Posted by Gord Wilson on April 21, 2008 in Behind the scenes - Powered by Bell

Greetings, all, from nowhere in particular... certainly not at a rink at the time of this writing.  Just  sitting in the basement following the Canadiens'  5-0 win over the Bruins in Game 7 of their Eastern  Conference series.

Anyway, thought I'd just jot down a few thoughts on the season that was... for the Senators, and obviously, a season that  was... not meant to be.

We  can talk all we want about the terrific start to the season the Senators had but the  bottom line is, this team limped into the playoffs, perhaps didn't really deserve to be there (based on how they were playing over the final  month or so) and couldn't  muster enough to find any consistency to their game.  At the turn of the new year, I think I could count on one  hand the number of solid, full team games the Senators were able to play and win the way they were supposed to. Jan. 12 against Detroit  was one of those  games...  a 3-2 Ottawa win. Two more came later on against  Montreal...  a 6-1 win on home ice and a 3-0 win in Montreal. I believe that game was played March 13 and was Ottawa's third straight win.  We left the  rink that night thinking wow, this is the Senators team that played so well the year  before and maybe, just maybe, they had turned the corner. But the very next game, Ottawa  lost  5-1 to Carolina and the team never looked the same.

I had a great one-on-one talk with Daniel Alfredsson following Ottawa's series loss to the Penguins. He said he could sense something was amiss at about the 25-game mark. He mentioned that  his  teammates  were so worried about the so-called Stanley Cup hangover that they did everything they  could to start the season well. 13-2 through the first 15 games was indeed outstanding. But then little  things started to creep into players' games. There wasn't as much sacrifice, not nearly enough  desperation and in some cases, not enough effort.  As Ottawa's game went the wrong way, other teams started to find theirs.  Teams most anticipated would get better, like Montreal, Boston and Washington,  did just that.

Alfredsson wondered about the team's conditioning and while the players were in great shape, perhaps he was referring to their mental state. Clearly, the willingness to  "pay the price " was not as evident this year as it was last.

All that being said, the defending Cup champs lasted just two more games than Ottawa. Take a look at  history over the last eight years and you'll see this is a common theme.  The two teams to advance to the Stanley Cup final one year rarely do well the following year.

So that means it will be another off-season of change for the Senators... starting with the coach. Certainly, lots of names are being  bandied about, which will make things very interesting for Bryan Murray. Remember, he won't be afraid to go outside the box in hiring someone.

Player personnel changes are also in the offing. I found it interesting to see just how many new faces  played for the Senators this past year. I counted at least nine, on a semi-regular basis.

Change is necessary and in a salary cap world, change will always be a part of any team's off-season (just look at the  NFL).

Bottom line for the Senators  is, they have a core group of players still intact and signed to long-term  deals. That core simply can't underachieve at the wrong time next year.

If you don't mind, I'd like to continue writing this blog from time-to-time during the playoffs...offer  some opinion and maybe a  little story or two on those making headlines.

Much thanks for tuning in and reading my stuff. I'm sorry I rarely responded back... forgive me, I'm kinda new at this.

Have a great off-season, everyone, and we'll see you at the rink in September.

Cheers,

Gord Wilson

Posted by Gord Wilson on April 16, 2008 in Behind the scenes - Powered by Bell

Greetings, all, from Scotiabank Place, the site of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final series  between the Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. Right of the  get-go, let's state the obvious. A must-win situation now for the Senators, who find themselves in a deep hole, down 3-0. Only  twice in the history of this game, at this level, have teams ever come back from being down 3-0. The last time it happened  was 33 years ago, in 1975, and the time before that was 1942... a 33-year gap.   

Clearly, the Senators won't worry about history being on their side tonight... they simply have to play a  better game than the ones they've played so far. Give credit where credit is due... the Penguins are  playing  lights out hockey right now and clearly deserve to be up three zip. But they have shown signs of  weakness and the Senators must capitalize on that.

For me, play in the neutral zone will be key tonight. Of the five goals Ottawa has scored in this series, only one has come off the rush, after a quick counter in neutral ice. Then take a look at all the Penguin  goals. Almost all of them have resulted from great speed through the neutral zone, and then flying into the Ottawa end. Control the ice between the two blue lines and you stand a pretty good chance of controlling the Pens.

That being said, the Senators must find a way to score some goals. And in an effort to do that, watch for Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson to be reunited  tonight. And the Big Three must find some immediate  magic.

Game 3 saw the crowd provide instant energy to the Senators. The building was loud and energetic and it must be the same tonight.

Game time tonight is 7 o'clock. This one, as always, can be heard all along the Team 1200 radio  network, with  yours truly and Dave Schreiber with the call.

Enjoy everyone,

cheers, gord

Posted by Gord Wilson on April 14, 2008 in Behind the scenes - Powered by Bell

Greetings, everyone, from Scotiabank Place, site of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final series between the Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. A series that Pittsburgh leads 2-0 following 4-0 and 5-3 wins in Pittsburgh last week.

Here in Ottawa, the Senators are clearly hoping their hometown fans can provide an extra little boost to a lineup that could use all the help it can get. Undermanned, the Senators got some good news today in that Jason Spezza will play tonight. He saw limited ice time in the third period of Friday's game and  didn't practice with the club over the weekend, but he took the morning skate today and declared himself ready to go.

And of course, there's been much speculation here in the rink, and likely now throughout the city, about  the possible return of captain Daniel Alfredsson.  He apparently skated yesterday and it will be decided  later today if he'll suit up for tonight's game.  He didn't skate with his teammates this morning, but was  at the  rink for treatment.  As I said in my game preview for the big screen tonight, we'll see soon enough.

Bryan Murray ended Friday's game in Pittsburgh with these line combinations. They will be, of course,  subject to change  tonight...  15-20-61... 10-37-25...  71-19-28... 5-58-27.

If  11 plays, then put names into a hat and go from there.

Now, for your viewing pleasure, here are some behind-the-scenes pictures I've managed to take over the last few  days with my  camera phone, the LG Shine, all powered by Bell.

Game time tonight is 7 o'clock... hope you're part of the noise. If not in the building, then scream at your TVs or radios. Yours truly and Dave Schreiber with the call, all along the Team 1200 radio network.

enjoy the game everyone,

cheers, gord

Posted by Gord Wilson on April 10, 2008 in Behind the scenes - Powered by Bell

Greetings, everyone, from  Pittsburgh, where Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs continues Friday night, with the Penguins leading the Senators 1-0 following their 4-0 win on Wednesday night.

To me, that wasn't a 4-0 game but at the same time, the Senators didn't do themselves any favours in  helping themselves to a win. When you finish the game with as many missed shots at the net as you did, with shots that hit the net, then you're not making life too difficult for the opposition goalie and Marc-Andre Fleury wasn't overly tested. He still could turn out to be a factor one way or anothe in this  series.

	That being said, both teams had practices on Thursday. Penguins went on the ice first and were without the two-goal man, Gary Roberts. He actually went for a light skate by himself before the Penguins practised. Roberts will play in Game 2. In fact, there aren't expected to be any lineup changes.
	Sidney Crosby addressed the media after practice and he fully expects the Senators to play a more desperate brand of hockey.
	As for the Senators, well, the good news is they expect to have Anton Volchenkov back for Game 2. He missed the better part of Wednesday's game after blocking a shot with his head. He was cut for 15 stitches and there's a lot of swelling to his forehead, but he is hoping to play. Line combinations at  practice looked  like this... Heatley-Spezza-Lapointe, Foligno- Vermette-Stillman, Donovan-McAmmond-Neil and Schubert-Bass-Robitaille.
	Martin Lapointe hopes to provide a little grit to the Spezza/Heatley combination.
	Watch for the Senators to try to simplify their power play as well. Going 0-for-7 in Game 1 with two lengthy 5-on-3s doesn't happen very often in any game and not capitalizing on them has not sat well with anyone.

All right, that will do it for another day. I hope you're enjoying the  pictures, compliments of the LG Shine™ camera phone, all powered by Bell. This thing is a tonne of fun to use.

cheers,

gord

Posted by Gord Wilson on April 8, 2008 in Behind the scenes - Powered by Bell

Greetings, everyone... all right, as promised, behind-the-scenes pictures of the Senators and their  playoff run and the fun begins today here in Pittsburgh. Senators arrived here around 5 on Tuesday afternoon with a full complement of players ... yes, even the injured players have made the trip.

Armed with the LG Shine™ camera phone, compliments of Bell, I hope over the next few months  to bring you some behind-the-scenes  looks at what the Senators and their opponents  go through in their attempts to win the Stanley Cup, the trophy that has become the most difficult to win in all of  professional sports. It's an eight-week grind that brings all hockey players to new and exciting levels.

Remember, you earn your pay during the regular season... you earn your reputation during playoffs.

Round 1 here in Pittsburgh. Enjoy, everyone.

All right, that'll do it for Game 1 of the playoffs. Stay tuned for more  "behind the scenes" looks at the  Sens and Pens during this first round, all powered by Bell.

cheers, gord

Posted by Gord Wilson on April 3, 2008 in Game Day

Greetings, everyone, from the Big Smoke, a.k.a. Toronto, where the Senators are to close out their eight-game season-long series with the Leafs. After winning the first three games of the head-to-head matchup, the Senators have lost the last four to Toronto, so obviously, tonight's visitors would like that  trend to change tonight. No, sorry, never mind "would like," the Senators "need" that trend to change.  Can't be stated any more obvious. Senators need a win tonight to keep their playoff hopes alive. And for  what it's  worth... I did sense a little something different in the locker room and on the ice this morning.  Lots of jump, smiles and a lot of talking. Players seemed to be enjoying themselves. Let's see if that  translates into a complete, confident game. And a little puck luck might help as well. It's amazing how  much one's feelings can change, if they get a little luck on their side.

That being said, maybe luck is already changing a little. Cory Stillman has skated with the team the last  two days and feels ready to play. He's missed the last two games with a leg injury.

Watch for Stillman to at least start the game with Alfredsson and Spezza. Other line combinations include 15-12-28, 20-37-25, 5-58-10. No changes are expected on defence.

Martin Gerber gets the call in goal... his 54th start and 16th straight. He's 3-2 against the Leafs this year. Vesa Toskala is back in goal for the Leafs. It'll be his 66th appearance. Leafs will be without Mats  Sundin, Nik Antropov and Kyle Wellwood, but everyone playing for the blue and white relishes the thought of helping prevent the Senators from making the playoffs.

Should the Senators fall tonight, it sets up tomorrow night's final game of the regular season against the  Bruins as the biggest of the year. That will clearly be labelled as nothing more than a must win situation.

Enjoy tonight, everyone... a Sens pay-per-view broadcast, with Patricia Boal, Grant Ledyard, Dean Brown and myself.  And if you can't watch this one, it can be heard all along the Team 1200 radio network, with Dave Schreiber and Shaun Van Allen.

cheers, gord

Posted by Gord Wilson on March 29, 2008 in Game Day

Greetings everyone from Boston, where the Senators take on the Bruins this afternoon in a rare Saturday afternoon affair. Seventh game of the season between these two clubs, with the Senators holding a 4-2 series edge. Ottawa won the first three games of the series before the Bruins took the next two, then Ottawa won the last game convincingly by a  4-1 score.

Senators are  coming off a disappointing 4-3 shootout loss to the Sabres on Thursday. Today's game will be the Senators' fifth, in the last seven days.  They'll welcome a day off tomorrow before closing out their week and regular season against the Canadiens, Leafs and then Bruins next Friday.

Thursday's loss to the Sabres left winger Cory Stillman with an injured leg and he won't play today. His  spot on the roster will be filled by Jesse Winchester, who makes his NHL debut today. Winchester is from Long Sault but  played his junior hockey in Winchester and Cornwall. He's spent the last four years at  Colgate University captaining the Red Raiders the past two seasons. Based on what I saw at practice yesterday,  it looks like Winchester will get to start the game with Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette.  Both of those players are coming off a productive game against the Sabres... Fisher with 2 goals, Vermette with a pair of assists.

Looks like Wade Redden might  be good to go this afternoon. He's missed the last  two games with a bruised  left  knee. If  he's in, it's likely Luke Richardson  comes out.

Martin Gerber gets the call in goal...  his 52nd start and 14th straight... he's out to earn his 100th career win. He's 4-2 this year against  Boston.

The Bruins are coming off a 4-2 win over the Leafs on Thursday.  Ex-Senator Peter Schaefer scored once, and set up another in that game.  B's fighting for their playoff lives and need a win to stay in the thick of things.  To date, they've  lost 331 man-games to injury... one of the highest totals in the league...  Today, they're without Marc Savard (back), Chuck Kobasew (leg) and Patrice Bergeron (concussion), just to name three.

Tim Thomas is expected to start in goal...  he's 2-1-1 this year against Ottawa with a 1.23 goals-against average and a .963 save percentage.

Senator lines may shake down like this...  15-19-11, 20-12-18, 10-37-25, 5-58-28. Defence pairings may look like this...  4-55, 14-44, 6 and 24.

No local television  coverage of this one, so you'll have to take my word for it. Literally. Unless you have the Centre Ice package and if so, the game is on NESN. Yours truly and Dean Brown with the call, it's a 1 p.m. faceoff time.

enjoy the game everyone,

cheers,  Gord

Posted by Gord Wilson on March 27, 2008 in Game Day

Greetings all from Scotiabank Place, where the Senators play host to the Sabres tonight for the eighth and final time this season. This is also the back end of a home-and-home series that saw Ottawa open with a 6-3 win in Buffalo on Tuesday. Senators lead this series 5-2 and can do some serious damage to the Sabres playoff hopes with a win tonight. In fact, if the Senators win and the Washington Capitals  lose in Tampa tonight, then the Senators can clinch a playoff spot.

Coach Bryan Murray isn't expected to make any changes to his lineup tonight... meaning we'll see the same line combinations and defence pairings as we did on Tuesday.

They looked like this...  15-19-11,  20-12-61, 10-37-28... 5-27-25. On D...4-55, 14-44...2-24.

Martin Gerber gets the call in goal... his 13th consecutive start. He made 29 saves for his 29th win of the year in Buffalo and also his 99th career victory.

The Sabres will start Ryan Miller tonight... and this will be his 72nd appearance and 30th consecutive start. Miller is a real student of the game and hinted this morning that he'll be part of the NHL's  competition committee in the off=season.

And finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't offer a thought on the play of Brian Lee. His debut in Buffalo was  outstanding. Poised is the word most often used in describing his performance... a solid 18 minutes, where we saw  him stand tall on the blue line...  had good containment in his own zone and wasn't afraid to join the rush when given the chance. Oh, and he also made a great right skate save early in the second period when the puck got in behind Gerber and was headed to the open goal.

Tonight's game is on A-Channel, with yours truly and Dean Brown. Dave Schreiber and Shaun Van Allen have the call on the Team 1200 radio network.

enjoy the game.

cheers,  gord

Posted by Gord Wilson on March 25, 2008 in Game Day

Greetings, everyone, from Buffalo, site of the Senators' game tonight against the Sabres. Fourth game in the last six days for Ottawa, as the busy push for a playoff spot continues for both clubs. Senators, of course, coming off a very disappointing 7-5 loss to the Canadiens last night, a game that left a lot of people scratching their heads about what's happening to this hockey team. Don't let the score fool you, the Senators weren't much into this one, at least through the first two periods. Scoring four in the third was easy for Ottawa, not so much because of the way the Senators played, but because of how Montreal eased up. That being said, you could see some looks of concern on the Montreal bench about midway through the third, when the Senators went on a 5-on-3 and down by 3.

Same old story for the Senators last night... major defensive miscues that led to goals, early and often. And while this team has became far too difficult to predict, I guarantee there will be changes to the lineup tonight. After watching  Wade Redden hobble to the plane last night, my guess is he won't be playing tonight. Rookie Brian Lee has been called up from Binghamton and will play. After speaking with Dean McAmmond yesterday in Montreal, I'll  guess he'll be back in the lineup tonight as well. And I'll bet  the changes won't stop there. Both Cody Bass and Brian McGrattan are at the ready, and either one, or both, could see some playing time.

Martin Gerber gets the call in goal. It'll be his 12th straight start. Ryan Miller starts for the Sabres... his  29th consecutive.

This is game seven of the eight-game season long series between Ottawa and Buffalo. Senators lead the series 4-2, and the final game is set for Thursday back in Ottawa.

Tonight, we should get treated to some good ol' fashioned desperate hockey. Two teams fighting for a playoff spot. That's right, two teams. With only six games left in the regular season, nothing is for certain yet for this Senators team. I think they need to win three of their final six to make the post-season. And that will be just barely making it.

And who would have predicted that a few months ago?

7 o'clock start tonight on Rogers Sportsnet, with Dean and Garry, and of course, you can catch all the action on the Team 1200 radio network with yours truly and Dave Schreiber.

enjoy the game everyone,

cheers, gord

Posted by Gord Wilson on March 24, 2008 in Game Day

Greetings, everyone, from Montreal and Happy Easter to you. Senators here for the first of a two-game road trip. First  game is against the Canadiens and then  off to Buffalo to face the Sabres tomorrow night.

After the 5-4 loss to the Leafs on Saturday, veteran winger Cory Stillman told me on our Senators All Access feature that tonight would be a must-win situation. With all due respect to the Leafs, the Senators did a lot to beat themselves on Saturday. In fact, that's been the story of this team over the  last few weeks. When they play their game and that game is consistent, the Senators are a tough team to beat.  When they're off... and they  turn the puck over like  they did against the  Leafs... the puck  usually ends up in the net and eventually costs the team. In  other words, this  team  must  stop  shooting itself in the foot... or feet.

So Ottawa will be out to play as error-free as possible tonight, but they also need production from their  big guns. Alfredsson, Heatley and Spezza must be better.  And Mike Fisher needs to produce. He clearly needs to loosen up a bit and stop trying to put the puck through the end boards. All that being said,  what a physical game he played Saturday night. He should benefit from having Chris Neil on his right  side on a more consistent basis.

This is Game 7 of the eight-game season-long series between the Senators and Canadiens. Senators lead the series 5-1, including a very convincing 3-0 win the last time they were here March 24.

Both teams will be missing some key  players from their lineups tonight. Habs without defenceman Mike Komisarek, who'll miss the rest of the regular season with a lower body injury. And Ottawa will be without forward Chris Kelly, who suffered a slight bonefracture in his left leg after blocking a shot in the  first period of Saturday's game.Randy Robitaille will draw back into the lineup for Kelly.

And I can tell you that Dean McAmmond won't play tonight either. He suffered a right thigh contusion during the Leaf game. His spot on the roster will be filled by Brian McGratton.

Martin Gerber gets the call in goal again tonight... a career-high 11th straight start. Carey Price expected to get the call for the Canadiens. Line combinations for the Senators tonight look like this... 15-19-11,,,61-12-25,,,27-20-28,,,5-10-16.

Tonight's game is a 7:30 start and can be seen on A-Channel with yours truly and Dean Brown and, of course, Dave Schreiber and Shaun Van Allen have the call on the Team 1200 Radio Network.

enjoy the game everyone,

cheers, gord