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Corvo, Canes Stumble In Ottawa
by SENShobo on 02/25/09 at 09:11 AM ET
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So it’s official now. Eight teams will make the playoffs, but at least a pair of hopefuls will be denied.
Last night, Ottawa’s 4-2 win over Carolina has the Sens effectively choosing one of those teams it will play spoiler to.
Who in Ottawa was all that sad to see Corvo leave without getting a chance to smile, or score a single point?
From the Ottawa Citizen,
The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Ottawa (23-27-9), but not everything was worth cheering.
Whether it is a sign of the economic times, an indication that fans have given up on the Senators, or both, only 16,541 fans attended the game — the smallest crowd at Scotiabank Place so far this season. In fact, it was the smallest crowd for a Senators home game since 16,420 watched a December 2003 game against Chicago.
Worst crowds in half a decade? Check. Granted, it’s been over a decade since the Sens have failed to make the playoffs, a streak some would like to keep alive even at the expense of another potential first round sweep.
But last night’s game was indeed worth watching. It wasn’t so long ago that the team decided to give focus to shootouts, and it just might’ve helped them with their four hardworking goals. There were no on-your-back Ovechkin goals, only ones duly earned. Credit Heatley with his 30th, but it was Alfredsson blitzing down the right wing as fast as I’ve seen in ages that drew all the Canes’ attention, opening up a smooth line for Heatley to take, depositing Alfie’s saucer pass in the net. Kelly’s goal not only showed the Sens storming back from an Eaves goal that went in off Auld’s back, but after taking Vermette’s pass, he focused on his shot, took his time to outwait Ward, and ripped it in. Comrie, scoring right at the close of the first to give the Canes pleasant locker room dicussions, faked his shot from the left side and took all the space Ward gave him.
Vermette certainly lived up to expectations in this game, with hard work and great passes setting up the pair of secondary scoring goals. Despite the jaw guard, Alfie managed a pair as well, though he left his share of hits (he had one) to Fisher (8). Despite the half-hour attempt at weathering the storm after the early fourth goal, the Sens had plenty of positives. Glad, in fact, that they did have those lapses, as there’s definitely no chance the Sens will feel too confident or self-assured heading into Thursday against San Jose and their President’s Trophy worthy season, or that Couston will have any shortage of ammunition for his next couple days of coaching.
From the Ottawa Citizen,
“Anything that happens, good or bad, you’re going to learn from it,” said Elliott.
“At this level, it’s just magnified that much more.
“It’s just an experience and I have to go through it. It’s not like I can say, ‘Oh, this is what I’m going to learn from it.’
“You learn from different things and you’ll find out later in life, I guess. Every game I start is another opportunity.”
After being hung out to dry or screened more than those flying to the States by his teammates in his recent unfortunate starts, shaken is exactly how Elliott could feel (or Ward, letting in three goals on nine shots in one period to one of the League’s lowest scoring teams). But he seems calm enough so far, as many of Ottawa’s goalies have appeared to be. Barring some major shakeups, Elliott and Auld can be fairly confident that they will be around next season. Next in building their confidence is solidifying the system that they will play behind, and the roster that will help them out, Picard, Bell, and Schubert all being healthy scratches.
From the Ottawa Citizen, there is also this guy,
What would you do if you were Chris Neil?
Take a bit of a “haircut” to sign back with the only NHL team you have known, or take a run at the one great chance for a lucrative contract on the open market?
Neil isn’t talking much these days, but there is plenty of talk all around him.
The Ottawa Senators’ rugged winger, usually very accommodating, wants to wait until he is back skating with the team before he discusses the odds of getting a new deal done with the Senators prior to next Wednesday’s trade deadline.
....
Centre Jason Spezza is among those who have advised Neil to stay in Ottawa.Why?
Because Neil, his wife and baby daughter are settled in Ottawa, like it here and the extra money might not be worth uprooting a family, selling a home and buying another.
The numbers out there are $1.5 - 2 million, that being the gap between how much Murray is believed to be willing to offer up to Neil, and the minimum that Neil and/or his agent feel he needs to get. At 30 years of age, this is the time when Neil needs to make the smart moves. In someone like Heatley’s contract, the difference between $7.5 and $8 million is not a huge deal, but it’s a 25% cut or 33% premium in Neil’s case, something that won’t easily be overlooked.
Fighters don’t often warrant long-term deals either, theirs being a risky business, and Neil not being a true heavyweight he might find those long-term prospects even duller. Moving the family sounds scary, but with the housing crisis in the States and foreclosures all around, dreams of cheap manses might dance in his head. Murray might be willing to offer up more in length than in salary compared to other teams, but in the end, should Neil leave, there will be plenty of fans in the stands in his jersey that go home unhappiest of all.
Just to keep things on the light side, we have the Ottawa Sun,
Reporters at the morning skate mentioned that, with Mike Comrie moving next to Mike Fisher and Daniel Alfredsson, the stretch of back wall closest to the showers has become the “high rent” district of the Senators dressing room.
Overhearing this, Alfredsson didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, one superstar and two guys who date superstars.”
You can’t keep a great leader down. Needing something like a record of 18-3-1 to make the playoffs, with few losses among their games against other border teams (they play Montreal and Buffalo twice more, with a game each against still-hopeful Florida, Carolina, and the Rangers. San Jose on Thursday and a trio remaining against Boston provide the impossible odds challenges), it’s good to see that spirits are still up. The past year may be a dark stain in our minds, but the sun waits behind the clouds for Ottawa.
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Fully addicted to hockey, Andrew Dodds finds it safe to live in the alleys, considering his allegiance to the Ottawa Senators in the middle of Leaf County. He tries to bring you as many worthwhile Sens stories as he can find, along with his musings on the team and the NHL in general; musings indeed since he is but a humble hockey hobo.
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