Not good enough - no playoffs again!

[Micklebot]

Anderson has a calm swagger about him. He knew how good he was and did it.

Ullmark came in with this insane swagger...now I feel like it's totally lost. He doesn't look confident at all. It took 2 weeks for this team to break his confidence lol

If a goalie could lose confidence in themselves from the team in front of them that quick, they'd never make it to the NHL. the relationship goes the other way, he's breaking the teams confidence, and he knows it. He personally has been costing the team games and that needs to stop.

 

[DackellDuck]

If a goalie could lose confidence in themselves from the team in front of them that quick, they'd never make it to the NHL. the relationship goes the other way, he's breaking the teams confidence, and he knows it. He personally has been costing the team games and that needs to stop.

Murray and Korpisalo would have had an argument that it was the "team". In previous years, we really were a mess, consistently giving up 30+ shots per game, tons of odd man chances, scrambling around everywhere...

But this year? The team has been pretty buttoned up.

6th best in shots against per game (27.0).
5th best in expected goals against.
Top half of the league in high-danger chances against.

It's on the goalies.

It's sad but it's true... Ullmark so far has been worse than Korpisalo, considering how the team has played in front of him.

 

[Micklebot]

Murray and Korpisalo would have had an argument that it was the "team". In previous years, we really were a mess, consistently giving up 30+ shots per game, tons of odd man chances, scrambling around everywhere...

But this year? The team has been pretty buttoned up.

6th best in shots against per game (27.0).
5th best in expected goals against.
Top half of the league in high-danger chances against.

It's on the goalies.

It's sad but it's true... Ullmark so far has been worse than Korpisalo, considering how the team has played in front of him.

It's still a small sample, so there's hope he can right the ship, but it's true, he's been struggling hard.

 

[Tuna99]

People would be seeing Green in a different light if we were getting that kind of goaltending, it earned MacLean a Jack Adams finalist nomination, and a Jack Adams trophy.

Mike Kelly was on the radio the other day saying the team has brought their:
-High danger chances against to 4th best
-3rd best in rebounds allowed
-slots shots allowed down to top 5 in the league,

We certainly have some bad games where we don't perform, but they have lots where they do as well, otherwise you wouldn't see those overall numbers.

Green is the one man on the team I’m least worried about, no fooling him, he came right last night out and said they didn’t practice hard and they didn’t play hard. Green to me is just being honest with where the team and goalies are at and keeping the responsibility on the players where it belonged. DJ was a protector, Green makes you step forward on the line and be responsible for your contribution to the team win or lose.

I like Green a lot. His face yesterday in the 3rd period he looked like his head was going to explode. Staios and Poulin looked pissed with a capitol P. There’s no fooling these guys, they’ll expose the weaknesses in the team

 

[jbeck5]

If a goalie could lose confidence in themselves from the team in front of them that quick, they'd never make it to the NHL. the relationship goes the other way, he's breaking the teams confidence, and he knows it. He personally has been costing the team games and that needs to stop.

He's not playing confident either though. Never said he wasn't breaking the teams confidence either lol.

No one in the organization seems confident right now. Not even Alfie.

 

[Micklebot]

He's not playing confident either though. Never said he wasn't breaking the teams confidence either lol.

No one in the organization seems confident right now. Not even Alfie.

I agree he's not playing confident, I don't agree that the team in front of him broke him. He was broken when they were playing great, he's been the problem when it comes to undermining confidence, not the other way around.

 

[maclean]

They were facing a team on the second half of a back-to-back that's currently in a slump? Classic sens shit the bed again. This team hasn't been enjoyable to watch since the ECF run, and before that the Pesky Sens.

The moment when it sinks in that Pesky Sens was cope back then and now a whole generation has grown up knowing that as the proudest moment we've had.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I was bullish on Ullmark heading in, but he has not looked good and the whole key to these guys finding their footing has been lost. I think it's on him too, the team has been mostly fine in his games imo. It's wading in to disaster territory though if they don't reel off a couple wins here quickly and while Forsberg has been better, I don't think he's good enough to take them anywhere right now either. Either Ullmark gets it together or this team is f***ed.

SS had no choice but to give it another go with this core and his options were limited by the lack of assets, but if this season ends like the last few, it's time to make major changes to the core. Re-tool, whatever you want to call it, but I feel like the core is properly supported this year and still can't carry the team consistently the way your best players need to in this league.

When I see Zub handing the puck to the opposition like he did early on last night, I can't help but feel like they're broken in some way. He's better than that. So many times when they're looking good, someone takes them out of it, whether it's the goaltender or a player.

 

[jbeck5]

I agree he's not playing confident, I don't agree that the team in front of him broke him. He was broken when they were playing great, he's been the problem when it comes to undermining confidence, not the other way around.

I meant the team as in being part of this organization.

I don't think the skaters have been that bad defensively. Some times here and there, and at the wrong times sometimes but generally they've been good this year at keeping the scoring chances down.

Although I admit I haven't been following ullmark around everywhere for a decade, I don't know if I've seen him look to lack as much confidence as he has right now, at any point in his buffalo or Boston career.

Not saying the skaters broke him lol but it's funny that in a matter of weeks since being part of this organization, his confidence dwindled to the point he looks nervous and tentative in net by November.

 

[DackellDuck]

I meant the team as in being part of this organization.

I don't think the skaters have been that bad defensively. Some times here and there, and at the wrong times sometimes but generally they've been good this year at keeping the scoring chances down.

Although I admit I haven't been following ullmark around everywhere for a decade, I don't know if I've seen him look to lack as much confidence as he has right now, at any point in his buffalo or Boston career.

Not saying the skaters broke him lol but it's funny that in a matter of weeks since being part of this organization, his confidence dwindled to the point he looks nervous and tentative in net by November.

He's never been annointed "the guy" and handed a top 5 goalie salary before... so this is his first time dealing with those expectations.

In Boston, nobody would blink if he had to sit and refocus for 2-3 games since they had Swayman, and vice versa. No real safety net here.

So far, he hasn't handled the pressure well (neither has his buddy Swayman). Hopefully he figures it out otherwise we're hooped, as is Boston.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

The November thing isn't even a real thing.

You can have a bad month at any point in the season and still make the playoffs.

Plenty of teams do.

It's just that the high water mark for the team is winning 1-2 games and then losing and you can't make the post-season playing like that after tanking a month.

November-December is when teams really show who they are. October is early and some teams are out of sync. By February/March we'll know if we're out of it so there's not much pressure.

Constantly struggling in November-December might just mean they can't perform when stakes are somewhat high.

 

[jbeck5]

He's never been annointed "the guy" and handed a top 5 goalie salary before... so this is his first time dealing with those expectations.

In Boston, nobody would blink if he had to sit and refocus for 2-3 games since they had Swayman, and vice versa. No real safety net here.

So far, he hasn't handled the pressure well (neither has his buddy Swayman). Hopefully he figures it out otherwise we're hooped, as is Boston.

The funny thing is we haven't even really given him a starters load.

He's started 10 of the 18 games.

602 minutes of the 1,071 minutes by our goaltending.

That's tandem workload.

 

[DackellDuck]

The funny thing is we haven't even really given him a starters load.

He's started 10 of the 18 games.

602 minutes of the 1,071 minutes by our goaltending.

That's tandem workload.

It's not even the workload, it's the "you better be really good there are no other options this team has to make the playoffs and people will turn on you real fast if you struggle plus be a veteran leader since there's no Marchand, Bergeron or that type of infrastructure here" pressure.

 

[Micklebot]

The funny thing is we haven't even really given him a starters load.

He's started 10 of the 18 games.

602 minutes of the 1,071 minutes by our goaltending.

That's tandem workload.

To be fair, he was injured for 4 games, so he got 10 out of the 14 he was available for, which would be a starters workload.

 

[Tuna99]

To be fair, he was injured for 4 games, so he got 10 out of the 14 he was available for, which would be a starters workload.

If Forsberg wins vs Vegas he’s your starter. I think the Ullmark starter experiment ended last night and now it’s legit win and you are the starting goalie - Forserbg could very easily be our starter if he plays well and wins vs Vegas and I’m okay with that

 

[Xspyrit]

Yeah but the Habs are in worse shape than the Sens. The Habs are supposed to suck.

How are they in worse shape than us? They finished 2 pts behind us last season, which was their 3rd rebuilding year (or 2019-20 for us). They are 1 point behind this season and this is our 8th season…

A few minutes ago, Georges Laraque was talking about the AHL parade for the Calder cup next spring. They have a stacked prospect pool and already some interesting talent on their NHL team

Imagine if they finish in front of Ottawa this season… what a shame that would be. I f***ing hate Dorion

 

[Answer]

For all the laughing this offseason, Montreal is only 1 pt behind with one more game played.

If Sens fans haven’t been « humbled » by now… I don’t know what will

Sens fans have been humbled for years now. it's just the Brady's fans who are out of control and probably still are

 

[coladin]

I've had time to think about this.

Last night I said they had no heart, and there is a something to that.

But what I really think is: the boys realized how hard they have to play in those wins against Toronto, Boston, and they continued that style of play, their new identity so to speak, against Philly, and lost.

Since then, they have reverted their style of play to what we have seen in the past.

I think they have realized how much effort it takes to win playing that style. And they don't have it in them to do it. So it really is a lack of commitment from the players not named Stutzle

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

How are they in worse shape than us? They finished 2 pts behind us last season, which was their 3rd rebuilding year (or 2019-20 for us). They are 1 point behind this season and this is our 8th season…

A few minutes ago, Georges Laraque was talking about the AHL parade for the Calder cup next spring. They have a stacked prospect pool and already some interesting talent on their NHL team

Imagine if they finish in front of Ottawa this season… what a shame that would be. I f***ing hate Dorion

I hope it goes off the rails and they experience failure too. f*** Dorion, but more so, f*** the Habs!

 

[NyQuil]

Sens fans have been humbled for years now. it's just the Brady's fans who are out of control and probably still are

Blaming the current fortunes of the team on one guy is so dumb it's not even worth repeating, I don't care what letter is on his shirt.

 

[SENStastic]

Has apathy started to set in for you guys?

It was a big topic last year about "would Brady rather have booing fans or apathetic fans?"

The last couple games I've found myself wanting to fast forward through everything and/or do something else to pass the time.

I always start out the season on the edge of my seat, and I can spend all day talking about the team, but when it comes to watching, after the play starts to deteriorate, and losses pile on, I find it so hard to watch.

Like others said, I couldn't imagine paying $100 in the dead of winter to drive out to Kanata to watch this. Having bought a house, having a kid on the way, there's just so much more I could do with that money right now.

Apathy set in beginning of last year and the crapshoot summer of Staios did nothing to break that for me. I was only hopeful with the Ullmark acquisition, I knew our season sinks or floats with him. So far he hasn't been the saviour we were praying for. Everything else Staios did only made me feel more pessimistic about the long term prospects of this roster. So ya, I've found myself checking out early and often.

 

[Answer]

Blaming the current fortunes of the team on one guy is so dumb it's not even worth repeating, I don't care what letter is on his shirt.

No one is blaming it on just one guy but he is also the part of the problem and not being able to acknowledge it is also quite dumb its not even worth repeating, and you should care what letter is on his shirt because that matters. I don't understand what do you mean by you don't care? (exactly what I mean when I say Brady's fans need to be humbled)

We can sit here and argue all we want but the results under his captaincy are in front of everyone to see

Either he start to produce RESULTS or take criticism. Can't have it both ways.

 

[jbeck5]

No one is blaming it on just one guy but he is also the part of the problem and not being able to acknowledge it is also quite dumb its not even worth repeating, and you should care what letter is on his shirt because that matters. I don't understand what do you mean by you don't care? (exactly what I mean when I say Brady's fans need to be humbled)

We can sit here and argue all we want but the results under his captaincy are in front of everyone to see

Either he start to produce RESULTS or take criticism. Can't have it both ways.

He doesn't have the ability to lead or will or push this team into the playoffs.

He'd be a great secondary piece but he's no Karlsson leading a bunch of no one's on one leg to the conference finals type of leader. He doesn't have it in him.

He would have been a great assistant captain to a mark stone for example.

 

[Xspyrit]

Staios and Poulin looked pissed with a capitol P. There’s no fooling these guys, they’ll expose the weaknesses in the team

I kinda predicted that the depth moves they did were not going to be that good, so maybe Staios is also not the best at pro scouting

Amadio, Perron, Gregor, Cousins, only Gaudette has been great. Jensen too but we gave up a LOT to get him, Chychrun is on the top pair of one of the best teams in the league.

And Ullmark is certainly playing worse than expected but I was also talking that he wouldn’t single handily change everything

I hope it goes off the rails and they experience failure too. f*** Dorion, but more so, f*** the Habs!

A lot of things will have to go wrong for them to fail their rebuild. Just having Demidov, Hage and Fowler in reinforcements in the next few years hurts. They own Calgary’s first this year. They already got a 2nd for getting Laine and will probably get more value by trading him next season’s deadline. They have prospects and picks flowing with many good young players on their roster already. It’s not looking good

Hoping MSL is a DJ type in the end but they clearly don’t have a Dorion running (or more like ruining) the show…

 

[DrEasy]

He doesn't have the ability to lead or will or push this team into the playoffs.

He'd be a great secondary piece but he's no Karlsson leading a bunch of no one's on one leg to the conference finals type of leader. He doesn't have it in him.

He would have been a great assistant captain to a mark stone for example.

I think he'll eventually be a good captain, but I never understood why teams are so eager to anoint a 20-yr old with no experience captain of an NHL team. It's stuff right out of Game of Thrones.