Post-Game Talk: Red Hot Devils in Ottawa, Thursday 7:30 pm on TSN

[Tundraman]

Did anyone realize that maybe Bouche was sending a message? Listen guys, we've blown the lead tonight, played bad in our own end (top line even), so I'm going to play my most defensive guys because you guys aren't playing "the system." I thought the same way everyone else did last night, being at the game myself, but upon reflection this morning...
Genius. We should have won that game in regulation. The King even said so himself. Bouche didn't want us to necessarily loose, but he sure did want the team to get the message.
Received, loud n clear chief.

You obviously missed Boucher's post game interview. He wasn't sending any messages. It was a strategy he said he used before. He played his defensive guys against one of their best players that night and after he was sending out his offensive players. It's ridiculous and people around him have tell never to do that again. He has 18 skaters at his disposal if he can't find a mix of 8-9 guys with decent speed and/or some offensive skill in 3 sets of 3 to play out 5 minutes of ot then send a bunch of them packing! The guys he sent out are not the quickest of foot nor the greatest at puck stealing. Even if they managed to pin one of the NJ guys he only has to see where 2 other Sens players are to pass the puck back or at worse send the puck to his own zone and their goalie will be the 4th man to control the puck until the guys regroup. You need guys with speed to pressure the puck carrier and make him give it up quickly without having time to think. With the long change the guys were mostly gassed only trying to play defense without applying any pressure even less than if they were on a pk. If you don't control the puck in ot your chances of losing are very high since the other team will tire you out.

That said Ceci didn't play that well and Andy either.

 

[Boud]

So he'd rather send a message than win the game? That's pretty stupid.

Hoffman, Stone, Turris had given up the puck away all game and these are our guys that ususally play on 3 on 3 .. With Zack Smith (faceoff taking ability) who was injured.

I thought Boucher should've went Brassard, Ryan, Karlsson

He didn't need to go Pyatt, Pageau, Ceci.

 

[Cosmix]

Yep, and let me clarify that I have trust in Boucher that I haven't had in a Sens coach in years and I think he can be the coach that returns us to the elite and gets us a championship. He just needs to be given a bit more depth throughout the lineup from Dorion/Melnyk. One more top 6 scorer (key of course being without subtraction) and one more mobile steady lefty defenseman. Maybe Chabot can develop quickly and be that guy. It's the fact that we are so close to rising to another level that leaves me both excited at times, and frustrated at times. Still though, far better than the Hartsburg, and later MacLean and Cameron years.

Not many coaches deserve such trust. I have more faith in coaches who have NHL coaching experience that demonstrates they can get results over a long period of time. Boucher is not in that elite category at this time.

Yes, the team needs to upgrade it’s talent level throughout the lineup. The top 6 are physically weak, as are the bottom six. No teams fear to play the Senators. The only player feared on this team is Boro.