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I'm not one to have a short post-game blog without talking about the different Sens players, but tonight, this blog focuses on one person! Agree or disagree with me, this is how I feel after a loss that could've been prevented!

In my eyes, the Ottawa Senators' loss tonight to the Chicago Blackhawks is all on head coach DJ Smith! In fact, the moment I heard that he was starting Matt Murray in goal over Filip Gustavsson, I truly thought how on earth does this coach not have a read on his team? The coach's job is to gauge and get a feeling of how is team is playing/responding in different situations. The mantra of this coach is that you earn your ice time and that you focus on how to win the next game, not look further ahead. Well, he didn't bother to listen to what he preaches! Why on earth you would mess with a winning line-up after the game in Dallas is beyond me?

The Hawks were ripe for the picking, winless in 9 games, while Ottawa could even their record at 4-4 with a win over a struggling team. Instead, this team is 3-5 and quite frankly, starring at 3-6 as they go into Minnesota to play a rested Wild team that is off to a nice start to the season. When you watch this Sens team, they play with a different confidence and swagger in front of Gustavsson. It showed this past Friday night in Dallas, they played hard for Gus, sacrificing the body, blocking shots like a playoff game.

Many fans will say that it's the players who decide the game, but for one night I got the feeling that this Sens team wondered why Gus wasn't starting in goal after he earned it Friday night. DJ Smith let his team down in a big way tonight and I hope he remembers that you play with the line-up that got you the last win, especially when it was the goaltender that let lead your team to a win.

Why not ride the hot hand in Gus? He has won both games he started this year and in the game in which he came in to replace Forsberg against the Caps, down 4-1, he gave his team a huge spark as they went on to tie the game before falling to the Caps. The coach can't say Gus was tired, he has played one game in the AHL this year, on Fri. Oct. 22nd. Prior to that, his last action was in the pre-season on Oct. 2nd. So he has started 4 games in the month of October when you couple that with his two starts against Dallas on Oct. 17th and 29th, while seeing relief action against Washington.

Although the Sens had a strong start to the game, dominating the first half of the first period with their transition game while outskating Chicago it was the Sens who failed to convert on their chances, they had 3 odd-man rushes of 4 on 2 but came away empty-handed. Then Chicago found their legs and they capitalized on their best shift of the period, pinning Ottawa in their own end on the forecheck, scoring late in the period to take a 1-0 lead.

The second period was no better as Ottawa had one shot in the first 13 minutes of the period. Yet again, a coaching trademark of this team in which they inexplicably struggle in most second periods. Chicago yet again scored on their best chance of the period to make 2-0 after the period ended.

Ottawa's third period showed they weren't ready and half asleep, with Chicago scoring twice in the opening two minutes to blow the game open with a four-goal lead. Game, set, and match as they say! I wondered out loud how they started the third period, were the players sending a message to their coach? Any fan watching had to have this thought go through their mind. I know many fans are going to be all over Matt Murray for the loss as he was caught deep in his goal on a few Hawks goals, plus his glove hand still looks weak but this one isn't on Murray! DJ Smith needs to put his team in the best possible position to win a game, he failed Murray by putting him in a tough position tonight but he also failed this entire team by not having Filip Gustavsson start in goal tonight.

Having Gus start tomorrow night in Minnesota is 24 hours too late to make up for his mistake!
To hear DJ Smith say after the game tonight that there were too many passengers, that tells me more than ever, that his team tuned him out!!!

Thanks for reading.
Kevin

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