Kevin Francis: DJ Smith is the only one to blame for this Sens loss, not Matt Murray!!!

He wanted to start Murray against a crappy team after coming off the IR. He wants Gus to start against a decent team. It's back-to-back games. What would the difference be starting Gus today and Murray tomorrow?

Murray was fine until that 3rd goal. Then the whole team just fell into the sunken place. Complete morale killer.

edit - If you ever need to know why +/- is a stupid category - Josh Brown was a plus 1 today. He was the worst person on the ice from what I saw.

Ottawa needs to win faceoffs.

He wanted to start Murray against a crappy team after coming off the IR. He wants Gus to start against a decent team. It's back-to-back games. What would the difference be starting Gus today and Murray tomorrow?

Murray was fine until that 3rd goal. Then the whole team just fell into the sunken place. Complete morale killer.

edit - If you ever need to know why +/- is a stupid category - Josh Brown was a plus 1 today. He was the worst person on the ice from what I saw.

Ottawa needs to win faceoffs.
- PogBoi

I'm sorry I don't buy it! Why is playing Murray more important than getting wins?
Gus has played 4 games in October, check my blog, fatigue isn't an issue. The coach needs to put his team in the best possible position to win the game. Plenty of goalies have played back-to-back nights. Sens were off since Friday night too. Sorry, I don't by that fact! Many many goalies will play back to back nights this year, especially if the coach is riding the hot hand!!!!

Yes, agreed on the faceoffs, I said that in the comment section of the blog I posted yesterday.

He wanted to start Murray against a crappy team after coming off the IR. He wants Gus to start against a decent team. It's back-to-back games. What would the difference be starting Gus today and Murray tomorrow?

Murray was fine until that 3rd goal. Then the whole team just fell into the sunken place. Complete morale killer.

edit - If you ever need to know why +/- is a stupid category - Josh Brown was a plus 1 today. He was the worst person on the ice from what I saw.

Ottawa needs to win faceoffs.
- PogBoi

And yes, beyond with you on Brown.....the +/- stat can be very misleading sometimes.

The reaction I am getting on Twitter is incredible! Most agree with me! I don't expect everyone too but it's interesting that many think the team quit on DJ tonight.

I totally disagree as a player you need to give max effort either way even if Murray was going to be the backup this game but an injury cause damage him to get the start shouldn’t matter to the rest of the team. No goalie will every start the whole season

I will go further and state in today s nhl19 you will not win many games 1/0 so either way the offense failed and as a Blackhawks fan we’d have failed most games this year

I totally disagree as a player you need to give max effort either way even if Murray was going to be the backup this game but an injury cause damage him to get the start shouldn’t matter to the rest of the team. No goalie will every start the whole season
- Abadseed

Love having a Hawks fan opinion, great to have you in the discussion.

hear ya man! But you bank as many points early in the season as they are harder to come by as things tighten up defensively, as the season progresses. MM was too deep in his goal on many of their chances. It's clear MM wasn't ready to start, the coach needs to know his team.

Gustavsson has played 4 games in October, check my blog, fatigue isn't an issue. The coach needs to put his team in the best possible position to win the game. Plenty of goalies have played back-to-back nights. Sens were off since Friday night too. Sorry, I don't by that fact!

I will go further and state in today s nhl19 you will not win many games 1/0 so either way the offense failed and as a Blackhawks fan we’d have failed most games this year
- Abadseed

Fair enough! But this team quit tonight, the coach even said too many passengers after the game.
I am sure you have been frustrated with your team to start the year. But watching them tonight, you wouldn't know they were winless in 9 games.

I will go further and state in today s nhl19 you will not win many games 1/0 so either way the offense failed and as a Blackhawks fan we’d have failed most games this year
- Abadseed

Look at the Oilers tonight, being outshot by Seattle 22-17 but up 4-2! Goaltending doesn't matter when you have the big guns scoring.

Can't really compare the oilers with mcdavid to the senators. The kraken don't really have much of an offense.

Can't really compare the oilers with mcdavid to the senators. The kraken don't really have much of an offense.
- lemieux_66

Oh agreed! But it's wild to a team with 22 shots up 5-2!

I'm sorry I don't buy it! Why is playing Murray more important than getting wins?
Gus has played 4 games in October, check my blog, fatigue isn't an issue. The coach needs to put his team in the best possible position to win the game. Plenty of goalies have played back-to-back nights. Sens were off since Friday night too. Sorry, I don't by that fact! Many many goalies will play back to back nights this year, especially if the coach is riding the hot hand!!!!

Yes, agreed on the faceoffs, I said that in the comment section of the blog I posted yesterday.
- Kevin Francis

Pretty standard coaching decision across the league, Murray is ready and had to come back some time. They're trying to win both games, putting him in was the smartest and safest move in terms of goaltending so that the other goalie was well rested for the other game. Fatigue is definitely an issue for goalies in today's game, it's going to be a long season, if Murray or the team didn't play well because of it, that's on them not the coach. Overall I just think the Hawks were due, plus, Kane was back and he looked dominant out there.

starting Murray wasn't the problem. i think it was the right call to give the chicago game to Murray....he's coming off IR, give him the weaker team with a fresher group in front of him. Give Gus (who i feel is the better goalie) the harder test in Minny.

the problem with this game, and it will continue to be a problem as we move forward, is that this team is icing a roster that only has 3 competent NHL dmen. Zaitsev and Brown are completely useless and Mete has been extremely underwhelming. I think Holden has been okay, but has been routinely dragged down by the whichever anchor he's paired with.

I don't care if we have Hasek in his prime between the pipes, that group of D is not capable of clearing the zone, and give up ridiculous amounts of high danger chances.

all i know is that Sanderson can't get here fast enough.

this summer, buy out Zaitsev, let Brown walk....next year

chabot/Zub
Sanderson/Holden
Branny/Thomson
MDZ ( )

I feel Gus and Murray were going to split the back-to-back anyways, but the games could have been swapped. Considering all the distractions in Chicago, I was expecting a bit of a more competitive result. Flurey kept the Hawks in it early and then never looked back. I was surprised by the Sens lack of jump when they went down 2-0. To me that is a coaching issue.

Watching this team take face-offs is beyond frustrating. Not sure they have won a meaning face-off all year.

The powerplay needs to stop trying to be super cute. This team has some great shooters. Time to try the shot rather than try the perfect pass.

I agree Gustavsson should have played. Without question.
I Also think the win in dallas was a mirage. High scoring %. Outplayed.
We have been told this a big hard team. But i keep seeing guys that look small. Lose alot of physical battles.

To be fair chicago has been looking pretty good. Thought they should have beat the leafs

The sometimes epic goaltending has been keeping what is a scrappy, but underdeveloped team competitive. Ottawa is still a rebuilding team and one of the worst 10 in the league, no matter what the twin Pierre's say. Another solid year of development and the injection of the young defense as the season goes on will go a long way.

The sometimes epic goaltending has been keeping what is a scrappy, but underdeveloped team competitive. Ottawa is still a rebuilding team and one of the worst 10 in the league, no matter what the twin Pierre's say. Another solid year of development and the injection of the young defense as the season goes on will go a long way.
- AdamFrench

Yep but what bothers me . Sure there is some good D coming up. Then they will need 2-3 years of developement. The Sens need to spend some prospects and get hold of a good established D man. If the sens think they can rely on their drafting and developement only. They are mistaken.

The sometimes epic goaltending has been keeping what is a scrappy, but underdeveloped team competitive. Ottawa is still a rebuilding team and one of the worst 10 in the league, no matter what the twin Pierre's say. Another solid year of development and the injection of the young defense as the season goes on will go a long way.
- AdamFrench

I disagree that they're a bottom 10 team. I don't think they're a playoff team yet, but by the end of the season i think they're comfortably outside of the bottom 10.

off the top of my head, they're better than:

buf, det, mtl, nj, chi, ari, dal, ana, sj, van, LA, sea

i'm sure they're are a couple of teams i missed, and a few more that they're probably neck and neck with.

i agree that they're stil rebuilding and aren't "there" yet......but they aren't picking in the top 10 this year unless they win teh draft lottery

I disagree that they're a bottom 10 team. I don't think they're a playoff team yet, but by the end of the season i think they're comfortably outside of the bottom 10.

off the top of my head, they're better than:

buf, det, mtl, nj, chi, ari, dal, ana, sj, van, LA, sea

i'm sure they're are a couple of teams i missed, and a few more that they're probably neck and neck with.

i agree that they're stil rebuilding and aren't "there" yet......but they aren't picking in the top 10 this year unless they win teh draft lottery
- sensarmy_11

You're right that bottom 10 was a bit hyperbolic. There are some really bad teams out there. Just worried that this team is a Chabot hangnail away from just blowing into the wind on the defensive end.

You're right that bottom 10 was a bit hyperbolic. There are some really bad teams out there. Just worried that this team is a Chabot hangnail away from just blowing into the wind on the defensive end.
- AdamFrench

No doubt that the D is in need of a major upgrade......and i think inserting Sanderson/Thomson/JBD/Brannstrom would go a LOOOOOOOONG way to making this a better team.

i think given the contract structures of certain guys (namely Zaitsev and MDZ) i think we'll be stuck with a few anchors back there for the rest of this year, and maybe a part of next year, which will keep this team from being a playoff threat

i think by the end of next season our D could look something like


Chabot/Zub
Sanderson/JBD
Brannstrom/Thomson

that would be REAL good

I disagree that they're a bottom 10 team. I don't think they're a playoff team yet, but by the end of the season i think they're comfortably outside of the bottom 10.

off the top of my head, they're better than:

buf, det, mtl, nj, chi, ari, dal, ana, sj, van, LA, sea

i'm sure they're are a couple of teams i missed, and a few more that they're probably neck and neck with.

i agree that they're stil rebuilding and aren't "there" yet......but they aren't picking in the top 10 this year unless they win teh draft lottery
- sensarmy_11

Possibly but they lost to Chi and sj. . Beat dal x2 Until they beat those other teams. They are a bottom 10 team

Possibly but they lost to Chi and sj. . Beat dal x2 Until they beat those other teams. They are a bottom 10 team
- spazzbot

that's kind of a silly way to look at things....any team can beat any other team on any given night. looking at the league holistically, Ottawa is better than those teams.

Sea beat Minn......they aren't a better team

Det beat Wash.....they aren't a better team

etc, etc, etc

No doubt that the D is in need of a major upgrade......and i think inserting Sanderson/Thomson/JBD/Brannstrom would go a LOOOOOOOONG way to making this a better team.

i think given the contract structures of certain guys (namely Zaitsev and MDZ) i think we'll be stuck with a few anchors back there for the rest of this year, and maybe a part of next year, which will keep this team from being a playoff threat

i think by the end of next season our D could look something like


Chabot/Zub
Sanderson/JBD
Brannstrom/Thomson

that would be REAL good
- sensarmy_11

Looks like a plan.

Will need to find a way to figure out how to pay them all three years out from now.

that's kind of a silly way to look at things....any team can beat any other team on any given night. looking at the league holistically, Ottawa is better than those teams.

Sea beat Minn......they aren't a better team

Det beat Wash.....they aren't a better team

etc, etc, etc
- sensarmy_11

How is it silly? When they lost to 2 of those teams you say they are better then. Not to mention right now they are 29th. But i did agree its possible but they will have toprove it against the teams you mentioned.