Gotta say think Kelly read your post about having no hockey IQ lol
He’s been really good out there throwing his body and agitating players along with scoring some good goals
Stutzle was horrible this game that whole line was brutal to watch DJ needs to get Gaudette off that line just not clicking with them
Norris is a pure sniper he’s definitely gonna make some 💰 on next contract
Tkachuk keeps leading the team what an absolute beauty he is
With the way Murray is made of glass I think they should keep Forsberg and do something with Murray maybe try a Forsberg/Gus combo next year
- sens4life1971

How on earth Gambrell is in the lineup over Ennis too, is mind boggling! He was a -2 and nowhere to be found. Sanford gets almost 18 min TOI, again, invisible! Man, can you imagine if Tierney wants hurt, we would still see DJ dress him too. OMG!
How does Gaudette more TOI than Colin White?! It's just wild what goes on with DJ!

How on earth Gambrell is in the lineup over Ennis too, is mind boggling! He was a -2 and nowhere to be found. Sanford gets almost 18 min TOI, again, invisible! Man, can you imagine if Tierney wants hurt, we would still see DJ dress him too. OMG!
How does Gaudette more TOI than Colin White?! It's just wild what goes on with DJ!
- Kevin Francis

All about selling them that’s it like I said I’ll complain if this continues after trade deadline 🤷‍♂️
It’s not like they’re going anywhere so may as well try and sell them .. I get what you’re saying but ya gotta see that is the only reason I can think of 🤷‍♂️

All about selling them that’s it like I said I’ll complain if this continues after trade deadline 🤷‍♂️
It’s not like they’re going anywhere so may as well try and sell them .. I get what you’re saying but ya gotta see that is the only reason I can think of 🤷‍♂️
- sens4life1971

I'm with ya, it's just so frustrating to watch these invisible forwards! But like you said, if Gaudette, Sanford, JBrown, Tierney are here after the deadline getting minutes over the youth, I certainly hope the media in this town calls out management on it!

I caught a bit of the Sens game, I thought Forsberg looked very weak on 2 of the 3 goals. Could he be tiring due to not normally having this workload? Will he start Saturday against Chicoago? Is this coach going to ride him too long and tire the hell out of him?! Sorry, betting perspective here, curious.

Ok Ottawa fans, I'm looking ahead to Saturday night. CHI at OTT. Sens -118 as the slight fav. I have this feeling that the Sens get up for this game at home against a very inconsistent CHI team. Thoughts Sens fans?!

I can see DJ starting Forsberg on Saturday against Chicago, but they need to get Gustavsson games too, he cant sit and not play. Start him Monday night against the Yotes!
- Kevin Francis

Ok interesting, I had a feeling this might the goalie rotation for the next 2 games. Thanks man.

Sens win. But, most fans on this thread want to talk about the negative. I realize some of you still miss Ceci.

This is a raw team. They are going to be a very good, soon enough.

Folks give yourself a break and look for something to feel good about. Maybe it is not hockey.

Norris had a superb game. Brady played like you want your captain to play. As more guys return from injury.... Oh well, how can you feel good about this team when your 6th Dman is not nearly as good as Thomas Chabot?

Sens win. But, most fans on this thread want to talk about the negative. I realize some of you still miss Ceci.

This is a raw team. They are going to be a very good, soon enough.

Folks give yourself a break and look for something to feel good about. Maybe it is not hockey.

Norris had a superb game. Brady played like you want your captain to play. As more guys return from injury.... Oh well, how can you feel good about this team when your 6th Dman is not nearly as good as Thomas Chabot?
- spatso

The only piece that needs to return from injury is Batherson when it comes to Ottawa. So what are you getting at? your post makes no sense when it comes to injury status. Your quote that they are going to be good soon enough, when is that? Next season? They play a bunch of non-playoff teams over the next 8 games as TSN showed everyone on the broadcast. What do you mean that Josh Brown is as good at Thomas Chabot, when you state that the 6th pathetic Dman is even near the level or as good as Chabot? Seriously Do you watch hockey at all? You showed any hockey fan on this thread that your knowledge is that of a 10 year old. Good job old man in in the valley.

The only piece that needs to return from injury is Batherson when it comes to Ottawa. So what are you getting at? your post makes no sense when it comes to injury status. Your quote that they are going to be good soon enough, when is that? Next season? They play a bunch of non-playoff teams over the next 8 games as TSN showed everyone on the broadcast. What do you mean that Josh Brown is as good at Thomas Chabot, when you state that the 6th pathetic Dman is even near the level or as good as Chabot? Seriously Do you watch hockey at all? You showed any hockey fan on this thread that your knowledge is that of a 10 year old. Good job old man in in the valley.
- PuckPix

Duh.

Sens are coming off a very long stretch having played multiple games without Norris, Batherson, Connor Brown, Colin White and Shane Pinto. This is a very young team and as it is with most young teams depth is very thin.

I think you need to go back and reread my comment. It was not about the play of Brown, Chabot or Ceci for that matter. It was about the fans that use the same eye to gauge the play of very different talents.

The notion of a scapegoat is a well known spiritual concept closely aligned with how desert people (Israelites) dealt with community shame and guilt. Failure is mitigated by laying hands on a sacrifice (a goat). The laying of hands enables the transfer of sins and failings unto the goat and the goat is then sent out into the wilderness to be devoured by the wolves. When folks savage Brown and place all the team failings on him they can avoid having to see fault in anyone else.

Duh.

Sens are coming off a very long stretch having played multiple games without Norris, Batherson, Connor Brown, Colin White and Shane Pinto. This is a very young team and as it is with most young teams depth is very thin.

I think you need to go back and reread my comment. It was not about the play of Brown, Chabot or Ceci for that matter. It was about the fans that use the same eye to gauge the play of very different talents.

The notion of a scapegoat is a well known spiritual concept closely aligned with how desert people (Israelites) dealt with community shame and guilt. Failure is mitigated by laying hands on a sacrifice (a goat). The laying of hands enables the transfer of sins and failings unto the goat and the goat is then sent out into the wilderness to be devoured by the wolves. When folks savage Brown and place all the team failings on him they can avoid having to see fault in anyone else.
- spatso

You have problems!

You have problems!
- PuckPix

Yes, of course, we all have problems.

But, not all of us want to blame the 6th defensman on a non contending team as the cause of all our problems.

I am just tired of the whiners and blamers who specialize in quick reflex responses that are for the most part just plain silly.

I like this team a lot. Most of the folks that I talk with have a great deal of hope that this team is on the pathway to becoming a contender. I have little patience for the marginal observers who twist their panties into knots over the play of a 6th Dman

The 6th Dman on the Ottawa Senators roster is not very good. Deal with it. But the 6th Dman on most teams is usually cut from a poorer quality cloth than the top guys. Why does so much ink get spilled over players that are not part of the nucleus of the very near future?

I was there.

Kevin's comments are on point.

Why isn't Ennis in the line up.
Why is Josh Brown even IN the line up. Brannstrom finally showing the signs of turning into something worth Mark Stone....some of his rushes up the ice, his first passes. He's finally getting it. OH wait. Coach hates him. Lets tie an anchor around his neck and throw him over board. Additionally. WHY WHY WHY was the coach throwing his fourth line out WITH that josh brown pair? Is it----"lets just see what the worst can do against the worst team in the league?" Why play a game of Seattle Roulette like that?

Seattle is a bad bad hockey team. But their coach is no idiot. As soon as he'd see Watson and Kelly hop over, out comes Eberle.

I don't know what announced attendance was. But it wasn't great. Maybe 11K? the 2nd level was the most populated. I missed all three anthems. I live in Kanata and was strangely stuck in traffic getting into the building. Left my house at 6:20. Five minute drive. 3-3 tie and my kid and I left with 5 minutes to go. "only in Ottawa". It wasn't so much the traffic as the "this is a terrible hockey game and I don't really care who wins" factor.

But that 1st round pick is going to be in the bottom 5 of the 1st round! But I do agree, a team desperate enough to overpay. I say the Caps and Vegas are in that category, Oilers too!
- Kevin Francis

I doubt u get a 1st unless someone else is on the deal or Ott takes a bad contract back for rest if season but I think Forsberg could easily get a 2nd. His contract alone gets him that value, especially if the Sens take a goalie back. There will be no cap gymnastics to fit Forsberg onto a roster, unlike MAF.

Some of the critical comments about lineup choices are spot on. Felt Forsberg was fighting the whole period. It will be very interesting to see if he can bounce back with a strong game. Would prove he’s made some strides to being a legitimate netminder as opposed to having a hot streak.

In regards to Brown and scapegoating, if Brown is the scapegoat, the organization must be in better shape than we think. I remember the days that an elite talent in Jason Spezza was a scapegoat for some reason. Brown is actually bad, and people share that he is bad. It’s more than just scapegoating. Brown is probably the best example of DJ Smith not using accountability evenly across the roster. Brown continues to make errors every game, but his deployment never changes. Some other players on this team have made less obvious errors and have been stapled to the bench or press box. While it may seem that people are piling on Brown it’s more a reflection of DJ Smith’s poor player deployment.

It's easy to get caught up in the negative when you are at the bottom of the standings. Comes with the territory. There’s a lot to be excited about. Those posts are encouraged. Seen several posts about Norris and his ability to score. He’s taken a step this year and has become a legitimate weapon. How Seattle left him open in OT for so long, I won’t know. However, guys with that sniping ability just seem to take advantage of those few seconds. We saw it with Heatley back in the day. Ovi has done it for years. Perhaps Norris can be a perennial 40 goal man with that one-timer ability.

I honestly am more interested in conjuring trades or postulating moves that can make this team get where it needs to be than I am about the excoriating the on ice play, but there is space in this blog to accommodate both. I don't think anybody here doubts the potential that exists within this team, but I do think it is legitimate to criticize how this rebuild is being managed. I also like to conjecture rosier days ahead, but I think it's totally fair to try and unpack why things are falling off rail in the now. Personally, at this stage I want this team to tank and get the best draft pick they can. Keeping J. Brown in the lineup helps reach that goal. Another top 5 pick could make a huge difference in 2 years when I envision this team being a real contender. But as long as we dredge the basement of the league, critical feedback is to be expected. Assume you trade away everyone with any value on expiring deals for futures, grab a top 6 RW, top 4 RD, and 1AB G in FA in the offseason, and the Sens could look like this:

Brady-Norris-Bath
Formenton-Stutzle-(somebody like Giroux)
Brown-Pinto-White
Kelly-Kastelic-Sokolov
(Top 5 pick in the wings, Lodin, Greig, Jarventie)

Chabot-(somebody like Manson, or a Demelo style player)
Sanderson-Zub
Holden-Thomson
Zaitsev
(Kleven, JBD... And if you believe in Thomson enough, maybe you don't need that FA RD)

(Somebody like Varlamov or Holtby)
Gustavsson/Murray

Eminently doable with our cap, with only the Zaitsev, Murray, and White contracts dragging. There is a ton of upside in there. I hope they try White in the top 6 RW position (currently C for 3rd line) and see if he clicks with Stu and Form. If he does legit gel there, maybe we don't need to focus so hard on that top 6 RW anymore. Thing is, you won't know if you don't try it, and this coaching group is very reticent to put lines through the blender even though this season is lost. This is the time to experiment, IMO. I hope they do - because currently it's hard to trust that the entire secret to winning is within the organization.

I honestly am more interested in conjuring trades or postulating moves that can make this team get where it needs to be than I am about the excoriating the on ice play, but there is space in this blog to accommodate both. I don't think anybody here doubts the potential that exists within this team, but I do think it is legitimate to criticize how this rebuild is being managed. I also like to conjecture rosier days ahead, but I think it's totally fair to try and unpack why things are falling off rail in the now. Personally, at this stage I want this team to tank and get the best draft pick they can. Keeping J. Brown in the lineup helps reach that goal. Another top 5 pick could make a huge difference in 2 years when I envision this team being a real contender. But as long as we dredge the basement of the league, critical feedback is to be expected. Assume you trade away everyone with any value on expiring deals for futures, grab a top 6 RW, top 4 RD, and 1AB G in FA in the offseason, and the Sens could look like this:

Brady-Norris-Bath
Formenton-Stutzle-(somebody like Giroux)
Brown-Pinto-White
Kelly-Kastelic-Sokolov
(Top 5 pick in the wings, Lodin, Greig, Jarventie)

Chabot-(somebody like Manson, or a Demelo style player)
Sanderson-Zub
Holden-Thomson
Zaitsev
(Kleven, JBD... And if you believe in Thomson enough, maybe you don't need that FA RD)

(Somebody like Varlamov or Holtby)
Gustavsson/Murray

Eminently doable with our cap, with only the Zaitsev, Murray, and White contracts dragging. There is a ton of upside in there. I hope they try White in the top 6 RW position (currently C for 3rd line) and see if he clicks with Stu and Form. If he does legit gel there, maybe we don't need to focus so hard on that top 6 RW anymore. Thing is, you won't know if you don't try it, and this coaching group is very reticent to put lines through the blender even though this season is lost. This is the time to experiment, IMO. I hope they do - because currently it's hard to trust that the entire secret to winning is within the organization.
- Bartacus

Umm just so ya know Paul will be signed and Watson still has another year and no way they gonna play Thomson over Zeitsev 🤷‍♂️
So next year could look like this
Tkachuk Norris Batherson
Formenton Stutzle Brown
Paul Pinto White
Kelly Kastelic Watson
Chabot zub
Sanderson JBD/Thomson
Holden Zeitsev

OK. So I've been thinking about this three goalie issue in Ottawa and I have to say I don't see a problem. None of the three - Murray, Forsberg or Gus inspire enough confidence in me to say that they are a bona fide starter. Murray blows hot and cold and seems to be injury prone. Forsberg can play lights out sometimes but then lets in softies like that third goal against Seattle. Gus played great at the end of last season but not so much in games this year.

Why not have three goalies for now; but the issue next year will be having to waive one of them as I understand it. Why?

If Murray is playing great and is available then let Forsberg or Gus be the backup and let the third guy be a healthy scratch. If Forsberg is playing great then do the same thing with the other two. If you want to waive one for some reason then let it be Murray because nobody is going to take him.

Two years from now Murray's contract is gone and if you give Forsberg two years the same thing. Two years from now you should know what you have in Gus or Sogaard or whoever. You're not going to be a serious challenger for the Cup for at least two years and if it turns out you need to trade for a number one goalie so be it. Neither Murray or Forsberg are taking you to the Cup in my opinion but they can get you to the playoffs next year even without acquiring a top six RW or a top 4 RD.

You just can't depend on any of these guys for now and I would hate to have to spend assets on acquiring somebody like Forsberg next year because you gave him away and now you're left with a struggling or injured Murray and a disappointing Gus.

A lot depends on what Sanderson will bring to the table along with JBD or Thomson or maybe even Kleven. Or Grieg. Keep Paul and Brown and even Watson because at least he knows his role and plays it. Ennis is fine for now.

They need management capable of bringing in a couple of bottom six guys that are actually interested and capable playing. I'm not a fan of Kelly. You have to love his heart but he's just not good enough and these guys like Sanford and Gambtel and Gaudette don't do much for me. Maybe it's because they're being slotted too high in the lineup.

They're making the playoffs next year unless the hockey gods poop all over them again! I have no doubt of this except for friggin Smith and Pierre "Proudest Day of My Life" Dorion because they seem to be capable of screwing up things like nobody's business.

Even I could take these guys to the playoffs next year. Somebody give me a job!

Amendment: I'm not nearly smart enough to get any team to the playoffs let alone the Sens but a good coach and a good GM could.

I was there.

Kevin's comments are on point.

Why isn't Ennis in the line up.
Why is Josh Brown even IN the line up. Brannstrom finally showing the signs of turning into something worth Mark Stone....some of his rushes up the ice, his first passes. He's finally getting it. OH wait. Coach hates him. Lets tie an anchor around his neck and throw him over board. Additionally. WHY WHY WHY was the coach throwing his fourth line out WITH that josh brown pair? Is it----"lets just see what the worst can do against the worst team in the league?" Why play a game of Seattle Roulette like that?

Seattle is a bad bad hockey team. But their coach is no idiot. As soon as he'd see Watson and Kelly hop over, out comes Eberle.

I don't know what announced attendance was. But it wasn't great. Maybe 11K? the 2nd level was the most populated. I missed all three anthems. I live in Kanata and was strangely stuck in traffic getting into the building. Left my house at 6:20. Five minute drive. 3-3 tie and my kid and I left with 5 minutes to go. "only in Ottawa". It wasn't so much the traffic as the "this is a terrible hockey game and I don't really care who wins" factor.
- Octavarium

What a certain person on this site that posts, which I'm glad he does, but all he wants to do is focus on the positive(spatso is the user) when its horrible lineup decisions that is affecting the overall team result. It's affecting the development of some of the younger players due to who DJ plays them with! It's awful and I know the players arent fond of it.

Ennis should be in the lineup over Gaudette and Gambrell in a heartbeat! Heck, this whole notion of showcasing these guys to be traded is only lowering their value! Heatherington or Mete should be in the lineup over JBrown or Zaitsev for that matter. How many times do those 2 defenseman create chaos on the ice for their teammates?

Glad you brought up the coaching aspect. You see when I do it, I'm told that's all I focus on, but it's hard not too when DJ is constantly outcoached. Like you said, its insane to put your 3rd pairing on with your 4th line, then boom puck in the net, the opposing coach gets the match up he wants. Especially in the 2nd period on the long change for the defense!! Its mindblowing. But not one credentialled media folk as DJ these questions. They make it a lovefest in the postgame presser because they won. Its awful. These media folk make it look like they don't know the game by throwing softball questions at him instead of REAL HOCKEY QUESTIONS!

As for attendance, it was 11,622 but man it didn't look like that on TV! I hear ya on the traffic thing in Kanata, the city keeps growing out there but the infrastructure hasn't. It creates a lot of logjams around the arena.

Great post my friend!

Yes, of course, we all have problems.

But, not all of us want to blame the 6th defensman on a non contending team as the cause of all our problems.

I am just tired of the whiners and blamers who specialize in quick reflex responses that are for the most part just plain silly.

I like this team a lot. Most of the folks that I talk with have a great deal of hope that this team is on the pathway to becoming a contender. I have little patience for the marginal observers who twist their panties into knots over the play of a 6th Dman

The 6th Dman on the Ottawa Senators roster is not very good. Deal with it. But the 6th Dman on most teams is usually cut from a poorer quality cloth than the top guys. Why does so much ink get spilled over players that are not part of the nucleus of the very near future?
- spatso

Most folks you talk too?! Sorry your 2 neighbours don't qualify! I guess we are marginal observers lol and you know more than anyone. Come on man. Read my post just above this and why these anchors are really hurting the overall team result. Cant you see that?!

I honestly am more interested in conjuring trades or postulating moves that can make this team get where it needs to be than I am about the excoriating the on ice play, but there is space in this blog to accommodate both. I don't think anybody here doubts the potential that exists within this team, but I do think it is legitimate to criticize how this rebuild is being managed. I also like to conjecture rosier days ahead, but I think it's totally fair to try and unpack why things are falling off rail in the now. Personally, at this stage I want this team to tank and get the best draft pick they can. Keeping J. Brown in the lineup helps reach that goal. Another top 5 pick could make a huge difference in 2 years when I envision this team being a real contender. But as long as we dredge the basement of the league, critical feedback is to be expected. Assume you trade away everyone with any value on expiring deals for futures, grab a top 6 RW, top 4 RD, and 1AB G in FA in the offseason, and the Sens could look like this:

Brady-Norris-Bath
Formenton-Stutzle-(somebody like Giroux)
Brown-Pinto-White
Kelly-Kastelic-Sokolov
(Top 5 pick in the wings, Lodin, Greig, Jarventie)

Chabot-(somebody like Manson, or a Demelo style player)
Sanderson-Zub
Holden-Thomson
Zaitsev
(Kleven, JBD... And if you believe in Thomson enough, maybe you don't need that FA RD)

(Somebody like Varlamov or Holtby)
Gustavsson/Murray

Eminently doable with our cap, with only the Zaitsev, Murray, and White contracts dragging. There is a ton of upside in there. I hope they try White in the top 6 RW position (currently C for 3rd line) and see if he clicks with Stu and Form. If he does legit gel there, maybe we don't need to focus so hard on that top 6 RW anymore. Thing is, you won't know if you don't try it, and this coaching group is very reticent to put lines through the blender even though this season is lost. This is the time to experiment, IMO. I hope they do - because currently it's hard to trust that the entire secret to winning is within the organization.
- Bartacus

Great points on why it helps Ottawa getting a top 5 pick if they keep some of the dead weight in the lineup. I am with you on that! Those 2 contracts that you talk about in Murray and Zaitsev are awful, but like I have said, the owner seemed fine sending down Murray to be with MDZ, so why not send Zaitsev down? Or better yet, he doesn't accept the demotion and goes back home! Seriously, why not force his hand?! As for White, they need to put him in a position to succeed, but for some reason this coach has a hate on for him. Therefore, making it hard to know how White would perform over a long period if not paired with solid linemates, there is no reason he should be on the 3rd line right now!

As for Manson on D, Ottawa needs a reliable vet that can skate, high hockey IQ and can eat minutes. I don't know enough about Manson so I cant state an opinion if he fits all those intangibles. The top 6 forward will come by way of a trade, doubtful a UFA signs here. Plus with all the prospects and picks, Dorion needs to start using them to get this roster up to being a playoff contender! Like Marc Methot said last night, soon they will need another AHL team if they keep acquiring picks and prospects! I love how he says it how it is.
Great post though, I agree as we get close to the deadline we can start throwing out ideas on who to go after or what Ottawa might get for some of the anchors on this team.

Lassi Thomson was a beast tonight in the game at Manitoba! 1G/1G, 4 SOG but was in every key situation tonight, big minutes! He would be top 4 D in Ottawa right now, no doubt about it.

I still dont get the MDZ thing. He has 27 pts in 24 games, 3PPG, 2 GWG and a +4. Why not bring him up against some of the weak team Ottawa will be playing this week?! Give him a look. There's definitely more to this story and I've been digging around on it.

Sogaard stopped 44 of 47 shots!

Some of the critical comments about lineup choices are spot on. Felt Forsberg was fighting the whole period. It will be very interesting to see if he can bounce back with a strong game. Would prove he’s made some strides to being a legitimate netminder as opposed to having a hot streak.

In regards to Brown and scapegoating, if Brown is the scapegoat, the organization must be in better shape than we think. I remember the days that an elite talent in Jason Spezza was a scapegoat for some reason. Brown is actually bad, and people share that he is bad. It’s more than just scapegoating. Brown is probably the best example of DJ Smith not using accountability evenly across the roster. Brown continues to make errors every game, but his deployment never changes. Some other players on this team have made less obvious errors and have been stapled to the bench or press box. While it may seem that people are piling on Brown it’s more a reflection of DJ Smith’s poor player deployment.

It's easy to get caught up in the negative when you are at the bottom of the standings. Comes with the territory. There’s a lot to be excited about. Those posts are encouraged. Seen several posts about Norris and his ability to score. He’s taken a step this year and has become a legitimate weapon. How Seattle left him open in OT for so long, I won’t know. However, guys with that sniping ability just seem to take advantage of those few seconds. We saw it with Heatley back in the day. Ovi has done it for years. Perhaps Norris can be a perennial 40 goal man with that one-timer ability.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

Someone in the comments mentioned how Forsberg looked tired, I beyond agree. DJ is going to ride him so damn long that he will have an epic horrible game instead of allowing Gus a few starts. Once again, DJ and PD said they want the youth movement, well lets find out what we have in Gus! This org talks out of both sides of their mouth, when it comes to what they tells the fans they are going to do, but then do the opposite. But nobody in this town, media wise that is at DJ or PD pressers, ever question them. I wish JR and Simmer got to be involved in those pressers, they would press both of those guys hard on the real issues with this team.

You said it so well though, about Brown and DJ! Right on.

Umm just so ya know Paul will be signed and Watson still has another year and no way they gonna play Thomson over Zeitsev 🤷‍♂️
So next year could look like this
Tkachuk Norris Batherson
Formenton Stutzle Brown
Paul Pinto White
Kelly Kastelic Watson
Chabot zub
Sanderson JBD/Thomson
Holden Zeitsev
- sens4life1971

Absolutely could like that. I think the need to upgrade the defense is far more concerning that the top6 forward. Not saying getting another forward with skill shouldn't happen, but every time Murray gets hurt its when Zaitsev or JBrown are on the ice and they crash into him, no joke! It's Murray's biggest hang up with this defense. Like I wrote about 3 weeks ago.