GDT: Senators at Penguins - 7 p.m. ET; ROOT, RDS2, TSN5 - Will Pageau Score Edition

[Sensinitis]

So we played a flukey game vs the Stanley Cup chance we easily could have won is where we are at?

This is not a where are we at game... that was the last half dozen games. This was a game to maybe take a lot of individual lessons from. But it is completely atypical of how the Sens have played all season.

If this is a game to show where we are at it would indicate:

We have terrible goaltending. Untrue

We lack a system and are giving up a zillion big chances and shots all the time. Untrue

We have a high octane offence. Maybe but the most games don't show that.

We have an amazing PP. Well not normally.

Stone, Hoffman and Karlsson are superstars. Hopefully that is true.

This was just a crazy, crazy game. It doesn't mean a lot... some lessons.... but it doesn't show what kind of team we are.

One great thing about the game is we kept coming back. There are like hardly a single game this year that I didn't feel we could end up winning with 5 minutes left. Including this one. And I think the entire team feels that way too. We are in it to win it and at no point do we start to give up and just play out the remainder of the game. I really like that about this years team.

All those conclusions you drew yourself.

I don't know how you can disagree with me saying that playing the best team in the league is a good game to show us where we're at.

To me, it showed that the players (sub Anderson, today at least) play well under pressure, and against the best team they were able to have a 2 goal lead.

Today also proved how important special teams are. We performed on both.

This game didn't show "terrible goaltending". It showed what happens when you allow 46 ****ing shots.

The shots against have been creeping higher and higher since the first 10-15 games or so. I'm a bit worried about that.

The team needs a good #5 dman, and a good top 9 forward. Add those and we're looking like a top 3 team in the East, imo. I hope hope hope hope Dorion can see this. The team can't sit on its record, especially with all these injuries now.

 

[BondraTime]

If we could trick a team to take Boro for a 6th/7th I'd be all over it, too bad we have zero depth and teams likely wouldn't anyways, guys are passing through the waiver wire I'd personally rather.

 

[Sensinitis]

Kelly's play has dropped. I thought he started well, but he should be our #12 forward imo.

That means Neil shouldn't be in the lineup. Everyone has to be in their chair.

I'm probably setting myself for disappointment when I expect Neil will be getting more and more games off after he reaches 1000 (which is pretty soon).

 

[DrEasy]

Guys, it's ok to lose to Pittsburgh. Especially when our #2 D is out.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

I just want to say... I missed most of the play, after we were up 4-2. Did Anderson really play bad? and if so, why did we not put in condon after 4... just like Fleury.

Also, we have our scoring engine running... hope it flies with the team to Cali.

 

[DrEasy]

Kelly's play has dropped. I thought he started well, but he should be our #12 forward imo.

That means Neil shouldn't be in the lineup. Everyone has to be in their chair.

I'm probably setting myself for disappointment when I expect Neil will be getting more and more games off after he reaches 1000 (which is pretty soon).

Problem is we don't have many people to play over Neil. Our depth is lacking in pretty much every area.

 

[MiscBrah]

It's not really fair for people to talk about 'bad puck luck' and 'bad calls'. We had amazing luck most of the game, and got some very soft calls against Pitt as well.

We gave up 2 breakaways because of two terrible cross-ice passes that both resulted in goals.

What's that? We lost by 2 goals??

I wonder what the difference in the game was!

 

[Sens Rule]

One thing I'll say is everytime Neil was on the ice we were hammered in our zone for the entire shift it was insane.

Get somebody to play that spot who has more speed after Neil plays 1000

Neil has been rather good in most games this season. Better then he was last year probably and in the last few years. Amazing that he lost his centre in the 1st period and is playing the Stanley Cup champs with already forward starters out on an 11 forward team.

And honestly... i can't picture a bad Neil play all game that amounted to anything. Sure he was on the ice a few times when the Sens got stuck
In the zone for a prolonged period... but versus the Cup champs at home with last change that is inevitably going to happen some shifts.

What exactly was wrong with Neil this game? Or this season?

I guess I am sick of attacks on the lowest line role players. This has been a good season so far, but the people not performing up to the needed levels are Ceci, Brassard, Ryan, Pageau and Smith. And I love Pageau and Smith. I wanna like Brassard and Ceci has either been pretty decent or terrible.

No one on this team deserves getting thrown under the bus with our great start so far. But if you want to look at guys not doing their jobs this year. It absolutely is not Boro or Neil. Not at all. They are performing their roles in an exemplary manner and are worth the very low salaries they are getting.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

No one should be complaining about defense.

Karlsson and Phaneuf were excellent. Ceci was not good and not bad, he was meh which is more than you could ask for from you number 4 in a game vs the reigning champs.

Methot was out tonight and so was Claesson. Both defenders who would have definitely eaten a large chunk of Boro's time. So I really don't understand the complaints on our depth on defense. Our number 3 was injured and bottom 6. Also, Boucher screwed up for not playing Wideman more so it was just injuries and mismanagement more than a problem of lack of depth.

Far too much negativity here after this game.

If it weren't for Anderson absolutely ****ing the bed, in what was undoubtedly one of the worst games he has ever played in a Sens uniform, along with some bad calls/puck luck, we would have won this one. Played a Pens team in their own barn that was firing on all cylinders, and we almost outscored them. Probably deserved to get at least a point in this one.

There are obviously some negatives, but there are a lot more positives to take from this one.

Excellent summary. This right here is where it should end.

The way the Penguins move the puck is probably what Guy was talking about when he mentioned wanting to play a fast and up tempo game. They move the puck beautifully

It's cause they are blazing fast, it's not cause they have better personnel, imo.

Speed comparison:

Crosby>> Turris
Malkin >> Brassard
Hornqvist > Stone
Hoffman >= Kessel
Hagelin = Dzingel
Bonino >>> Ryan or whoever
Sheary = Pageau
Cullen > Smith
Rust = Pyatt

whoever else >>> Neil and Kelly

Look at their superior speed and size down the middle. When you have that, being able to move the puck up ice with more control and dominance is much more easier.

 

[Super Cake]

That Cullen shorthanded goal frustrated the living **** out of me.

How do you let a ****ing 40 year old get that much distance on a breakaway?

I don't know why, but that just made me angry for the rest of the game and hindered my enjoyment of it.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

It's not really fair for people to talk about 'bad puck luck' and 'bad calls'. We had amazing luck most of the game, and got some very soft calls against Pitt as well.

We gave up 2 breakaways because of two terrible cross-ice passes that both resulted in goals.

What's that? We lost by 2 goals??

I wonder what the difference in the game was!

Amazing luck? In what? Every one of our goals was due to spectacular execution, what puck luck are you referring to? Luck is the puck bouncing indirectly off someone and going in. We actually hit the post in a crucial moment, that's opposite of puck luck.

Also, the no elbowing call on Lazar and the terrible PS call should balance off any penalties they were called for.

The Penguins are actually a very dirty team, they subtly play a dirty game and hold/hook/interfere every shift but they do it quickly and often so the refs don't know when to call it.

No way in hell can you say we had calls "go our way" or we had "luck" tonight lmao. Name me 1 penalty the Penguins didn't deserve.

 

[HavlatMach9]

How do you let a ****ing 40 year old get that much distance on a breakaway?

well on one side, you had Phaneuf, and on the other, Karlsson playing deep, then the terrible pass by Turris

 

[Sens Rule]

I want to believe the coach is there to make the tough decisions, not to dance around the player's personal issues. Now, giving Andy this start was already very good of Boucher given Condon's SO last game, so he shouldn't have been worried about offending Andy after 4-5 goals, he should have been focused on getting us the win first and foremost. Andy would have gotten over it, I'm sure. He's a pro.

Again.... I think it was more about thinking Anderson would regain his focus in a one goal game. He has done it so many times here after some bad goals earlier in the game. He didn't tonight.

I really, really don't think it was about being sensitive to Anderson at all.

If you are down 5-2 or 6-3 you get the mercy pull. It is a totally different situation if your trusted starter is getting a mercy pull up 4-3 or tied 4-4 or down 5-4.

I personally felt Anderson was just off tonight. I would have pulled him. But Boucher might have thought a long time vet starter that had rebounded in game dozens of times from bad starts would get his focus and mojo. He never did. But that is a gut call I think.

It is a lot harder to pull your starter when you actually lead or are tied then if you are losing by two goals like the Pens were.

Again hindsight 20/20. But I understand Boucher not pulling him.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I agree completely that keeping Andy was a 50/50 shot that coulda been worth taking, he normally will make a big save or 2 after having a bad night but after that 6th goal, there was zero reason he shoulda still stayed in net. Zero. That was brutal coaching decision. I'd even say the 5th one.

 

[Tundraman]

Not just this game but an overall comment on our D

By all rights to compete with the top teams, Ceci would be playing limited minutes in our bottom pair. Ceci hasn't earned the right to be playing 2nd pairing minutes yet so he should be in the bottom set until he improves. The Sens need someone better to play with Phaneuf and someone else to play with Ceci.

Let's face it Boro and Wideman are only here because of the dollars.

 

[Sens Rule]

If we could trick a team to take Boro for a 6th/7th I'd be all over it, too bad we have zero depth and teams likely wouldn't anyways, guys are passing through the waiver wire I'd personally rather.

We likely get a 3rd or maybe a 2nd for him from a contender at the deadline. But we won't move him because we are a contender for the playoffs at least.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I actually really like Wideman, I think it's terrible he only get 12 minutes and Boro got as much as he did. Widman has been really good and handled himself well tonight so I really dont get why Boro got the extra minutes and not Wideman.

Wideman is a good enough bottom pair guy, he isn't bad whatsoever.

 

[MiscBrah]

Amazing luck? In what? Every one of our goals was due to spectacular execution, what puck luck are you referring to? Luck is the puck bouncing indirectly off someone and going in. We actually hit the post in a crucial moment, that's opposite of puck luck.

Also, the no elbowing call on Lazar and the terrible PS call should balance off any penalties they were called for.

The Penguins are actually a very dirty team, they subtly play a dirty game and hold/hook/interfere every shift but they do it quickly and often so the refs don't know when to call it.

No way in hell can you say we had calls "go our way" or we had "luck" tonight lmao. Name me 1 penalty the Penguins didn't deserve.

We had luck that Fleury started the game and played terribly. He fell backward into the net on one goal FFS. Obviously not every single goal was 'luck'. But some were, the bounces were definitely going both ways tonight. It's not fair to complain when we put 5 goals up. We did have a goal go off of a Pen's D-man and then into the net. We had the puck fall on Fleury's head and stone batted it out of the air, yes there was some skill involved, but a whole lot of luck as well.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Over a thousand posts in the GDT.

 

[MiscBrah]

Over a thousand posts in the GDT.

First time this year right? Nothing like a meltdown to get the fanbase riled up.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

Again.... I think it was more about thinking Anderson would regain his focus in a one goal game. He has done it so many times here after some bad goals earlier in the game. He didn't tonight.

I really, really don't think it was about being sensitive to Anderson at all.

If you are down 5-2 or 6-3 you get the mercy pull. It is a totally different situation if your trusted starter is getting a mercy pull up 4-3 or tied 4-4 or down 5-4.

I personally felt Anderson was just off tonight. I would have pulled him. But Boucher might have thought a long time vet starter that had rebounded in game dozens of times from bad starts would get his focus and mojo. He never did. But that is a gut call I think.

It is a lot harder to pull your starter when you actually lead or are tied then if you are losing by two goals like the Pens were.

Again hindsight 20/20. But I understand Boucher not pulling him.

That is exactly the reasoning behind Boucher's decision. He said so himself.

 

[Sens Rule]

Kelly's play has dropped. I thought he started well, but he should be our #12 forward imo.

That means Neil shouldn't be in the lineup. Everyone has to be in their chair.

I'm probably setting myself for disappointment when I expect Neil will be getting more and more games off after he reaches 1000 (which is pretty soon).

I agree about Kelly. I am not just super positive. With our current injuries he should stay in the lineup for now probably. But Kelly is going to be the vet that is the 13th forward in the near future if we get healthier. Maybe it could be good for Kelly at this point to play periodic games instead of every one so when he plays he has more health and energy.

I haven't seem a lot from any AHL forward callup this year. Or Peumpel either. But eventually Kelly may be pushed out of the top 12 and that is fine. I still like him for depth and being a savvy vet. If Lazar is actually really injured awhile then Kelly is going nowhere.

I kinda hoped we had more AHL depth. And the AHL team is terrible even with intentional signing of AHL vets at high salary to help make them better.

I think we likely need to target in trade a decent bottom 6 forward and even try to get some AHL depth in trade midseason.

I really like White, Chabot and Brown but they can't help us now.

We haven't tried Varone in the NHL yet. Maybe he would be ok? Likely next call up. McCormick and Robinson are just filler. They aren't ever gonna be NHLers.

I guess my point about Boro or Neil or Kelly is... we have no one else. If you are mad about that then troll the GM. They are performing decent enough in their roles so far. They aren't the problem.

I guess I kinda think if fans are mad about the lowest paid players with the most minimal roles on a pro team... then that team must be pretty darn good? Logically that makes sense?

 

[Super Cake]

Too bad the Pens pulled Fleury, would have had a chance at coming out with a point or even winning.

The Pens walked all over the Sens imo.

Got extreme deja vu of the 2013 playoff series between the two teams.

Most of the team deserves blame for this loss.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

I guess I kinda think if fans are mad about the lowest paid players with the most minimal roles on a pro team... then that team must be pretty darn good? Logically that makes sense?

I think you are missing the point that some (myself included) are trying to make. Players with such minimal roles shouldn't have such a negative reoccurring impact on the outcome of the game.

 

[God Says No]

Ok. Boro, Kelly and Neil can't play against fast teams like Pitt. Andy had a bad game, but those guys had worst games.