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Sens Reworking And Repairing For Friday
by SENShobo on 10/14/08 at 07:41 AM ET
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Today’s Ottawa Senators news:
- Hartsburg wants better game from Sens.
- Alfie and Phillips on the mend.
- Foligno gets his chance on the top line.
- The Sens need to ice a better game than they did Saturday if they want to make it through the season with a record to be proud of (Ottawa Sun).
Coach Craig Hartsburg has seen a lot in the first three games of the season that has to improve if the club is to get back to being a force to be reckoned with.
Hartsburg felt the 3-2 score in Saturday’s loss to the Red Wings was flattering. He’s going to get that message across loud and clear during the next four days of practice before the Senators host the Coyotes Friday and Bruins Saturday.
Hartsburg is bothered by the turnovers and play in the Senators’ own zone.
“At this time of year, we’ve got to work on everything,” he said. “It’s hard to work on it just in practice, but again there’s that tempo and that quickness and that pace. We have to continue to try to raise our level of pace and tempo in a game.”
The Senators no doubt remember their own early season hunger that carried them to a torrid start last season, and Detroit has far more people convinced this time around, and thus far more pressure. Saturday showed a very hardworking youth core, with Picard, Foligno, and Winchester all showing a great deal of jump and effort. To a certain extent, it does leave you suspecting that it was the Sens’ inability to match the Wings’ energy and determination, and as slips began creeping into their game, the whole thing started to slide away. But still, it’s Detroit.
- All signs point to a healing Alfie, as Phillips looks at a quick recovery from a cut Saturday (Ottawa Sun).
“He’s feeling pretty good,” said coach Craig Hartsburg after practice at Scotiabank Place. “He’s got very little swelling, which is a positive. He’s doing well, but every day we have to wait and see how he feels. I don’t perceive it to be a real long time (before he’s back in the lineup), but I don’t want to put a time frame on it.”
The original projection was Alfredsson would be out 10 days to two weeks.
Sure, we always stand a better chance with Alfie in the lineup, but a fully healthy Alfie is the best thing for the team all season long. Making the back-to-back games Friday against the Coyotes and Saturday against the Bruins might be pushing it, and if so should be avoided. There’s a good chance that he will be ready for Florida the following Wednesday, and you can bet he’ll be prepared to steady the team that Friday against the Ducks, and Saturday in Toronto.
Also noted is that Phillips was bleeding from his leg after a puck hit his leg Saturday, cutting him and damaging a vein. He should be fine, and back on the ice tomorrow.
- Foligno practices on the top line, Hartsburg hopeful that Spezza and Heatley can be better at adapting to changing linemates (Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Sun).
“At some point—and don’t look at this as being critical—but you should be able to put anyone there,” Hartsburg said.
“Spezza and Heatley are top players and you should be able to put anybody there and those two should be able to help them be better players.
“The more they play, and the more experience (they get) ... they should be able to take a player, whether it’s Foligno or whoever it is, and say ‘OK, you’ll fit in here, no problem. Here’s what we need you to do, and here’s what you bring to our line and it should work’.”
Heatley and Spezza have both been preaching the good word about all-around play, and with that increased committment should come the ability to better meld with any linemate. Like any relationship, open communication is key. Foligno showed us Saturday what hard work earns, scoring a highlight reel goal on Osgood while squeezing through two sandwiching Detroit players. What Spezza and Heatley can show Foligno in terms of a skilled game, Foligno can help show them in terms of a consistent hardworking ethic.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | SENShobo | Permalink
Tags: Chris+Phillips, Daniel+Alfredsson, Nick+Foligno,
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