Lol, that's a little catty. I guess the media types are starting to get a lil bit frustrated with Kovalev as well, eh?

It's nice to see Spez staying late. Of course, the pessimistic side of me wonders if that means he's losing his confidence....

All the guys really need to do is get back to the hard skating, strong forechecking, smart aggressive play they had at the tail end of last season. Park some of the rugged guys like Neil and Carkner in front of the net and get some dirty goals. Bring back some swagger in their play.

........and get a pair of top 4 defensemen.

Hey Nancy,

If Garroch writing something on the blog get Kovie going I say be as catty as he likes!

I would't read anything into Spezza staying late, hard work is always a good way to get out of a slump and I think it is encouraging that he can put extra time in as it probably means his back or whatever kept him out of some games is feeling pretty good.

You are also right about the skating and I think if they play the way they did against Rangers and for some parts against the Devils they will get more wins.

Of course all of that depends on them finding some way to get the puck in the net and hopefully Spezza starts to get rewarded for his solid play with a few goals...sometimes a tiny spark can get things going and I still say the Sens have a lot more to show us.

Don't hold your breath on help coming from a trade unless you are prepared to see some top players leave.

Great, great, some players left early and others stayed late.
For the 7 mil Spezza is getting paid, he should not only be staying late but he should be serving lunch to Scotiabank Place employees too.

This team is out of excuses. If they want to shed their underachiever and lovable loser tags, they'll play like lions tonight, hammer the Leafs then raise their game against Pittsburgh and Buffalo.
I can't believe that even with the soemwhat coddling media in this town that it would sit well with Melnyk if the team missed the playoffs AGAIN with such a well-paid lineup.

Time to grab the bull by the horns and storm up the standings boys.

I think Melnyk is as big a fan as their is and he wants to see this team succeed - perhaps to the detriment of the team if some of the rumours of him being behind the Kovalev pick-up are true so you are darn right it won't sit well if the boys don't make the playoffs.

Plus, that's where he makes his money...hard to keep a team up against the cap that won't play in the post season.

LETS GO BOYS!!! HAMMER THE LEAFS!!! I WILL BE DOING MY BEST TO DROWN OUT THE GO LEAFS GO NONSENSE!!!

*sigh* It's sad the only time a Sens fan at Scotiabank opens their mouth is when their chuggling their beer.

Thoe pathetic leaf fans walked into OUR building, desrespected OUR captain, and you all did NOTHING!

Really, what is wrong with this city? Maybe we should just turn Landsowne into a fancy dog park for those stuffy Glebinites and put a padlock on Scotiabank Place. Maybe Gary Bettman would rather move our franchise to Las Vegas or New Mexico or something. There's a good chance the 3,000 fans that would show up to those games would be louder than our Ottawa fans.

PATHETIC Ottawa, pathetic!!!

Nancy, if I may offer a thought here. We have only been back in the leauge for 13 seasons (correct me if I am wrong). We are still going up against the generation who only had the Habs or the Leafs. Its going to take another 5 or more seasons before we start kicking out the Leaf and Hab fan base. I hate it when they boo Alfie, but really, do you think it bothers Alfie? We won the game yesterday and the Laffs are in the basement of the NHL, who is really laughing this morning? Ron 'Please do not bring out the Boo birds' Wilson and his buddy Brian 'I haven't met a microphone I haven't liked' Burke are sitting in a room right now, bottle of scotch open and wondering how they are going to get out of this one. And the Leaf fans? Well at least we can win games. At least we have a goalie that can stop a puck when we need him too (13 saves in the 3rd yesterday).

So as a Season Ticket holder, I can sit back, watch the game, and laugh at leaf fans, the joke of the NHL!

I am baffled why anyone would be a Leafs fan...really. I think they all need serious psychological help...they are all obviously fans of mediocrity! They all have no expectations. Or they are all enjoy pain and heart ache. Part of the problem (if indeed it is a problem) is the 3 national sports networks are so very Toronto centric...the reality is most people are ignorant and gullible so they buy into the notion of Leaf Nation. Then you have a cock sure of himself blow hard like Burke and many love that...say it loud and say it with conviction and look angry and you are smart (look at NYR: Tortalini...anyone). Ottawa is a government town...not loud not boisturous...but I hear you...the booing must have got to Alfie...he gave the puck away often and it was his worst performance this year. To squeak out a victory over a team like Toronto...is...disturbing.

bobby my man, not sure what game you were watching, but we didn't 'squeak' out a win - we won. It was a close game, but only for about 10 minutes in the 3rd!

Exactly Bobby.

This isn't the Penguins or Sharks we just met. The Leafs are at the bottom of the pack, and only an incredible performance by Leclaire gave us a win.....barely.

This team is in trouble - big trouble. We only have 3 NHL quality defensemen, our top two lines haven't done much in nearly 10 games, and we have no one who's really a top tier goalscorer.

Pavan, I don't go to many games in person (over a drive away when it's not rush hour) but man, it sounds like they're playing a hockey game in church most ngihts. All you could hear on the tv were those damned Leaf fans. It is an embarrassment. The sportscasters where laughing at Ottawa during the game, and after the game places like TSN and HF boards are full of Ottawa putdowns. It literally looked like no one in Ottawa supports the Sens, like we all wanted to run Alfie out of town! In his own freaking building!

Just go and read the user comments over on TSN or some other sites. I feel like wearing a bag over my head after seeing this.

*looks at TSN.ca/standings*

Yeah.. Nancy, Bobby, you know I respect your thoughts... but ill take the two points. A few weeks ago when we played Atlanta, we outplayed them in every aspect, but they ran in to a hot goaltender... ill take the 2 points. We won the game. Why rain on the parade? We know this team is going to struggle, but we are 10 points up on the Leafs, that shows me that we are the better team.

Nancy,

I completely agree. I've been telling you that Ottawa's the worst hockey (and probably sports) town in Canada. This is also the rteason why Ottawa can NEVER do a complete rebuild.

Since Daniel is into conspiracy theories, this is the only one I know is real:

How the club, the players and the media continue to ignore the worst sports fans around: sens fans. They do this because they want to maintain ticket sales, readership and viewership. Nobody has ever called them out.

Even before the game, Mike Fisher was the FIRST player who's ever alluded to this most obvious of facts. He did it by way of humour suggesting that Ottawa needed to score first to take the fans out of the game.

Forget the leafs, this happens when any team comes town. I wonder why Alfie chose to stick around this embarassment.

The usual disgraceful performance by the fans.

Nancy,

I completely agree. I've been telling you that Ottawa's the worst hockey (and probably sports) town in Canada. This is also the rteason why Ottawa can NEVER do a complete rebuild.

Since Daniel is into conspiracy theories, this is the only one I know is real:

How the club, the players and the media continue to ignore the worst sports fans around: sens fans. They do this because they want to maintain ticket sales, readership and viewership. Nobody has ever called them out.

Even before the game, Mike Fisher was the FIRST player who's ever alluded to this most obvious of facts. He did it by way of humour suggesting that Ottawa needed to score first to take the fans out of the game.

Forget the leafs, this happens when any team comes town. I wonder why Alfie chose to stick around this embarassment.

The usual disgraceful performance by the fans.

I hear what you are saying, but I have to disagree Dennis. How do you measure poor sports town and fans? If Ottawa packs a rink, then they are fans. It doesn't bother me a great deal that the 45% who hope for Toronto are louder...it is consistent with Hog Town, TSN, Sportsnet and CBC...Dumb Cherry and I can go on. These people have been Toronto fans for generations! Pav my Man, I will certainly take the two points to be sure...but this game didn't entertain me. With 21 players for Toronto in the minus column, Ottawa should kill...but they did not. Who is responsible for their defensive laps/shell in the 3rd period...can the team not adjust on the fly? Couldn't the coaching staff do something/anything? Why have two speedsters in the press box...when did Winnie become a center man and why? Because he may win the odd face off. Isn't a center man supposed to want the puck, carry it and be creative and make plays or is this an old fashioned thought too? I noticed his ice time was severely restricted in the 3rd period...what took so long? Toronto's two goals that were scored was when our defensive specialists were on the ice...the first one Wince reached out with one hand on his stick as he watched Kessel fly by and hoped to touch...something! Alfie threw the puck away many times and twice we lost 200 feet at critical times for nothing...he had a bad game and that is allowed becauue he has been great.
It will be interesting to see what the brain trust does for the next game with two fast and hungry kids champing at the bit to get back in. I would have loved to been a fly on the wall during their discussion. I would love to see Murray make a play to get Filitov who left for Russia...Hitchcock has a bad rep with younger players and from what I understand, he had good reason to pull the plug (who the hell could love playing for Hitch?). Lastly, I wonder if the man who inexplicably is in charge of selecting the Olympic team will reconsider Fisher? Some of his invitees aren't exactly tearing it up.

bobby, I'm sorry, but the game didn't entertain you? 4 fights? Hard hitting and good goaltending? Really and that didn't enterian you? Would you have rather have it 9-1? I can see your point and I can see Nancy's point, but really, its a WIN. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't a blow out, but its a WIN.

And I know you have issues with Wince, but he has done more in that game than Shannon has done in the last 5. He was physical and he dropped the gloves. By all accounts Picard had a good game, but during the 3rd yesterday he was horrible giving the puck up 3 times in his own and and was soft on the puck! To me, Wince had a better game than Picard by far

I know, a win is a win is a win. And yeah, I'm glad we beat the Leafs. But man, barely beating the trash of the league by one goal doesn't give me a lot of confidence.

Dennis, I don't think we're a bad sports town. I know our football fans are (rightfully) disillusioned and downright paranoid. That's to be expected after the circus we had for the last two decades. We have some of the best junior hockey fans in Canada........we can get a good 7k fans every night to watch the 67s and sell out in Gatineau (that's about what, 3k fans?) in the same night. Plus we average over 17k for the Sens. All of that in a region with barely one million people. And let's not forget, we actually have fans in the seats, not an arena filled with suits like in Toronto.

The problem is, our fans are a bunch of freakin mice! A bunch of 98-pound weaklings afraid to whisper during a game. We have, by far and away, the best anthem singer in the NHL, but do you see the fans giving Lyndon any love during and after the anthem? How often do you hear any long, sustained chants, especially when the fans aren't being prompted by the scoreboard? How often do we give the refs some hellfire?

Do we ever intimidate visiting teams with noise? No! That's one of the big reasons why teams find it easy to play against Ottawa. We ARE the 6th man, and WE aren't doing OUR job. How can we fault the players for the "country club" atmosphere when we act the same way?

Look at Toronto. Even when they have a bunch of guys who couldn't post decent stats on a jr B team, Toronto is always hard to play against. They battle every game. Why? Because their fans won't let them take a shift off! You play badly in T.O., and a couple hundred fans the next day, next week, all offseason will damned well let you know just how badly you played. Its the respect, and the fear, of the rabid fans that keep a lot of those Leaf players playing above their capabilities.

We need to bring some sort of passion back into Scotiabank place.

Pav,should't a hockey player and a center in particular carry the puck? You are a student of the game, watch and see how, the guy who is supposed to be the playmaker on the line, is behind the play. He hit a guy and was forced to fight someone and that entertained you? Do you see him play any hockey? Define a center man and exactly when did he become and center and why? Shannon carries the puck all the time! He will take it 200 feet. He makes plays happen rather than simply follow the play. He has speed to burn and can break a pane of glass with his shot. If Wince played well in your mind, then you are easy to please. He was inserted in the lineup over Shannon and Regin? Do you count the number of times he actually touches the puck...not even carry it, just touch the puck? If the team entertained you, being outshot by a large margin by the Makebelieves then you are easy to please. Were you entertained by the 3rd period? Did the clown look good to you...I know he rated a 10 ot of 10 on a Greg Luganis! Ottawa played the worst team in the entire league!!!! They have to contend with bums like Beachemin -9, Schen -5 (with ever incraasing limited ice-time), Matt Stajan -8, Hagman -6, Stepniak -6, Wallin 0 goals and -4, Mayers 0 goals, Primeau 1 goal and I can go on. Our 'coaching' fraternity only needed to stop the only hockey player they have, and couldn't do that! I am not a fan of most of our defenceman and I only had an issue with sitting out Picard in favor of Campoli. I thought Picard had a relatively good game, 2 assists and plus 1 or 2 last night. Of course I would rather have it 9-1...I will then see skill...I will say this again for the millionth time...it takes far less skill to be a defensive hockey player that an offensive one! You can manufacture a defensive hockey player but you cannot manufacture an offensive one! A 9-1 score against the worst team in the league and probably the worst team since expansion would have been more like it aand should have happened...certainly not leaking oil all over the ice for a 1 goal victory!

I need some advise from the bloggers ot there. I need to now exactly what a good coach is supposed to do during a game? Example: In the post game wrap up, coach Cory told us that for the first 50 minutes the Sens played to win and during the last 10 minutes we played not to lose. If this is the case, why the hell didn't the coach do something to change this "style" of play? If he is so observant to make such a statement, why did he allow the team to continue playing not to lose instead of playing to win? This was reiterated on the team 1200 this afternoon yet Easty and Yorky don't seem switched on enough to challenge or ask why coach Cory did not adjust the Sens play.

It all makes me think that just about anybody can coach an NHL team because I simply don't see coaches doing anything during a game to affect the outcome.

By the way, I sincerely trust that Desmond Tutu gets to participate in the next shoot out. Statistically he is the best.

Dan - i think its enough with the Desmond Tutu....... Desmond Mpilo Tutu (born 7 October 1931) is a South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. In 1984, Tutu became the second South African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Bobby, yeah Shannon can take the puck up ice, but he can't hit nor can he score apparently. Therefore having Shannon or Wince doesn't matter, at least Wince can hit and not come out of it with a concusion!

I think everyone should just sit back and remember that we won, and yes wasn't the best game, but we won, simple enough. When I coached rugby and our lads fun by 3 points and it was against the worst team in the leauge, I didn't care, a win is a win.

My apologies Pavan. I meant Desmond Ruutu.

Pav, I am with you man! Last year we gave the Sens shit for losing games they should have won. Who cares how they are won, just win the f?&? things. I thought last night was a good game. Checks, fights, less goals than I wanted, but at the end of the day....2 points.

Bobby, the plus minus stat...enough with that! Okay, so Shannon has 1 point and is minus 2. Spezza is minus one. Are we then gonna argue that Spezza costs us more than he produces???? If thats the case, we should play a guy like Donovan more regularly because he costs us less and produces more. He has 3 points and is 0 is plus minus..... Dont even bother arguing that, just trying to make a point. That statistic sucks!! If you play on a losing team, well oh my god, imagine, your plus minus is gonna suck! And god forbid that someone has an awesome game, skates to the bench to get off the ice, the opposition scores, and we ding that guy with a minus 1 for the night. Or the guy who just comes on the ice from a shift change and has nothing to do with the play gets tagged with a minus because he happened to get on the ice. Vice versa, give a guy a plus when he put his two feet on the ice and did nothing - while the guy who made it all happen is on the bench and gets nothing!!!

Dan, on your point, ya I get what the coach is saying. You have played....you know. What do players do when they are leading and dont wanna lose. They dont take as many chances and they dont wanna be the ones on the ice if the other teams score. Hard to coach that part out of players' heads!!! Instead of being aggressive, they revert back to being defensive. How many times did Spezza, etc. get a blast in the media last year, etc. when they were caught making a bad pass or dipsy doodling with the puck when they shouldnt have been at the back end of a game? lol....coaches, players, guess nobody can win!!!! LOL....

Yikes....I give up!

finally....lol...... :o)

C’mon Daniel, “in-game adjustments”, now you are repeating the commentator crap you like to decry. I sense you have played a bit of hockey .... isn’t one of the great things about the sport: how utterly irrelevant the coaches are once the puck is dropped. Sure, the coach can go after the players, get them to, “try really, really hard”, but isn’t that about it? Actually, they did step up their forecheck for a while in the middle of that onslaught, kept the puck deep in bluey’s end for about a couple of shifts.

Looking forward to tomorrow, don’t know why given the middling performance so far, but it will be my first attended game of the season, opening night if you will.

Whenever I come on here, its the same contribution I see from the regulars.

Daniel,
Are you ever not negative? You basically called Clouston a moron if he played Leclaire. Turns out he was right and you were wrong (by the way, I would've played Elliott too, so I'm in the same boat). But the difference is that I don't pretend to know more than everyone else all the time. I'm wrong sometimes.

Problem in Ottawa is that a lot people think that always could do a better job than the coach or GM. If that's the case, they should be doing it

Sometimes these guys are right, sometimes they're wrong. It not all black or all white here.

Ja Du thanks mate.

bobby, Dan, Nancy etc...... you guys know more about hockey than I ever will. But really, part of the problem Nancy brought up was that we are quiet fans or allow other fans to walk over us (i.e. booing Alfie)... so instead of kocking our team when we win, we should be cheering them on don't ya think? Ill be fist in line to knock our team if they are playing like crap and losing, but when they play a half decent game and win? Can you imagine the leaf fans reading thos fourm and seeing us fans fighting/debtaing/arguing over a win?

Steve P.. good post, hockey is one of the few sports that the coach has no control of the outcome of the game, once the game starts, its pretty much

Pavan and all, we are talking about a professional hockey team being paid millions to perform. Directly and indirectly I pay their salaries. If I am unhappy with management, coaching or the overall performance of a player or the team, I am going to sound off. The Senators are not a pee wee team playing in a friendly house league where everybody hugs and kisses each other. If you are tickled pink with the Sens performance so far (i.e. 10th place) or edging out the worst team in the league the other night, then so be it. That is your choice. Saying the obvious on a blog site is a waste but here goes.

Golly-gee, Fisher is sure playing well!
Golly-gee, we won against Toronto
Golly-gee, let's make more noise against Pittsburg
Golly-gee, Kovalev made some nice passes to set up a goal or two.

Like Bobby G, I am outta here too.

If what you say it true, then why does every team have 3 of them? The coach(es) form the line combinations (CC has had every combination possible); assign ice time (the lazy get more and the energetic get to sit); formulate a strategy (what is it?); give advice/mentor (the mime can't speak); stroke or kick ass (reward the guilty and punish the innocent); call time out; change the shifts and pull guys out on the fly (we have witnessed some dandy moves here); identify who will do shoot outs (ditto). I have had the very good fortune to have played for coaches who have played professional hockey and can tell you a good coach can make all the difference in the world (in practice and during a game). CC and his sidekick never played professional and should still be doing junior hockey. He is here because of circumstance only...he was not sought out and selected...he is here by default. To suggest that a coach has no control over the outcome of a game once the game starts is totally absurd. Just so I understand, are we to celebrate beating the worst team in hockey and eke out a victory after disappearing for the entire 3rd period and being significantly outshot by a team that has 21 players sporting numbers in the red?????? Perhaps some found the game entertaining I found it totally frustrating. I think many forget that Regin set up Fisher for 4 goals in what, 8 games in pre-season and now he sits! I will suggest that unless Ottawa re-signs Winchester, he will not be playing hockey in the NHL next year. No one wants to answer the question why he is now playing and why center...he wins draws? Have you all watched Regin this year? There is loyalty and then there is blind acceptance of anything and everything. I want Ottawa to dress the players that will put the team in the best position to win. I want the coach(es) to make some sound decisions that put the team in the best position to win. Someone tell me if the game they play is "up tempo" and what exacty does that mean...to me, it means forcing the play everywhere all the time...two men go into there zone with one stays back and (this is as old as dinasaur shit) one takes the man and the other the puck! Why would Ottawa play a defensive game against anyone and especially a crappy team??????? Do you see Ottawa finishing their checks...'cause I don't! How would you characterize the way Ottawa plays...if you can't...then we don't have a plan and there is no direction. No one loves the Sens more than I...and that is why I care so damn much.

Dan none is doubting your passion for the game and yes you have a right, but always being negative? Woud you be this negative if we were still playing he same way but were top of the standings? I understand that we all pay for the Ottawa Senators one way or another.. but that is a choice we all make.

Bobby, you do not feel that CC is putting the ppl in the lineup that want to win are the best for the team? Regin has procduced and either has Shannon. At least Wince can hit. Who else would you pull out of the line up?

Are kidding me Pav...hockey is skating, stickandling and shooting...what does Wince do? Wince can hit? Hitting is hitting someone face to face...coming in hard when another is allowed to go in the corner first is for me and anyone else who played the game, cowardice. But if he entertains you...who am I to judge. He. Kovy and Ruutu would be pulled, if it was up to me, for the remains of Howie Morenz...what ever is left has more skill and certainly more heart! I would have Forest Gump as coach before CC and the Mime. I would have a gazillion for GM over the Murray Mafia...at least people who played in the NHL. I will take my leave now and leave this group to the intelligence of the PDB.

Bobby no I am not kidding you mate. By your logic Picard should have his ass benched too, he can score.... on us... he can pass the puck... to the other team... he can hit... no wait he can't..... isn't Picard of your boys? Shannon can skate the puck up..... so? Can he score? No. Can he hit? No. Wince can skate and he can hit, can he score? No.. but I rather have the 'D' and forwards hearing footsteps than watching Shannon figure skate around!

Its odd how you and Dan are going to take leave or back out when ppl question your comments / actions. The art of debate is never to give up or prove your point. I am a little disappointed that you both gave up that easy just because you ran in to a little opposition! "I will take my leave now and leave this group to the intelligence of the PDB" - is that some sort of knock on the rest us bloggers?

CC has yet to have a full season under his belt, isn't he allowed to have 3 months to prove his worth? We are only in November.

Bobby, obviously I exaggerated a bit, but probably no more than the commentators who exaggerate the importance of the in-game coaching. For better or worse, isn’t most of the coach’s work done before the puck drops? Unlike football, baseball, basketball to some extent, you simply can’t script the situations that the players have to deal with on the ice. One of the things that makes it a great game.

As to why there are three of them: knowing the way things are done in the NHL, probably cuz everyone else has three!

You don't see the game the way I see it Pav. I will wager 100 dollars that Wince, if he is not with Ottawa, will never play for another team. He can skate you say...he is as slow as molasses and always on his lard arse...and can't break glass with his shot. HE IS ASCARED TO CARRY THE PUCK!!!!! Do you know what a center is supposed to do? HE IS SUPPOSED TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES!!!!! I have yet to see Shannon back out of ANY corner and I think it is bullshit. I like talent you and many others don't. Ruutu does not entertain me but he does you and others. Regin was tearing up in the pre-season when playing with talent, the season starts and Dumbo puts him with hammerhands and then sits him out for a Junior B! Go into a pub and chat it up with some guys who may have played professional hockey (Dumb Cherry's downtown)...hear what they might have to say. Drop into the P and chat it up with some who played above Junior B. Shannon has courage and talent...skating, stichhandling and shooting is what I go to watch...not someone skating miles...doing nothing...one hand on his stick....behind the play...creating nothing....slow motion....looking for someone;s back. I will tell you, yes Shannon has no goals and Spez has but one...but count the chances THE MAKE and that is what you measure when the puck is not going in!!!!!!!!! If you like Wince over Regin then you are missing it my friend. I would rather watch paint dry than watch Ruutu and especially Wince...it is a joke and sad one at that! Isn't it interesting that Ruutu has a brother working for the Sens...and the mafia legend continues...look close enough and you will find some connection with Winchester...for a guy who never played major junior, was not even drafted by any major junior hockey team, wasn't even the best player on his Junior B team, did diddly in Varsity hockey, was never drafted my any team in the NHL was signed to a one way contract by Murray...screams of scandal...if not that...dufuisity....You see Pav...I liked Schubert and he is gone. I loved Vermette and he is gone...I liked Corvo and he is gone...same for Hossa, Havlat and Chara. I like watching the basic core hockey skills (skating, shooting, stickhandling) Not taking dives and yapping. I wanted a proven NHL a hockey coach not Murray who came here to coach after not coaching for 7 years, then Paddock, who failed as a NHL coach and was a minor leaguer and Hartsburg who failed as an NHLer a couple of times and coached Junior and now a snot nose who never played the game and his sidekick who never played the game and can't speak. I like Directors of Player Development who like Mark Howe and Pat Verbeek in Detroit, played for years and were great in the NHL and can judge talent!!!!!!! Not strength and conditioning coaches. Do you see what is being done here...it is the orchestrated deconstruction of a once great hockey franchise! If you like the non-descript way the team plays...great! If you enjoy watching tired old bums...great. If you think that a 26-27 year old sophomore who can't skate makes the club more competitive great. If you think that having 7 players on the ice at one time is the players fault great...or pulling a defenceman off when the play in coming into our end is intelligent...good. If you think lining up at our blueline...standing still is a reat strategic manoever by our esteemed coach...great. If you are confident in spite of losing all but 3 of the last 11 games...great (against inferiour teams). BTW: If you are going to complain about the diminutive Shannon ducking out of corners what about your buddy Canoli? He parks his testicles in a jar before every game! Have you seen the 6-3 230 pound Russian go into any corner? Ottawa used to be youngest, fastest and most talented team in the league and scored the most goals and was entertaining...under the Murray Mafia...it has been a steady and determined slide...if that is what turns your crank.....great too.

Wow Bobby. Maybe Kevin is right: you never let facts get in the way of a good story. So Murray is the only reason for the franchise's decline. Hossa, Havlat, Chara. I guess Murray got rid of all them. I guess the years 2002 to 2007 are a blank in your mind.

As far as icing the best team, I agree. The first name out of your mouth to sit out a game should be Cheechoo. But you and side-kick Daniel were begging for Murray to bring him here. And you guys are never wrong.

Short memory can make up for a lot of mistakes. To set the record straight, I never liked the trade; I wanted to keep him and force him to play...but I suggested that having Cheechoo would be far better than a Kelly, Donovan or Ruutu...I said he could do what they do (especially Ruutu) and do it better. Cheechoo plays with passion and is not a coward, goofy fool like Ruutu. He could still score goals...although now I am not so sure. I still like his heart and effort though! So Dennis...did I suggest Murray was responsible for it all...no...but he was responsible fall all the things you obviously support: Richardson, Smith, Robitaille, Lapointe, Winchester, 4 coaches in 2 years, 4 goalies in 2 years and still buying some out; 1st draft choice for Canoli and someone who is gone; Corvo for 2 bums not here anymore; 4 meg a year for Kuba; 10 mill for Kovalev; Ruutu, Donovan...drafting a buy who has yet to score a goal this year in the A (Obrien); promoting a strength and conditioning coach to A/Coach and then Dir Player Personel; Nephew who never played anywere A/GM; a caoch who had 1.5 years in the pros and an assitant who was a Video guy; Emery's buddy Eli...Maybe I am wrong but I think adding Richardson, Robitaille, Smith, Ruutu, Donovan, Kovalev, Lapointe, did not make the team younger/better. Do you? Are we ever wrong...of course we are...but not very often. You guys all suffer from Mad Croud Disease...characterized by blind alegience to anything that is done by management, written or spoken by the media. Personally, I like hockey players.... not old men, lazy Russians, fools and pretenders and in Winchesters case...charity cases.

Bobby,

There you go again. It doesn't have to be black and white like that. Murray's made mistakes and he's made some good moves. Robitaille, Lapointe, Winchester, Donovan, Richardson...You're talking about fringe players that cost nothing. Who cares if they were mistakes?

I'm completely with you on Campoli, who's the worst D-man (in my opinion) they have this year. That was a bad trade. So far, the Kovalev signing was one too (although its speculated it was Melnyk who pushed for it).

Murray physically drafted O'Brien, but it was Muckler's pick. Murray's responsible for the last two drafts. I'm hopeful about them, but we won't know for sure for some time.

My point is that you attribute all that is wrong with the world on Murray. Again, in my opinion, most of the decline can be laid at Muckler's feet.

By the way, that Shannon guy you love; Murray got him for Lawrence Nycholat. You can at least say you liked that move.

The world is grey Bobby.

Bobby, I am not gonna argue your points....I know you hate Ruutu for example, but he is like 4th on the team in scoring and does not play much. A lot of his icetime is penalty killing....for a guy who gets the amount of icetime he gets, why do you constantly pick on him? And dont throw his penalties back at me, if you do, in the same sentence you better have the statistic on how many penalties he has drawn from pissing others off....

So, here is my prediction....if the Sens lose, well, we will hear about it.....if they win, then we will say we only won because Pit has a lot of injuries. Who cares, get the two points!!

What do you mean they cost us nothing? They cost money and a spot on the roster that could have been invested on a younger prospect! All these fringe players that cost little...add up. The fantastic Smith and Richardson robbed ice time that could have been invested in the development of Schubert. Tell me why Kelly centered Vermette all those years? If this team's challenge is to make the playoffs and that is all, why not invest in some youngsters instead of the Ruutus and Donovans of the world? So what is it you like about Murray, Dennis? The powerhouse we have in Bingo? Ottawa will be paying for Emery for another year after this one! At what point will Murray be responsible for the shambles this team is in? If this team goes into a real tailspin...will it then be Murray's fault...Clouston's fault....who will be responsible. Will you be saying again that players are responsible?...not putting out...not buying into the "system". When the team was winning it was all on Clouston and his structure...You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and we have some swines on this team. Are you a fan of the management team...do you think they measure up with other teams in the NHL? I don't know what you do for a living Dennis but personally, I wouldn't want someone who had never done what I do, tell me how to do my job...I find it bizarre and almost comical to see the ottawa coaches using the board to "coach" the players on where to be and what to do...especially when you think CC is there only because of the incompetence of Murray. Grey is grey when things are grey...this...this is black and white!

Bobby,

I'm hardly a Murray apologist. In fact, I always call it it the way "I" see it (that doesn't make me right). But I still think he's a huge upgrade over his predecessor.

I already said that Murray's trade for Camppoli was a mistake, in my opinion, as was the Kovalev signing.

Now, please answer whether the Shannon for Nycholat trade was a good one.

Grey Bobby, grey.

good game tonight....nice to see Phillips get a couple.....

It was a great trade...but a trade is only a good one if the guy plays...sitting him out along with Regin is dumb, dumb, dumb. The team looked great last night except for some blemishes: Wince (as much as they try), will never be a hockey player and Cheechoo will only score a goal on his line if (like last night) it is unassisted. The game before, when playing with hockey players, he had several opportunities. Wince can't skate...and I think my 8 year old niece has a harder shot! Ruutu...awful and Donovan (I hope he is OK)...skated a million miles a 100 mph and did squat. The hit by the way, was head on and totally clean..just incidental contact. Kelly is playing very well! Neil has another gear...wow! Canoli is awful and Picard (sorry Pav) was very good! Inagine how much better they would be if they added a couple of hockey players to the mix? The team even went out of the way to put Wince on the PP and of course...he fumbled the ball. Watching him always playing catch-up because he is behind the play is comical. Oh he can hit though...only when he is coming in hard from behind! Wasn't it refreshing to hear different voices doing the broadcast! As much as they were Pens fans...they were pretty good. The team looked good...it was entirely entertaining...I called it 5-2 for Pens and was very wrong...and the over all team speed was excellent...I have never seen Malkin and Crosby so very shut down!!! Good on the Sens....I wouldn't want to be neil mug right now but he took on a very tough cookie and God bless him...he has brass cajonees!

" will take my leave now and leave this group to the intelligence of the PDB."

I am on your mind way too much for my liking...and you still have the same narrow views and pointless babbles about a 4th line player.