SENShobo
Next entry: Karlsson Down, Kuba In For Sens
Previous entry: Sens Dumbfounded By Preds
Personnel, Power Play Struggles For Sens
by SENShobo on 10/27/09 at 08:03 AM ET
Comments (0)
Bruiser etiquette, power play problems, but first..
From the Ottawa Sun, on Erik Karlsson’s impending status change,
No final decision has been announced, but the Senators appear to be leaning toward sending their top prospect back to Sweden for the season. They are as excited as ever about Karlsson, the 15th overall pick in the 2008 entry draft, but they have concerns about the slight defenceman’s confidence as he battles through the growing pains of his first year in the NHL.
...
“We’re going to have to make a decision, obviously, within the next 24 or 48 hours,” coach Cory Clouston said after a practice yesterday that was minus Karlsson and centre Peter Regin — both dealing with the flu bug. “There are some pros and cons (for keeping Karlsson). It’s going to be a tough decision either way.“You’ve got to make a decision on what’s best for him in the long run and obviously what’s best for us immediately. There are a few other things we have to consider other than just his play and his development.”
Is there really any daunting reason to keep him around at the moment though?
Update - 12:49 p.m. - From the Ottawa Citizen, Karlsson has been demoted to Binghamton.
The 19-year-old defenceman, who didn’t speak to the media, didn’t take the news well, said Murray.
Use it Special K, use it.
Murray mentioned during training camp that he thought that the Senators’ first round pick this year, defenceman Jared Cowen, looked very much ready to step into action if the team needed him, and he was still sent back. Karlsson, on the other hand, has a more all-around game left to work on.
Just three assists in nine games? That would pan out to about 27 points for the season; nothing terrible, but nothing key or irreplaceable. Kuba needs to come in, and you’re looking at a pair of one-way contracts that won’t be moving in Picard or Campoli, let alone that it’s unthinkable for the organization to sign Carkner to a two-year one-way deal and then send him down to Binghamton, and even more unthinkable to have Karlsson chewing up a year of his entry level deal as a seventh defenceman spending as much time in the press box as Schubert did last year.
He’s had a taste, and he’s seen what he needs to progress. He knows what he needs to do to become a pivotal part of the Senators’ attack. He’s just not irreplaceable yet.
From the Ottawa Senators’ website, on Kuba’s impending return,
“He’ll make a big improvement, just as far as poise, confidence and experience back there,” he said. “(Kuba) doesn’t have a booming shot, but he’s able to get the shot through for the most part. He’s also very intelligent as far as reading (the play).
“Just to be able to calm things down back there… I think he’ll be important for that.”
Clouston also had captain Daniel Alfredsson working from the point in an effort to make further gains in an area he believes has been a problem with the man advantage.
“Right now, we don’t have a shot threat,” said Clouston. “Guys are squeezing their stick on the back end and it just becomes (a) bigger and bigger (problem). When they do have an opportunity, they’ve duffed shots and missed nets.
Ranked 29th in the League at 11.4%, and with as many goals as the penalty kill, Ottawa’s power play is a long way back from its heyday, and a booming shot is a key to most that Ottawa is missing. This season, only Alfie and Spezza have multiple power play points (3), and even last year the defence’s contribution seemed thin, Kuba adding 26 power play points in 71GP, then dropping off to Bell’s 15 in 53GP and Picard’s 10 in 47GP, the two figuring into a power play goal every four and a half games; not the kind of success you want your special teams engines to be running at, and ironically both did better that year than the more noted Redden and Meszaros the year prior, who figured into a power play goal less than once every fifth game, Corvo the highlight with just less than once every three games.
That booming shot, even if not a laser cannon, at least makes teams wary. Wary to drop and block such a bullet. Wary to let the puck drift back to the blue line. Wary to lose focus for even a moment knowing that a split second later a puck would be going too fast to track, winding up behind you even as every opposing player tracked it to its final resting place. You can bet that guys like Lee, Wiercioch, Cowen, and Karlsson are all being encouraged to work on theirs, because as much as it stings any time a team walks away from a penalty unscathed, you simply don’t win the Stanley Cup without making opponents fear paying dearly for every one of their liberties taken and mistakes made.
From the Ottawa Sun, on the Senators’ fighting duo,
Not everybody is crazy about the emotional gestures made to the crowd by Chris Neil and Matt “Big Country” Carkner as they skate to the penalty box after their fights at Scotiabank Place.
It can irk Senators opponents, for instance. Some suggest such showboating even motivates them. On Saturday, Don Cherry also spoke out against the get-on-your-feet-and-cheer motions, too.
...
“Sometimes it depends on the outcome of the fight. To me, that’s the most important thing. If you’re guy wins the fight, it can really spark you. Even if he just stuck up for a teammate. Even if he took his lumps, Sometimes that really sparks your team. To me it’s not necessarily the reaction, but why the fight occurred and what happened during the fight.” [said Clouston]
Take it for whatever you will, but the key here is that it’s no longer Neil having to shoulder the full load, no longer Fisher feeling like he’s the only other option to step up when things go down, and no longer a free ride forwards get from our defence when they get too close to the crease. For that peace of mind, a little support is the least you could ask for.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | SENShobo | Permalink
Comments
Be the first to comment.
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Can Ottawa Build Key Organization & Roster Element This Week?
As Fisher’s Character Departs, Ottawa’s is Revealed
Hockey Blogging Leading to Hockey Engineering
Heatley’s “Homecoming” Must Be About The Message As Much As The Man
In Case You Wondered About My Absence
Ottawa Strolls Into Contender’s Clutches
Senators Run Out Of Gas Against Canucks
Canucks Offer Ottawa’s First Stern Test
About Kukla’s Korner
Kukla’s Korner is updated around the clock with the work of our own talented bloggers, plus links to the best hockey writing around the internet. We strive to bring you all the breaking hockey news as it happens.
The home page allows you to see the latest postings from every blog on the site. Subscribe here. For general inquiries and more, please contact us anytime.
Get the top online sports betting bonuses available to sports betters!
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker.
As well as reading about hockey games, you can also find info about poker like which poker sites accept American Express or which are the best Canadian poker sites and also find the top rakeback sites at rakeback.net.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.