the start of the year, they’d have fulfilled that promise using our low bar.

 

[Larionov]

It did however make the ending of this season a lot more fun. Those two games against Detroit being my fav

The Sens DJ playing "Don't Stop Believin'" as the Wings were leaving the ice was absolutely savage, and my favourite moment in that building since the Bobby Ryan hatty. (Number one is Mark Stone's goal in OT over the Penguins during the Hamburglar run.)

 

[Norris4Norris]

I think there are alot of things that will happen over the offseason that will impact expectations.

1. Debrincat - Whats happening with him
2. Coaching, - Will the sens be hiring someone new
3. Goaltending - Will they go get someone established.
4. Forward Depth - This team needs to upgrade its forward depth big time. (this is the easiest thing to do in hockey should not be an issue at all)

Also, signing Formenton would be a huge add to forward depth. Assuming everything turns out fine with respect to the legal matters.

 

[Sens Vader]

If you think Detroit played meaningful games when the first thing they did on March 1st was start to unload their top players, maybe you have a different definition than the rest of the world.

Had we beat Boston and NJD, both games we were with a goal not including EN, we'd be tied with Florida right now, 3 pts back of the pens and 4 of NYI with a game in hand. We lost two meaningful games in the 4th week of March,

OK?


It's subjective enough that you've included a team like Det who literally started selling off the first day of the month, so you've go me there, but I don't think Dorion meant we won't start selling off until the first of March when he said meaningful.

Ok, Dorion and DJ should be gone regardless of whether you consider this season as successful or not, they weren't getting fired unt new ownership came in regardless though, so who cares.

Had Dorion said we'll be competitive with Was, Pens, and Florida for the last few playoff spots, everyone would have said he was out of his mind, but that's where we've been all month, and we did it without Norris all year, and with losing both our NHL goalies for all but two games in March. We aimed to be a bubble team, everyone outside of ottawa set expectations as a bubble team, and go figure, we're a bubble team,

The league is about parity, when you aren't willing to acknowledge other teams have the same goals, and also make additions every offseason to reach those goals, you end up thinking what your team did is surely enough to guarantee success, but life doesn't work that way.

This post holds no information or argument. The bar was set low, evidently proven when 80% of the conference achieves it (or 75% by your standard of removing Detroit - who clearly recognized where they were at and pivoted to not attempt to be competitive. WSH did the same). Although if Detroit went on a 5+ game win streak at the start of March they would be in it

I never stated other teams do not have the same goal.

"meaningful games" is very subjective, "the highest achievement was a 35% chance of playoffs, held for 48 hours, and never touched the wild card position" proves how variable it can be.

Also, these last 9 games are "meaningful" in the sense that if we go 9-0 we may have a chance.

We achieved the goal Dorion set. I don't think its impressive in any way

 

[swiftwin]

This post holds no information or argument. The bar was set low, evidently proven when 80% of the conference achieves it (or 75% by your standard of removing Detroit - who clearly recognized where they were at at pivoted to not attempt to be competitive. WSH did the same)

This season was pretty unusual. I can't remember the last time so many teams were still in the playoff race in March. Usually, it's closer to 60% of the conference still playing meaningful games in March. Look at the West. Only Calgary and Nashville were the only ones still in the race.

 

[Sens Vader]

This season was pretty unusual. I can't remember the last time so many teams were still in the playoff race in March. Usually, it's closer to 60% of the conference still playing meaningful games in March. Look at the West. Only Calgary and Nashville were the only ones still in the race.

Yeah, this year was strange, it was fun though.

definitely the most entertaining season in a long time for Sens fans. The Highs were High, the Lows were Low

gonna be an interesting off-season

 

[swiftwin]

Yeah, this year was strange, it was fun though.

definitely the most entertaining season in a long time for Sens fans. The Highs were High, the Lows were Low

gonna be an interesting off-season

Yep. I literally said that when everyone was dooming at the beginning of November:

GDT: - Golden Knights @ Sens - Monthy Python edition - 7:00pm (11:00pm London, UK time) - TSN 5

What was it Dorion said when he hired DJ… “DJ Smith never has a bad day.” Or something like that. We’ll I’m guess that tomorrow will be a bad day for DJ.

forums.hfboards.com

 

[Sens Vader]

Yep. I literally said that when everyone was dooming at the beginning of November:
View attachment 676842

GDT: - Golden Knights @ Sens - Monthy Python edition - 7:00pm (11:00pm London, UK time) - TSN 5

What was it Dorion said when he hired DJ… “DJ Smith never has a bad day.” Or something like that. We’ll I’m guess that tomorrow will be a bad day for DJ.

forums.hfboards.com

4 horrible Novembers in a row was torture, November is a shitty month in Ottawa to begin with lol

In the end, we all see the potential of this team. Need some tweaks and we're gonna be dynamite.