BTW Kevin, this is an excellent blog. It helps to provide context on a major factor in the team performance for this season.
- SensFan25

Thanks for the kind words. Lawyersenslife poster posted great stats about the shot on goal in a period stat, unreal!!

I will post more on DJ and other musings once the season ends in a week.

DJ Smith has been coach for 3 years now. The team has significantly under achieved for many reasons, not just due to playing a "heavy style". This team needs to start next season with a new coach.
- SensFan25

His in game coaching has failed this team on so many levels. The way he uses certain players or disciplines other players, the double standard. Lots we can talk about in the off-season.

Anyone else notice DJ cant pronounce Kastelic's name correctly? Radio and TV guys, even Troy Mann all say it the same way but DJ is the only one who says it differently, like come on!

OTT cannot get anything going in jackets zone

How many times will it take DJ to realize that Zaitsev shouldn't be on the PK?! Unreal!

How many times will it take DJ to realize that Zaitsev shouldn't be on the PK?! Unreal!
- Kevin Francis

never, he is elite dontchya know

never, he is elite dontchya know
- Mithos

lol, man, that amount of games DJ has blown for his team due to his decisions is incredible!

Operative word is "hope" in this case. DJ thinks he knows more than anyone.

Did anyone else listen to that blow hard Steve Lloyd interview DJ this morning on the radio? Ask a real hockey question for once. Very disappointing to listen to. It is like this lovefest with him. Let's be his best friend. I also find it funny how DJ or Dorion wont go on with the morning show because they know they would get taken to task with real hockey questions. What a joke. Many of us on our group text had a field day with that interview. I thought Gord and Dean were terrible with the questions, but Steve is right up there.
- LawyerSens4Life

Gord, Dean and Steve Lloyd.....I just cant listen to them. I have actually had other Ottawa media members tell me how embarrassing it is to listen to them when they engage with Sens players and coaches. I kid you not! I refuse to listen to the mid morning show and like you said Simmer and JR would carve up DJ or PD if they came on their show. which is why the front office pre-selects the show that will lob them softball after sotball question!

Too bad about that offside.

Too bad about that offside.
- Whatisavailable

So if it's offside, then it's too many men on the ice?!

BSens losing 4-0 in the 3rd period to Syracuse.

tik tak goal

tik tak goal
- Mithos

Beauty!

So if it's offside, then it's too many men on the ice?!
- Kevin Francis

They're saying he needed to clear the zone before getting off the ice because they needed to tag up. If that's actually a rule I wonder how many offsides go uncalled every game. Sounds like BS to me.

They're saying he needed to clear the zone before getting off the ice because they needed to tag up. If that's actually a rule I wonder how many offsides go uncalled every game. Sounds like BS to me.
- Whatisavailable

Yup agreed!

Again Brady to start OT! Ugh.

Back to back wins for Gus in goal, both in the shootout.

Gus was solid. There's been a lot of speculation as to whether we should keep him or not because we have three goalies on one ways next season. Kid was bonkers lights out to end last season, put up premium elite numbers... So much hype. So how do you reward that performance this season? Play him super sporadically. Give up on him after one shaky game. Up and down to the A, riding the pine more often than not in the NHL, never given back to backs or a chance to establish a rhythm... I guess because he's on a two way contract? Again, Murray's injury is forcing a coaching hand, and once again, voila - results.

Now there aren't enough games left to get a proper sample size of games in for Gus to reestablish his cred, and so we enter next season with him being perceived as a wild card. If only we had played him more, he might either a) have shown himself not up to the task of backup duties and be less painful to subtract, or
b) established meaningful trade value so we'd be more confident keeping him OR get something real back for flipping him out. Unestablished, underplayed young goalies, irrespective of draft pedigree, are not worth much on the market, but are very often worth a waiver claim, and if this office is reticent to put Murray in the minors again, we likely lose Gus for nothing.

The player deserves better than the total inconsistency he's been given.

Gus was solid. There's been a lot of speculation as to whether we should keep him or not because we have three goalies on one ways next season. Kid was bonkers lights out to end last season, put up premium elite numbers... So much hype. So how do you reward that performance this season? Play him super sporadically. Give up on him after one shaky game. Up and down to the A, riding the pine more often than not in the NHL, never given back to backs or a chance to establish a rhythm... I guess because he's on a two way contract? Again, Murray's injury is forcing a coaching hand, and once again, voila - results.

Now there aren't enough games left to get a proper sample size of games in for Gus to reestablish his cred, and so we enter next season with him being perceived as a wild card. If only we had played him more, he might either a) have shown himself not up to the task of backup duties and be less painful to subtract, or
b) established meaningful trade value so we'd be more confident keeping him OR get something real back for flipping him out. Unestablished, underplayed young goalies, irrespective of draft pedigree, are not worth much on the market, but are very often worth a waiver claim, and if this office is reticent to put Murray in the minors again, we likely lose Gus for nothing.

The player deserves better than the total inconsistency he's been given.
- Bartacus

Well said! I wrote a piece about it back in March then boom he was sent down. He has played more games this month in Belleville and Ottawa than he did for the previous 2 months! DJ and PD kept saying youth movement, but instead DJ wanted to run Forsberg into the ground and ride him, rather than trying to find out what Gus could do with meaningless games left. One of a long list of mismanagement this year by this coaching staff. When you put Gus in goal once every 3 weeks, he ain't going to find his game. Now he's rolling because he is getting consistent reps in goals. What a concept! Exactly what I wrote about back in early March about how the coaching staff was hurting his development.

Fools gold again too, 8-6-2 to finish the season so far. Just like last year. They started 3-7-1 when nobody was injured, etc....but they were expected to win and teams weren't getting caught off guard taking them lightly due to how they finished last year. Now they're finishing hot again when there is no pressure. They need to win when there is pressure like at the beginning of the season this year.

BSens lost 6-0 tonight!