Pre-Game Talk: SENS take a bite out of the big Apple, Sunday 7:00 pm on SN

[Cosmix]

Remember the Pesky Sens? Literally couldn't count them out. They would come out and wreak havoc in the third. Gain momentum, and end games in OT. The Pittsburgh game where Hoff tied it with 40 seconds left and Stone won it in OT to keep the playoff dream going stands out.

Play the third the same way you start the first. It's a 0-0 game, 20 more miles to go and you want to be up at the end of those miles.

We shouldn't be looking at it as "we are up 2-0, we want to keep them from scoring twice, lets hanker down".

The objective should be to win each period. View it as 3 mini games.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Gotta love these morning after Johnny come lately with the all too wise .."Relax" comments.

gotta wonder about freaked out fans, looking only at the points standings, and not the overall picture.
The points system (only used by the NHL) is designed to keep casual fans focused on the daily standings, and keeping them interested in their team chances to make the playoffs, as long as possible as the season unfolds.
Looking at the points accumulated, in the number of games played, AKA points percentage, gives a more accurate comparison to the other teams in the division, regardless of the different number of games played by all teams.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

This dumb site doesn't let me edit my previous post, but I'd like to add this:

I'd much much rather be 8-4-7(23pts) with 8 regulation wins than 13-6-0(26pts) with 8 shootout wins.

Don't know about anyone else, but I just click on the "Edit" link at the bottom of my posts, to edit and or correct grammar or spelling mistakes .............seems to work for me?

 

[BatherSeason]

I can't believe that there are posters who view all losses the same way.

Quite an idiotic stance.

Anyone who has ever played sports hates losing. To an athlete, a loss is a loss, period.

The idiotic stance is the one where we think losing in a shootout or in OT is OK.

 

[BatherSeason]

Are they any better if they win those 4 that they lost in the shootout? The players probably feel a little better, the fans feel a lot better. They still need to work on the same things if they want to make another deep run. 12-5-2 looks a lot better but does it really change anything?

Yep, the standings.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

gotta wonder about freaked out fans, looking only at the points standings, and not the overall picture.
The points system (only used by the NHL) is designed to keep casual fans focused on the daily standings, and keeping them interested in their team chances to make the playoffs, as long as possible as the season unfolds.
Looking at the points accumulated, in the number of games played, AKA points percentage, gives a more accurate comparison to the other teams in the division, regardless of the different number of games played by all teams.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but it feels like most (if not all) playoffs spots are pretty much set by January. You might get one team in a conference fall out of it, or one division make a run and grab the second wildcard, but overall, people usually know who is in halfway through the season.

 

[Xspyrit]

Thank you. I can't believe there are posters who actually believe losing in OT is a good thing. Its better than losing in regulation, but losing is still bad.

The media is trying to sell the fanbase on how "we only have 5 regulation losses" as a good thing. It appears the media tactics have worked on some of the fans.

I don't read Ottawa medias at all, but I said it after just a few games that the positive about their record is the few regulation losses they had, and all the way until now (however 2 regulation loss in last 3 games hurt)

Of course if you look at it with a glass empty angle, you will always only see the negative

Right now the W/L column is 8-5. They have 6 OTL yes but let's say they get another 6 for the rest of the season, and they continue their 8-5 pace in the W/L column, they end up with a 43-27-12 record, good for 98 points again. Then they'll have the pleasure the beat the Mighty Leafs in the first round

Speaking of the Leafs, that's exactly HOW they made the playoffs last season. They don't make the dance without their GOSU 15 OTL. They had one more Point than Isles and Lightning who had respectively 12 and 10 OTLs

2016-2017 NHL Hockey Standings

The thing is. Players do. You think players are stoked about losing in OT and highfive over the point? I guarentee you they don't. Plays with the psyche as well.

Whether the other team beats you 3-2 in regulation or 3-2 in OT. It's a loss and if it's one here one there no biggie. But again. We are losing more often than we are winning. That is never what any team wants to do

Actually, I have heard many many times players being satisfied with getting the point. Of course they are disappointed by not getting the other but it really depends on the context of the game. Do you think they were that down on themselves after coming back from a 4-2 deficit with 1:30 to go in the 3rd period against the Devils?

With such a small threshold for making the playoffs that doesn't appear to be very smart.

We're also 8-5-6 for 22, currently out of the playoffs. Why should we be fine with that?

Only teams in the East with worse records in their last 10 are the Panthers and Sabres, and we have played Colorado twice and Arizona once in that span.

They need to (I think they will) turn things around quick.

But looking at the standings right now and concluding that the Sens are out of the playoffs is not the smartest thing to do either. Games played. I don't even look at standings (until late in the season). Right now, the Sens are tied for 6th in P% in the Eastern Conference.

NHL.com - Stats

A loss is a loss. Shootouts, OT, doesn't matter how they happen, they are part of the game. Learn to win them then.

Also, last I checked, a goaltender is part of the team. If they underperform, we lose. 8 wins and 11 losses is not good enough, period, I don't think anyone can debate that.

One last thing, with time, I have started to look at my team's record differently :

6-5 in Regulation
1-2 in 3v3 Overtime
1-4 in Shootouts

Like this I have a much clearer picture of my team's performance rather than saying "8W-11L". 3v3 and shootouts is NOT real hockey (hence why you don't see that in the playoffs)

This team needs to close out more games in regulation (and goalies have to really stop giving up the tying goals on a silver platter as it happened already 3 times!)

Winning a bit more OT or SO would help as well as the OT record is bad, but my focus is on regulation

 

[Micklebot]

Exactly

If their save % was just an ok .922 lets say (wich his 20th best in the league right now)
We would probably have 4-5 more points

I know I'm a bit late replying to this, but a .922 sv% isn't just ok, it's fantastic. The League average right now is .907 sv%.

Pro-rating our sv% to league average would save us about 5 goals against, going to .922 would sv us around 15.

 

[BatherSeason]

I don't read Ottawa medias at all, but I said it after just a few games that the positive about their record is the few regulation losses they had, and all the way until now (however 2 regulation loss in last 3 games hurt)

Of course if you look at it with a glass empty angle, you will always only see the negative

Right now the W/L column is 8-5. They have 6 OTL yes but let's say they get another 6 for the rest of the season, and they continue their 8-5 pace in the W/L column, they end up with a 43-27-12 record, good for 98 points again. Then they'll have the pleasure the beat the Mighty Leafs in the first round

Speaking of the Leafs, that's exactly HOW they made the playoffs last season. They don't make the dance without their GOSU 15 OTL

2016-2017 NHL Hockey Standings

Well, if only a couple of those OT losses were wins, the Leafs would have avoided playing the Caps in Round 1, passed us in the standings and went on the same magical run we did.

This isn't a glass half full/half empty argument. Losing is losing and we both obviously have differing opinions on it, so we may as well end it here.

 

[Xspyrit]

Well, if only a couple of those OT losses were wins, the Leafs would have avoided playing the Caps in Round 1, passed us in the standings and went on the same magical run we did.

This isn't a glass half full/half empty argument. Losing is losing and we both obviously have differing opinions on it, so we may as well end it here.

You're totally avoiding all my arguments. Read my post #832, I even added another quote.

And what is your argument? A loss is a loss? That just isn't enough for me...

 

[Micklebot]

Well, if only a couple of those OT losses were wins, the Leafs would have avoided playing the Caps in Round 1, passed us in the standings and went on the same magical run we did.

This isn't a glass half full/half empty argument. Losing is losing and we both obviously have differing opinions on it, so we may as well end it here.

And if a couple of those OT loses were regulation loses, they'd have missed the playoffs entirely.

In the standings, Winning>Losing in the shootout/OT>losing. Seems simple, but some people want to lump the last two together.

When it comes to evaluating how a team plays (based on results alone), Winning in reg>winning in OT>winning in the SO>Losing in SO>losing in OT>Losing in reg. Why? Because because every step has you closer to winning than the next. Again, seems simple, but here we are.

 

[BatherSeason]

Well, if only a couple of those OT losses were wins, the Leafs would have avoided playing the Caps in Round 1, passed us in the standings and went on the same magical run we did.

This isn't a glass half full/half empty argument. Losing is losing and we both obviously have differing opinions on it, so we may as well end it here.

 

[Sensung]

Anyone who has ever played sports hates losing. To an athlete, a loss is a loss, period.

The idiotic stance is the one where we think losing in a shootout or in OT is OK.

An OT loss or shootout loss are worth 50% of a win.

Players hate to lose, but they know the difference between a gimmick loss and a real loss.

Hopefully you'll figure out the difference at some point

 

[Xspyrit]

Sample size is just too small right now to conclude anything... Sens only have 11 games that ended in regulation (6-5)

Also, they only lost 3 games by more than 1 goal (not counting empty netters), 3-0 against Vancouver (where they actually dominated but were shocked by a great goalie performance and a couple posts), 8-3 against Montreal where Andy and Karlsson were absolutely horrific (they literally played for Montreal), and 3-0 against NYR (with an empty netter) where they had one post and a great Lundqvist save

Only 2 games that I didn't really like overall were against Montreal and NYR. Outside of that, frustrating that they gave up 3rd period leads and didn't close out the win (goalies have a major part of the blame here)

Injuries have hurt the team (guys missing + Karlsson not being even close to 100%) but 2 major things that need to improve :

- goaltending (at least stop the blunders outside of the crease PLEASE)

- PP : could have won a few more games if they just could convert once in a while. No excuses, they could actually have a deadly PP loading up the first unit and having them play just differently :

Hoffman-Duchene-Stone
Phaneuf-Karlsson

Dzingel-Brassard-Ryan
Wideman-Ceci

 

[Alex1234]

I know I'm a bit late replying to this, but a .922 sv% isn't just ok, it's fantastic. The League average right now is .907 sv%.

Pro-rating our sv% to league average would save us about 5 goals against, going to .922 would sv us around 15.

Yeah my bad but still maybe 2-3 otl become wins and makes a difference

And thats with league avg goaltending

 

[Alex1234]

Just heard on TSN 1200 GB used 25 forwards combination in NYR game

Wow

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Just heard on TSN 1200 GB used 25 forwards combination in NYR game

Wow

Meat blender

 

[Micklebot]

Meat blender

He's puréeing that steak so that Chabot can have a sip!

 

[NyQuil]

Just heard on TSN 1200 GB used 25 forwards combination in NYR game

Wow

"Oh, changing line combinations can be fun!"



"Well, for example, you can see how many you can change in an hour, and then try to BREAK that record."

 

[swiftwin]

Don't know about anyone else, but I just click on the "Edit" link at the bottom of my posts, to edit and or correct grammar or spelling mistakes .............seems to work for me?

Nope. It just hangs and does nothing.

 

[coladin]

Anyone who has ever played sports hates losing. To an athlete, a loss is a loss, period.

The idiotic stance is the one where we think losing in a shootout or in OT is OK.

No one is saying it is OK, but it is better than losing in regulation. Of course that cannot go forever, but in November, until the team hits their stride, it is not the End of the World.

 

[StoicSensFan]

He's puréeing that steak so that Chabot can have a sip!

Pearls before swine

 

[aragorn]

I'm not 100% sure on this, but it feels like most (if not all) playoffs spots are pretty much set by January. You might get one team in a conference fall out of it, or one division make a run and grab the second wildcard, but overall, people usually know who is in halfway through the season.

Well we've heard, "you can't win the Stanley Cup in November but you can lose it". IMO Ottawa just needs to get better goaltending, that has been their biggest weakness this yr. The fact that they got to 5 shootouts means they played the other teams even for 65 minutes in 5 games & at the least got a pt. Goaltending needs to be better especially in regulation & the goalies have to stop making these glaring mistakes that cost them games. If the goaltending improves their record should accordingly & maybe they could win more games in regulation but they have to stop giving the games away in the 3rd period. That's when they need the goaltenders to come up bigger than they have in the 3rd.

 

[swiftwin]

How about that... Burrows was nowhere near the top 6, played on the 2nd PP unit, had the 3rd least amount of ice time and wasn't on the ice for a single goal again.

 

[BondraTime]

How about that... Burrows was nowhere near the top 6, played on the 2nd PP unit, had the 3rd least amount of ice time and wasn't on the ice for a single goal again.

I mean, yeah, the reasons you mentioned may have something to do with that. The guys who are on the ice the least would usually see the least amount of GF/GA. Spending 1/3 of your total ice time on the PP would have that effect.