GDT: Tampa Bay @ Ottawa - 2pm 03/23/13

[DylanSensFan]

pity I missed watching this game... finals and a degree in hand will do that to someone sometimes. Sounds like it turned into a bit of a shoot-out.

 

[IranCondraAffair]

If anything I think Lehner's performance helps show that he's ready.

His "bad game" had a .906 save percentage. His worst is better than the best in others.

 

[SP0RTSFANATIC98]

hello senators fan. I am mainly a wild fan but have mad respect for your team and organization. I keep hearing insiders saying the Sens will trade guys like Gonchar, Phillips, and Alfredsson. I say why?! you guys are playing incredible given the circumstances. I am soo impressed with all of our young guys like Weircioch, Silvferberg, and Zibanejad. I also think Turris will benefit greatly from this year! Excited for your fan base. I also think if Spezza can come back close to the end of the year you guys will be a dangerous playoff team. Bottom line-Sens should be buyers not sellers.

 

[Laphroaig]

Lehner will get 40 plus starts in the NHL next year.

 

[Vicarious]

Lehner is fine. We need to stop overreacting. Hes a very young goalie who has shown that he is ready. You can't punish a YOUNG goalie who has played exceptionally well for letting in a few bad goals near the end of a game. Thus far, he has earned his spot and I wont turn on him after one mediocre period at the end of a 4-0 game.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

What did we learn today boys and girls:

BM will not be trading a goaltender this year. Next season Lehner will start in Bingo and Anderson and Bishop will play in Ottawa. Lehner can't complain and think he has nothing more to learn in the AHL.

...and no .... I don't blame Lehner for every goal. Smith may have tipped one again and won't see ice time when leading in the last 5 minutes too often anymore but if you're BM what incentive do you really have to trade Bishop unless someone overpays by a lot.

Lats playing with the 2 young guys has given Stach another option.

Seriously? Lehner has been great since coming up here and we need another good forward before we are contenders IMO. We should just trade Bishop while his value is high.

 

[Benjamin]

I wouldn't be surprised if Lehner never see's the AHL again at this point.

 

[Vicarious]

hello senators fan. I am mainly a wild fan but have mad respect for your team and organization. I keep hearing insiders saying the Sens will trade guys like Gonchar, Phillips, and Alfredsson. I say why?! you guys are playing incredible given the circumstances. I am soo impressed with all of our young guys like Weircioch, Silvferberg, and Zibanejad. I also think Turris will benefit greatly from this year! Excited for your fan base. I also think if Spezza can come back close to the end of the year you guys will be a dangerous playoff team. Bottom line-Sens should be buyers not sellers.

Besides knee-jerk fans, this is pretty much toe consensus. We just want to ride the season out and see where we stand.

 

[pepty]

hello senators fan. I am mainly a wild fan but have mad respect for your team and organization. I keep hearing insiders saying the Sens will trade guys like Gonchar, Phillips, and Alfredsson. I say why?! you guys are playing incredible given the circumstances. I am soo impressed with all of our young guys like Weircioch, Silvferberg, and Zibanejad. I also think Turris will benefit greatly from this year! Excited for your fan base. I also think if Spezza can come back close to the end of the year you guys will be a dangerous playoff team. Bottom line-Sens should be buyers not sellers.

You're right, the fans would not take kindly to the organization torpedoing a chance at the playoffs by trading away important players.

 

[Slack]

hello senators fan. I am mainly a wild fan but have mad respect for your team and organization. I keep hearing insiders saying the Sens will trade guys like Gonchar, Phillips, and Alfredsson. I say why?! you guys are playing incredible given the circumstances. I am soo impressed with all of our young guys like Weircioch, Silvferberg, and Zibanejad. I also think Turris will benefit greatly from this year! Excited for your fan base. I also think if Spezza can come back close to the end of the year you guys will be a dangerous playoff team. Bottom line-Sens should be buyers not sellers.

It seems like the media keeps hyping Gonchar and Alfie as trade bait, but most of us don't see either of them going anywhere. We're still in the playoff race and have no need to sell off veteran players for any reason. But on the other hand, with Spezza, Michalek, Karlsson & Cowen out, we have no need to become buyers, either. I think our GM said the same publicly.

 

[Benjamin]

Gryba is averaging the 3rd most ice time a game for rookies.

 

[burf]

What did we learn today boys and girls:

BM will not be trading a goaltender this year. Next season Lehner will start in Bingo and Anderson and Bishop will play in Ottawa. Lehner can't complain and think he has nothing more to learn in the AHL.

...and no .... I don't blame Lehner for every goal. Smith may have tipped one again and won't see ice time when leading in the last 5 minutes too often anymore but if you're BM what incentive do you really have to trade Bishop unless someone overpays by a lot.
.

This is basically the definition of kneejerk stupidity.

Lehner has overplayed Bishop in the NHL this year. He has overplayed Bishop in the AHL this year. There is no reason for Lehner to spend another year in the AHL when he's more NHL ready than Bishop. Given that we clearly have 3 nhl-ready goalies, one of them needs to be traded at the end of the season (simply out of fairness to them, if nothing else) and it this point Bishop's the odd-man out, even though he's been playing great.

But hey, he let in 3 goals, all of them from stupid defensive lapses by the team, so he obviously doesn't deserve to be in the NHL. Those first 2 goals from Johnson weren't on Lehner at all. Johnson was left COMPLETELY OPEN right in the slot, and if Lehner had been able to save those, it would have been above and beyond what we'd even expect from Andy. The team, for whatever reason, decided to give up on adequate defensive coverage in the third period, and those 2 goals were a clear result of that.

The third goal (the one you don't blame Lehner for) is actually the one Lehner is most to blame for, though it was, once again, caused by completely blown defensive coverage, though in that case it led to a mad scramble in the slot rather than a guy being completely left open. Lehner probably should have had it, but in the circumstances, he isn't even close to being the one to blame for that one.

 

[RuthlessLieutenant]

It would be a huge mistake to have Lehner play in Bingo next season. Sure his stats don't look good THIS game, but anyone who watched the game would tell you he played great once again.

 

[pepty]

How did DD look his 1st game back from injury?????

I don't think he stood out either way.Played 14 minutes but not very noticeable.

 

[Tundraman]

Worst post of the season right here.And while I agree that Lehner should have saved at least one of those goals, he's been very solid for us and will only be better when he starts the season in OTTAWA next season with Andy.

That's only because it's a short season. You did better last year

 

[YNWA14]

Lehner will get 40 plus starts in the NHL next year.

Not likely. He's no Anderson, and Anderson shouldn't be out forever.

 

[The Expert]

I don't think he stood out either way.Played 14 minutes but not very noticeable.

He was cycling the puck quite well in Tampa's end, I noticed him quite a few times personally.

 

[DylanSensFan]

Lehner has a ho-hum game and people want him back down in Bingo or traded, what a JOKE. I remember this same type of mentality for Spezza, Alfredsson and the like. GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSES.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Gryba is averaging the 3rd most ice time a game for rookies.

Bust. He was 2nd a week ago. damn the awesomeness of Brodin.

 

[SP0RTSFANATIC98]

It seems like the media keeps hyping Gonchar and Alfie as trade bait, but most of us don't see either of them going anywhere. We're still in the playoff race and have no need to sell off veteran players for any reason. But on the other hand, with Spezza, Michalek, Karlsson & Cowen out, we have no need to become buyers, either. I think our GM said the same publicly.

I guess I would agree with that. Just glad to see that you are all in and not in selling mode!

 

[SilverSeven]

Stupid time to fight but at least Kassian won

Kassian literally doesnt lose fights. It gave us even more momentum.

 

[The Expert]

Kassian literally doesnt lose fights. It gave us even more momentum.

Anyone criticizing Kassian for fighting there, after the ***** of a time he's had finding a dance partner, is nuts.

When you consider they were up 2-0 at the time of the fight and went up 4-0 afterwards, even more nuts.

 

[Caje]

I really don't understand why people are so against Lehner spending another year or two in Bingo. No one's saying he's played bad so far in Ottawa. In fact, he's played very well. But he's 21 years old. That's absurdly young for an NHL goaltender. Look at the top-20 goaltenders this year by save percentage. 4 of them are under 25, the youngest is 23.

Goaltenders take a long time to develop. Considering the current situation in Ottawa, I'd much rather have Lehner play 55-65 games in the AHL than 10 or 20 in the NHL. We don't need him right now, it'd be a luxury we could do without. So why rush him?

This is the only post that really addressed the key issue here:

I'm going to have to disagree. I think at this point Lehner will learn more backing up Anderson and getting to play NHL talent here and there than going back to the AHL. Just my opinion, we shall see next year what the team decides.

And I respect this opinion. It's a perfectly valid opinion to have, I just disagree.

What I don't respect is the 20 people that posted "LOLOL NICE KNEEJERK REACTION!!!1", because that's not what the issue is about. It's not about whether Lehner let in a soft goal today, or how he's played in the past few games. It's about: a) what's better for the organization, and b) what's better for Lehner's development. I think in both cases the answer is being a starter in Binghampton.

 

[SilverSeven]

Lundin ****s up hard? MacClean puts him back on right away

He has done that all year...with everyone. He shows a lot of confidence in these players and I would say it has paid great dividends.

 

[utah]

I missed the game as well, but today was a great day for hockey!

The little guy's Novice team won their afternoon game 1-0, on a late goal with a minute to go to advance in their tournament. They beat a team that they've played 4 times in the last 8 games. Every game has been close, and they were eliminated by this team in the playoff a couple of weeks ago....in an identical 1-0 game on a late goal by the opponent.

So a little revenge!

I also had one earphone on and listened to the first two periods of the Sens game. I actually couldn't believe it when I got in the car and it was 4-3.

But, the Sens won....the kid's Novice team won, so I'm happy, happy, happy, as they say on Duck Dynasty.