Pre-Game Talk: SENS in the City of Brotherly Love (Philly) Tuesday 7:00 pm

[The Professional]

Last year Ottawa had a potent offense, and that doesn't just disappear overnight. Guy has been putting the focus on team defense and implementing his system and the X's and O's, and the improvement is noticeable. Everyone is buying in on the defensive side of things and it's night and day compared to last year. Offense has taken a back seat for sure, but we still have managed to win games, so that's a very positive and encouraging sign. This team is actually capable of winning low scoring, tight defensive games now. Last year's team would collapse more often than not in those circumstances. This year we are tied for 5th in the league for fewest GA/game. Last year we were 26th. Again, night and day. I'll take winning a tight checking 2-1 game while playing good defense over winning 6-0 more often than not. Defense wins championships.

And besides, just like Boucher said, I'm not worried about offense. This team has plenty of offensive firepower. Offense is not, nor was it ever, the hard part of implementing this new system. Team defense is. The guys are starting to get comfortable in the new system, the defensive habits are starting to settle in, and soon, the focus will be able to shift back towards offense, and the scoring will come back. Boucher's assessment that there was going to be a 6 week adaptation period seems pretty accurate.

One thing is for sure though, the PP has to improve massively, regardless of whether we're playing tight defensive hockey or not. This club has the tools to produce a lot more on the PP.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Hopefully it's an entertaining games. Sens have been very boring so far.

I slightly disagree. The game against LA was extremely entertaining but we ran into a hot goalie until we scored 2 late. I loved that game.

The reason we aren't appearing so entertaining is because we really don't have skilled personnel to play a sound defensive game and produce on opportune chances; or create skilled offensive plays during PP and such.

Seems like we will see Ryan back with Turris

THANK YOU LORDD. Bout god damn time. I like your lines but I think we might see Hoffman-Turris-Ryan as it has been productive in the past. Dzingel-Brassard-Stone could be a first/second productive line because Dzingel is our best comparable to Zuccerello who Brassard has had best success with.

Bottom line: Turris-Ryan, Brassard-Stone/Dzingel should be our tandems.

One thing I agree with from those stat tweets, the passing has been TERRIBLE. I get so frustrated watching it. I think at this point I'd rather they drive a shot into a defenceman's shinpads than watch that circus anymore.

Again, it's cause we don't have skilled personnel or chemistry in our top 6. This is nothing surprising, tbh. In fact, this is great news, it means once we find lines with chemistry and our passing improves, our offense should go up. At least we know where the problem stems from.

Ryan makes terrible passes a lot(relative to the amount of times he has the puck) and also does a very poor job of collecting some pucks when we cycle. Turris has mishandled countless passes down the middle of the ice whenever a defender stretch passes it to him and the rest is attributed to chemistry.

Last year Ottawa had a potent offense, and that doesn't just disappear overnight. Guy has been putting the focus on team defense and implementing his system and the X's and O's, and the improvement is noticeable. Everyone is buying in on the defensive side of things and it's night and day compared to last year. Offense has taken a back seat for sure, but we still have managed to win games, so that's a very positive and encouraging sign. This team is actually capable of winning low scoring, tight defensive games now. Last year's team would collapse more often than not in those circumstances. This year we are tied for 5th in the league for fewest GA/game. Last year we were 26th. Again, night and day. I'll take winning a tight checking 2-1 game while playing good defense over winning 6-0 more often than not. Defense wins championships.

And besides, just like Boucher said, I'm not worried about offense. This team has plenty of offensive firepower. Offense is not, nor was it ever, the hard part of implementing this new system. Team defense is. The guys are starting to get comfortable in the new system, the defensive habits are starting to settle in, and soon, the focus will be able to shift back towards offense, and the scoring will come back. Boucher's assessment that there was going to be a 6 week adaptation period seems pretty accurate.

One thing is for sure though, the PP has to improve massively, regardless of whether we're playing tight defensive hockey or not. This club has the tools to produce a lot more on the PP.

Excellent post.

Plus, we are second in the division without any legit top 6 chemistry developed yet. That is actually great news. Imagine if Turris and Ryan click again or Brassard and Stone click.

Also, Hoffman is 14th in the league in shots, we all know a guy with his shooting ability, if he keeps firing it on net, he'll be back on 30 goal track.

However, we need them to click asap because even though we are 9-5-1, we have faced a lot of weak teams and will be facing an influx of potential playoff teams soon, especially on the road. It's time to kick it up a gear.

 

[Tuna99]

FINALLY our coach calls out our supposed to be top scorers for being soft. He said the top 6 isn't scoring because he has multiple guys in his top 6 that are soft, won't pay the price - they want easy goals and they aren't sacrificing in front of the net to get those goals or playing hard enough to get the puck back to deserve those goals.

Hoffman's puck management has been horrible the last couple of games. He's on his own planet with his own okay book. Ryan as always is soft as church music.

I still think trading these 2 is our best way to improve the team. Addition by subtraction and then adding the assets from the trade will help us reform that top 6 with Guy Boucher type of players.

Our D is hard, our top 6 is soft.

 

[Six Assets]

Not exactly a promising system to be playing....

To me this is an indication of lack of top end skill and speed. Of course the offensive slump doesn't help, but I'd imagine the Sens being middle of the pack in those categories on average.

 

[topshelf15]

I slightly disagree. The game against LA was extremely entertaining but we ran into a hot goalie until we scored 2 late. I loved that game.

The reason we aren't appearing so entertaining is because we really don't have skilled personnel to play a sound defensive game and produce on opportune chances; or create skilled offensive plays during PP and such.



THANK YOU LORDD. Bout god damn time. I like your lines but I think we might see Hoffman-Turris-Ryan as it has been productive in the past. Dzingel-Brassard-Stone could be a first/second productive line because Dzingel is our best comparable to Zuccerello who Brassard has had best success with.

Bottom line: Turris-Ryan, Brassard-Stone/Dzingel should be our tandems.



Again, it's cause we don't have skilled personnel or chemistry in our top 6. This is nothing surprising, tbh. In fact, this is great news, it means once we find lines with chemistry and our passing improves, our offense should go up. At least we know where the problem stems from.

Ryan makes terrible passes a lot(relative to the amount of times he has the puck) and also does a very poor job of collecting some pucks when we cycle. Turris has mishandled countless passes down the middle of the ice whenever a defender stretch passes it to him and the rest is attributed to chemistry.



Excellent post.

Plus, we are second in the division without any legit top 6 chemistry developed yet. That is actually great news. Imagine if Turris and Ryan click again or Brassard and Stone click.

Also, Hoffman is 14th in the league in shots, we all know a guy with his shooting ability, if he keeps firing it on net, he'll be back on 30 goal track.

However, we need them to click asap because even though we are 9-5-1, we have faced a lot of weak teams and will be facing an influx of potential playoff teams soon, especially on the road. It's time to kick it up a gear.

Agreed completely,people forget how good the Ryan,Turris, Mac line was.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

FINALLY our coach calls out our supposed to be top scorers for being soft. He said the top 6 isn't scoring because he has multiple guys in his top 6 that are soft, won't pay the price - they want easy goals and they aren't sacrificing in front of the net to get those goals or playing hard enough to get the puck back to deserve those goals.

Hoffman's puck management has been horrible the last couple of games. He's on his own planet with his own okay book. Ryan as always is soft as church music.

I still think trading these 2 is our best way to improve the team. Addition by subtraction and then adding the assets from the trade will help us reform that top 6 with Guy Boucher type of players.

Our D is hard, our top 6 is soft.

Where did he say that our top 6 guys are soft?

Not saying he didn't, but I'll need a source for that type of explicit talk.

FINALLY our coach calls out our supposed to be top scorers for being soft. He said the top 6 isn't scoring because he has multiple guys in his top 6 that are soft, won't pay the price - they want easy goals and they aren't sacrificing in front of the net to get those goals or playing hard enough to get the puck back to deserve those goals.

Hoffman's puck management has been horrible the last couple of games. He's on his own planet with his own okay book. Ryan as always is soft as church music.

I still think trading these 2 is our best way to improve the team. Addition by subtraction and then adding the assets from the trade will help us reform that top 6 with Guy Boucher type of players.

Our D is hard, our top 6 is soft.

I don't know, last time I went to a church service there was an electric guitar and a drum set involved

 

[YouGotAStuGoing]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2150407