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A Festivus for the rest of us: Pens spank the Senators 8-2

Hooks Orpik — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:04:35 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

It was all smiles for Penguins players and fans alike in a big 8-2 victory.

Senators vs Penguins coverage - Senators vs Penguins boxscore - SB Nation blog Silver Seven

On a night where some celebrate the "holiday" of Festivus, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened up with the airing of grievances before putting on their on Feats of Strength. On the receiving end was the Ottawa Senators who'll enter their holiday break on the heels of a 8-2 thumping.

Early in the first Pittsburgh struck first when Evgeni Malkin got a tap-in on a beauty of a feed from Sidney Crosby. The Sens would tie it when Anton Volchenkov wired a slapper past Marc-Andre Fleury off of a clean faceoff win by Peter Regin. Ottawa would throw 24 shots on Fleury this period, but that's the only time they'd beat him.

It was in the second period that the floodgates really opened. About a minute in, on the power-play, Bill Guerin walked out of the corner and put his second shot by Pascal Leclaire. About six minutes later Jordan Staal separated player from puck by his own goal, rushed it all the way up the ice and converged with Max Talbot and Chris Kunitz on some nice passing for the 3-1 lead.

Four minutes later, Kunitz deflected a Guerin shot to stretch the lead to 4-1. Then Guerin got a power-play goal to make it 5-1. And right before the period ended, Malkin shrugged off a Volchenkov hit to get himself in position to one-time a pass from Kunitz and just like that it's 6-1 after two periods.

The Senators would relieve Leclaire for Brian Elliott, but there'd be no mercy. Matt Cooke fed a nice pass to Sergei Gonchar early in the third for yet another goal. Then on a 2 on 0 break, Crosby and Malkin batted it back and forth before Geno got his hat-trick, 8-1. The Sens would tack on a Chris Kelly goal late in the game to narrow the gap to it's final score.

With Russian National czar Vladislav Tretiak in the building, Malkin got 3 goals and Gonchar went 1g, 2a. He couldnt have been more impressed by the performance those two future Olympians put on.
I couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Herb Brooks having a chuckle looking down to watch his Penguins put on such a show in front of his former Soviet rival from way back when.
Not to be out-done, Billy G was the man of the hour with 2 goals, 2 assists and 9 shots on goal (with 5 more blocked or missing the net). Linemate Chris Kunitz was in on it too with 1g, 3a. It was a magical night, and every shift it the 2nd period it seemed they were finding paydirt.
The power-play redeemed itself going 3 for 6 and showed dangerous looks at the net all game long. The movement of players is noticably up from games past, which is paying dividends.
Marc-Andre Fleury was sublime with 45 saves on a 47 shot effort. He was the early story of the game before all the offensive fireworks when he saw 39 shots in the first two periods. Without Fleury coming up strong early, the course of the game would have been totally altered.
Sidney Crosby was no slouch himself with 3 picture perfect assists and a winner on 18 of his 25 faceoffs (72%).
Penalties were an issue all night, with both sides on either end of questionable calls. Entering the game the big story was Ottawa coach Cory Clouston griping about the lack of calls his team has been getting lately. The Sens got their chances (they went 0 for 4 through two periods) but a lot of makeup calls were made.
Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson left the game early due to a Craig Adams hit. Alfie was stretching out to keep the puck and got sandwiched between Adams and Gonchar. There was no intent to hit the head --evidence by the fact it's said to be a shoulder injury, and Adams did not leave his feet to deliver the hit. As long as hockey is a contact sport, that's just an unfortunate result of the play.
That didn't stop Milan Michalek from jumping Adams, as is customary for any big hit these days. Michalek only got a 2 minute minor for his transgression (Adams wasn't penalized for the hit or extra-curricular activity) which was fair for the context. But in the broader scope of things, are these jumpings necessary?
The passes the Penguins pulled off was an exhibition unto itself. Sure you had Malkin to Crosby to Malkin for a goal, but when guys like Cooke, Talbot and Staal are dishing out some sweet sauce, you know it's a great night.

After scoring just 1 goal in their past two games, the Penguin offense was hitting on all cylinders and left for holiday break on quite the nice note. They were able to flex their muscles here a little and show that they are OK. Even though they always were OK, it's nice for confidence sakes for them to express it.

We'll pick things up again with the game on Sunday when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town, but if you have the holiday blues, fear not. A lot of fresh content tomorrow here on Pensburgh including some links and a look at what gifts we'd like to give to each of the Penguins. But aside from that, from all of us here at Pensburgh our best wishes for a happy holiday season to one and all.

And in the spirit of Festivus, the party isn't over until someone pins Mike Rupp. That's the feat of strength, folks!

Senators shut out by Thomas, Bruins win 2-0

PeterR — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:29:23 -0000

More photos » by Sean Kilpatrick - AP

2 days ago: Ottawa Senators' Chris Kelly, left, get pushed around by Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara, of Slovakia, as Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas keeps his eyes on the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa on Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

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A 2-0 loss was certainly not the result the Ottawa Senators wanted when they were set to take on the Boston Bruins Monday night, but it's the kind of thing Ottawa has probably come to expect when facing Tim Thomas in nets. It was a very tight game, for the most part, with both teams exchanging shots, scoring chances, and big saves, until Boston broke it open in the third period. The Senators couldn't beat Thomas to get back into the game after going down, and that was all she wrote.

Sens killer: Tim Thomas
There is only one tonight. The Level 12 ogre-mage* continues to shut down the Senators whenever he plays them, and has now won the last ten games he's played against Ottawa. He stopped all 29 shots he faced tonight, none of the saves standing out as highlight-reel stops, but huge nonetheless. He's become legendary amongst Senators killers, and could enter the category reserved for Ed Belfour and Gary Roberts if these teams ever meet in the playoffs. It's true that Chara could probably also be classified as a Sens killer, but doing so would downplay the amount of killing that Thomas inflicted.

Sens heroes: Brian Elliott, Alex Kovalev, Jarkko Ruutu
For the first two periods, Elliott was among the Senators' strongest players against Boston. He was making strong saves, with 12 in the first alone, and kept Ottawa in the game through the second period when it looked like they were being brutally outplayed. Neither goal was particularly awful, although the team needed Elliott to stop the very stoppable second goal. Still, Ottawa had no business staying in that second period, if not for Elliott.

Kind of looked like Kovalev enjoys the physical challenge of going up against Zdeno Chara tonight, which seems like the opposite of what you'd expect. Of particular note was a play in the first period, where Kovalev rushed to beat Chara and kind of did, before being taken down hard by Chara behind the net. And, near the end of the game, he even got into a sort-of fight with former teammate Steve Bégin. It was an uncharacteristically gritty, hard-working game for Kovalev, and perhaps if Ottawa got a powerplay opportunity (more on that later), he would have made some magic happen for the Senators' offence.

Of all Senators, Ruutu had the best scoring chances. He had a great opportunity short-handed after Patrice Bergeron coughed up the puck, he was sent on a breakaway by Chris Phillips late in the game. Obviously, he couldn't convert any of the chances he had, but it was a strong game for the pest nonetheless.

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Sens zeros: Josh Hennessy, Erik Karlsson
Might not be fair to put Hennessy in this category considering he only had 5:02 in ice time, he gave the puck away for what would ultimately be the decisive goal. He didn't do much else on the night, and that makes it even uglier for the guy. If it's any consolation for him, though, it wouldn't matter how well he played tonight; when Chris Neil returns to the lineup on Wednesday, Hennessy is (in all likelihood) right back to Binghamton.

One kid who's not going to be going back to Binghamton, though, is Karlsson. He was softer on the puck tonight, for whatever reason--maybe he was hesitant because the Bruins are pretty big, or he was just tired after an emotional game last game, or maybe he's sick of playing with Filip Kuba while Kuba drags his ass all over the ice (seriously, the veteran has to pick up his game). Karlsson was soft in front of the net on Bergeron's game-winning goal, and that's why the rebound went in instead of getting cleared harmlessly to the corner.

Why does this keep happening: Zero powerplays
For the third time this season, the Senators played a saintly team, and were therefore given no powerplays on the night. I could bring up instances where Boston should have been assessed powerplays, we could talk about whether or not the Senators are getting in positions to draw penalties, or whatever else, but we could also mention an old cliche: One is an event, two is a coincidence, three is a trend.

Ugly stat of the night: Jesse Winchester 5-for-21 in faceoffs
I guess the faceoff magic Winch had in his stick for his first couple games on the top line had worn off before tonight, because he was absolutely destroyed in the faceoff circle tonight, with a 24 percent faceoff win number. You've heard it before, but it's not easy for his line to get offence going without the puck, and that's even more devastating because it meant the puck was away from Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek. No one else on Ottawa was below 50 percent in faceoffs.

Commenter of the night: Dany Hea-Traitor
Partied like a rock star who's mildly funny at times.

* - Nickname explanation: Ogre because he's short, mage because he wears a mask/cage hybrid he calls a 'mage', and Level 12 because it makes it even nerdier.

Mark's take: I didn't see this game, but the way Tim Thomas plays against Ottawa, I'm not surprised. I would, however, like to point out that Filip Kuba was a team worst minus two on the night. Kuba's last three games: minus three, minus one, minus two. His December reads like a first grader learning subtraction. I realize plus/minus can be a deceptive stat, but it's not unfair at this point to ask for more defensively from him. At the very least, if he is going to be on the ice giving up goals, he needs to provide some kind of offensive support to balance it out. Isn't that why Bryan Murray signed him?

New Jersey Devils Deny the Ottawa Senators Points with 4-2 Win in Martin Brodeur's 1,030th Game

John Fischer — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:52:53 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

There was a lot of hitting going on in tonight's game, but the Devils hit Ottawa hard in response to their goals with two of their own. And then Bryce Salvador took this one shot... (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Only one record was broken tonight, Martin Brodeur is now the all-time leader in games played by a goaltender with 1,030 games. In this 1,030th game of his career, Brodeur was very solid, faced 29 shots, and survived a collision with Jonathan Cheechoo. His saves kept the Ottawa Senators from taking over the second period en route to a 4-2 win by the New Jersey Devils.

First and foremost, tonight's game was vastly better by both the home and away teams than the Devils-Montreal game on Wednesday. The fans were more vocal in their chanting, the intensity on the ice was much higher, and both teams actually tried to win tonight's game. For a neutral, this game had it all - plenty of hits, big saves, fluke goals (one of which was absolutely hilarious), and slick goals.

Now, let's get to the analysis. Despite a 7-2 record this month, the Devils haven't been getting results because they've been the flat-out superior team on the ice. They've been getting them by being the better team for stretches of the game (usually a period or so) and holding on to their leads. Tonight's game would fall into that category. Don't get me wrong, the Devils were much better tonight than they were on Wednesday overall. However, was it a solid, complete effort? No. And the Devils should be thankful it wasn't for the Senators either.

NHL.com has their recap up, complete with links to the boxscore and other stats. Peter R has an excellent recap already up from the Sens' perspective at Silver Seven. Ottawa fans are right to be frustrated about a 0-for-6 performance on the power play as well as the fact that their goals didn't really come from the run of play. Read on further for my thoughts on the game.

Let's start off with some praise. The Devils' special teams were very good tonight. After a miserable power play performance on Wednesday, the Devils were better on the man advantage. OK, Rob Niedermayer took a dumb/cheap (depends on your perspective) high stick to negate a second period power play; and the Devils didn't do much on the power play late in the third. But they did score on their first power play with an excellent set-up by Andy Greene that made it easy for Jamie Langenbrunner to put home. How the Ottawa Senators didn't jump up on Greene or prevent Langenbrunner from getting behind them that close to Brian Elliott is beyond me. Well done and for converting one of them, that is a result and that's an definite improvement alone over Wednesday's 0-for-5 performance.

Apparently, that was the only shot they put on Elliott on the power play tonight. I would have liked them to attempt to put more on net on that third power play, but they didn't have to though. New Jersey was up 4-2 and just by holding onto the puck and cycling, the Senators' chances of a comeback became bleak and so there you have it.

But the real stars on special teams were Martin Brodeur and the penalty killers. They were busy, but they were ruthlessly effective. The Devils took 6 penalties tonight, and even a 5-on-3 disadvantage for 1:22 in the third period. Normally, I'd be screaming about this type of discipline. Yet, I felt that some of the calls the refs made were, how should I put this, "iffy." Ottawa got away with similar behavior - even Cheechoo colliding his knee into Martin Brodeur's head got nothing from the refs; but the Devils seemed to get caught with restraining fouls.

No matter, the killers stepped up and played huge. They remained poised in their own end, they prevented Ottawa from getting to any rebounds, and their clearances were mostly good. Even in the second period in killing off Jamie Langenbrunner's "tripping" call, two Devils sticks were lost and the PK units were still out there getting stops. Solid stuff. They even outletted three scoring chances after killing first and second calls on the 5-on-3, but the attempts on net weren't so good. Even so, they were great; Brodeur came up big on 9 power play shots against (3 from that 5-on-3) and the Devils really roared on the ice after that last big kill. Great work by the PK units for New Jersey.

However, let's go onto a mixture of praise and criticism. Before all this, I advise you to check out the game highlights from NHL.com to get a brief remainder on all the big plays in the game.

The Devils did a relatively good job for the first 40 minutes of the game. The key word here is relatively. Relative to the Senators, the Devils held up well. They kept pace with them in shots (20-22, Ottawa after the second), they battled with the Senators in a physical way (the official stats show the Devils outhitting the Senators 36-27), and the Devils responded to Ottawa's goals with goals of their own. After the Senators would have a few good shifts, the Devils would go out and do the same. Were the Devils great? Were they controlling the game? No, but they weren't letting Ottawa dictate the game either. After all, their first goal was a bizarre fluke from Alexandre Picard from the point that just found it's way in. It's not like they were bossing the Devils around in the first or second periods.

Yet, the second period in particular was just so odd. Brodeur had to be called on to make huge saves; but he was beat off a fluke deflection and hung out to dry on a bad line change by the Devils. In all fairness, Jarkko Ruutu made an excellent move on his breakaway to ensure Johnny Oduya wouldn't stop him at the last moment. In fact, the Devils committed multiple bad line changes, where the defense fortunately recovered or Ottawa duffed the shot. I liken that period to that sandwich cookie you can get at the Mrs. Field's kiosk on the lower concourse. The icing in the middle of the cookie was all over the place, much like the Devils' defense for much of the second period. Sloppy, full of sugar, and making you wonder whether it was a good choice to pay $5.50 for such a filling, unhealthy cookie. Yet, the two cookies (Brodeur and the Devils' offense), ensured that the icing (defense) wouldn't fall onto the ground or on your clothes. Brodeur made some huge stops on the Senators, and the offense put 8 on Elliott to keep them honest. Most notably, Brian Rolston and Jay Pandolfo scored some pretty good goals to keep the Senators down and the Devils up 3-2. Was the sandwich cookie good? Eh, it was OK. Was it a solid period for the Devils? No, but relative to the Senators' performance, it was decent.

Yes, that's my metaphor and I'm sticking to it. Moreover, I believe that second period performance was the best second period effort I've seen from the Devils since the Buffalo game despite it's flaws.

Then the third period came and the Devils played passive hockey for most of the first 15 minutes. OK, I get that the Senators had an extended power play complete with a two man advantage. I get that the Devils did battle for possession throughout the period. But only 3 shots on net? One of which being the most hilarious fluke goal I've seen for the Devils in years? I know this was in the highlights, but it deserves it's own video.

AAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Poor Brian Elliott! The other goals were not totally his fault and he played pretty well, but this was bad. Caught off his line on a routine save and the worst possible scenario just happened! Bryce Salvador scored his first goal of the season and did so in a way to make Ilkka Pikkarainen's first goal of his NHL career look like a goal scorer's goal. Wow. Fortunately for Elliott, it wasn't the game winner. But it did drop Ottawa's confidence as well as make the game even more of a challenge.

Still, the Devils didn't build much on the goal; what really got them going was the euphoria of killing off a 5-on-3 while up by two goals. And now I'm scratching my head. Yes, this is what I wanted to see; but why could we not see this earlier in the game? Or even earlier in the third period? The Devils only put 3 shots on Brian Elliott and that's really concerning given that the entered the period with a one goal lead. Why so passive? Did Salvador's strike put them more at ease? Did they think they could sit on the lead? Was it just that Ottawa was that aggressive going forward (possible, they were down one). Was it something else? The Devils are 7-2 this month and I'm baffled at how they keep getting results with less than 60 minute efforts.

I'm also baffled with Zach Parise. Despite what happened in practice yesterday, Jacques Lemaire had him playing with Travis Zajac all night long. He had an early breakaway that Elliot did very well to stop and throughout the night, he seemed a bit lost. Yes, he had 3 shots on net (more than any Devil); but I think the frustration at him not scoring any goals in this month is starting to set in. Think about it. In that time frame, Ilkka Pikkarainen has scored his first goal; Jay Pandolfo scored his first goal since his injury tonight; and Bryce Salvador opened up his account with a bizarre goal. But Parise? Nope. Zajac was fairly quiet tonight and was beaten plenty on faceoffs (2 for 6). Maybe they do need to be split up for a few games.

Also, now that I'm looking at the stats, I'm also baffled with Nicklas Bergfors only playing 9:26? Was he OK? I mean, Pikkarainen got more time (10:14) than him. Given that he put up no shots and he was most notable coming out of the box for second call on the 5-on-3, getting the puck, closing in on the keeper, and whiffing on a shot; maybe he wasn't. Better luck tomorrow, I suppose?

Nonetheless, some other Devils not named Brodeur had a few good games. The fourth line looked good, as Pelley and Pikkarainen combined for 9 hits and McAmmond picked up an assist on Salvador's goal. Patrik Elias had a solid night with 2 shots, an assist, and a fantastic night at the dot in going 7 for 8. Andy Greene and Salvador were both monsters on the penalty kill, with Greene killing 5:02 and Salvador killing 4:57; they were mostly steady on even strength to boot outside of the second period. Despite taking 3 minors tonight, Langenbrunner was instrumental not only on the power play goal but in setting up a screen for Rolston's slap shot. And speaking of, don't look now, but Brian Rolston now has a 4 game point streak as he scored a goal with his trademark blistering shot. He very well could be earning his money and that is a very good thing.

Yet, I'm sure you're left with all of these ramblings about tonight's game with one question: Can the Devils keep succeeding without playing a consistently good performance all game long? I'd love to say no, but this month has proven this mostly wrong. Maybe I'm demanding too much and the Devils only need to do just a bit better than the opposition to succeed? I'm not sure. I really hope the Devils can play better throughout each period to not only win some non-ugly (or inconsistent-effort) games so we don't have to find out the hard way.

The Devils conclude a 5 game homestand with a 4-1 record and now go on the road for their next 3 games. Tomorrow the Devils will play Atlanta. Maybe a change in scenery will have the Devils give a better overall effort. After all, their most complete game this month was in Buffalo. Here's hoping they'll do that.

Again, congratulations to Martin Brodeur for now being the all time leader in games played. Thanks to Steve for putting up the GameThread and thanks to the commenters and readers in said thread and for this recap. Again, check out Silver Seven for their side of tonight's game. Please share your thoughts and feelings about tonight's game in the comments.

Senators can't convert in 4-2 loss to Devils

PeterR — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:38:23 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

5 days ago: Ottawa Senators goaltender Brian Elliott, left, and Filip Kuba, center, of the Czech Republic, react after a goal by New Jersey Devils' Bryce Salvadore (not shown) as Devils' Niclas Bergfors, right, of Sweden, circles around the net during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 18, 2009, in Newark, N.J. Elliott deflected the puck into the air and it went into the net off his back. The Devils defeated the Senators 4-2. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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The Ottawa Senators can't complain about their secondary scorers after a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, but they've got to be wondering what it will take for the big guns to get their points consistently. Mike Fisher's getting his points well enough, but solid play isn't translating into goals for the newly-assembled line of Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, and Jesse Winchester. Until those guys--particularly the first two--get their points regularly, the Senators are going to have a hard time winning more than they lose. Tonight, Alex Picard and Jarkko Ruutu scored goals to carry their share of the load, but Martin Brodeur and the Devils' defence kept any other Senators from earning Ottawa any points in the standings.

Sens heroes: Erik Karlsson, Jonathan Cheechoo
Without a doubt, Karlsson had his strongest game as an NHLer tonight, and Bryan Murray must feel a little vindicated for putting his faith in Karlsson as a full-time, big-time pro. Although he was culpable of some weak front-of-the-net coverage on the game-winning goal, he looked assertive, poised, calm, and more than capable for the most part tonight. He had his best scoring chance of the season when he stole the puck and generated himself a breakaway, showing that despite the fact that he couldn't get a shot, he'll be a heck of an asset when playing four-on-four. He's improving every game, and looking very much the powerplay quarterback he came into the season expected to be.

It's also reassuring to see that Cheechoo has maintained the strong game he found while the Senators were on their western road swing. He will likely be of minimal use on the powerplay unless he's with some mega-stars, but he's playing well as a third-liner, with an assist tonight. It's not the role Cheechoo played while he was putting up trophy-winning numbers with San Jose, but his work ethic has helped him get into it.

Sens killers: Martin Brodeur, Jamie Langenbrunner
Brodeur is always a Sens killer, and it was no different tonight. He stopped 27 of 29 shots, only really being beaten by Jarkko Ruutu (Alex Picard's goal was an absolute fluke), and I can hardly imagine how much his defencemen love playing in front of a goalie who controls his rebounds so well.

Langenbrunner, too, seems to have a certain something when he plays against the Senators, with 25P (13G, 12A) in 32 career GP against the Senators (Friday night included)--far better per-game numbers than his career pace would lead you to expect.

Sens zeros: Filip Kuba
In watching Kuba for a year and a half, you see something: Some games, he's the monster who scores four points, but other games, he's the monstrosity who can't keep his check to save his life, and gets lit up as a result. Credit where credit is due, Kuba had two shots (both on the powerplay) tonight, and was credited with two hits, but he was awful defensively. He blew his check on Jay Pandolfo's goal, finished -3 on the night, and just looked weak, tired, and uninspired. It's unfortunate that an otherwise strong game by his defensive partner, Erik Karlsson, was tarnished by a similar -3 count because of weak play by Kuba.

Credit goes to: Alex Kovalev, Milan Michalek
For the second game in a row, Kovalev looked like he was working hard and generating chances tonight. He had good puck possession (what else is new), but unlike some other games, he seemed willing to charge off the boards instead of just stickhandling along the dasher boards. The only thing that kept him out of the Heroes category, in the end, was likely the fact that Ottawa was again 0-for-6 on the powerplay. One of Kovalev's chief responsibilities is to make the PP lethal, and--whether because he doesn't know his teammates well enough, hasn't been given enough freedom or control, or some other reason--he hasn't done that yet.

Michalek had another strong game, but he's got to get on the scoresheet one of these days. Five shots on net in 18:39 and a couple of hits, to boot, but his cold streak has to be nearing absolute zero. He'll have to start pushing the mercury back up soon if Ottawa's going to keep pace with the conference leaders.

Defensive stalwarts: Matt Carkner and Alex Picard
Somehow, these two were +2 on the night, and each had a point (an assist for Carkner, a goal for Picard) with 18:19 and 15:21 TOI, respectively. I don't know what it is about the Picarkner Effect, but it's working in favour of both of these guys. They've had one bad game (and it was abysmal), but for the most part they've just been solid contributors for the team.

Unfortunate reality: Missed scoring chances
Whether it be Jonathan Cheechoo sliding the puck just past the front of the net, Mike Fisher taking a second too long with an open net, or Milan Michalek fumbling the puck with Martin Brodeur miles out of his net, the Senators had some very good chances to score that just didn't finish up. Ottawa outshot the Devils 29-22, and probably had a similar advantage in bona fide scoring chances, but the Senators couldn't finish while New Jersey took advantage of each chance they got.

How does he do it: Alex Picard
I don't know how, but Picard just keeps getting his points. For the second night in a row, he throw an innocent-looking shot at the net, and it finds its way in. One thing it shows to his defensive partners: Shooting is never a bad idea, if you can hit the net. When Picard came over in the Andrej Meszaros trade, I remember hearing good things about his slapshot from the point, but it's his wrist shot that's reaped the rewards. It reminds me of Wade Redden's ability, when he was on his game (and not a $6.5M healthy scratch), to wrist shots on the net and make them count. With the goal, Picard's got 14P (4G, 10A) in 29GP on the year.

Look forward to: Not Martin
It's been reported that Mike Brodeur might finally get to see some NHL action tomorrow night against the Minnesota Wild, and tonight Brian Elliott didn't do anything in particular to make it seem like a bad idea. Don't get me wrong, Elliott wasn't bad (the Devils' fourth goal wasn't bad, it was mostly unlucky), but he wasn't amazing. He was just good. So I wouldn't be surprised if Not Martin finally gets his shot.

Worst stat of the night: 0-for-6 on the powerplay
Just plan terrible. But the Senators can't say they didn't have their chances, and the Devils' effective penalty kill units--led, of course, by Martin Brodeur--took away most chances Ottawa had. The Senators had nine powerplay shots, including a number of good chances and drives from the point, but couldn't make any of them count.

Second-worst stat of the night: Chris Kelly 1-for-7 in faceoffs
Not much to say about it, except that it's amazing Kelly's line, along with Jonathan Cheechoo and Jarkko Ruutu, got as many chances as they had tonight given that their centreman hardly ever got them the puck. Kelly made a great pass for Ruutu's goal, but he's got to work on his faceoffs. Fourteen percent for a defensive specialist is just not good enough.

Game highlights:

Game 33 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Ottawa Senators - 12/18/2009

John Fischer — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:00:18 -0000

by Rich Schultz - AP

More of these please. Especially if you're Zach Parise and/or Travis Zajac. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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The Time: 7 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: TV: MSG+; Radio: 660 AM WFAN

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (23-8-1) vs. the Ottawa Senators (17-12-4)

The Last Devils Game: The Devils didn't play well, but somehow, Montreal squandered more of the game and Patrik Elias made them pay late in the game off a rebound created by Brian Rolston and Carey Price. The Devils go on to win 2-1 and I wrote a recap about a game where neither team looked like they wanted to win all that badly.

The Last Senators Game: In a word, it was a shutdown effort by the Senators. They hosted the Buffalo Sabres; Brian Elliott was perfect; the Senators' defense kept the Sabres out of the slot; and went on to win 2-0. A very nice win according to Peter R's account at Silver Seven.

The Last Devils-Senators Game: It wasn't the best of times for the Devils. A three game winless streak and taking on a then-hot Ottawa Senators team. Yet, neither team really relented in a tight checking game and Patrik Elias was the hero with a deft deflection to put the Devils up 2-1. The result frustrated the Senators enough for Daniel Alfredsson to throw a stick on an empty net chance that Jamie Langenbrunner put in anyway. The Devils win 3-1, I recapped the game here; Peter R shared his thoughts here.

The Goal: 60 minutes of effort, Devils. I know it's a cliche. I know I've said it before. But despite the 6-2 record in December, the Devils have played one game wherein they played hard in each period. I've said it before, and it still holds true. If you've been reading my recaps or watching the recent games, you know this. And the media is picking up on this; check out the third comment on this post from Tom Gulitti, posted by, er, Tom Gulitti:

It’s something we might point to in a few days, but the Devils have not played a really solid game since Buffalo. They had good starts against Carolina and Phildelphia, but didn’t play well in the last two periods of either game. If they were playing better opponents, it might have been a different outcome.

They lost to Florida, which hadn’t been playing well before that, and then last night they won pretty much because they played a team that played worse than they did.

Ottawa and Atlanta are better than last four teams the Devils played. They need to play better to win those games—though Ottawa will be without Spezza (knee).

Posted by TG on 12/17 at 03:57 PM

Turn it around, Devils. Ottawa will not go down easily. Read on for my further thoughts about tonight's game, including some insight into the Senators from Peter R of Silver Seven.

Now, in practice on Thursday per Gulitti's report, Jacques Lemaire changed the forward lines up and split up Zach Parise and Travis Zajac. While they haven't been bad, they haven't been producing goals on the ice. Between the two, they have combined for 1 goal (Zajac) and 6 assists (2 from Zajac, 4 from Parise) in the last 5 games. For most, that wouldn't be so bad; but given that they are New Jersey's top left winger and center, the expectations are more demanding. While the Devils are winning games, it would be most beneficial if either player started putting pucks into the net as well as on net.

To that end, I would expect a jumbled set of forward lines to start against Ottawa. Though, I think the fourth line will remain the same. I personally hope the second line of Brian Rolston, Patrik Elias, and Vladimir Zharkov remains intact. Rolston and Elias have played well together and Zharkov's hustle is infectious. The threesome put together the game winning goal against Montreal and I hope they get rewarded with another game together. But if Parise is being moved away from Zajac, it wouldn't surprise me if Lemaire puts him next to Elias. Of course, if things go pear-shaped, Lemaire will switch things up.

The defense will remain the same and if Gulitti's reporting that Martin Brodeur looks like he'll start, then he probably will. Should Brodeur play tonight, it will be his 1,030th career game - breaking Patrick Roy's all-time record for games played by a goaltender. That all said, here is my badly-made guess for tonight's lineup:

Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - Nicklas Bergfors
Zach Parise - Patrik Elias - Vladimir Zharkov
Jay Pandolfo - Rob Niedermayer - Jamie Langenbrunner
Rod Pelley - Dean McAmmond - Ilkka Pikkarainen

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Johnny Oduya

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

Aside from this bad guess and wanting to see a 60 minute effort by the home team, I'd love to see the power play be less than useless. I don't want them to just mindlessly throw pucks on net. Setting up shots is fine, but they really need to do a better job in establishing position on offense and putting the puck on net. 3 shots out of 5 power plays, which was what the Rock was treated to on Wednesday, is not good enough. I shouldn't even have to write that they shouldn't concede the puck at the point en route to a shorthanded scoring chance. If the Devils want to actually take advantage, then their power play performance has to do better.

Let's consider tonight's opponent for a moment. With a 4-5-1 record in their last 10 games, Jason Spezza out with a torn MCL (6-8 weeks) and the team not looking to get any help in response, Nick Foligno is out for 2 weeks with knee surgery (last two links via Silver Seven), and Jonathan Cheechoo still on the roster, one may think things aren't going so well for the Senators. Someone could have told Buffalo that, as they were shutout 2-0 on Wednesday by the Senators. So Ottawa comes into this game with a little momentum, an opportunity for revenge (Senators lost twice to the Devils already), and every reason to give the Devils another tough game.

Even with Spezza out due to injury, the Senators still have some very dangerous and productive forwards. The defense can't rest when these guys are out on the ice.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Daniel Alfredsson	33	9	21	30	-1	10	1	1	2	82	11.0
2009 - Mike Fisher	31	15	13	28	9	19	6	0	4	103	14.6
2009 - Milan Michalek	33	15	6	21	-8	8	5	2	2	93	16.1
2009 - Alex Kovalev	30	7	11	18	2	18	1	0	1	45	15.6

To get a better understanding of the Senators, I had a few questions for Peter R of Silver Seven. Thankfully, he took the time to answer them and I hope you learn a little more about how the team is doing these days.

Question #1. Let's talk goaltenders first. After Pascal Leclaire went out with injury due to a bizarre incident, Brian Elliott has been playing fairly well recently with 2 shutouts in his last 5 games. Do you think he's doing his job well as Leclaire's out? And when Leclaire returns, do you think there will be a goaltending duel for the #1 spot?

PR: Brian Elliott's been strong at times in Pascal Leclaire's absence, but he's had off-games, too. Leclaire should be back soon (probably after this weekend), and when he does come back he'll re-assume the number one mantle, no questions asked. Elliott just hasn't played consistently enough to raise any questions about that reality.

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Brian Elliott	19	1094	9	7	48	2.63	506	458	.905	2

Question #2. The last time these two teams played, the Devils went on to win 3-1 with Patrik Elias' deflection ultimately deciding the game. In your recap of that game, to summarize, the Senators struggled to get anything going and against a team like New Jersey, a positive result was unlikely. What do you think Ottawa should do to adjust for New Jersey's style of play?

PR: It's tough to say what the Senators have to do to beat the Devils, but there's no doubt the scoring forwards who are in the lineup--Mike Fisher, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, and Alex Kovalev--all need to get their games on. Carrying the puck through the neutral zone doesn't work, so the Senators will probably need to dump the puck into the corners (while keeping it away from Brodeur) and get in on the defensemen as quickly as possible. Against a shut-down team like Jersey, getting the lead is huge, so Ottawa needs to find one and keep it.

Question #3. One of the players on Ottawa who's having a good season is Milan Michalek. He scored Ottawa's lone goal in the last game between these two teams and he is tied with Mike Fisher for the team lead with 15. Are you surprised he has turned out to be this productive, and - based on what you've seen - why do you think he's been so effective for the Senators so far?

PR: I'm not surprised that Milan Michalek has been as successful offensively as he has been, but I didn't expect such an all-around force when he came over from San Jose: Penalty killing, backchecking, playing in front of the net, and he's insanely fast. His scoring has slowed down a fair bit in the last 10 games, and he's one guy who's going to have to get it going with Jason Spezza out of the lineup for 6-8 weeks.

Question #4. Rather than ask for a prediction for tonight's game, how about a bolder one? The Senators are sitting pretty at 6th in the East at 17-12-4; from what you've seen so far, do you think they'll be in the postseason come April?

PR: It would be a huge disappointment if the Senators didn't make the playoffs, at least as things are going right now--and that's even without Spezza for a significant period of time. They've been as high as first in the Northeast, and haven't spent any significant amount of time out of a playoff spot. Considering how weak the Eastern Conference has been so far this season, the Senators have a great chance of making the playoffs, even as high as fifth spot--but sixth or seventh might be more realistic.

Big thanks to Peter R for answering my questions. Elliott is coming off a real good game and he's done well at the Rock the last time he came here; so as inconsistent as he may have been, I wouldn't expect him to flounder.

It's interesting that Peter brought up the idea of dumping and chasing. The Canadiens tried to do that in the third period against the Devils, but to no real avail as the Devils were able to get to the dumped puck first more often than not. Oh, and it helps when Martin Brodeur's so good with his stick behind his net. Still, the Canadiens were also playing in a fog on Wednesday; I think Ottawa will be more alert tonight so I hope the defensemen are ready to hustle to the corners and endboards should the Senators go in this direction.

As usual, I'll be in Section 1, Row 16, and probably being louder than most would care for. Alas, it's a hockey game and not a library, that's my argument and I'm sticking to it. Stay warm and Steve will have the GameThread up tonight. Please comment on tonight's game in advance of the GameThread in the comments (feel free to post any updates from Gulitti or Chere). Go Devils!

Senators shut down Sabres in 2-0 victory

PeterR — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:25:37 -0000

More photos » by Fred Chartrand - AP

Judging by the expression I can read from Jonathan Cheechoo's eye, he's thinking, "How did that go in?" while Alex Picard is saying, "Yeah! I totally planned it that way!" Ryan Miller is thinking the same thing as Cheechoo.

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The Ottawa Senators' 2-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres may look like it was a boring game if you're just peering at the scoresheet, but anyone watching the game would certainly disagree with that. There were big hits--and controversial ones--and plenty of scoring chances, with the vast majority of them stymied by either Brian Elliott or Ryan Miller, probably the first and second stars, respectively, for most people who watched the game. It was certainly one of Ottawa's most impressive start-to-finish efforts of the season, and it paid off on the scoresheet--all it took was a significant injury to the team's top centre for the Senators to find their rallying cry.

Sens heroes: Brian Elliott, Peter Regin
Elliott the pendulum was back on the favourable side tonight, and was outstanding for the most part. His glove was right on, his rebound control was strong, his reaction time was light-speed, and his luck was there when those assets failed him. He may have only faced 22 shots, but he stopped them all, and you can't ask for much more from your goaltender.

I'm going to give Regin some love here, too, in part because I've been hard on him recently, and also in part because he looked like the force he'd been earlier in the season. He had one assist on the night, and could very well have had two goals against most other goalies in the league. He finished with a game-high five shots (tied with Tim Connolly) in 13:21 TOI, and it`s a pretty good bet he'll play a few more games as a winger rather than a centremen in the near future.

Sens killers: Ryan Miller
People have been saying Miller's been the best goaltender in the league so far, and I didn't realize just how good he was playing until I saw him tonight. He may have only made 26 saves on 28 shots, but there were plenty of good chances in Ottawa--especially early in the game, and Miller gave the Sabres every chance to take the lead and win the game.

Sens zeros: Jarkko Ruutu
I'll let Mark take care of this one, because he obviously feels strongly about it.

Mark's take: Ruutu has to play smarter. There's no other way to say it. On his own, he accounted for nine of Ottawa's thirteen penalty minutes on the night. Think about that. Almost seventy percent of Ottawa's penalty kill time tonight was Ruutu's fault. One a night where the team was so depleted that a defenseman was playing as a forward, that kind of sloppy play is flat out unacceptable. We have repeatedly seen this team outwork more skilled opponents and then give away hard-earned leads with untimely, sloppy penalties. Thanks to Ruutu, Buffalo had a great opportunity to continue that trend tonight. That they weren't able to (with a big assist from Connolly in the middle of Ruutu's major) is a testament to the effort of his teammates. He should be made juice boy for the month with the way he forced everyone else to bail him out.

Ruutu can be a good player, and I realize his game is playing on the edge, but he has to play intelligently, and that means being aware of his reputation. Just like we've seen Carkner reign in the fists as he becomes more integral to the team, Ruutu must also be aware of when to push the envelope and when not to -- and a one-goal game against the division leaders is not the time to.

The bottom line: This depleted roster cannot afford to take stupid penalties at any point. Ruutu took three tonight. I hope Cory Clouston tells him to shape up.

Plenty of credit to: Chris Campoli, Jesse Winchester
I'm not sure whether or not Campoli was excited at the prospect of playing as a forward, or just at the prospect of playing at all, but he sure made the best of his chance. He finished with 7:26 in ice time, more than many expected, and he looked like he was excited at the chance to punish opposing defenders as unforgivingly as he's often been punished when backchecking himself; he was tied for the team-lead with three hits on the night. No shots credited, but he created an amazing scoring chance for Ryan Shannon in the second.

As for Winchester, it was a strong statement that--although he's no replacement for Jason Spezza--he's not going to look too out of place in an increased role, especially if he's with any of Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher, or Milan Michalek. His faceoff dominance continued tonight (he won 11 of 17 faceoffs), so now we know it wasn't just because he was against weaker opponents--a lot of his wins tonight came against Derek Roy. Winch won third star from NHL.com, despite registering no points and no shots in his 18:55 TOI; that ought to say something about how effective he was at what he was asked to do.

Not a bad start: Josh Hennessy
Hennessy only had 6:47 TOI, but he was strong--especially in the first period, in between Campoli and Shannon. I'm actually a little surprised Cory Clouston didn't give Hennessy and Shannon more of a chance to get something going, considering how strong they were for him in Binghamton, but the guy's got his game plan, and he's sticking to it. In his limited ice time, Hennessy had a shot on net and two hits.

First big hit: Erik Karlsson
Karlsson took what, if memory serves, was his first big NHL hit when he was plastered by Tim Kennedy in the first period. It looked like he was labouring at first, but Special K bounced back and finished off with a pretty solid game. Not as impressive, in my opinion, as the last two games, but he's really appearing to be more confident now--especially in asserting himself in front of the net.

Unnoticed greatness: Ottawa's defensive support
I'll once again refer to the CBSSports.com shot chart to demonstrate a pretty telling trend for the Ottawa Senators; this time, look at where the Sabres took most of their shots from on the night:

Compare Buffalo's shots to Ottawa's, and you'll notice the defensive support Ottawa offered Elliott, and the lack of defensive support the Sabres offered Miller. There's but one shot within the Senators crease, and five or six in the immediate area of Buffalo's. It's especially impressive on the left side of the Senators' end, covered mostly by Matt Carkner, Filip Kuba, and Chris Phillips--Ottawa's strongest positional defencemen on most nights.

Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres @ Ottawa Senators

Rafal Ladysz — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:22:51 -0000

More photos » by Paul Chiasson - AP

9 days ago: Buffalo Sabres' Tim Kennedy, center, celebrates his goal against the Montreal Canadiens with teammates Patrick Kaleta, left, and Tyler Myers during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 in Montreal. The Sabres beat the Canadiens 4-3. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Paul Chiasson)

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Records, statistics and the standings don't matter, at least not for this match-up. Whether the Ottawa Senators are improving or playing poorly, they seem to have the Buffalo Sabres' number winning every season series in the last four years. Buffalo had a 41-26 shot advantage in the first contest of the season yet fell 5-3 to the Senators showing just how snake bitten they are when it comes to their Division foe.

But the Sabres don't look concerned with the past. Winners of four straight including a hard-fought 4-3 final in Montreal where they've struggled as well, the team believes they can beat anyone, anywhere. That's the mindset Buffalo needs and tonight is their best shot to really take it to the Senators which they undoubtedly would relish.

Five thoughts on each team below.

I dug up some numbers to give you an idea of how dominantly Ottawa has handled Buffalo. Since the lock-out, the Senators are 21-6-4 including this year's first clash. Of those 21 victories, 17 have ended by two or more goals and the Sabres have been outscored 126-88 when you count it all up which I did. Ouch.
Ryan Miller and Brian Elliott are the starting netminders. Patrick Lalime surrendered five goals in the November contest. If anyone can put an end to Buffalo's slump with Ottawa, it's Miller who continues to lead the league in every major category for goaltenders with the exception of wins where he is one shy of the lead held by Martin Brodeur and Jonathan Quick.
Clarke MacArthur banged home the game-winner Monday in Montreal via a five-on-three powerplay. The fourth-year winger passed Thomas Vanek in goals with his tenth by doing so. He put in 17 last season and looks to set a new career-high in the mid-20s.
Out with a torn MCL, Jason Spezza will be on the shelf as long as eight weeks possibly. It's a big break for Buffalo because the former Windsor Spitfire has 47 points in 37 career games with the Sabres. Also out of action for Ottawa is Chris Neil and Shean Donovan.
Three goals in two games including Buffalo's only two shorthanded markers have Patrick Kaleta receiving attention everywhere. Tied for sixth in team scoring with this outburst, the energetic checker has done it in style during and after the goal. A shorthanded goal would surely suck the life out of the Senators.
Spezza may be out but Ottawa still has three major threats up front. Daniel Alfredsson is always a thorn in our side, Mike Fisher is having a superb year and Milan Michalek already has 15 goals. And Alex Kovalev, in terms of work-rate, will be there maybe.
Buffalo's powerplay percentage is down to 21st and their penalty-kill has dropped to eighth which is the result of four of the last five goals they've conceded coming on the man-advantage. New York and Montreal both made two count. Ottawa is 12th on the penalty-kill and 21st when they are a man up so they aren't separated by Buffalo very much.
Against their Division, the Sabres are 4-2-2 as are the Senators strangely enough. Buffalo has won eight of ten and the Senators have lost six of ten.
Elliott is 5-0 lifetime versus Buffalo which shouldn't come as a surprise with their inabilities to close out the Senators. On the flip side, Miller is 8-11 against Ottawa but this will be his first crack at shutting them down this season.
A 15-2-2 record after scoring first is again irrelevant for Buffalo because Ottawa is one of the two squads who have won after allowing the opening goal to the Sabres. Boy have they ever had their way with Lindy Ruff's troops.

This is a must-win situation purely because Buffalo must prove it to the coaches, staff, fans and themselves that they have the ability to defeat Ottawa. With Spezza, Neil and Donovan out and a back-up goaltender standing in their way, this is their most timely opportunity. It's now or never.

Listen to Silver Seven Radio, Dec. 14, 2009

PeterR — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:00:39 -0000

Mark Parisi and Peter Raaymakers talk about the Ottawa Senators for the week of Dec. 7-13, 2009. Is Alex Kovalev the player who didn't score for 16 games, or the player who scored a hat trick? Is Jason Spezza going to get his offensive groove back? Is Brian Elliott the goalie who shut out the Flyers, or the goalie who allowed four goals to the Canadiens? Who's got the lead on the Senators roster, Chris Campoli or Alex Picard? All these questions, and a couple million-dollar questions, are broached this week.

Check out the embedded player below:

Kovalev and Spezza power Senators to 4-2 win over Hurricanes

PeterR — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:14:27 -0000

I didn't get to see the Ottawa Senators' Saturday night 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, but I did get to see the in-game reaction from the best commenters in all the land, and also got to watch the highlights of the game. And it sounds like Alex Kovalev scored some overdue and perhaps lucky goals, and Jason Spezza put on in off Manny Legace's pads. Whatever the case, it's the same measure in the standings: A full, and very important, two points.

Sens heroes: Alex Kovalev, Jason Spezza, Nick Foligno
Memo to Sens fans: This is what it's like when you have to lines that can score. I'd forgotten what it was like, but now I know. Some might say Kovalev's goal weren't of the difficult variety, and he definitely benefited from his linemates' hard work, a lucky bounce, and the fact that there was no goalie. But on his first goal, he drove to the net hard against a check, potting Foligno's centring pass, and he finally shot the puck for the second.

Spezza scored his fourth of the season, but perhaps more importantly had six shots on net--a welcome change. He's a set up man, of that there is no doubt, but there's also no denying that he can shoot the puck, too. There's a balance he'll get to, between passing and shooting and defensive and offensive presence. He's just finding it now.

As for Foligno, second very strong game in a row, and he's getting the points to show for it: Another two assists tonight. On his way to those two helpers, Foligno had five shots and was rewarded with plenty of powerplay time. He's traditionally been a streaky scorer, and the benching no doubt woke him up, but hopefully he can find some measure of consistency through to the end of this season.

Silver Seven Heroes: Mark Parisi, Dany Hea-Traitor
These guys just brought it. Bomb doors open. They kept the GameThread going for the better part of the game. Anyone else who wasn't able to watch it, you can read their thoughts on the game as it happened, without the benefit of retrospect.

(Sens zeroes, Sens killers, Hopefully back on track, There when needed, In our hearts, Mysterious injury update of the night, and game highlights after the jump... )

Sens zeroes: Alex Picard
According to the in-game testament of Mark Parisi, Picard was a non-factor tonight. He was one of few Senators on the minus side of the ledger tonight, was tagged with two giveaways (but that's a pretty subjective stat, to be honest), and only had the one shot. He also brutally lost a race for the puck against Eric Staal on Carolina's second goal, let Staal pass the puck to the slot, and stood there and watched as Ray Whitney scored to tie the game. All of which might combine to be a good omen for Chris Campoli, who was scratched tonight in favour of Picard.

Sens killers: Ray Whitney
Again, Parisi said Whitney was on his game tonight, and could easily have had even more than the two goals he did score tonight. He heeled a strong chance on a 2-on-1 in the second, and had five shots and four hits before the night was out. Sounds like a strong game for one of the Hurricanes' prime deadline-day fire sale assets.

Hopefully back on track: Senators powerplay
Ottawa was a better-than-respectable 2-for-3 on the powerplay tonight, with Kovalev and Spezza each getting goals with the man advantage. Some keys, looking at the highlights: Net presence, as was the case with Milan Michalek pissing people off in front of the net for Spezza's goal, but was also noted from Nick Foligno and Mike Fisher; better puck movement at the points, including from Erik Karlsson, whose cross-ice feed to Kovalev set him up for the game-winner; and getting the puck on the net, as Ottawa had nine shots on their three powerplays.

There when needed: Brian Elliott
Elliott may wish he could get a mulligan for the goals he did allow, but his play when the Hurricanes were really getting their chances in the third period--in which he stopped all 12 shots he faced--made a strong statement for his ability to brush off weak goals and play well when the team really needs him. Highlight of that third period was a sick left-pad save on Ray Whitney, but there were a couple of other strong chances, too.

Not on the scoresheet, but still in our hearts: Chris Kelly
I'm usually one of the first people to rag on Kelly for his stone hands, but there's no doubting his value to this team as the go-to penalty killer and the anchor of Ottawa's fourth line. He had more penalty-killing time than anyone on the night, defencemen included, and is keeping it real. He does have to get his faceoff skills back up, though, although he was 5-for-10 tonight.

Mysterious injury update of the night: Alex Kovalev's previously unreported injury
In a Team 1200 post-game interview, Kovalev mentioned that--although he didn't want to blame injuries for his lacking production--he did have something nagging him that was keeping him from shooting the puck as much as he normally would. As a result, he was passing a lot more. Maybe if he's over it, we'll see an increased shot total from Kovalev (note to poolies) and the increased production that one assumes would follow from that.

Game highlights:

Senators bring down Flyers 2-0 as Foligno finally arrives

PeterR — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:30:11 -0000

More photos » by H. Rumph Jr - AP

13 days ago: Ottawa Senators' Nick Foligno, left, sets up for a score against Philadelphia Flyers' Brian Boucher in the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr)

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Some people might say that the Ottawa Senators 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers was a boring, painful game to watch, but I enjoy a good defensive battle every once in a while--especially when teams are still exchanging scoring chances, just not scoring them. The teams went back and forth most of the game, seemingly alternating in shots, scoring chances, and penalties, but not scoring until Nick Foligno drove hard on Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher and potted his own rebound. Jesse Winchester scored an empty-net goal to cap off the scoring, as Brian Elliott earned his first shutout of the season.

Sens heroes: Brian Elliott, Nick Foligno, PK unit
You've got to hand it to Elliott, he had a strong game tonight--as opposed to some of his recent outings. He stopped all 23 he faced, came up big on Philly's six powerplays, and stopped a big breakaway in the second period. Philly had more scoring chances than Ottawa on the night, but Elliott was there to stop them all.

Foligno, meanwhile, may have had his best game of the season. The game-winning goal goes a long way--especially when it's on a solo effort as it was tonight, where Foligno took a shot, drove to the net, and put his own rebound in the net--but he also had a game-high six shots on net, and was on. Aside from his goal, he also made Chris Pronger look silly in the second, getting around him and just about opening the scoring at that point. It was the kind of game Foligno has been and will be counted on to provide, and maybe the historically streaky scorer will get himself going with tonight's effort.

Finally, the PK unit was very strong, putting the boot to all seven Flyers powerplays. Chris Phillips (7:17) and Anton Volchenkov (6:58), as expected, led the way in short-handed TOI, but forwards Daniel Alfredsson (4:55), Chris Kelly (4:57), and Jesse Winchester (4:13) pulled their own weight, too. Volchenkov had blocked three shots on the PK, and Phillips blocked two. Winchester's empty-net goal was technically short-handed (a 6-on-4, as a matter of fact), a result of a a good defensive play and a solid read.

Sens zeroes: Peter Regin
Seriously, where'd this guy go? You could give him a break because he's a rookie, but he played 11 games last season and started this season well--he was outstanding in the pre-season. These days, though, he's regularly the least-utilized player (5:17 TOI tonight, including only 45 seconds in the third), and for good reason; he's not doing anything. At this rate, he's the first candidate for a benching when Chris Neil returns.

Sens killers: Ottawa powerplay
The powerplay was just awful again tonight. Last game, against the Canadiens, you could say it was a result of playing against a hot goaltender, but against the Flyers the Senators were 0-for-6 and had only two shots on the powerplay. Two shots, in 10:11 of time with the man advantage. Ottawa's now goalless in their last 13 powerplay opportunities, over three games.

By the numbers: Ottawa missed 4 shots and had 17 blocked; Philadelphia missed 14 and had 25 blocked
Although Ottawa outshot Philly 25-23 on the night, when you factor in missed or blocked shots, Philadelphia put the puck to the net 62 times, while Ottawa only did so 46 times. You can take it one of two ways: Ottawa didn't put the puck towards the net often enough, or that Philadelphia couldn't hit the net effectively enough.

Shooting from the hip: Sens' shot map
You may remember my illustration of Ottawa's unwillingness to get into the slot and shoot from last game against the Canadiens; tonight, different story. Below is the shot map from Thursday's game, again from CBSSports.com:

You can see a distinct difference from last game, and that's based on where Ottawa's shots were taken from on the ice. There are still plenty of shots taken from the side (especially the left side, for some reason), but there are a bunch of shots taken from the slot, too. The leader in shots from right in front of the net? None other than Foligno, who took just about all of the shots you see at the top of the crease--including that goal he scored.

Take the good with the bad: Chris Campoli
There's no doubt that Campoli's under the knife when it Alex Picard returns from his injury, but he had a pretty strong game once again tonight. He drove hard to the net early in the game, bowling over Boucher and getting the Senators' started on their crease-drive, and he assisted on Foligno's game-winning goal. Then again, he took a couple senseless hooking penalties and had his shot blocked to give Scott Hartnell an easy breakaway, so he's still got things to improve in his game.

Back on track: Anton Volchenkov's hit parade
The A-Train took a couple of games to get his timing back after returning from injury, but it was right on time tonight. He had a game-high four hits, including a big one on Mike Richards,

Commercial of the night: Bonjour, madame!
Just plain terrible.