Mendes: Trading For Hemsky Earlier Wouldn't Make Differrence

[WhiteLight*]

The D was better last year than this year. The goaltending was also better last year than this year. Both were helped by the relatively shorter season.

I don't buy at all the argument that the defence is only as bad this year as it was last year.

It's pretty much the same personnel. Karlsson for Gonchar. Clearly the system in place and the sucky forwards has something to do with all the GA.

 

[CanadianHockey]

It's pretty much the same personnel. Karlsson for Gonchar. Clearly the system in place and the sucky forwards has something to do with all the GA.

D referring to the collective defensive performance, not the defencemen in particular. I think we struggle a lot more on breakouts this year than last, and our forwards are taking more risks this year.

 

[WhiteLight*]

D referring to the collective defensive performance, not the defencemen in particular. I think we struggle a lot more on breakouts this year than last, and our forwards are taking more risks this year.

yeah the problem is a lack of cohesion between the D and the F. They don't work together and don't work as a unit. The forwards don't support the D when the opposition has the puck and leave them out to dry. And they don't support them when the Sens have the puck to give them options.

Get back to the D zone late and blow the zone early on the breakout. It's just a lack of commitment and it's incredibly frustrating.

Not that the D is perfect, far from it.

 

[bert]

you guys are fools if you think 1 player is the difference between being a playoff team and a non-playoff team

MAYBE..MAYBE if that one player is someone like Crosby or Stamkos but in my experience in hockey it is usually not 1 player that makes a difference but how the whole team players together

Its funny to an extent the sens have switched Spezza, Karlsson and Cowen for Alfie, Benoit and Gonch. This seems to be the biggest difference in the team defense. Alfredsson, Benoit and Gonchar are quietly affective defensive players. Karlsson, Spezza and Cowen are very loud innefective defensive players. Maybe this is the difference?

 

[WhiteLight*]

Its funny to an extent the sens have switched Spezza, Karlsson and Cowen for Alfie, Benoit and Gonch. This seems to be the biggest difference in the team defense. Alfredsson, Benoit and Gonchar are quietly affective defensive players. Karlsson, Spezza and Cowen are very loud innefective defensive players. Maybe this is the difference?

Don't forget Ryan for Silfverberg

 

[DrEasy]

Karlsson for Gonchar alone is about 25 minutes of ice-time per game that's played differently.

 

[Ralph Malfredsson]

guys an idiot.......mendez i mean...

Disagree completely. I find his analysis in general to be spot on. I live in Toronto and it is so nice to hear intelligent commentary about the Sens here.

 

[Johnny Hanson]

Mendes has worked his way up from the ottawa lynx mascot to co-hosting the afternoon show on the local sports radio. Good for him, but that does not make him an expert in any sense of the word. He is certainly entitled to his opinion, but take it with a grain of salt.

 

[chipsens]

Well, we could be sitting much closer to a playoff spot if he didn't get two goals against us the day before.

This. We were thinking of buying Hemsky, so didn't BM have the Oilers sit him against us? Or pull trigger on trade the day before, not the day AFTER this loss.

 

[StefanW]

Mendez is great. I did not agree with this article, but whatever. He is normally spot on as far as I am concerned.

 

[Sensinitis]

Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips-Ceci

Gonchar was such a stabilizing presence for Cowen, and for the team in general. His absence has been felt greatly IMO. People saying Karlsson for Gonchar wtv, that just isn't true. Karlsson isn't a veteran for starters, and doesn't have the calming presence Gonchar had/has.

If we find a veteran(400-500+ games) top-four D during the summer, our whole team changes drastically. Gonchar may not be playing great in Dallas, but I'm pretty sure if he were still with us, playing the same role, we would be better off.

 

[Spez]

We wouldn't be that much better off with him. Him making 11 mill for 2 seasons is a big joke and I'm glad we don't have part of the budget wasted on him. If you thought the Phillips/Cowen hate was bad this year, Gonchar's hate on this boards would be so bad that we'd be begging Melnyk to buy him out because he'd be struggling even worse here.

 

[BonkTastic]

Gonchar was such a stabilizing presence for Cowen, and for the team in general. His absence has been felt greatly IMO. People saying Karlsson for Gonchar wtv, that just isn't true. Karlsson isn't a veteran for starters, and doesn't have the calming presence Gonchar had/has.

Pretty much my opinion as well.

Karlsson > (>>>) (>>) Gonchar in regard to being a better player.

Gonchar > Karlsson in regard to making players around him better.

 

[StefanW]

If we could have Gonchar from last year or the year before I would agree. I suspect that Gonchar is gone though, so I still believe not extending him for 2 seasons was in the best long term interests of the club. I admit that we'll never know for sure whether his play fell off because he is in Dallas, or if it is because he is regressing badly.

I'd rather look forward and try to find a different vet presence. I've been bringing up Ehrhoff's name since early in the season, so I'll do it again here. The guy I most want is Campbell, but he costs way too much $$ to fit into our budget.

 

[Sensinitis]

Someone like Oduya would interest me as well. Or Hjalmarsson. I would have liked to have Gonchar for just one more season, but that was obviously out of the question for him.

Ehrhoff would be nice too though.

 

[John Holmes*]

I think Mendez is alright, but it's not like he is an authority on hockey.

He's a guy with an opinion, just like the rest of us. Personally, I think picking Hemsky up earlier would have made a difference.

 

[Sensinitis]

Btw it's Mendes guys, he isn't a latino.

 

[ChadSC]

Yeah that's as far as I could investigate as well. I was looking for a place that would have nicely compiled his career SO% (guess I could just lookup year by year. I was feeling lazy...hold on for a sec...).

This might help for future reference:

http://www.sportingcharts.com/stats/nhl/all-time/career-shootout-percentage-active.aspx

 

[DrEasy]

This might help for future reference:

http://www.sportingcharts.com/stats/nhl/all-time/career-shootout-percentage-active.aspx

Thanks, that's exactly what was looking for...

It's a depressing chart... The first Senator shows up at #51 (that's out of 187 who qualify): Kyle Turris. Hemsky does improve us in that department as he takes over #3 in our depth chart behind Spezza and ahead of Michalek and Ryan.

Last on the chart: Clarke MacArthur with a 0/13.

 

[SanderSen]

Thanks, that's exactly what was looking for...

It's a depressing chart... The first Senator shows up at #51 (that's out of 187 who qualify): Kyle Turris. Hemsky does improve us in that department as he takes over #3 in our depth chart behind Spezza and ahead of Michalek and Ryan.

Last on the chart: Clarke MacArthur with a 0/13.

Just hope the NHL does away with the shootout!

 

[bacon25]

Hemsky would have helped, but the team just doesn't' show up enough and play 60 minutes a night.