While many Sens fans were more concerned about their beloved Ottawa Senators losing for the second consecutive time and by the same score to the Boston Bruins, 4-0 on Saturday afternoon, a group of Sens players were more concerned about partying than picking up the pieces from a miserable game.
In what has become all too familiar to various people in this city, I personally thought for once that maybe.....just maybe.....nobody on this Sens roster would be seen out for a late night on the town after a horrible game in Boston at such a critical point in the season when every team is fighting to either make the playoffs or playoff positioning. But once again this past Saturday night a group of Sens players felt the need to hit a nightclub in downtown Ottawa. Nothing like going out for a nice dinner and a glass of wine to unwind before their day off on Sunday. You see, that would be acceptable to anyone. Nobody would have a problem with that. But no, instead, a group of players felt the need to party it up at Foundation, a very popular nightclub that is frequented by many of the players. I guess you could say some of the regular weekend party goers on this team, if Ottawa is in town, thought it wasn't bad enough that their team flat out blew it in Boston and had lost 4 of their last 5 games, but that it was their right to dance up the night. Sure, what young professional athlete doesn't live up life to the fullest and you can't blame them with the money and fame they have achieved. But there is also a time and a place to party and this past Saturday night was SO WRONG on so many levels that this group of Sens players were extremely irresponsible in doing so and quite frankly should be ashamed of themselves.
I am not going to name any names here because many observers who are aware of some of these players habits will be able to draw their own conclusions. The reason I am writing this blog is that I hope their is some accountability on this team. Whether it's from management or the coaching staff, I want accountability as well as many fans will want the same thing. I want the leaders on this team to step up and let it be known that you can party as much as you want when the playoffs are over but that now is not the right time. Right now, the focus should be winning and making the playoffs while improving their team commitment. This team needs their players rested on their off days, not recovering from a crazy night of partying. What kind of message are some of these players sending to the young fans that see them out on these type of nights? Are they telling us that it's okay to lay an egg of a game and too further run their body into the ground by partying, rather than getting the proper rest for practice and their next crucial game at home to Montreal? All these questions but no real answers.
So why should people in this city continue to put down their hard earned money to see a great effort by the home team, when they might be sold short because there are some selfish players on this team that don't have the best interests of the team and fans who pay their salaries at stake?
With less than a week to go in the season, this part of the schedule is viewed as getting into playoff mode. In the playoffs, players finish their game and get home to prepare for practice or a game the next day. They are not thinking about partying it up. So why with less than a week to go in the season is this kind of stuff going on? I would hope guys like Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Phillips, Mike Fisher and Chris Neil, the leaders on this team will do something about this situation when they find out about it, if they already haven't been notified of some of their teammates ridiculous antics. It's time to throw the friendships aside and get in the faces of certain players NOW!! The window of opportunity for winning the Stanley Cup is closing!!
I can tell you this, that in alot of other cities this probably woudn't have occurred. All you have to do is go back to the Edmonton Oilers and their improbable playoff run in 2006. As they were pushing for the playoffs down the stretch, word got out that a few players were going out after games and living it up pretty good. Ryan Smyth, Jason Smith and few others got in their teammates faces and told them that they never wanted to hear about a selfish person on the team going out until the season was over. They told them that after every game, home or away that they HAD to go directly home, no ifs or buts!! Well the Oilers only came within one game of capturing the Stanley Cup in 2006. Something I am sure many fans in this town would give anything to see happen. But again that is the problem, the fans in this city care about their team more than some of the players care about their own team. Sad but true!!
I guess some of the players missed the part of the 15 minute team meeting after the loss to Boston that talked about putting the team first and not yourselves. All we keep hearing from different players in their interviews about the losing is that, "it consumes your energy all through the day. I think guys are going home and it's all you think about. This is what we do for a living. This is what we're passionate about."
Can anyone say, curfew? Bryan Murray needs to address this situation before President Roy Mlakar has to start issuing refunds to everyone who bought playoff tickets this past Saturday morning when tickets for the first round went on sale.
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Kevin
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