We will be fine once we come back east

[Hale The Villain]

"We always suck in the west coast" is not an excuse to hang your goal tender dry and to play complete **** as a team.

Nor is at an excuse to play lazy, uncompetitive hockey with no regard for the team's well-being.

Our problems go well beyond playing on the road in the West.

 

[Senscore]

It's like the games against Toronto. There are clear recent trends, but they seem to just play it out the same way.

Maybe try something new.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Every team goes through bad stretches of games multiple times in a year. It's unfortunate that this is how the Sens started off the season, but it may end up being a blessing in disguise.

Teams can forge themselves through adversity and learn how to better. Nobody can know if the Sens will learn from these past several games and improve because of them but its something that has happened before and will happen again.

Besides, the next 3 games are against opponents that the Sens should have a better shot against. The Coyotes, Devils and Oilers give them a nice window to fine tune their game and hopefully, you know, not be terrible.

 

[bert]

What were people really expecting? Our star players were injured for a majority of the year last year..
This is the first time they're playing real games, that matter.
I would give them till mid November, and then MAYBE? Push the panic button if this play continues.

I did not expect the star players to be back into mid season form after coming off injury. However, the kind of decision making that has been made by elite professionals is mind blowing. Bad penalties, lack of effort no discipline chasing the puck around the ice, they know better. It comes down to a lack of preparation and being a professional. It trickles down throughout the lineup, Spezza and Karlsson may not be 100 percent but they still need to lead by example.

 

[dumbdick]

Is somebody really wanting to fire maclean?

You don't fire a coach that led us into the playoffs two seasons in a row.

The one thing I expect from a coach above all else is the ability to ice a team that is motivated and plays hard every game. Toronto has that, as do many other teams. We haven't had that recently.

I'll be interested in how this goes forward. If the effort level doesn't improve, I'll expect to see a series of progressively drastic measures (bag skates, then benchings/call-ups, then trades/firings).

If the coaching staff can't improve the effort level over this season, this team has zero playoff chances and I'll call for firings.

 

[Niv]

Another thing to keep in mind - Spezza has always had slow starts to the season and his injury certainly doesn't help. Give him a few more games and he will be fine.

 

[Super Cake]

I have been to the future guys and our future is mixed with good things and bad things.

This season we will make the playoffs as the 7th seed, but get swept in the 1st round against the bruins. The blues win the cup this season
The 2014-2015 season we make the playoffs as the 8th seed, but get kicked out in the 1st round in 6 games against the leafs. The sharks win the cup this season.
The 2016-2017 season will be a much better season for us. We make the playoffs as the 5th seed. We make it to the second round, but lose in 5 games against the penguins. The bruins win the cup this season.
The 2017-2018 season is the best season the sens will ever have. We make it into the playoffs as the 4 seed. We make it to the stanley cup finals and beat the avalanche in 7 games. The senators win the cup this season.

2017-2018 stanley cup champions: Ottawa Senators

 

[Lehner]

THU, 19 JAN 2012 SENATORS SHARKS
10:30 PM FINAL OTT (4) - SJS (1) RECAP
SAT, 21 JAN 2012 SENATORS DUCKS
4:00 PM FINAL OTT (1) - ANA (2) RECAP
MON, 23 JAN 2012 SENATORS KINGS
10:30 PM FINAL OTT (1) - LAK (4) RECAP
TUE, 24 JAN 2012 SENATORS COYOTES
9:00 PM FINAL OTT (2) - PHX (3) RECAP
TUE, 31 JAN 2012 SENATORS BRUINS
7:00 PM FINAL OTT (3) - BOS (4) RECAP
FEBRUARY 2012
DATE VISITOR HOME TIME (ET) TV NETWORK/RESULTS
TICKETS
FRI, 3 FEB 2012 ISLANDERS SENATORS
7:30 PM FINAL NYI (2) - OTT (1) OT RECAP
SAT, 4 FEB 2012 MAPLE LEAFS SENATORS
7:00 PM FINAL TOR (5) - OTT (0) RECAP
TUE, 7 FEB 2012 BLUES SENATORS
7:30 PM FINAL STL (3) - OTT (1) RECAP

Alfie was our leader then, has nothing to do with leadership, we suck out west.

 

[Karl Cowensson]

We've always been bad on the West coast road trips, we have only been decent (.500) on the road recently, so not much has changed.

Save the torches and pitchforks for if we start sucking at home.

 

[Savannah Skunk]

So if we never find a way to win against the top tier teams of the western conference on the road, pray tell how the Senators are going to win the cup? We need to learn to play those teams in their own rinks and win.

 

[HavlatMach9]

So if we never find a way to win against the top tier teams of the western conference on the road, pray tell how the Senators are going to win the cup? We need to learn to play those teams in their own rinks and win.

Let's cross that road when we get to the finals and thank our lucky stars we're in the East.

 

[Xspyrit]

The Ducks game is the only awful game we played really. Buffalo and Toronto we played ok, not spectacular but good enough (penalties killed us in the Toronto game). The LA and San Jose games we were not playing so good but there were parts of the games where the sens dominated. Again, without the penalties we had a shot at winning those games. Also had we not taken that 4 min penalty in the sharks game (giving up 17 shots) the shot total would look a lot better.

That's 4 games out of 5 where Ottawa could have won if they were more disciplined. All of this on a west coast road trip at the start of the year against 3 strong playoffs contenders and a toronto team who is on the rise just like us (+ a rebuilding buffalo team).

Obviously, the discipline and consistency issues aren't going to magically disappear like that but if the coaching staff is able to fix them we can beat anybody. Until then we will struggle to win games because on most night there are two teams playing against the sens: the other team and the sens themselves.

Yes, but even in that game, we had a few "good 5 minutes" but like Methot (IIRC) was saying, you can't do that in the NHL and expect to win many games.

Oh and we also sucked in the first against LA and the 3rd against SJ. Can't afford that kind of periods too much.

 

[Blarginator]

Yes, but even in that game, we had a few "good 5 minutes" but like Methot (IIRC) was saying, you can't do that in the NHL and expect to win many games.

Oh and we also sucked in the first against LA and the 3rd against SJ. Can't afford that kind of periods too much.

Oh I agree completely. The only thing I'm saying is that while we've been bad, it's not as bad as people think it is. If it's still a trend in a couple of games then I'll start to worry a little.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I have no doubt we will settle down in the East.

Spezza's game is wayyyy better suited for Eastern Conference. Watch him light-it up.

With that being said, we shouldn't satisfy ourselves that we are coming back to East. If we do win a cup we'll eventually have to go through rigorous 7 game series with Western Champs.

I do not think we played poorly cause it was in the west as much as we just played poorly in general.

I do think it's a good wakeup call though cause then Sens will know what to expect and we'll be better prepared to face them again later this month at home.

 

[mcnorth]

Only two pts out of the play-offs! We can do this!

 

[BK201]

i think we need another defenseman.

 

[BondraTime]

This is literally the hardest stretch of games of the season for the Sens.

They have played some of the best teams in the league. Albiet, they have not played up to their ability in those games.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Also, I'm not one to bring refs into blame but against Anahiem and LA we were destroyed by the refs.

We did take bad penalties but the ratio of PP's they got to us was 17-8 including 4 5on3's against. Against Anaheim alone they had 6 to our 1.

Therefore, us playing poorly, plus against contending teams AND ridiculous calls against as well as none for= dominated. Yet we lost 2 games by 1 and only the last one did we really look poor.

 

[Icelevel]

Also, I'm not one to bring refs into blame but against Anahiem and LA we were destroyed by the refs.

We did take bad penalties but the ratio of PP's they got to us was 17-8 including 4 5on3's against. Against Anaheim alone they had 6 to our 1.

Therefore, us playing poorly, plus against contending teams AND ridiculous calls against as well as none for= dominated. Yet we lost 2 games by 1 and only the last one did we really look poor.

don't know if i saw any "ridiculous" calls. i think i remember seeing an equal amount of bad/questionable calls on both sides. Not an excuse, senators were absolutely terrible for long stretches and did not deserve any points.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

don't know if i saw any "ridiculous" calls. i think i remember seeing an equal amount of bad/questionable calls on both sides. Not an excuse, senators were absolutely terrible for long stretches and did not deserve any points.

Pretty hard to suggest there was an equal amount of bad/questionable calls on the opponents when they only take 1 penalty in the game....

We were playing the Anaheim Ducks, not the Anaheim Angels.

 

[aragorn]

Pretty hard to suggest there was an equal amount of bad/questionable calls on the opponents when they only take 1 penalty in the game....

We were playing the Anaheim Ducks, not the Anaheim Angels.

 

[swiftwin]

A small reminder of how our 2011-12 season started. We had brutal 7-1 and 7-2 losses in our first 6 games. We all had the "I ain't even mad" theme going, expecting to finish last in the NHL. Someone started a thread on the main board asking if the Sens would be the worst team ever (surpassing our 92-93 season).

We turned it around, made the playoffs, Karlsson won the norris and Maclean got nominated for the Jack Adams.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/schedulebyseason.htm?season=20112012&gameType=2&team=OTT&network=&venue=

We're already off to a better start than we did that season.

 

[Icelevel]

Pretty hard to suggest there was an equal amount of bad/questionable calls on the opponents when they only take 1 penalty in the game....

We were playing the Anaheim Ducks, not the Anaheim Angels.

it's not hard when you see how much better they were

 

[Holdurbreathe]

A small reminder of how our 2011-12 season started. We had brutal 7-1 and 7-2 losses in our first 6 games. We all had the "I ain't even mad" theme going, expecting to finish last in the NHL. Someone started a thread on the main board asking if the Sens would be the worst team ever (surpassing our 92-93 season).

We turned it around, made the playoffs, Karlsson won the norris and Maclean got nominated for the Jack Adams.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/schedulebyseason.htm?season=20112012&gameType=2&team=OTT&network=&venue=

We're already off to a better start than we did that season.

That's cool, but let's not forget the Sens weren't a contender in 2011-12 and wouldn't have made the playoffs under the current format!!!

 

[Upgrayedd]

All things aside and fully recognizing the "travel" debate, it must be kinda weird for an East team going out West playing at a body clock of 10pm whereas a West team coming East would feel as though it is 4pm save for Toronto of course. Personally i know which one i would prefer as an athlete.