Low Effort GDT Sens @ Habs 7:00pm, October 4 - @TSN

[maclean]

the giroux-debrincat link-up is so juicy

still half in disbelief we managed to pick up both those guys

 

[Alex1234]

the giroux-debrincat link-up is so juicy

still half in disbelief we managed to pick up both those guys

So much chemistry already

 

[Butchy Dakkar]

Why does it keep coming up an error occurred during the recorder, please check your receiver when i try to pvr from bell fibe on my phone.

f***, that at least twice now.

That happened to me too. I could watch the recording fine from rebel five PVR, but when I tried to watch it from a Bella put another device I got the air. Isn’t happening with any other shows.

 

[GCK]

It's not weird, it's different. Stop being insulting

Stop trying so hard to be offended.

 

[Crosside]

Smith: Didn't think we played the way we have to play

Sens head coach DJ Smith addresses the media following the team's 5-4 win against the Habs.

www.tsn.ca

Joseph: Thought we did some really good things

Sens forward Mathieu Joseph addresses the media following the team's 5-4 win against the Habs.

www.tsn.ca

Sanderson: Feel like I'm getting better each game

Sens defenceman Jake Sanderson addresses the media following the team's 5-4 win against the Habs.

www.tsn.ca

 

[bert]

Smith: Didn't think we played the way we have to play

Sens head coach DJ Smith addresses the media following the team's 5-4 win against the Habs.

www.tsn.ca

Joseph: Thought we did some really good things

Sens forward Mathieu Joseph addresses the media following the team's 5-4 win against the Habs.

www.tsn.ca

Sanderson: Feel like I'm getting better each game

Sens defenceman Jake Sanderson addresses the media following the team's 5-4 win against the Habs.

www.tsn.ca

DJ is right that was not the way they want to play. After watching all of last seasons best players it's no surprise this team has had such slow starts the last two years. I know it's pre season but holy smokes the first line and first pair have been atrocious. They're playing shinny out there. Two games in a row they've been folded in by way worse competition. Batherson fly by's, Chabot out for a Sunday skate. Tkachuk is not engaged and Norris is handling the puck like a grenade. I mean I wouldn't be as concerned if these guys had a track record of flipping a switch once the season starts but they simply don't. Two games left and they simply need to be better for this team to start on time.

 

[robsenz]

Just tucked in to watch this game, go through the first period and intermission, and the SN Now dropped the game completely from the app.

Gone…. Then a highlight showed up with score spoilers.

What the serious f***?!?

Does SN only have the rights to show TSN games live or something?

No excuse for services to get shittier than they were before.

Game is back on to watch now...which is still really annoying. I guess you have to wait like 10 hours until its back online.

 

[maclean]

Game is back on to watch now...which is still really annoying. I guess you have to wait like 10 hours until its back online.

Or they just got inundated with complaints

 

[Larionov]

Our D zone structure has needed work since DJ was hired.

Yep, and on this coaching matters. Look at what Sutter did when he arrived in Calgary - he completely changed both the structure and the mentality of how that team approaches defensive zone play. My fear is that DJ doesn't have that in him, and we will ultimately have to find a coach who does in order to take the next step. I'd be delighted to be proven wrong, as I like the guy and the players do also, but holy #$#$ are we ever soft and unstructured in our own end...

 

[MJKW]

DJ is right that was not the way they want to play. After watching all of last seasons best players it's no surprise this team has had such slow starts the last two years. I know it's pre season but holy smokes the first line and first pair have been atrocious. They're playing shinny out there. Two games in a row they've been folded in by way worse competition. Batherson fly by's, Chabot out for a Sunday skate. Tkachuk is not engaged and Norris is handling the puck like a grenade. I mean I wouldn't be as concerned if these guys had a track record of flipping a switch once the season starts but they simply don't. Two games left and they simply need to be better for this team to start on time.

I am not worried yet, but it would be more re-assuring to see some of our best players play better. Tkachuk, Norris and Batherson haven't done much. Hopefully the Tkachuk goal gets that line going for the next 2 games. Chabot and Zub have been average and Stutzle has struggled to create anything. I am hopeful that they start to ramp things up and figure it out the next 2 games.

The good thing this year is that DJ has the luxury of having a deeper lineup and can distribute minutes accordingly, as opposed to last year when he kept throwing them out there because he had no other options.
I know it's on the PP, but the chemistry between Giroux, Debrincat and Pinto seems really good. DJ's job is dependent on a good start over the first 12-15 games, so some of the guy's better pick things up or they might get dropped down a line.

 

[SpezDispenser]

That happened to me too. I could watch the recording fine from rebel five PVR, but when I tried to watch it from a Bella put another device I got the air. Isn’t happening with any other shows.

It's maddening as shit

 

[NyQuil]

If I had a choice between our new acquisitions making an immediate impact and our usual guys stepping up in pre-season, I'd pick the former every time.

People would be freaking out around here if Giroux and DBC weren't scoring.

 

[Butchy Dakkar]

It's maddening as shit

So is autocorrect apparently lol

I guess my post was still readable

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

They played well with Joseph.

I'd like to see

Debrincat Pinto Giroux
Tkachuk Norris Joseph
Motte Stutzle Batherson
Kelly Kastlic Watson
Brassard Gambrel

I would not mind seeing DCat Pinto Giroux.
I would leave the Norris line together for now and move Stutzle down.
Formenton would be nice to get back on that 3rd line if they move Stutzle down.

It just seems Stutzle doesn't have the puck as much between DCat and Giroux .. and those two are showing really good chemistry.

Its early so staying patient could pay dividends in a bit as well.
Norris line has to pick it up. I think Tkachuk and Batherson lost 2-3 2 on 1 battles for the puck down low in the ozone. That should not happen. Time to get going here.

Sanderson is adjusting quickly. He is going to be great.

 

[NyQuil]

There's a tendency to focus on the "healthy lineup" when in reality having some redundancy with respect to offensive skill could pay dividends when injuries inevitably occur.

Worrying about which guy plays with whom gets thrown out the window pretty quick.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

There's a tendency to focus on the "healthy lineup" when in reality having some redundancy with respect to offensive skill could pay dividends when injuries inevitably occur.

Worrying about which guy plays with whom gets thrown out the window pretty quick.

This is why I am on-board with signing Brassard. Much more versatility up and down the lineup than Gambrell or Kastelic, even though I think Kastelic is a better option at 4C (and Gambrell may be as good or better of an option at 4C, too).

I would not mind seeing DCat Pinto Giroux.
I would leave the Norris line together for now and move Stutzle down.
Formenton would be nice to get back on that 3rd line if they move Stutzle down.

It just seems Stutzle doesn't have the puck as much between DCat and Giroux .. and those two are showing really good chemistry.

Its early so staying patient could pay dividends in a bit as well.
Norris line has to pick it up. I think Tkachuk and Batherson lost 2-3 2 on 1 battles for the puck down low in the ozone. That should not happen. Time to get going here.

Sanderson is adjusting quickly. He is going to be great.

I have been thinking this too re: the Debrincat/Giroux line. I think Pinto is the perfect centre for them... although Stutzle needs better players than Joseph & Motte, or even Joseph & Formenton. I think Norris would be better in that role, but that would be a blow to his ego (and understandably so...)

With that in mind, I had the thought of just switching Norris and Stutzle. Stutzle has had great chemistry with Batherson and the chemistry would develop quickly with Tkachuk, I think. Tkachuk is great at making himself a target and Stutzle would find him. Also, Batherson & Stutzle are both guys who lean playmaker but have shown greater and greater tendency to shoot (and they can both shoot very well). I think it could be a good line, and while Norris doesn't have the poise and size that Pinto does, he has good pace and would be able to defer more to the wings than he can with Brady & Bath.

Either way, I think it is a good problem to have. Our top 9 is almost perfect, it's just about finding the optimal fits. Most importantly, though, our returning players need to find their gear. I have been really, really disappointed with the "top line"... their individual play has been very bad.

I am a lot more confident in Chabot's ability to flip the switch and I don't begrudge him for taking it easy, but even him... its a little concerning. Zub and Hamonic have both been solid imo... Zub looks like he could even take a step, and Hamonic has been not bad. Sanderson, as you said, looks great. He is not quite there yet but hey, there is a reason why I said for a long time I thought he would be better than Stutzle. Stu moving to C and excelling made me a bit less certain lol, but I still think it is possible. He is an incredible physical talent and incredibly high IQ. Before Makar and Josi busted out for close to 100 PTS, it would have been hard for me to put a cap on what I think he could accomplish.

 

[HSF]

If I had a choice between our new acquisitions making an immediate impact and our usual guys stepping up in pre-season, I'd pick the former every time.

People would be freaking out around here if Giroux and DBC weren't scoring.

lets see how the next few games go but I think Giroux and DBC understand the urgency to build chemistry they talk about it often and how the team needs to start off well.

I don't think guys like Tkachuk/Norris/Batherson/Chabot should be given a ton of rope as vets and saying its preseason with the way the team has started previously.

Its nice seeing Giroux and DBC leading the way and I am sure those other guys are taking note that they didnt get a PP chance. Might light a fire under them with some health competition

 

[NyQuil]

I don't think guys like Tkachuk/Norris/Batherson/Chabot should be given a ton of rope as vets and saying its preseason with the way the team has started previously.

If they come out of the gate slow, fine, we can point to their bad performances in pre-sesaon, but there's little point in getting worked up now when there's still two more exhibition games before the games count.

We're holding their future play against them.

 

[Berri UQAM]

Perhaps it's not a big deal, but the Senators won more faceoffs than the Canadiens.

Kastelic won all five of his faceoffs. Giroux won 8 of 10.

Suzuki brought down the Habs' numbers. He somehow took 26 faceoffs, of which he won 38%. Perhaps a little rusty.

 

[aragorn]

I would not mind seeing DCat Pinto Giroux.
I would leave the Norris line together for now and move Stutzle down.
Formenton would be nice to get back on that 3rd line if they move Stutzle down.

It just seems Stutzle doesn't have the puck as much between DCat and Giroux .. and those two are showing really good chemistry.

Its early so staying patient could pay dividends in a bit as well.
Norris line has to pick it up. I think Tkachuk and Batherson lost 2-3 2 on 1 battles for the puck down low in the ozone. That should not happen. Time to get going here.

Sanderson is adjusting quickly. He is going to be great.

The only problem I would have with this is on faceoffs, Stutzle needs someone to take the faceoffs for him, he just isn't very good at it & as "Berri" said in the above post we were much better at faceoffs last night which keeps possession in our favour.

IMO Stutzle has to play with either Pinto or Giroux so either of these guys can take the faceoffs. Even though Pinto is still quite young & inexperienced in the NHL he is good at faceoffs already & will only get better. Kastelic is another good young centre who is very good at faceoffs & should really help the 4th line retain possession more often.

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
DeBrincat - Brassard - Giroux
Formenton - Stutzle - Pinto

 

[SensFactor]

Whatever line Pinto is centering is money. He's so versatile, not to mention deadly on the PP.

 

[HSF]

If they come out of the gate slow, fine, we can point to their bad performances in pre-sesaon, but there's little point in getting worked up now when there's still two more exhibition games before the games count.

We're holding their future play against them.

not getting worked up more so nice to see the vets of the league leading the way and showing some urgency. Should be some health competition and I think we see that top line turn up their game in the coming 2 games

 

[GCK]

Ignoring Pinto’s offence, he is by far the best option as our “shutdown” centre. The guy plays as if he is a 5 year vet. The value of throwing our 3rd line out against the other teams top line when we are protecting a lead is immeasurable. Moving Pinto and Stu would hurt our matchup potential.

 

[playasRus]

From what I have seen so far, this is what my lineup would be

DeBrincat - Stutzle - Giroux
Joseph - Pinto - Batherson
Tkachuk - Norris - Motte

PP1 - DeBrincat / Pinto / Giroux / Brannstrom / Sanderson
PP2 - Who ever is left

Yup, I like Brannstrom getting more PP time than Chabot. Chabot has been very stale the last two years on PP. Would rather he focuses on being a defensive stalwart for us. split 2/3 to 1/3 PP time between Brannstrom and Chabot, keeping Chabot hopefully under 27 minutes TOI and closer to 24-25 minutes. It's useful to have Chabot fresh when we go into OT.

Hopefully egos are in check considering we're now looking at winning more than getting paid.

This is why I am on-board with signing Brassard.

Brassard on a minimum contract as a 13F who can jump anywhere into the lineup is defintely something I would buy into if he was willing. Hell, I'd even give him 800K x 2 years if he's willing to go for two or 950K x 1 year. He's still a killer on the faceoff, can PK, can PP if needed, and put up 30 pts on the 3rd line.

 

[2CHAINZ]

Where's @2CHAINZ when we need him?

Sorry man was out on a date