Post-Game Talk: Sens @ Bolts Mar. 24 (7:30 p.m. Eastern)

[ChocolateLeclaire]

Ya, Stone had a great game and he was a monster out there on the forecheck. One of the things that he does really well is move the puck quickly. A lot of our players have the bad habit of over handling the puck; they tend to hold onto it for too long which makes their passes predictable and leads to turnovers. Stone usually makes a pass as soon as he retrieves or receives the puck; he already knows the play he is going to make before he even has it. It was impressive watching him play with Turris and MacArthur. There were a few times in the game where Turris was battling for puck possession along the boards, kicked or passed the puck to Stone and then as soon as Stone received it he immediately passed it to MacArthur. The Lighting were often forced to chase the puck when playing those three.


As for Condra, I agree, Murray should have moved him by now. He doesn't really add much of anything to the team. His primary strength is his penalty killing ability and this season he has been very average at best in that department. He is pretty much just your run-of-the-mill 4th liner. When Ryan is healthy, I predict that he gets bumped out of the lineup. After that, he will likely get moved at the draft so we can free up a roster spot.

I read in the game thread that some poster classified Condra as the "perfect 4th liner" which is hilarious because Condra is no where close to being that. If I had to pick a player that epitomizes the "perfect 4th liner", I think I would have to go with Jarrko Ruutu. Ruutu was a top 3 agitator in the league, provided a strong physical play and a lot of energy each shift, was strong along the boards and in the corners, he cycled the puck well, he was excellent on the penalty kill and he was a power play specialist. You don't really get much better then that when it comes to 4th liners.

I remember when Ruutu and Neil were together. Best agitation/pest line in the league. They were fun to watch.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Cowen has more raw strength than almost 90% of the league.

If Cowen improves his ability to use his strength alone, he will automatically be a lethal top 4 defender. This isn't even taking into consideration anything else.

The guy can literally throw down a 200 pound player with one hand.

What gives me hope with Cowen is that he can be coached to improve on his major flaws. Guy is still young and hasn't played that much NHL hockey. Can't teach big and strong and he has that in spades.

 

[Upgrayedd]

I don't understand how there isn't more outrage by fans, not just in Ottawa but around the league, over the current state of NHL refereeing. Every single night a new thread is posted in the main forums about a bad call. At least 1 every single night. Mind blowing, inexplicable calls. It's an absolute circus. No one knows what differentiates one call from a non-call. No one knows what one suspendable offense is in relation to another. There is no on-ice consistency in making calls and no off-ice consistency enforcing discipline. A guy gets no penalty in a game for something he did yet gets suspended the next day. How the **** is that even possible? One holding the stick gets called but not the other. One interference gets called but not the other. One tripping gets called but not the other. I'm ****ing blown away by the staggering incompetence of the NHL's refereeing system. Everyone says the game is fast so it's hard to catch everything. ********. These guys aren't amateurs. And the prevalence of technology should make both those points moot. Yet nothing is done. Consistently every year since the lockout the refereeing has been degrading in quality. And in Ottawa games we get to see on a nightly basis the kind of calls that would hardly be excusable on a once in a while basis yet we suffer them every single game. What the **** do we have to do as fans who pay for the product with our money and time to get this changed?

You know it's getting pretty bad when your average non die hard fan starts bringing this topic up in conversations and having heated arguments at work. Have heard a few of these today and this is after a win lol

I wonder what they will have in store for us tonight?!

 

[2015]

Man, Zibanejad is really getting handed the dog house when it comes to ice-time. Together with Hoffman, the lowest last game, 5 minutes less than the just recalled Stone...hmm

Karlsson with almost 30 minutes, despite playing back to back games.

I don't understand what Mcstasche is thinking..

 

[SenzZen]

Answer in the text

I don't think he was ever making a signal for the goal- would be the argument, anyway.

You can't tell where he stopped signalling the shot off the crossbar and started signalling the high-stick, so the only thing to go on is the commentators and they were probably confused by it as well.

 

[CanadianHockey]

I remember when Ruutu and Neil were together. Best agitation/pest line in the league. They were fun to watch.

Kelly at C meant it was competent in both ends, on top of that agitation and physicality.

 

[Spez]

That line single handedly won us game 1 vs the pens back in 2010. Each of them had a goal and were driving the pens nuts.

 

[Berserker*]

Cowen has more raw strength than almost 90% of the league.

If Cowen improves his ability to use his strength alone, he will automatically be a lethal top 4 defender. This isn't even taking into consideration anything else.

The guy can literally throw down a 200 pound player with one hand.

Cowen seems to play his best hockey when he has an edge to his game. When he starts to play nasty, he can be a real force out there. I like when he elbowed that lighting player in the face for trying to get too close to Lehner.

The more Cowen tries to emulate Pronger, the more valuable he will be to our team.

 

[Ouroboros]

I think people saying Murray should trade Condra to make room for Stone are vastly underestimating how difficult it is to move contracts. They're likely stuck with him for next season.

 

[OgieO]

Man, Zibanejad is really getting handed the dog house when it comes to ice-time. Together with Hoffman, the lowest last game, 5 minutes less than the just recalled Stone...hmm

Karlsson with almost 30 minutes, despite playing back to back games.

I don't understand what Mcstasche is thinking..

With as good as Karlsson was playing, and as sketchy as some of the other D have played, I would have ridden EK that much too. Had to get a win.

Spezza and Turris need their 19 mins. Not much time left for Zibby's line considering all the penalties. But I agree that 10 isn't enough.

 

[derriko]

Cowen seems to play his best hockey when he has an edge to his game. When he starts to play nasty, he can be a real force out there. I like when he elbowed that lighting player in the face for trying to get too close to Lehner.

The more Cowen tries to emulate Pronger, the more valuable he will be to our team.

It doesn't work like that though. Cowen and Stone are my two favorite players, but thats always been a knock on their games, and always will be. You don't just become mean, you either are, or you're not.

Those are far from soft, but are hardly guys that are going to go out and initiate anything unless they are defending someone. Cowen has before, but doesn't very often. I've seen Stone in some spirited battles in juniors, but has seemingly abandoned that part of his game in the pro's.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I think people saying Murray should trade Condra to make room for Stone are vastly underestimating how difficult it is to move contracts. They're likely stuck with him for next season.

It's hilarious how people say "just trade away this bad contract, the other team will give us a pick in return for it and then PRESTO we can use the inexperienced players to improve our inexperienced team!"

 

[benjiv1]

With as good as Karlsson was playing, and as sketchy as some of the other D have played, I would have ridden EK that much too. Had to get a win.

Spezza and Turris need their 19 mins. Not much time left for Zibby's line considering all the penalties. But I agree that 10 isn't enough.

Unfortunately for Mika, he's a centre on a team that has 2 very good centres, and one in a very defined role.

Because the team sees him as a Centre, and because he's comfortable there, he will have games with minimal ice time as a result.

Luckily for him, he's got a cannon of a shot, so they utilize him on the PP.

My guess the reason he was taking a couple PK shifts with Ryan, was to increase both of their icetime in game.

 

[Berserker*]

I remember when Ruutu and Neil were together. Best agitation/pest line in the league. They were fun to watch.

Ya, they were a great tandem. There has been a bit of a void in our team ever since we traded Ruutu. We could use another high end agitator. Conacher looked like he had some potential in that department, but he never really fully embraced that role. We should look to add one in the offseason, although it will be difficult to find someone of Ruutu's caliber. We might have to bring in a player that is in and out of the lineup. Or potentially better yet, maybe we can find someone who can replace Kassian in terms of enforcing duties, who can also be an effective agitator. That way if he is in and out of the lineup, when he does play, he will bring more to the table.

 

[Berserker*]

Kelly at C meant it was competent in both ends, on top of that agitation and physicality.

That was a great line for us. We should try to put together another one like it.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

It's hilarious how people say "just trade away this bad contract, the other team will give us a pick in return for it and then PRESTO we can use the inexperienced players to improve our inexperienced team!"

Happens all the time. The old "If I were gm, I'd trade Condra, Phillips and Greening for more than anyone would pay for them and free up cap space. I'd then use that cap space to sign this free agent that would probably never come here, and trade these other assets for this guy in Buffalo who is worth way more.

Murray is so incompetant. GAWD"

 

[Berserker*]

It doesn't work like that though. Cowen and Stone are my two favorite players, but thats always been a knock on their games, and always will be. You don't just become mean, you either are, or you're not.

Those are far from soft, but are hardly guys that are going to go out and initiate anything unless they are defending someone. Cowen has before, but doesn't very often. I've seen Stone in some spirited battles in juniors, but has seemingly abandoned that part of his game in the pro's.

I agree, it seems like it is nearly impossible to develop a mean streak in players. That is why I am an advocate of adding players through trades, free agency and the draft with a bit more nastiness to their games.

It is also one of the big knocks I have against Kassian as he doesn't really appear to have that necessary edge and nastiness to his game that is needed for limited skill enforcers. We would be better served by replacing him with a fighter who actually has the ability to intimidate and has more of an old school mentality.

A mean streak would also make a player to Greening much more valuable to the team. With his size, strength and ability to skate he would be a very punishing player.

Overall I would say that one of the knocks I have against Murray is that he seems to add a lot of big players but rarely if ever do they have an edge to their games. Then he tries to elicit it from them, which is a very difficult feat. He needs to add some players that play that way naturally.

 

[Larionov]

Man, Zibanejad is really getting handed the dog house when it comes to ice-time. Together with Hoffman, the lowest last game, 5 minutes less than the just recalled Stone...hmm

Karlsson with almost 30 minutes, despite playing back to back games.

I don't understand what Mcstasche is thinking..

It's a chicken and egg thing right now. Zibanejad is really struggling out there, and just can't seem to produce any offense. As a result, his ice time has been cut. I know what people will say - he needs more ice and better linemates. He needs to go earn that, though, and right now he isn't doing a lot to justify it.

 

[Berserker*]

I think people saying Murray should trade Condra to make room for Stone are vastly underestimating how difficult it is to move contracts.They're likely stuck with him for next season.

I agree with the bolded part, but I am not sure if it applies in this situation with Condra. He only has one year left on his contract at $1,250,000. It is more than he is actually worth, but it isn't to high for a 4th liner and with the cap going up, it makes it much more affordable. There should be a handful of teams that will be in need of a penalty killer this off season, and a few of them might be willing to part with late picks or depth prospects for Condra.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I agree with the bolded part, but I am not sure if it applies in this situation with Condra. He only has one year left on his contract at $1,250,000. It is more than he is actually worth, but it isn't to high for a 4th liner and with the cap going up, it makes it much more affordable. There should be a handful of teams that will be in need of a penalty killer this off season, and a few of them might be willing to part with late picks or depth prospects for Condra.

The issue at hand isn't so much that nobody wants Condra

It's that no one will take Condra and not want to send another contract our way

 

[Tampacuseforever]

The issue at hand isn't so much that nobody wants Condra

It's that no one will take Condra and not want to send another contract our way

Mid season is a very difficult time to try and move any size contract. The off season is the time to take care of these issues, and I pray they do. The wealthy teams are at the cap or close to it, and the rest of us won't add any salary, therefore we release guys like Conacher instead of carrying the extra contract.

 

[Ouroboros]

I agree with the bolded part, but I am not sure if it applies in this situation with Condra. He only has one year left on his contract at $1,250,000. It is more than he is actually worth, but it isn't to high for a 4th liner and with the cap going up, it makes it much more affordable. There should be a handful of teams that will be in need of a penalty killer this off season, and a few of them might be willing to part with late picks or depth prospects for Condra.

Fourth line penalty killers are always available on the free agent market, and often cheaper than what Condra is due next season. Difficult player to trade at any time and near impossible in the summer.

Bet on him being part of the roster next year.

 

[arglebargle]

Fourth line penalty killers are always available on the free agent market, and often cheaper than what Condra is due next season. Difficult player to trade at any time and near impossible in the summer.

Bet on him being part of the roster next year.

Condra makes nothing. $1.25 million/yr is less than 2% of the salary cap. He's also excellent defensively and you can put him on the ice against good players without him making some stupid gaffe.

Greening will make almost 3 times as much as him next year. He's the problem.