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Sens’ Season Starts Now
by SENShobo on 10/04/08 at 11:38 AM ET
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- Time ticks down to the start of today’s game against the Pens in Stockholm.
- Fisher will not play in either Swedish game due to a groin injury.
- Heatley ready to step up all facets of his game as he replaces Redden as an alternate captain.
- Ruutu looking forward to pesting up his old team, and other Sens notes.
- Sens set to start the season in Stockholm, Sweden (Ottawa Sun, NHL.com, TSN).
“It’s good that it’s finally starting. When you have a long summer and this kind of adventure overseas, you’re ready to start your year,” said Murray.
Why will this year be different?
“Work ethic, character, attitude. Our depth up front is better than it was because we have a couple of young players. I think the type of defensive corps we have is different, no doubt, in a couple of spots. A lot will depend on how they play. That’s no secret. The whole key is from a toughness point of view or defensive point of view, we should be more difficult to play against.”
What do we have to look forward to this afternoon? Seeing the team play all out to drive Pittsburg into the tailspin Ottawa faced last season. Seeing Alfie back at full strength and fully motivated after his dreadful injured end to last season. Seeing how well the team starts the season already facing the adversity of being without Fisher.
Will the Sens win? It should not hurt their efforts that the Penguins are without their top two defencemen, Whitney and Gonchar. Newly acquired Satan and Fedotenko will not be as threatening as Malone and Hossa were last season, and even Armstrong is gone, not that Eaves is around for us either. Both teams have a lot to prove, and neither wants to come out flat in their first game, likely to be one of the most-watched all season long. With that, let it begin.
- Fisher’s groin injury against Frolunda will keep him out of this weekend’s games (Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Senators’ web).
Three times the 28-year-old has been held to fewer than 60 games due to injury. So, what happens when Fisher hits that high-water mark of 79 games? He suffers a knee injury in the 81st game (April 3 versus the Maple Leafs) and is lost for the postseason.
And now this.
He joins his teammates on a week-long trip to Sweden to open the season, angling to be ready for Game 1 today, then reinjuries his groin in an exhibition game against Frolunda in Göteborg on Thursday.
Tonight might well show us what kind of balanced scoring we can get when we play the CASH line and are missing one of our next top scorers in Fisher. Hopefully Fisher will take it in stride, and be ready for the home opener against Detroit next Saturday, where I’m sure plenty of fans will be clamoring to see him back in action, after sorely missing him during the playoffs this past season.
- Heatley now proudly wears an ‘A’ and takes on the responsibility that comes with it (Ottawa Senators’ web, Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Sun).
“There were a lot of other guys we looked at,” Hartsburg said. “It was just my conversations with Dany over the summer, and watching and observing players from the start of training camp, and how they acted or interacted with their teammates, their work habits, and I think Dany will do a good job for us. I think all leadership is about how you act on the ice, how you prepare yourself to play. Certainly there are times when you have to speak up, but I think it’s more the actions than what they say.”
“At least that’s the belief I had as a player and as a coach. You can lead by example.”
Nearly three straight seasons of 50 goals - 41 in 71 games last season left us wanting better health for Heatley - is certainly a great example to set. With Heatley now looking to shoulder more responsibility in other ways, through leadership, penalty killing, and solid all-around play, naming him alternate captain is not a big shock.
Some might be shocked that Fisher was not selected, and I count myself among one of those who thought he and Heatley had the best chance. The current trend does seem to favour naming all-star players (Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin to name a few). Mike Chen made a good point the other day, reminding us that Mike Modano was once an offensive stud who eventually tailored himself to be a player for all situations, and if Heatley could head in that direction, or the direction of all-around sniper Jarome Iginla, it will be hard for anyone to complain, especially considering the opinion of a certain Ottawa Senator,
“I think he has got a little more comfortable,” said Alfredsson. “He knows he’s one of the best goal scorers in the league. He’s taking on a bigger role and becoming a better player all the time.
“He puts his time in on the ice and works hard to get better. He wants to evolve his game, too. He’s talking about killing penalties more and contributing in different ways than scoring goals.
“I think it’s just the evolution of a really good player.
- Ruutu is ready to take on his old team, and a few other notes from Chris Stevenson (Ottawa Sun).
The Senators winger is doubly pumped making his debut for Ottawa because it’s against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team he left as a free agent this summer.
“Obviously there’s a little bit of emotion, but as soon I hit the ice there’s no friends,” said Ruutu after the Senators practised at the Globe Arena. “I’m sure the (Pittsburgh) guys think the same way. They’re probably trying to kill me ... well, it’s even then.”
Between Ruutu, Neil, and Bass, it should be an interesting game. It might also be fun to see how much the Pens feel like the ‘home team’ they are assigned to be for Sunday’s game, given the intense cheering that Alfie is sure to receive in his home country. He might not be the only Swede making an appearance though.
The talk here is Mats Sundin, international man of mystery, will be dropping the puck for the ceremonial faceoff for today’s game. “I’m going to hand him my stick,” said Alfredsson. But another come-on to Sundin won’t be coming from the Senators captain. “No, I don’t think I’ll be making a sales pitch. Obviously, we would have loved to have had him like anybody else, but we’ll see what happens.”
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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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