Jared Crozier: Senators Dig Out of Hole In Third Period, Fall In Shootout To Pens

Good for them, now we go on our annual late season run

Way to battle back

Keep up the good work!

A really entertaining game. Thought Hoffman goal was a real goal scorers goal. But they lost a point to the Leafs.

Someone want to tell me how many players in the top 30-40 scorers were top picks (let's say 1-6)

Team --- Points --- Games Remaining ------ ROW
1. BUF --- 35 ------------ 27 --------------------10
2. EDM --- 41 ------------28 -------------------- 12
3. CAR ---- 45 ----------- 29 --------------------- 15
4. ARI ----- 47 ----------- 27 --------------------- 16
5. CBJ ----- 49 ---------- 30 --------------------- 19
6. TOR ---- 50 ----------- 26 --------------------- 20
7. NJ ------ 51 ----------- 28 --------------------- 18
8. OTT --- 52 --------- 29 ----------------- 18
9. COL ---- 55 ------------ 28 -------------------- 15
10. PHI --- 55 ----------- 28 --------------------- 21

Someone want to tell me how many players in the top 30-40 scorers were top picks (let's say 1-6)
- AlfieisKing

1 to 6, eh?... As opposed to, I don't know, 1 to 8? Looking for some data to cherry-pick an argument with?

Someone want to tell me how many players in the top 30-40 scorers were top picks (let's say 1-6)
- AlfieisKing

Just to see where you are going with this... by a quick count 15 of top 30 scorers were top 5 picks

Another meaningless point and a drop of another spot in the draft standings. Now picking 8th instead of 5th - where they were at the start of this week.

Oh well, who wanted Dylan Strome anyway. Big first line centres are easy to find.

Someone want to tell me how many players in the top 30-40 scorers were top picks (let's say 1-6)
- AlfieisKing

Saw a table yesterday. If you look at the top 18 NHL scorers today (points) 17 are first round picks (only Johnston of Tampa Bay is not). And, the majority are previous top 10 picks.

First everybody was sore that they were losing, and it was a nonstop gripefest in here.

Now they show resiliency, battling back against a top team with some nice goals despite bad goaltending, all of our future core pieces factoring into those goals, and now all anyone can do is be super salty that we're one point farther away from the top 5 pick.

Honestly, I'm a lot happier watching guys like Stone, Zibby, Hoffman, Lazar, and Karlsson have fantastic games against a powerhouse team and lose in OT than I would be to see a) a win against a bad team, or b) a beating where they look like they're giving up.

Seriously, nobody would have blamed these young guys for mailing it in on several occasions - Lehner let in a brutal goal 1 minute in, they were down 3-0 by the start of the third, and then Lehner let in another brutal goal late to restore the two goal lead and take the wind out of our sails - and still, these guys battled back to get a point, and took it all the way to the shootout, which is a coin toss.

If you think losing against lowly buffalo and then getting pounded by pittsburgh is what's best for the franchise, you're wrong. games like that give young kids confidence and build the psyche of the team for the future.

There's still a lot of losing to come this season, don't you worry. NJ and Columbus will be passing us in the standings. In fact, any one of those teams outside of Buffalo could make a push up the standings. I'm more worried about development of the guys we DO have, and the guys we DO have are all better for what happened last night.

First everybody was sore that they were losing, and it was a nonstop gripefest in here.

Now they show resiliency, battling back against a top team with some nice goals despite bad goaltending, all of our future core pieces factoring into those goals, and now all anyone can do is be super salty that we're one point farther away from the top 5 pick.

Honestly, I'm a lot happier watching guys like Stone, Zibby, Hoffman, Lazar, and Karlsson have fantastic games against a powerhouse team and lose in OT than I would be to see a) a win against a bad team, or b) a beating where they look like they're giving up.

Seriously, nobody would have blamed these young guys for mailing it in on several occasions - Lehner let in a brutal goal 1 minute in, they were down 3-0 by the start of the third, and then Lehner let in another brutal goal late to restore the two goal lead and take the wind out of our sails - and still, these guys battled back to get a point, and took it all the way to the shootout, which is a coin toss.

If you think losing against lowly buffalo and then getting pounded by pittsburgh is what's best for the franchise, you're wrong. games like that give young kids confidence and build the psyche of the team for the future.

There's still a lot of losing to come this season, don't you worry. NJ and Columbus will be passing us in the standings. In fact, any one of those teams outside of Buffalo could make a push up the standings. I'm more worried about development of the guys we DO have, and the guys we DO have are all better for what happened last night.
- TommyDeVito

Everyone knows you are right. And, it is good for you to remind us that the kids need to learn how to win. But, it is the nature of fans to want both sides of the coin toss.

I was glad to see them come back last night. But, I see a top 5 pick starting to slip away.

Lehner keeps letting in bad goals it seems. And I wish I could say it was just this session but it isn't. He seriously needs to work on his positioning and concentration as at the moment I can't see him being a number one.

First everybody was sore that they were losing, and it was a nonstop gripefest in here.

Now they show resiliency, battling back against a top team with some nice goals despite bad goaltending, all of our future core pieces factoring into those goals, and now all anyone can do is be super salty that we're one point farther away from the top 5 pick.

Honestly, I'm a lot happier watching guys like Stone, Zibby, Hoffman, Lazar, and Karlsson have fantastic games against a powerhouse team and lose in OT than I would be to see a) a win against a bad team, or b) a beating where they look like they're giving up.

Seriously, nobody would have blamed these young guys for mailing it in on several occasions - Lehner let in a brutal goal 1 minute in, they were down 3-0 by the start of the third, and then Lehner let in another brutal goal late to restore the two goal lead and take the wind out of our sails - and still, these guys battled back to get a point, and took it all the way to the shootout, which is a coin toss.

If you think losing against lowly buffalo and then getting pounded by pittsburgh is what's best for the franchise, you're wrong. games like that give young kids confidence and build the psyche of the team for the future.

There's still a lot of losing to come this season, don't you worry. NJ and Columbus will be passing us in the standings. In fact, any one of those teams outside of Buffalo could make a push up the standings. I'm more worried about development of the guys we DO have, and the guys we DO have are all better for what happened last night.
- TommyDeVito

Some people see nothing but rainbows and gumdrops if we end up bottoming out. We get a pick of kids scouts have been ranting and raving about. Wippdeedoo. They fail to see that if we do bottom out completely that there would be something larger wrong with this team then just a top scorer or another d-man. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

We will be likely picking top 10. There is nothing wrong with that. Great players are not alway taken with the first 5 picks, although odds are greater. The scouting staff will have to do their due diligence to pick out the diamond in the rough. There's a possibility of moving up in the draft as well. Murray loves doing that (if he's in charge at that point), but often harder with early picks.

The Sens 3rd period was very good. Finally forced some offence and astonishingly the chances went in. Granted it was a back up goaltender. Having consistent offence will go a long way to improve this team.

I wasn't overly impressed with Lehner, yet again. Some poor reads on most of the goals. The Boro/Gryba nonsense needs to stop. It's really too bad we are stuck with Phillips, Boro, Gryba, and Wiercioch all on one way deals. Money issues and the fact no other team is likely to want them is the only reason we can't address the 5/6 spot right now.

Lehner keeps letting in bad goals it seems. And I wish I could say it was just this session but it isn't. He seriously needs to work on his positioning and concentration as at the moment I can't see him being a number one.
- kratosmr

i think lehner's game looks almost exactly the same as Rask's and Price's did at the same age. flashes of brilliance, with signs of inexperience and inconsistency.

lehner is 23....save for maybe an incredibly small number of goalies in NHL history, there have been no good #1 goalies that age...........they're all either backups waiting for their turn, or inconsistent starters.

lehner will be fine

edit: no doubt he let in a couple of softies.....but he sees the same PATHETIC defense in front of him that we see on tv. except for karlsson and methot, that ENTIRE defense is a giant (frank)ing tire fire. players need to have confidence that their goalies can make saves, but goalies need to have the same confidence in the players in front of them. if i'm a goalie, playing behind THAT defense, you bet your ass i'm probably overplaying a few pucks, maybe trying to do a little too much in goal.....cuz i'm fairly certain that my D aren't going to clear the rebound, aren't going to pick up the man in front, and aren't going to play any form of competent D.

our goaltending is fine.....our forwards, a little inconsistency aside, are fine.....our D is a (frank)ing trainwreck.

Lehner keeps letting in bad goals it seems. And I wish I could say it was just this session but it isn't. He seriously needs to work on his positioning and concentration as at the moment I can't see him being a number one.
- kratosmr

I have never been confident that Lehner was the long term answer. I think the problem is more than positioning. He has periods of great intensity. And, then he appears to lose concentration.

For the feint of heart who want to second guess the past it appears that Bishop is not able to duplicate his regular season effort of last year. Tampa is a great young team. But they have a goaltending problem. Bishop continues to struggle. He is at risk of losing his starting job to a young Russian kid (multiple v's, y's and s's in the spelling of his name).

Anderson is a very good goalie.

i think lehner's game looks almost exactly the same as Rask's and Price's did at the same age. flashes of brilliance, with signs of inexperience and inconsistency.

lehner is 23....save for maybe an incredibly small number of goalies in NHL history, there have been no good #1 goalies that age...........they're all either backups waiting for their turn, or inconsistent starters.

lehner will be fine

edit: no doubt he let in a couple of softies.....but he sees the same PATHETIC defense in front of him that we see on tv. except for karlsson and methot, that ENTIRE defense is a giant (frank)ing tire fire. players need to have confidence that their goalies can make saves, but goalies need to have the same confidence in the players in front of them. if i'm a goalie, playing behind THAT defense, you bet your ass i'm probably overplaying a few pucks, maybe trying to do a little too much in goal.....cuz i'm fairly certain that my D aren't going to clear the rebound, aren't going to pick up the man in front, and aren't going to play any form of competent D.

our goaltending is fine.....our forwards, a little inconsistency aside, are fine.....our D is a (frank)ing trainwreck.
- sensarmy_11

Sometimes we see what we want to see. Sens have done a great job in reducing goals against. This is a very good corps of very young D men. Cowen has improved tremendously over last year. Ceci continues to learn his craft. Gryba is a really good 3rd pair Dman. Borowiecki and Wiercioche are good enough.

If you take age (experience) into account this D is fine.

Sometimes we see what we want to see. Sens have done a great job in reducing goals against. This is a very good corps of very young D men. Cowen has improved tremendously over last year. Ceci continues to learn his craft. Gryba is a really good 3rd pair Dman. Borowiecki and Wiercioche are good enough.

If you take age (experience) into account this D is fine.
- spatso

I agree with half of this. I think the overall team defence has improved. It's not a state of the art system, but it's improved. I'm fine with Karlsson, Methot, Ceci, and Cowen as a top 4. Ceci is going to be a stud (his progression is very similar to Karlsson, but he just won't ever be as good as a Karlsson) and Cowen has improved, but still has his bad moments. I think we need to address our 5/6 slots. They are a mess. We don't need to draft a Weber or trade for a Ekman-Larson to address those though. If we do, that's fine, but we really only need a little tweaking.

Las night we saw examples of why good offence is important. The 1st two periods was not impressive offensive wise. No opportunities were being generated, and the ones that were did not go in, and that pressure was unsustained. The 3rd, they forwards pressed more, sustained pressure, forced penalties, and we capitalized on some key opportunities. The Pens took they foot off the gas a bit and playing a back up helps, but the evidence was there. Defence is important and we still have improvement in that area, but to me, offence is more concerning going forward.

How long before Sh1tso brings up trading Ryan?

Thinking Methot is a goner.That previous injury probably has ottawa too spooked ,to offer up the term he wants

I agree with half of this. I think the overall team defence has improved. It's not a state of the art system, but it's improved. I'm fine with Karlsson, Methot, Ceci, and Cowen as a top 4. Ceci is going to be a stud (his progression is very similar to Karlsson, but he just won't ever be as good as a Karlsson) and Cowen has improved, but still has his bad moments. I think we need to address our 5/6 slots. They are a mess. We don't need to draft a Weber or trade for a Ekman-Larson to address those though. If we do, that's fine, but we really only need a little tweaking.

Las night we saw examples of why good offence is important. The 1st two periods was not impressive offensive wise. No opportunities were being generated, and the ones that were did not go in, and that pressure was unsustained. The 3rd, they forwards pressed more, sustained pressure, forced penalties, and we capitalized on some key opportunities. The Pens took they foot off the gas a bit and playing a back up helps, but the evidence was there. Defence is important and we still have improvement in that area, but to me, offence is more concerning going forward.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I would like to disagree but really can't.

I had to watch last night's game on the Pens broadcast. Bob Errey has to be the dumbest broadcaster in hockey. Anyway he starts off by saying Bobby Orr said that Eric Karlsson is the best skater of any player in the NHL. He then goes on to say that he thinks Letang is a better (faster) skater. By the end of the game the Pittsburgh broadcast was focussed almost entirely on Karlsson whenever he was on the ice (focussed in the sense that you have to stop him).

The more Ottawa builds the team around Karlsson the more they are likely to succeed. And, Karlsson is at his best when he is attacking. Last night in the third period the Pittsburgh were not talking about Karlsson's D, it was more like here he comes again.

Hey guys, anyone know if there are cheaper tickets available for the games than what is posted on the Sens website?

Hey guys, anyone know if there are cheaper tickets available for the games than what is posted on the Sens website?
- ChetManly

Go to stubhub.com

I would like to disagree but really can't.

I had to watch last night's game on the Pens broadcast. Bob Errey has to be the dumbest broadcaster in hockey. Anyway he starts off by saying Bobby Orr said that Eric Karlsson is the best skater of any player in the NHL. He then goes on to say that he thinks Letang is a better (faster) skater. By the end of the game the Pittsburgh broadcast was focussed almost entirely on Karlsson whenever he was on the ice (focussed in the sense that you have to stop him).

The more Ottawa builds the team around Karlsson the more they are likely to succeed. And, Karlsson is at his best when he is attacking. Last night in the third period the Pittsburgh were not talking about Karlsson's D, it was more like here he comes again.
- spatso

They need to support him better. Right now it's easy to shut down our 2 big guns in Karlsson and Ryan. However, if you get other players going, you will see results. Once Zibby and Turris started to play better, you saw more space available for Karlsson and Ryan to do their thing and in the end they generated points. That needs to happen consistently going forward.