Post-Game Talk: Sens @ Cats, game 3

[NyQuil]

The Senators are a bubble team for making the playoffs.

Hardly a novel concept.

Some people have expectations in line with that goal, and are judging the results accordingly.

This team is not going to go around dominating everyone, no matter how good the coaching gets, how much they limit penalties taken, or how much the players progress this season.

There's no point evaluating them against an unfair standard given the level of development of most of the players on the squad.

Winning games without looking particularly great, particularly on the road, is going to be a must for this team to make the post-season.

There are certainly going to be games where Ottawa does manage to outplay the opposition and lose.

 

[Quo]

^Very accurate.

 

[Minister of Offence]

Hardly a novel concept.

Some people have expectations in line with that goal, and are judging the results accordingly.

This team is not going to go around dominating everyone, no matter how good the coaching gets, how much they limit penalties taken, or how much the players progress this season.

There's no point evaluating them against an unfair standard given the level of development of most of the players on the squad.

Winning games without looking particularly great is going to be a must for this team to make the post-season.

Yessssssssssss.

Your young fringe-playoff team of the weaker conference will look the part on some nights. Your developing players will look like rookies on some nights. Progress is not linear.

I think starting on the road gives you an inaccurate base to judge the team so far. In the middle of the year, I do not care how the team wins road games. At this time it's all we have so an ugly road win is just the team playing ugly.

Probably partly why the 20 game evaluation seems standard. Allows for a few travel cycles. And it's a significant sample.

 

[BankStreetParade]

If the team is 2-1-0 and has only allowed 5 goals against coming off a shutout and people are still *****ing about how **** we've been, then what the **** is gonna happen when we hit a multi-game losing skid? It's going to be absolute hysteria and bedlam around here. Riots, pitchforks, fire and stone...

 

[SpezDispenser]

The ice looked poor, the Panthers were content to plug up the neutral zone, there were odd non calls. I wouldn't worry about squeaking out a 1-0 win in front of 48 people on a weeknight where Florida couldn't get anything going except falling back and plugging the zones.

 

[Minister of Offence]

If the team is 2-1-0 and has only allowed 5 goals against coming off a shutout and people are still *****ing about how **** we've been, then what the **** is gonna happen when we hit a multi-game losing skid? It's going to be absolute hysteria and bedlam around here. Riots, pitchforks, fire and stone...

 

[NyQuil]

To be fair, I understand that there are obviously areas for improvement.

But that's pretty much going to be a given for the entire season.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

I'm with you on this. The Senators did not play well, were outshot, and were lucky to get 4 points out of the 7 awarded for those 3 games. The good was excellent goaltending with .950 and .955 save percentages for the goalies. I looked at the shot locations and the Panthers had more in close opportunities than the Senators did. The Senators are a bubble team for making the playoffs. Lots of work to be done by the coaching staff to firm up the defensive play of this group, including cutting down on penalties.

 

[Flamingo]

If the team is 2-1-0 and has only allowed 5 goals against coming off a shutout and people are still *****ing about how **** we've been, then what the **** is gonna happen when we hit a multi-game losing skid? It's going to be absolute hysteria and bedlam around here. Riots, pitchforks, fire and stone...

Maybe.

And maybe some posters are tempering the excitement over a good road trip. There are improvements to make if this team expects to stay over .500.

 

[Cosmix]

Three games played:
Nashille gets 2 for Win; Senators get 0
Senators get 2 for Win; Tampa gets 1 for SOL
Senators get 2 for Win; Florida gets 0

Total 7 points awarded!

 

[2XPRO31]

Three games played:
Nashille gets 2 for Win; Senators get 0
Senators get 2 for Win; Tampa gets 1 for SOL
Senators get 2 for Win; Florida gets 0

Total 7 points awarded!

Nobody can get 7 pts in 3 games. It doesn't make sense to say it like that, the team got 4 of 6 points.

 

[Flamingo]

Nobody can get 7 pts in 3 games. It doesn't make sense to say it like that, the team got 4 of 6 points.

When giving loser points to division rivals, it makes more sense to count the loser points in the total.

 

[YNWA14]

Yeah, but relative to Ottawa there were an available 6 points and we got 4 of 'em.

 

[Minister of Offence]

Nobody can get 7 pts in 3 games. It doesn't make sense to say it like that, the team got 4 of 6 points.

I was thinking about that.

 

[Quo]

Maybe.

And maybe some posters are tempering the excitement over a good road trip. There are improvements to make if this team expects to stay over .500.

I don't see many here that are overly excited though. Everyone knows we need to be better. Nothing wrong with enjoying the results while we got them though.

 

[Cosmix]

Nobody can get 7 pts in 3 games. It doesn't make sense to say it like that, the team got 4 of 6 points.

Nobody said a team could get 7 points in 6 games. However, I did anticipate some reactions to what I wrote.

 

[Cosmix]

I don't see many here that are overly excited though. Everyone knows we need to be better. Nothing wrong with enjoying the results while we got them though.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating wins and successful road trips where they team gets 4 out of a total possible 6 points. Similarly, there is nothing wrong with pointing out that the team is getting outshot, needs to improve their defensive game and the goalies are playing great!

 

[Quo]

There is nothing wrong with celebrating wins and successful road trips where they team gets 4 out of a total possible 6 points. Similarly, there is nothing wrong with pointing out that the team is getting outshot, needs to improve their defensive game and the goalies are playing great!

Ok, it seems as if we're in agreement in general then, but a point was made earlier about expectations and perhaps we can temper those as well in these early goings rather than harping on the obvious? It's going to be a long season around here if we refuse to acknowledge even the smallest steps the team takes in the right direction, three games into a season.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Just wanted to pop in and complain about how crappy we played in those games we won, but I see that a healthy number of you beat me too it....

 

[Benjamin]

Three games played:
Nashille gets 2 for Win; Senators get 0
Senators get 2 for Win; Tampa gets 1 for SOL
Senators get 2 for Win; Florida gets 0

Total 7 points awarded!

Oh wow im dumb. Nevermind!

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Oh wow im dumb. Nevermind!

Thats still 6

 

[Flamingo]

Ok, it seems as if we're in agreement in general then, but a point was made earlier about expectations and perhaps we can temper those as well in these early goings rather than harping on the obvious? It's going to be a long season around here if we refuse to acknowledge even the smallest steps the team takes in the right direction, three games into a season.

Agreed.

Maybe "tempering expectations" was off the mark. More like being realistic. I don't think there's a subset of posters poised to go off the deep end if the team strings a few losses together.

 

[NyQuil]

I don't think there's a subset of posters poised to go off the deep end if the team strings a few losses together.

I'll take that bet.

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

Agreed.

Maybe "tempering expectations" was off the mark. More like being realistic. I don't think there's a subset of posters poised to go off the deep end if the team strings a few losses together.

Ha! I can go Johnny Carson and write down the names of a few guys I am convinced will go bat**** insane if this team loses more than two in a row and put them in an envelope to be opened at the right moment.

 

[costermonger]

If the team is 2-1-0 and has only allowed 5 goals against coming off a shutout and people are still *****ing about how **** we've been, then what the **** is gonna happen when we hit a multi-game losing skid? It's going to be absolute hysteria and bedlam around here. Riots, pitchforks, fire and stone...

Well let's not act like this is new. I posted in three threads between the start of February last year and opening night in Nashville, because one can only take so much shrieking and gnashing of teeth.