Ottawa's Blowing leads

Since the beginning of the playoffs, I have had a concern about Ottawa's play once they think they have blown their opponents out of the rink.If your a Sens fan you also should be concerned,Bryan Murray has yet to correct this, seems not to be worried about it. Well he should, because his job may weigh in the balance if he does not get this team to the next round.

In round one, first game against Pittsburgh,the Sens stopped skating and hitting and allowed them to comeback and give them energy for the next game, which Pittsburgh won.If they think they will get away with it this round, they are mistaken.The Devils are not Pittsburgh, they have won two of the five Cups awarded since the year 2000. How many has Ottawa won ? None, my point exactly.

Playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, is all about your desire to win. The more you want it, the better chance you have at getting to the only goal you have seeked all season. This could be the biggest gut check the Sens have ever had in franchise history.Either they do or don't. we will find out very soon.

I have my doubts, prove me wrong boys.

Sabres go up 2-0 and Canucks tie Series

The Sabres take a 2-0 lead in the Series and with a lacklustre performance. The Rangers out shot Buffalo 13-4 in the first period and 33 to 18 overall, but could not score. TSN's Darren Dreger points out that the Rangers are going to need a bigger contribution from Brendan Shanahan. Game 3 goes tomorrow afternoon at 2pm in Madison Square Garden. It will be the Rangers biggest game of the year, they drop that one and we may start hearing the word ''sweep'' from the Buffalo fans.

Buffalo coach, Lindy Ruff, was fuming on a non call on an off-side, which TSN's Bob Mckenzie disagred with,and I agree with McKenzie, I saw the replay. Hopefully Ruff will have cooled off by the start of game 3.

The Vancouver Canucks have tied the Series with a 2-1 win in double overtime. TSN's Bob Mckenzie pointed out the inspired play by the Canucks. It was a team effort and the best performance by any team in the playoffs so far. I did not see the game, so I will take McKenzie's word for it.

Pointing the finger at Trotz and ...

Duncan Stewart from the Daily news Journal, is pointing the finger at Predators coach, Barry Trotz, for failling in getting his team past the first round for the third time. Trotz has been the only coach that Nashville has had since it came into the league eight years ago.

Trotz has been good at getting the team to progress, but it needs someone to take them to the next level and win in the playoffs. Stewart, blames Trotz for not getting his team psyched up and they come out flat and stay that way. He cites an example, using the Series they played against the Sharks to prove his point. He also blames Trotz and his players for a lack of an offensive strategy, and taking stupid penalties at the wrong time and breaking offensive momemtum. That sounds familiar, the team in Montreal has the same kind of problem, which cost them a playoff spot.

Stewart mentions, that it's time for a change in philosophy in Nashville. I agree Mr.Stewart, I have a candidate ideal for the job, he is a proven winner, no i am not talking about Mr.Bowman, but his last name does start with a B. Pat Burns is who I am referring to, give him a call he might interested.

Tampa Bay is looking to keep it's core players together,by trying to cut in the fat. Except the fat is your core players eating your cap space. The easiest to trade is your 50 goal scorer, his no trade clause will cease to exist after July 1st. A team with 13 million in cap space available over the next two years could pick him up. But what would be the asking price for him ? I know Montreal fans are dreaming of seeing Lecavalier in the red white and blue, but he said politely on Hockey Night In Canada, that he was not interested. Gainey won't bring him in at gun point either. Feaster could of avoided this situation two years ago, by refusing to give Martin St.Louis the long term contract he did. Feaster has only himself to blame for the situation he finds himself in.

All Set in the Ouest

The stage is set for a good Series in this semi-final. A well oiled veteran and puck passing team against a younger but physical team. Where will the difference be in this Series ? Let's take a look. The Sharks in there Series won 51% of their face-offs, The Wings won 55%, could be a factor in a tight Series. The Wings averaged a 42.5 shots on goal per game against the Flames, the Sharks had 32.6 against the Predators. The Wings had a 13.2 % on the power play, while the Sharks did poorly, with 6.7%.

Prediction : Detroit in 7

The Canucks will need to see their scoring improve in this Series to have any chance to beat the Anaheim team. The Canucks scored 13 goals in seven games against Dallas, while the Ducks got 12 against Minnesota. Anaheim won 49.2% of their face-offs, the Canucks got 46.8%. The Canucks power play did not fair well, as it got 7.9%, the Ducks were dangereous on theirs with a whopping 26.3%.

Prediction: Anaheim in 6

Set for Round two in the East

Will the third time be the charm for the Senators? This will be the third meeting between the teams in the playoffs.There first meeting was in 1998, the Sens took that Series 4 games to 2. It was the battle of the Jacques' behind the bench, Martin for Ottawa and Lemaire for New Jersey, which became the last series he coached the Devils. Not too many players are left from those rosters are still playing for the same team.

There second meeting came in 2003 in the conference final,which New Jersey won in seven games, and went on to win the Stanley Cup in Pat Burn's first year as coach. The core players in that series for both teams, are pretty much the same,espacially in nets for New Jersey, in Martin Brodeur. Ottawa's roster was in growing stages

Prediction: Ottawa in 6

Again the Sabres will be facing a New York area based team, this time it's the Manhattan gang. Jaromir and his boys will be taking their show to Buffalo and meet Brière and his boys. It should be a long and grinding series.

Prediction : Buffalo in 7

Do or die for the Lightning and...

Tampa Bay-New Jersey

The Tampa Lightning are on the edge of being eliminated in the first round for the second year in a row. Last year it was against the Ottawa Senators, this year , the New Jersey Devils could be their executors.

If Mr.Brodeur brings his A game to Tampa, that will be bad news for the Bolts. Lecavalier and St.Louis have done alot of the hard lifting so far, time for others to start contributing in game 6. We will find out around 4pm where the Lightning will be, the golf course or in New Jersey for game 7.

Dallas vs Vancouver

Other than game 1, this Series has to be worst to watch, low scoring and very tight defense. All three of the Stars wins in this series have come on shutouts, Vancouver's Luongo has yet to enjoy such a luxuary, it maybe time that the Canucks players give them and take the Series. It's do or die for both teams tomorrow night.

Calgary-Detroit

As Dallas, Vancouver and the Bolts, the Flames are in a do or die situation. Their lack lustre performance yesterday is not a good sign for tonight in Calgary. The Wings have been dominating in Detroit, but like the Flames, they have not have fared well on the road, will they turn they fortunes around and win game 6 ? We will find out later tonight.

Sens eliminate the Penguins

The Ottawa Senators eliminate the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games, and move on to round two and are waiting for their next opponent.Even if we are only in round one of the playoffs, I already have a candidate for the Conn Smythe trophy,his name is Ray Emery.

Emery was dominating and intimidating during the Series against the Penguins.If round one is any indication of what the rest of the playoffs will be,the possibility of seeing the Stanley Cup in Ottawa could start having people believing the dream can come true. Lord Stanley's cup has not been won by an Ottawa based team since 1927, so Leafs fans, you can console yourselves.

The Senators and the Rangers wait for their possible opponents. If the Sabres and Tampa win their Series, they meet in round 2. If Buffalo and New Jersey win, the Rangers will face the Sabres and the Senators will meet in round 2. So many possibilities still in the air.

Some Stats from the Pittsburgh-Ottawa Series.
Goals by period, Pittsburgh : 1st :2 2nd:2 3rd:6 for a total of 10 for the Series, Ottawa: 1st:4 2nd:9 3rd :5 for a total of 18.

Shots on goal
Pittsburgh:110/22 per game
Ottawa:151 /30 per game

5 on 5
Pittsburgh:6
Ottawa: 11

Face offs
Pittsburgh: 140/304 46%
Ottawa :164/304 53.9%

Do or Die for the Penguins

Tonight is do or die for the Penguins, they have no tomorrow if they lose.The Sens still have lives left, but I doubt they want to spend any of them. They want to finish it tonight, espacially that their possible future opponents, the New York Rangers have swept their Series.

Tonight, the game plan for Bryan Murray, is to end the series in 5 games. The Sens have to get a fast start and take charge of the game and stay out of the penalty box, as the Penguins power play can explode at anytime, no chances to take, finish it and quick.

Ray Emery has been outstanding thru out the Series, and has saved his team's behind on a few occasions. Fleury will have to pull out a Patrick Roy like performance to keep the Pens hopes alive, and get help from his friends.

Sens can finish it tomorrow night

The Ottawa Senators can put away the Pittsburgh Penguins with a win at ScotiaBank Place. The Sens played a good sound defensive game and closed down the Pens offense.

It's going to be a tough climb for the young Pens team to comeback from a 3-1 deficit, it's been done before. The 1975 Islanders, the 2004 Montreal Canadiens have done it, it's not impossible,but the Senators have been gaining strenght as the Series goes on,it will be a hard task.

The Sens must continue their strong play and close down any chance of a Pittsburgh comeback in the Series. Finish the Series quickly and get rest, it will be tougher as the playoffs move along. Legendary coach,Scotty Bowman once said, '' it's a good thing when you can finish a Series quickly, as it will be beneficial down the road.'' If there is anybody that would know that, it would be Mr.Bowman, after all he has coached three teams to Stanley Cup glory.

If the Sens win tomorrow night,a possible scenario for future opponents in the second round, the New York Rangers, for this to happen,Buffalo and Tampa have to win their respective series.

A Sens win and the Series finishes on Thursday

The Ottawa Senators have a chance to take a solid hold on the series with a win tonight in Pittsburgh.To accomplish this, they have to play good hockey, forechecking,bottling the Pens in their zone,be patient and score the first goal. It's been proven thru out the playoffs this year,that the team that scored first in the majority of times,have won their games.

The Sens must take advantage of Pittsburgh's weak defense and continue to shoot from every angle on Fleury, who was not as sharp on Sunday as he was on Saturday.

One thing that Bryan Murray should be concerned with, is the way his team has been finishing games. In game 1, the Sens stopped skating with a 6-1 lead, finished 6-3. In game two, blew two leads, finished 4-3 for the Pens. Game three, 4-1 lead, finished 4-2. In every game they gave the Pens a chance to start the next game with Momemtum. The best way for the Sens to change that, get a fast start tonight and take control of the game, from start to finish,do that and you can finish the Series on Thursday in front your fans.

Sens take lead in the Series

Sens take the lead in the series with a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens took the lead early in the game, then Ottawa took the game over and never looked back.

This series is becoming nasty, after crashing the net and bulldozing Ray Emery on Saturday, Colby Armstrong knocked out Patrick Eaves with a solid bodycheck, but Eaves had no way to defend himself. It was not a fair check and was not penalized. This is something that the NHL will have to look at, an the soonner the better, before someone gets badly hurt.

Sens Captain, Daniel Alfredsson scored two goals to lead the Senators to the 4-2 win over Pittsburgh. Game 4 goes tomorrow night in Pittsburgh. It should be a barn burner.

They Blew it Again

The Ottawa Senators had a chance to get rid of a monkey on their backs, and blew it. There is a saying in hockey, that you start your next game the way you finished your last, it holds true in this case.

After taking a commanding 6-1 lead, the Sens played too much defense and let the Pens score two unanswered goals late in
game 1. The Pens used that good finish and started game 2 roaring and never looked back. They came back twice and won the game 4-3.

The Sens let the young Penguins take the play to them instead of starting the game the same way they did on Wednesday in game 1. Good forechecking and intense play was not in the books yesterday and that is why they will be playing with immense pressure in game 3, which is a pivotal game in a series.

The Pens have the momemtum and will be playing in front of a highly pumped crowd, that will blow the roof of the Igloo in Pittsburgh. Bryan Murray and John Muckler will be nervous guys, as their fate lies in the hands of the 20 guys that will hit the ice this evening. The players have mentionned that have gained experience in the ordeal they went thru at the beginning of the season, Here is a moment where they will need to go to the well and feed off of that experience.

For Pens fans, this will be their first playoff game in six years and they will be loud and get louder when the Penguins hit the ice. It should be a dandy.

Pittsburgh vs Ottawa and...

In Game two of this series, I don't think the Sens should change the way they played in game 1. Stick to their game plan and make the Penguins ajust to them and not the contrary.

They should continue the physical play and take it to the Pens, disturb Fleury. No doubt Pittsburgh coach, Michel Therrien, will give Laracque a bigger work load than in game 1, Murray has the answer to that in Chris Neil. It will be a closer game then on Wednesday, but more physical and entertaining. Game time is 3pm this afternoon.

After three nights of playoff hockey, there has been 742 face offs, the visiting team has won 381 of them for a pourcentage of 51.3%.

Out of the 69 goals scored so far, 47 of them have come at 5 on 5. 21 on the specialty teams and one in an empty net.

First Round predictions

My first round predictions. The Eastern conference :

Islanders vs Buffalo
Buffalo in 4
Note :

Buffalo is just too strong for the Islanders, they are quicker, the fire power will be too much for the Islanders to handle. The Islanders have used up alot of energy in the last few weeks, i don’t think they have enough left to overcome the more talented Sabres. Sorry Islanders fans, but it’s the truth, but console yourselves, I would not of given any more chance to the Leafs or Habs to beat Buffalo.

Tampa Bay vs Devils
Devils in 7
Note :

For Tampa to beat New Jersey, they have a big obstacle, Mr. Playoff himself, Brodeur. One of the best money goalies in the playoff history. Brodeur is not unbeatable, but if he gets in zone, Tampa’s fire power could be in big trouble, along with their shaky and questionnable goaltending.

Rangers vs Atlanta
Rangers in 6
Note :

I mentionnned Brodeur earlier, I think Shanahan can be as much as a factor in this series as Brodeur in the Tampa-New Jersey series. He is also a three time Cup champion, he is the reason the Rangers were able to get in the playoffs. He takes off alot of weight off Jagr in the leadership department. Experience wise, the Rangers have the edge over first time playoff performers Atlanta.

Pittsburgh vs Ottawa
Ottawa in 6
Note :

The series I qualify as being the best in the first round. When Ottawa captain, Daniel Alfredsson, jumps on the ice and looks across at the Pittburgh team, he will see a Senators team ten years ago, when they made the playoffs for the first time. As in the Rangers-Atlanta series, experience will be the factor that will decide the series outcome. Both teams ride on a high octane offense, but good defence and goaltending will also have to be part of the main ingridient. In that department, Ottawa has the edge. Emery who has playoff experience under his belt, will have to outshine Fleury for the Sens to move on. It should be a good series.

The Western Conference
Calgary vs Detroit
Detroit in 7
Note :

This is a chance for the boys from Hockeytown to redeem themselves. They have only past the first round once since they won Lord Stanley’s mug five years ago under the guidance of a certain Scotty Bowman. It will be far from being a walk in the park for the boys from motown. It’s going to be a physical series, but the Wings in the end will prevail. The Wings have the advantage of having two goaltenders with experience and have won the cup in Detroit in the past, as the Flames solely rely on Kipprosuff. Detroit’s defence, is among the best puck moving ones in the league, also count on the experience of the best money playoff defenceman in Chris Chelios, and Lidstrom is no slouch either.

Minnesota vs Anaheim
Minnesota in 6
Note :

I think this series will be the shocker of the first round. Jacques Lemaire loves being in the underdog position. Lemaire is the most underestimated coach in the league, a tag he wore in his playing days in Montreal, and he feels fine with that. Lemaire does not wait until the playoffs to prepare his team, that starts the first day of training camp. He is demanding, but gets the results he is looking for. Lemaire knows he is facing a good team, but has experience on his side, and can match witts with anyone, after all he did learn from the master himself. Good defence and patience will be the order of the day for Minnesota to win.

Dallas vs Vancouver
Vancouver in six
Note :

Two things Gm Nonis did during the summer that changed the Canucks. One the Hiriing of Alain Vigneault, who came in and changed the attitude of the dressing room and the trade that brought Luongo to Vancouver. Those two factors have been the reason the Canucks are in the playoffs, and could go deep. Both Dallas and Vancouver are not the most offensif teams in the playoffs, but I think the Canucks have the edge, as they are a quicker team than Dallas, and that could be the difference. Turco may be the most experienced of the two goaltenders, but Luongo, has size and knows how to use it.

San Jose vs Nashville
Nashville in 7
Note :

As it is called in baseball, we call this series, the rubber match one. Both teams met last year in round one, and the Sharks won it 4-1. The Predators have changed since then. Arnott and Forsberg in and Perreault out. Gm Poile has put his neck on the line with the Forsberg trade, gave up alot his team’s future to acquire Foppa, so he will be looking for a good return on that short term investment. The other difference from last season for the Predators, is that they have had solid goaltending all season and can count on a better go around this time.

So folks there you have it, time for some real hockey to start. As Spector puts it, predictions are for gypsies, but it makes it more fun to watch. Enjoy the games and have fun.

The Leafs in, but ....

The Montreal Canadiens have only themselves to blame for their elimination from the playoffs. One, their downfall since December 23rd. Two, their dummy plays in the second period of tonight's game and let a 5-3 lead get out of their hands.

The Leafs are not in, but will be praying that Martin Brodeur plays, and that the Devils win. Does Lou Lamoriello feel in a giving mood, as in giving the Leafs a chance to make the playoffs, or will he decide to pull Marty and get bitched at by the Leafs organization ? You never know with Lou.

A knife could go into the Leafs fans heart's if Lou decides to rest Brodeur. After all, if the Leafs where in the Devils position, wouldn't they rest your work horse ? Yes. After all, Brodeur has had a better season then all the Leafs players put together, so chunk on that Mr.Maurice.

As I mentionned in my previous post, the most exciting series in the first round of these 2007 playoffs, will be Ottawa-Pittsburgh. Two high octane offensif teams, should be great. I will have the match up in numbers for you tomorrow.

Good Night !

The Ultimate Showdown and ...

The ultimate showdown will take place tomorrow night between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern conference. Both teams failled to gain ground last night, as they both lost to New York based teams.

The Canadiens failled in their miracle comebacks, and lost 3-1 to the Rangers. The Leafs did not look any better, as they also put on a poor performance and lost to the Islanders, who with that win, have stayed in the race.

Fans in Montreal, must be starting to think that the players seem to play better and more desperate hockey when their backs are against the wall and enjoy the drama of pulling themselves from the jaws of death. A very dangereous game to play fellows. As Bob Cole, from hockey night in Canada would say '' it will be a dandy folks''.

Lou Lamoriello pulled off a stunner this week when he fired first year coach, Claude Julien, who was having a good season behind the Devils bench. What does Lou have up his sleeve this time. I'm sure Julien would like to know.

If the Ottawa Senators lose to Boston and the Pitsburgh Penguins win against the Rangers, the series between both clubs will start in Pittsburgh either Wednesday or Thursday. If Ottawa wins and Pittsburgh loses or if they both lose, the series will start in Ottawa on one of the two nights mentionned. This should be the best first round series in the Eastern conference. Two teams that ride on high octane offense and can play good defence, but both have been seen as getting brain cramps from time to time, something that could become the difference in series when all is said and done. It's nice have veteran leaders on your team, but the leadership must start from behind the bench. Michel Therrien has limited playoff experience behind a bench, and has been known to go off the deep end at times, which could become a distraction to the team. Bryan Murray, the Senators coach, has many years of experience, but has failled to make it to the cup final. Murray, who has no contract for next year, needs to see his team make it to the conference final, anything less could cost him his job and that of his Gm, John Muckler. So alot is riding in this year's playoffs for both men.