SENShobo
Sens’ Lines Juggled Again For Buffalo Tonight
by SENShobo on 10/27/08 at 04:41 PM ET
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I’m going to go ahead and anoint tonight a rut-breaking game for the Sens.
There’s so much proof that this will be the case, I’m practically drowning in a lake of it. Or maybe that lake is a mirage in the desert.
This does feel a bit like the point when you’re sitting in your car, begging it to start, and either you get out to have a long look at the engine, or it sputters to life, even if that life is still banged up in its own way.
From the Ottawa Senators’ website,
“We have to really worry about our own game now,” Senators head coach Craig Hartsburg said after Monday’s pre-game skate. “We’ll talk about some things about Buffalo, but our game is still a work in progress and we have to continue to improve in all areas.
“But the biggest focus right now for us is to clean up our end, and if we can do that, we’ll be a better team.”
I was talking about it a bit this morning, but indeed the Sens do need to get their own heads on straight before they can try to pick their opponents’ brains. To me, getting the team concentrated on playing to their own strengths, rather than having them ever looking to others to carry the load, would be the ideal path. Whereas I suggested ripping the CASH line across three separate lines that would see a more balanced icetime (with the guys reunited on powerplays), and having the blueliners be put in pairs, each one with a defensive rock, Hartsburg has his own take for tonight.
The first line will see Heatley and Spezza reunited, but joined this time by slumping Vermette. Odd, since he is a left winger (who I always like to see at center, given his faceoff talent), but he gives a little more speed and passing opportunity to Spezza and Heatley, and maybe we’ll see the puck zipping around a bit more.
The second line is not much of a surprise, with Fisher between Alfie and Foligno. It’s hard to say that Foligno and Alfie have been slumping, but they’ve both been denied along with the team in having all of their efforts succeed. I hate to suggest that one group will be harder working than any other, but I expect good energy from these guys, and Fisher’s potential would look great to benefit the contribution of this line.
The third line will be a checking line to my eyes. Kelly flanked by Neil and Ruutu, you have hard hitters and defensive sensibility, and I’d consider setting them up against Vanek it Hartsburg isn’t trying for power on power, maybe wear him down a little, as a goal-a-game pace would be nice to hold at bay for a game.
The final line will see a new face, as Donovan and McAmmond are joined by Winchester. Jesse’s been bouncing around, from playing alongside Heatley and Spezza to start the season, to now finding himself on the fourth line. The one talent he has shown again and again has been his hard work with the puck on the boards. It has yet to pump out any offense, and so if he can just hold the puck in the Sabres’ end on the fourth line, it will be a good contribution right there. With more time, he’ll hopefully get more comfortable with transitioning his board work to better scoring chances, and get to move up in the roster. Since it was Donovan and McAmmond potting the team’s last two goals though, he shouldn’t be without a chance in this game.
On defense, it will be Schubert slotting into the final spot, as Richardson sits out. It will be hard to compare to the Sabres, who have allowed a League-best 1.62 GA/G, while Ottawa sits 16th with 3.12. It will hardly be a fair fight, but look for Lalime (1-0-1, .951 Sv%, 1.44 GAA) to try and further prove to Murray that he made the wrong choice in choosing Auld (1-2-0, .921 Sv%, 2.70 GAA).
The Sens have been sliding for what feels like an eternity, and tonight will only be 9 games into the season. With all that’s been circling the team, in the media and (I’m sure) in the dressing room, the bubble has to burst sometime soon. If the Sens are going to give up the draft lottery chase, then they will either pull out a convincing, hard-fought win tonight, or else be beat so hard into the ground by the East’s best team thus far that the turnaround happens between now and Thursday against Florida.
If it doesn’t happen either of those ways, it’s going to be a long season, but then again what else is new? I wish I could be watching the game, but I’m still waiting on that catch-all-Sens-games channel to become available here in the Leafs’ backyard, but I have a feeling I’ll be waiting for that even longer than I’ll be waiting for the Sens’ turmoil to calm down.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | SENShobo | Permalink
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