GDT: Ottawa Senators at Colorado Snowslides| 9PM EST | TSN5, RDS1, ESPN+ | Must win situation™ - Late Night Edition

[Golden_Jet]

This season, our PP is due for a statistical regression, which means we can expect even less offensive production.

the PP last year was not good, this year has been great. Yes, no team keeps up at 40%.
The sum of PP + PK needs to be over 100.
Last year TB had the highest at 111.9

Currently running at 115.6, but 5 on 5 needs to improve.

 

[Emrasie]

For me D is good this year but not good enough to overpass the level of offense we have (5vs5). It's just bad, they can't make 3 clean passes on a row.
It's brutal, they are good on the rush but placed not so much and against top teams, well structured ones you need to.
Now why is it this poor ? Lack of talent, Green coaching? I don't know. The two maybe.

 

[swiftwin]

so we lost 2 games in exceptionally close fashion. Against 2 of the 3 most recent Stanly Cup champs. And these were games 2 and 3 of that 3 game western road trip!!

this is actually a good result. Not as good as wining those games, I grant you. But all told, excellent results.

In the past, it would have been 2-4 goal loses, with the game being over at the end of the first period.

None of the 3 games were us playing monkey in the middle.

Once these same 3 Western teams come to Ottawa, it may be 3 wins for the Sens.

Basically this. It was always going to be a tough 3 game road trip. We won the game we were supposed to, and were minutes away from getting at least a point in the other two games.

The level of play against Vegas was good. Not so great against Colorado. Let's see how they rebound against the Blues.

 

[LiseL]

honestly the reason I think Ullmark isn’t starting is because they have a 4 hour flight home to fight and play on Tuesday and they don’t want Ullmark playing and grit getting treatment for his injury and being on a plane and they want Ullmark to star at home vs St Louis

That’s my take anyways

I think they went to Forsberg because of his outstanding peformance in Utah + Ullmark was very rusty in the Vegas game, called himself out. I don't think it's because Ullmark couldn't play, otherwise, he wouldn't have been the backup.

I don't want to worry.....but I'm worried. We really need Ullmark to be able to play a good 50 games a year. I get this year will likely be a bit lower starting out with an injury and all, but jeez. Can't help but think there's a goalie curse on this franchise.

I think it was the coach's decision who would start, otherwise if Ullmark were injured, he wouldn't be the backup.

 

[Norris4Norris]

I hope

Last night was an outlier in terms of defensive play this season. We’ve been pretty tight. I suspect we will get back to that and Ullmark will play like Ullmark. Will we continue to score 5 every game? No. Will the other team continue to score 6? Also no

I hope you are right about Ullmark. I'll believe it when I see it consistently.

 

[LiseL]

Team seriously lacks speed.

Saw that against Utah in the 1st period of the Tuesday game and now the Avs are skating circles around them

Wish we didn't get rid of Joseph for many reasons, that being one of them.

They need to have a different game plan when playing against transitional teams (Avs, Mtl). Clog up the neutral zone, make it difficult for them to get into our zone, create turnovers. I'm so tired of seeing them sending the puck up along the boards or dump/chase. Play as a 5 man unit and you'll have more success getting out of our D zone and create some opportunities in their zone. Is this a coaching issue or players bad habits continuing to plague them? So frustrating to watch.

 

[LiseL]

He's got 8 pts in 7 games....

Half of those points on are on the PP, the other half are probably a result of cheating for offense. I just wish he would be more noticeable (in a good way) 5v5 and in the D zone. I guess it will take some time to learn how to play the right way.

 

[Tuna99]

I think they went to Forsberg because of his outstanding peformance in Utah + Ullmark was very rusty in the Vegas game, called himself out. I don't think it's because Ullmark couldn't play, otherwise, he wouldn't have been the backup.


I think it was the coach's decision who would start, otherwise if Ullmark were injured, he wouldn't be the backup.

But this logic Brady Tkachuk should be on the 4th line

 

[Gil Gunderson]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1850946891057451050

 

[DrEasy]

I never said the sky was falling...so I'm not sure why you make it sound like such a gotcha. I'm taking issue with the statement "We're in better shape now than we've been in in years", which is an absurd take to have at this point. There's not much about this 4-4 record that says we're in better shape than we've been in a long time. 0 goal differential? Last year we were +6 at this same point. We didn't have Pinto in the lineup and Norris missed the first 4 games. This season, our PP is due for a statistical regression, which means we can expect even less offensive production. We have bottom of the barrel 5v5 offense and we continue to give up an alarming rate of goals despite upgrades on D and in nets. There's really no parts of our game that you can definitively point to and say "this projects well for the rest of the season".

I'm not saying the season is over, either. However, unless something significantly changes in the way they are playing it's not looking like we have the formula for success.

If the PP is due for a statistical regression (can only get worse from here), why can't the bottom-of-the-barrel 5vs5 also be due for a statistical regression (can only get better from here)?

 

[SensFactor]

Creating a goalie graveyard in Ottawa because we can't defend

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Here's our 5v5 xGA for every game this year.

1.99
1.39
1.53
1.94
1.15
3.52
1.79
3.41

There are two clear outliers, Colorado and Utah are those outliers.

Yes forgot about that game. I mentioned the Utah game last night. Other than that we’ve been legit great defensively.

 

[JD1]

I never said the sky was falling...so I'm not sure why you make it sound like such a gotcha. I'm taking issue with the statement "We're in better shape now than we've been in in years", which is an absurd take to have at this point. There's not much about this 4-4 record that says we're in better shape than we've been in a long time. 0 goal differential? Last year we were +6 at this same point. We didn't have Pinto in the lineup and Norris missed the first 4 games. This season, our PP is due for a statistical regression, which means we can expect even less offensive production. We have bottom of the barrel 5v5 offense and we continue to give up an alarming rate of goals despite upgrades on D and in nets. There's really no parts of our game that you can definitively point to and say "this projects well for the rest of the season".

I'm not saying the season is over, either. However, unless something significantly changes in the way they are playing it's not looking like we have the formula for success.

You listed a bunch of things from your perspective that aren't going well. I put a label on it, saying that's a "sky is falling" type view. It's not a gotcha and wasn't intended as such. It's simply my take on your opinion.

I think we are in better shape. I like the D set up better. Much better actually. I like the goaltending set up better. Again, much better. And I think the forward core is showing some progression. Norris looks like he's his old self. I see them playing more physical and I like the tighter set up in the D zone.

8 games into last year, Pinto was out. Norris was clearly playing afraid. Greig was just breaking in. We had no center depth.

8 games into this year. Center depth looks great. Sanderson looks like he wants to be in the Norris discussion. Chabot looks like he's trying to get his head out of his ass and Jensen looks like a great partner for him.

So ya, I think we look better than at this point last year. And if you want to dispute that by quoting stats, that's fine, we can agree to disagree

 

[robsenz]

Late to finish the game, Ottawa is the same team, I'm no longer optimistic about anything. Green wasn't the right hire and we all knew it. Dumb.

 

[Beech]

Basically this. It was always going to be a tough 3 game road trip. We won the game we were supposed to, and were minutes away from getting at least a point in the other two games.

The level of play against Vegas was good. Not so great against Colorado. Let's see how they rebound against the Blues.

we have become so accustomed to the negative, we don't know how to turn that switch off.

I am listening to TSN1200 and even they are down.

We need to break from the past. Nitpicking has to stop. Wahh, and this coming from me.

 

[HSF]

we have become so accustomed to the negative, we don't know how to turn that switch off.

I am listening to TSN1200 and even they are down.

We need to break from the past. Nitpicking has to stop. Wahh, and this coming from me.

This is true for most fan bases. The sens just need to be better we keep seeing the same mistakes. Even leaf fans were pissed about their team starting 4-4 yet they have done that for most of the previous years and have been good in our division by the end of year

Discussion is the point of being a sports fan aswell

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Hamonic back with Sanderson at practice lol.

 

[PlayOn]

Hamonic back with Sanderson at practice lol.

The other alternatives are JBD, who has never been suited for that role either, or Jensen, which means switching up a D pair that are getting comfortable with each other still.

There isn’t an ideal option. Hopefully Hamonic has an easier time with the St. Louis forwards than two of the better offenses in the NHL.

 

[BondraTime]

The other alternatives are JBD, who has never been suited for that role either, or Jensen, which means switching up a D pair that are getting comfortable with each other still.

There isn’t an ideal option. Hopefully Hamonic has an easier time with the St. Louis forwards than two of the better offenses in the NHL.

If Zub is out, Jensen needs to be moved up, as shitty as that is for Chabot. Move JBD up with Chabot and get Hamonic back to 13ish mins.

Green is matching lines, we can't have Hamonic playing 20+ minutes, ever. It's a recipe for disaster.

Sanderson-Jensen - 25 mins - 21 mins
Chabot-JBD - 23 mins - 18 mins
Kleven-Hamonic - 16 mins - 14 mins

Ideally Hamonic isn't out there, he brings down every pair he's on, but at least on the 3rd pair it's not bringing down Sanderson and against the other teams top players

Sanderson is the Sens best player, we can't be saddling him, we need to play around him

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1851281612668842058

 

[OUT HOUSE]

I'd rather Guenette over Hamonic.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Something tells me Hamonic is staying up (and JBD scratched) once Zub is back. Just a feeling.

 

[Beech]

This is true for most fan bases. The sens just need to be better we keep seeing the same mistakes. Even leaf fans were pissed about their team starting 4-4 yet they have done that for most of the previous years and have been good in our division by the end of year

Discussion is the point of being a sports fan as well

yes,

but we have become scarred here. The realty is, our misery is not 7 years old, it is 17. It began after the Stanley Cup final trip in 2007.

As for the same mistakes? yes, same players. Change will be minimal. But massive changes in other areas will compensate.

We need to start being a tad more positive and a tad less afraid.

The last 3 games, where the first set of games that I have watched in a long time, when I was not squinting, waiting for a tidal wave.

 

[BondraTime]

Something tells me Hamonic is staying up (and JBD scratched) once Zub is back. Just a feeling.

Without a doubt, only reason JBD has gotten into a game is because Zub is out.

It's absolutly baffling to me, but I don't think it's going to change much. Hamonic will be in 80% of the time, whereas he should only be playing if there was an injury pregame without being able to call someone up.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1851281612668842058

I was very confident he was going to make us look silly tonight.