Pre-Game Talk: Leafs in Ottawa, Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting, 7 pm on CBC

[Cosmix]

My thoughts are pretty much this. I loved the Boucher hire, but for a variety of reasons, I was wrong. Maybe I just didn't know enough about him at the time but he is too stubborn, his system is too draining on the players for 82 games+playoffs, then that is made worse by his unwillingness to play young players who didn't grind through the playoffs last year and thus should be fresher.

People can blame the players for quitting....but why did the players quit? That's the question. I think it's Boucher's intensive system, and the Karlsson injury, along with our terrible schedule this season following a deep playoff run have expedited the issue.

There's evidence that key players on this team can be pesky and strong willed. A lot of these players rallied through the greatest regular season run in modern NHL history three years ago (Hammond run), last year they rallied through tremendous off ice adversity and played some clutch hockey to close out the season and clinch a playoff spot when multiple players were hurt.

If there's any hope, Dorion is keeping Boucher because he knows this season is done, and with parity being the way it is in the NHL, we could bounce back and make the playoffs next season, meaning this is a rare opportunity for us to get an elite player at the top of the draft. Dorion doesn't want to spark the team by firing Boucher, and will do it at the end of the season.

I do not buy the "OMG WE JUST NEED TO GO 56-1-1 AND WE CAN STILL MAKE IT IN" talk, that's Dorion fronting. This team needs to inspire fans to buy tickets and can't proclaim the season done this early when there are lots of home dates left. Teams that think everything is ayyyokay and a streak will get them back in don't hide away in a bunker and have meetings where they try to rank every single player and asset an organization has.

If Dorion doesn't fire Boucher in the summer, then I am scared.

As long as Dorion is the GM, I have no faith that this budget-conscious team will manage its hockey assets wisely instead of trading futures for aging declining vets.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

There should be some way that Season Ticket holders could be allowed to buy up to 10? extra tickets each, for Leaf games, at their Season Ticket rates, and allow them to re-sell them at face value, in the Ottawa Market.

It is one main reason a lot of fans, like me will not go to Leafs games, in Ottawa, and yes that makes the problem worse.

People will always re-sell them for the highest price they can get. Leaf fans will still get those tickets. Economics 101.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Anyone here think Andy might be playing hurt?

I noticed quite a few times, that he doesn't extend his legs much in the butterfly. It makes him look a lot smaller in net, and opens up the posts for shooters.

 

[coladin]

sub par goaltending negatively affects every aspect of a team's game other than the PP. We can go from one game to the next and say you can't blame Andy for that one and there may be some truth to that however add the season up and you cannot escape the numbers. They are terrible and they impact everything.

His play has dropped so much that imo it is not physical. has to be mental. I'd assume a physical drop off would be more gradual. From elit to average to below average to veteran backup is pretty standard....at least for guys that are elite. We can debate what he was but at worst he was a middle of the road starter and he's gone from that to shouldn't be in the league in one summer. So hopefully he can mentally recover. Maybe it was last year's extended run and his personal circumstances idk just guessing but he doesn't look right or confident to me at all

Been saying for a while that it is clearly mental to me. Simmer likes to get on his lateral movement and such. But I just see a guy who is coming to grips with what he and his family went through last year. I have been through the cancer ringer with immediate family and when you are fighting for your life, you become extra attentive at everything you do: you are essentially fighting for your life. Now, when they get the all clear, it hits him like a ton of bricks: I get it. Mental exhaustion.

 

[coladin]

Been to a number of Leafs vs Sens games over the years, but stopped because the atmosphere sucks, and if I were offered free tickets, I'd still not attend, I'd pass on the tickets to someone who wanted them.

That type of attitude allows that national embarrassment on national TV. I say go and represent. This team's fanbase likes to complain about the team not showing up: that's pretty rich isn't it?

 

[Langdon Alger]

Been saying for a while that it is clearly mental to me. Simmer likes to get on his lateral movement and such. But I just see a guy who is coming to grips with what he and his family went through last year. I have been through the cancer ringer with immediate family and when you are fighting for your life, you become extra attentive at everything you do: you are essentially fighting for your life. Now, when they get the all clear, it hits him like a ton of bricks: I get it. Mental exhaustion.

It could be both mental and physical.

 

[aragorn]

Neither the team nor the fans showed up tonight.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Neither the team nor the fans showed up tonight.

We showed up, just not for the first and third periods.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

I heard two rumors. One was before the leafs game. L’autre was second intermission. Or maaaybe. The report came out during the second intermission. Hmm. Maybe there were multiple confrontations.

Oh so the GM has a mid-season meeting with the players, on Friday (between the Blues game on Thursday and the Leafs game on Saturday) to talk about the state of the team, that is sitting in 29th place ................. is now "multiple confrontations"?


Look, I said it happened on Friday, as it was reported as happening on Friday, on TSN 1200 ........ and the meeting was reported on the second intermission on HNIC.

Read today's paper if you don't want to believe what I heard yesterday on the Radio.

Senators take Dorion’s decision to meet with players post-game in stride

 

[topshelf15]

So we blew it again late ...glad i was doing something else then .....

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Neither the team nor the fans showed up tonight.

Yep we got an owner threatening to move the team, and a GM threatening to move its best player. COME ONE COME ALL. WE GOT BURROWS AND ODUYA FOR YOU TO WATCH!!

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Yep we got an owner threatening to move the team, and a GM threatening to move its best player. COME ONE COME ALL. WE GOT BURROWS AND ODUYA FOR YOU TO WATCH!!

can you please post the link, to the quote, were the GM "Threatens to move it's best player" ............because all I've heard him say in his Press conference last week, again on the next day on TSN and quoted in both local papers over the weekend............ that his first priority is to sign Karlsson, and make him a Senator for life.


Senators GM: ‘Priority’ to re-sign Erik Karlsson, ‘no rash decisions’ coming



Dorion: First priority is to re-sign Karlsson

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

You must have selective hearing because right after that he said that even Gretzky was traded. If you we were serious about not trading him then you never mention that ever.

Dorion: re-signing Karlsson a priority, but trade still a possibility - Article - TSN

Erik Karlsson trade speculation won’t go away for Senators

Karlsson on trade rumours: 'These discussions are going to be made'

Senators 3-in-3: Why is Dorion listening to offers for Karlsson?

McKenzie: Sens internal cap makes the Karlsson situation tough

Yep the franchise's best player being in constant trade rumors throughout the season, with the GM and ownership doing nothing but igniting that flame, instead of putting it out definitely gives the fans confidence to spend their money on this shitty run organization. Get f***ing real.

 

[BLONG7]

Don't think EK gets traded, until the draft guys........just don't see it in season. The organization will definitely get some big value...

 

[Cosmix]

Don't think EK gets traded, until the draft guys........just don't see it in season. The organization will definitely get some big value...

I think the odds of a Karlsson trade are perhaps 20% and 80% that he signs with the Senators.

However, paying Karlsson in the range of $10+ M per season for 8 seasons is quite a risky proposition for a low budget, not cap, team.

Trading him for 4 or 5 high quality prospects and picks might be wiser.