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SENShobo

Guns Might Blaze In Tampa, Not That You’ll See

by SENShobo on 11/01/08 at 11:20 AM ET
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Today’s Ottawa Senators stories,

• Fisher or Vermette for D? That’s what ‘they’ say, but not I.
• Auld continues to look good, starting tonight.
• Sens look to end road trip with third straight win in Tampa.

• It’s never too early to panic or start talking trade, as the media jumps on a few slow starts and Murray tidbits (Ottawa Sun, Ottawa Citizen).

“We need a skill back-end guy. That’s the main area of concern right now,” said Murray. “If we could get a veteran in that spot with the right years on the contract, that’s the kind of guy we’d like there.”

“[Fisher and Vermette] have to score some goals ... They’re both good players and they both work hard and they’re both fast guys, but the bottom line is they have to get some points for us,” said Murray.

“I like the way (goalie) Alex (Auld) is playing right now. I thought (against Florida) it was a game where we weren’t getting any bounces, but we were battling hard. It was a real tight game and we found a way to win. Will we continue to do that or will it be a struggle every night to get goals?

“What I have to have is a little patience. But if we don’t start winning more than we lose, you have to start looking at a possible move or two.”

Ten games in, you can feel the growing pains. There are the energetic parts, the growth spurts that leave you awkward, and right now the hope that we can grow.

Without having said it, it’s quite something to see the media pounce on Murray considering trading Vermette and Fisher. In Fisher’s case, I’d say it’s not likely to happen, what with Fisher having five years at $4.2 million left. He gives plenty for it, but that price tag becomes very unreasonable, very fast, if he can’t produce. His ties to the fans aren’t going to make it any easier either.

Vermette is a bit more convenient, with his reasonable $2.8 million hit for only this year and next, making him an affordable risk for a team to take on. But really, is it going to happen? It would need to make sense, losing 20-25 goals and 50 points, as well as a solid penalty killer in both, with Fisher giving you a physical edge, Vermette more speed and a wicked grab in the faceoff dot. Can we find a reasonable defenseman who, along with whoever would fill Fisher’s place, would replace and improve upon those 50 points? He’d also need to be solid defensively, since we’d put him in, and likely have to include a defenseman in the deal or a separate deal.

It won’t happen for another while yet, since there’s still time for Fisher (who’d only just recovered from his groin to start the season) and Vermette to get comfortable, and for Picard to settle down. Maybe even a chance, however little it will be bandied about, that Bell or Lee could be impressive enough to get called up and force Schubert and Richardson off the blueline. It’s just 10 games in, I think I’ll wait until 20 before I start to panic. I think…

• Auld giving the Sens the right kind of solid support between the pipes (Ottawa Sun).

“Fans and media want to know a No. 1 and No. 2. We want both of our goalies to play well,” said Murray.

“I thought this is what Alex Auld was. He’s a solid guy and he’s a big body. He’s a good person. He’s a great partner for Martin Gerber. Whether one plays more than the other is not the most important thing.

“What’s most important is that they’re solid. I think you’ll see Martin come back now. I think everybody on the team was a little bit off early on (in the season) and there’s a variety of reasons—seven new players, new coaching staff and a new voice in the room—but I think as we go forward we will see both of them play solid and Craig will have the option of picking and choosing who he wants to start on a given night.”

Auld has certainly looked as good and better at times than Gerber’s best, and fewer coulda-hads have beaten him (though who can forget that beachball from the Ducks?), so it’s no surprise that he will start tonight in Tampa. Gerber got the chance to run with things to start the season, and now it appears Hartsburg is giving Auld his chance to handle the blue paint.

Last season, the “win and you’re in” philosophy only ever seemed to frustrate, but with Hartsburg sticking to each goalie for a good run, even through bad times, it seems as though it’s been left behind. When Gerber gets his start will probably get minds wondering what philosophy he’ll take. After a break, Tuesday and Thursday bring in the Caps and Flyers, followed by a trip to Carolina on Friday. All are middling around 11-12 points, have had their slumps, but none is without a challenge, and three games in four days will see both Gerber and Auld play, unless Craig wants to take the philosophy from last season of riding the big three into the ground and move it onto Auld.

If you really want to proclaim a No. 1, I’d wait until at least December, but you will get a preview soon: with the Sens facing the Canadiens, Islanders, and Rangers twice each in the middle of November, and only the Islanders games back to back, depending on who draws the leaders and who toys with the Isles, you might get your chance to lay a more well-informed bet.

• Tampa Bay may be just as wounded in the standings as Ottawa, but a wounded animal is the one you need to fear most (Ottawa Senators’ web, NHL.com).

“The good sign is that I thought emotionally in the third period, we were really strong,” said Hartsburg. “We were very hungry in the third period. Scoring on the power play was huge for us and the talk on the bench – we’ve got to stay with it – was real positive.

“We weren’t willing to accept what was happening when we were down 1-0. It was a good sign and that’s a positive.”

Tonight looks to be a good test of the Sens, not because Tampa’s at the head of the pack (3-3-3, tied with Ottawa’s 4-5-1, though with one fewer game played), but because both teams have plenty of guns, both teams have questioned their defense and the slumps of various players, and they’re both riding two-game winning streaks.

What a great time for Stamkos and Lecavalier (BOTH 2-2—4, +2 in last 2GP) to find their mojo again. I’ll be most curious to see how this game affects Meszaros, Kuba, and Picard; they should no doubt have it on their minds, even if they say otherwise. Of all the players, I’d say Kuba might have the most on his mind, as he admitted shortly after the trade that he felt pressure to waive his NTC from management, lest he ride the waiver wire to who knows where.

I think I’ll do my best impression of tonight’s game by cutting it short now; the game is not going to be broadcast, anywhere, not even in Tampa. After praising both Dean Brown and Gord Wilson, I’d be amiss if I didn’t tell you that the best place to catch the game is by listening online at the Team 1200. I’m sure they’ll have lots to talk about, especially knowing they’re our only window into tonight’s game.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | SENShobo | Permalink
 Tags: Alex+Auld, Antoine+Vermette, Mike+Fisher,

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