SB Nation - Jonathan Cheechoo

Off the Post - December 10th

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:00:24 -0000

[UPDATE] - Happy 40th birthday, Rob Blake! Love, Rudy Kelly (j/k).
[UPDATE] - St. Louis Game Time (the newspaper which spawned the blog) reproduced a segment of "Ice Chips" - questions answered by none other than T.J. Oshie's dad - on the SLGT blog. Highly recommended.
In case you weren't aware, TCY's boy-toy Logan Couture is a great prospect.
Manny Malhotra will be at the Sharks Store signing autographs on December 15th; if you're going, mention it in the comments, and be sure to contribute to Manny's tip jar.
The Ottawa Senators are failing to get production from their high-priced acquisitions... and Jonathan Cheechoo's name doesn't even come up once.
Rudy Kelly really, really, really hates Evgeni Nabokov... who may or may not be a lock for Team Russia.
Ed Jovanovski gets suspended for 2 games, causing him to miss this Saturday's contest against the Sharks; meanwhile, Silver Seven gets irate at those defending JovoCop.
J.R. chimes in on the recent suspensions.
The Nashville Predators slowly climb towards the 14,000-person attendance benchmark required for full NHL revenue sharing...
...which leads us to yet another article on why Canada deserves a 7th team.

Look, I hate Brenden Morrow as much as the next tealblood... but that's Corey Perry he just upended, so you have to smile just a little.

A car gets hit by Brendan Witt.
Enter Boucher....
Mark Messier gets named as the Canadian GM for the 2010 world championship, and decidedly ignores Gretzky's record behind the bench to recommend his old buddy for the coaching position.
Going into last night's game, the Sharks were 1-for-17 on the power play... medical experts are not ruling out MGS as a possibility.
If you ever doubted it, yes, yes indeed - NHL'ers read SBN blogs.
Behind the Net adds analysis to the Brodeur vs. Sawchuk debate.
Sean Gallagher has a sit-down with Andy Murray... kinda.
If you'll excuse me, my buddy OdinMercer and I are going to go celebrate Cinco de Coyo...
...in the meantime, who's the better rapper = Crosby, or Ovechkin?

Senators beat Ducks 4-3 and finally win a shootout and a road game

PeterR — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:50:04 -0000

Jarkko Ruutu celebrates after scoring a goal against Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere during Ottawa's 4-3 shootout victory.

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Sens Heroes: Jason Spezza, Jonathan Cheechoo
The Cheechoo train continues along its tracks since finding them again in San Jose, and hopefully he can bring that success back to Ottawa when the team returns home. His 1G and 2A in the four most recent games almost doubled his point totals so far, and his all-around play has been much more effective. Spezza had also been questioned for his output, but his two points against the Ducks and a resoundingly strong effort showed that he didn't sacrifice his offensive abilities for defensive responsibility; he's just got to find a way to strike a balance more regularly.

Sens Zeroes: Brian Elliott
It's unfortunate that Elliott falls into this category; he allowed three goals, one of which was just a bad-luck bounce off the stantions, and ended up saving 33 of 36 shots on the night--some of which were his patented strong glove saves. Still, the second and third goals were both very stoppable. More importantly, each one was less than a minute after Ottawa scored, making it tough for the Sens forwards to establish much momentum.

Sens Killers: Joffrey Lupul-Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry
Combining for 3G and 2A on the night, the Ducks' top line were far and away the most potent Anaheim players on the ice. Lupul was physical all night--including his hit-from-behind hit on Anton Volchenkov--while Perry and Getzlaf were playing that game that just pisses you off because it works so well.

In Clouston's good books: Jesse Winchester
The head coach continues to show his faith in Winchester by playing him all over, and it's no wonder why. Although he had no powerplay time, he was huge on some of the Senators' penalty kills. He also had some ice time in overtime, and was Ottawa's best faceoff man with a 67 percent (10-for-15) success rate. Although he's not putting up big numbers, the small things he does well he does very well, and they're important to the team's success.

In the doghouse: Peter Regin
After his recent scratching, Regin hasn't really instilled much confidence that it shouldn't happen again. You've got to love his speed, but he just can't keep the puck in tight. He was, once again, the Senators' least-utilized player, with only 6:05 TOI tonight. As popular as he was with Cory Clouston in the AHL, he's obviously not trusted in the big leagues.

And now for something completely different: Five powerplays, including two 5-on-3 opportunities
For a team that's the most penalized in the league and which hasn't been awarded a tremendous number of powerplays, the Senators sure can't say they didn't have their chances on this night. Spezza's powerplay goal, the only one Ottawa had, was shortly after the end of the first two-man advantage. Even at only 1-for-5, the Senators still had eleven powerplay shots-on-goal, with Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson leading the way with three each.

Is it that bad: Three of a possible 10 points on the road trip
Not good, but could be worse, I guess. With a 1-3-1 record over the five-game road trip, Ottawa's got 32 points on the year and still sits in seventh in the Eastern Conference. The problem, though, is that it could (and probably should) have been eight points, with a blown lead against Boston and two winnable games against Los Angeles and Phoenix. Hopefully not something that the Senators have to pay for later in the season.

Newest ailment: Martin Gerber Syndrome
"A syndrome characterized by a sudden onset of unexplained sucking. In what is a classic example of an anxiety disorder, MGS tends to manifest only in cases of increased pressure (ie. performing in front of crowds)." For more information, see the FanPost.

Nickname of the Night: "Not Martin"
Given to Mike Brodeur initially to avoid confusion between himself and his far-removed cousin, Martin Brodeur, it later developed an optimistic secondary meaning: The hope that Brodeur is not afflicted by the seemingly common Martin Gerber Syndrome that's run through the Senators' goaltending roster.

Senators' surge in final minutes not enough, lose 3-2 to Coyotes

DarrenM — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:32:51 -0000

More photos » by Ross Franklin - AP

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If you thought the road trip was looking bad after the first three games, well, it didn't get any better with tonight's effort. The Senators were outworked for 56 minutes by the Coyotes tonight, only coming on strong in the final few minutes. Though no Senators had great games tonight, the team's best players were probably Ryan Shannon, Chris Campoli, and Jonathan Cheechoo. Shannon used his speed to constantly recover the puck in the Coyotes' zone, and was the only player who seemed to have his legs under him for the whole game. Campoli responded well to his benching, creating a lot of offensive chances and being strong in his own end. Cheechoo had assists on both of the Senators' goals, and in fact created both opportunities by driving hard to the net and getting some lucky bounces.

There were also a number of Senators who had poor games, the worst coming from Erik Karlsson and Brian Elliott. Karlsson partially caused the second Coyotes goal after his shot was blocked, leading to a rush by Taylor Pyatt. Karlsson was weak on the third goal as well, and even took a penalty 16 seconds into an important Sens powerplay late in the second period, bringing the teams back to even strength. Elliott once again let in too many soft goals early, which shattered the confidence of the club in front of him.

(Read more for further analysis and video highlights)

Cory Clouston played musical chairs with his lines, especially the defensemen, but to no avail. No line managed to stand out for more than a shift, all struggling to create any chances that weren't wraparounds or shots from the perimeter.

In the end, the Sens simply could not recover from those two first period goals, and never really looked comfortable in the game until the final two minutes (when they were playing 6-on-5 with a pulled goalie). If the Sens don't pull out a win against the Ducks tomorrow night, then they will have gone winless for the entirety of this roadtrip. The team needs to figure out what it's doing wrong (which is most everything), and start playing on the road like they do at home.

Sens outclassed by Kings, lose 6-3

DarrenM — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:31:33 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

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Sens heroes: Mike Fisher, Jonathan Cheechoo
Fisher played like the Mike Fisher we saw earlier in the season, good for two goals and six shots on the night. Jonathan Cheechoo had his best game in a Senators sweater, putting up a goal and six shots, but also drawing two or three penalties through good old fashioned hard work. Cheechoo and his linemates, Chris Kelly and Jarkko Ruutu, were the only Sens players to finish on the positive side of the plus-minus statistic, each at +1.

Sens zeroes: Filip Kuba, Brian Elliott
Kuba simply played soft tonight, not punishing players physically and letting the puck bobble off his stick too frequently. Elliott made some nice stops, but he also let in far too many goals that he could've stopped.

Sens killers: Drew Doughty, Justin Williams
Not to sound like Pierre McGuire or anything, but Doughty played extremely well tonight. Not only was he strong in his own end, but he also put up a rocket of a shot for a powerplay goal. Justin Williams had two goals and an assist on the night.

Telling stat: faceoffs 32-19 Los Angeles
This is starting to be a trend. The Sens have been terrible in the faceoff circle as of late, and tonight was simply awful. Not only did the Senators frequently lose draws, but they lost them at important times when they needed to get goals. Chris Kelly did well with 58% while Jesse Winchester did spectacularly at 86%, but Fisher and Spezza need to pick it up.

Did anyone notice: Ryan Keller
Keller has now played four games. I am not sure I've noticed him in any of them, and as a forward, that's not a good thing. I have a feeling he'll be sitting while Foligno returns.

Injury alert: Alex Picard
In the first period, Picard took a clean, hard hit from Dustin Brown on the boards. He went off the ice labouring his arm/shoulder, and did not return. I expect Chris Campoli will be playing against Phoenix with Picard taking some time off.

Penalty woes: The final minutes of the first period; Phillips' dive
In the final three minutes before the first period ended, the Senators had given up a penalty shot (which Wayne Simmonds scored on) and taken three additional minor penalties, including a bizarre one where Anton Volchenkov grabbed the puck out of the air, held on for a few seconds, and then threw it with all of his might. The Senators somehow killed off the 5-on-3s, but their penalty problems didn't stop there. The Sens nearly had a powerplay in the dying minutes while only a goal down as Scott Parse held Chris Phillips' stick, but Phillips ended up getting called on a dive, so the teams played four on four instead.

Silver Nuggets: Michalek, Cheechoo ready for San Jose

DarrenM — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:47:25 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

Let's once again dwell on how great this moment was.

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Quick summaries of Ottawa Senators related stories around the web:

The hype surrounding tomorrow night's game against the San Jose Sharks has all been about Dany Heatley facing the Sens. But what about Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo facing the Sharks? (Citizen)
GM Bryan Murray has moved on from the Heatley fiasco, but seems eager to get out of San Jose. (Sun)
Erik Karlsson feels that his stint in the AHL has made him a better player, which is probably true. It's also why he probably should still be down there. (Canada.com)
Speaking of Karlsson, Nichols has some theories as to what the Karlsson/Lee swap means in the scheme of things. (6th Sens)
Senators prospect Mike Hoffman and his Saint John Sea Dogs are having a ridiculous season so far. Hoffman has 17 goals and 10 assists in 19 games (including a hat trick on Sunday), while his team is on a 17 game winning streak. Yeah, you read that correctly. 17. (Sea Dogs)
Video interview with Sens prospect Patrick Wiercioch. Seems like a good, down-to-earth kid. Wiercioch, a defenseman in his second NCAA season, has 10 points in 13 games and is +6 with University of Denver. (Hockeybuzz)
UPDATE: Mirtle shows that the Senators are currently the fifth most improved team in the League when you compare their on-pace points total this season to the total points from last season. (From the Rink)
UPDATE (from Peter): Joshua Hennessy was named the AHL's Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 30, with 4G, 3A, and a +7 in the week's three games. If only that could translate into NHL success, we wouldn't be so bitter about the Martin Havlat trade. (Sharp)

Bruins and Senators set for Northeast Division showdown

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:24:52 -0000

More photos » by Fred Chartrand - AP

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The Bruins will try to bounce back from yesterday's 2-1 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils tonight when they host the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden. Both teams enter tonight's game with 29 points and are tied for first place in the Northeast Division, although the Bruins have played two more games than the Senators. Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien indicated yesterday that Tim Thomas, who missed the last 6 games with a hand injury could return today. Meanwhile, Ottawa is looking for their second straight win after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Thanksgiving.

Know Your Enemy

Ottawa Senators (13-7-3)

Head Coach: Cory Clouston

Season Series: 2nd of 6 meetings; Bruins won the first meeting 4-3 in a shootout back on October 24th after the B's staged an epic late third period comeback.

Leading Goal Scorer:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Milan Michalek	11	4	15	-1	6

Goaltending:

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Brian Elliott	9	491	5	2			21	2.57	236	215	.911	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Mike Brodeur	0	0	0	0	0		0	-	0	0	-	0

Injury Report

Boston Bruins Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Thomas	hand	11/28/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Milan Lucic	ankle	11/26/2009

Ottawa Senators Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mike Fisher	other-excused	11/28/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Shean Donovan	knee	11/20/2009
Anton Volchenkov	elbow	10/29/2009
Pascal Leclaire	broken cheekbone	11/24/2009

Notes:

- Tim Thomas was the first goalie off the ice during the morning skate for the Bruins, indicating that he will likely be the starter tonight.

- Neither team has lost in regulation this season to a Northeast Division opponent. The Bruins are 3-0-1 against division rivals, while the Senators are 4-0-1.

- Ottawa goalie Pacal Leclaire is expected to miss four weeks with a broken cheekbone after being struck in the face with puck while sitting on the bench during a game against the Washington Capitals on Monday.

- Senators forward Jonathan Cheechoo's birthplace might be my new favorite name for a town: Moose Factory, Ontario

- Fun Fact: According to Jason Spezza's Wikipedia page, he is a former youth model and appeared in commercials for Minute Maid and Kmart.

- Tim Thomas has recorded 3 of his 15 career NHL shutouts vs. Ottawa.

- Tonight's game starts at 7:00 can be seen on NESN. For our friends to the North, tonight's game will be featured on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. The open thread starts at 6:30.

- For more on tonight's game from an Ottawa perspective, check out Silver Seven

Today's Obligatory Embarrassing Senators Fan YouTube Video

Game 24 Preview: Jackets End Rough Roadtrip in Ottawa

Mike MacLean — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:53:30 -0000

More photos » by Graham Hughes - AP

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First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to my friends south of the border! I'm going to make this short and sweet- the Jackets need a win tonight, badly. This is the fifth and final game of their longest road trip of the season, and it has been a disastrous one for the Jackets. Tonight they face the Ottawa Senators, who have been playing pretty solid hockey of late. Their top six forwards are still very dangerous, even with Mike Fisher potentially out.

This marks the return to Ottawa for Antoine Vermette, I'm sure he'll be up for this one. Unfortunately, the Jackets won't be facing Pascal Leclaire- he got hit with a puck in the face while sitting on the bench recently. The Jackets need to get back to playing Hitch hockey, and avoid getting too fancy with the puck. Let's see a solid 60-minute effort tonight boys!

Fearless Prediction- I just want a win.

Game Time: 7:30pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Silver Seven

Game Page: Blue Jackets vs Senators Coverage

TSN Preview: Blue Jackets vs Senators Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

R.J. Umberger	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
Kristian Huselius	Derick Brassard	Jakub Voracek
Jason Chimera	Samuel Pahlsson	Michael Blunden
Raffi Torres	Derek MacKenzie	Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin	Anton Stralman
Rostislav Klesla	Jan Hejda
Marc Methot	Mike Commodore

Steve Mason

Mathieu Garon

EXTRA: Kris Russell, Tom Sestito

INJURED: Fredrik Modin, Andrew Murray, Derek Dorsett

Ottawa Senators

Milan Michalek	Jason Spezza	Daniel Alfredsson
Nick Foligno	Mike Fisher	Alexei Kovalev
Jonathan Cheechoo	Peter Regin	Ryan Keller
Jarkko Ruutu	Chris Kelly	Jesse Winchester

Chris Phillips	Filip Kuba
Chris Campoli	Brian Lee
Alexandre Picard	Matt Carkner

Brian Elliott

Mike Brodeur

Senators score three straight in 4-3 OT comeback victory over Capitals

DarrenM — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:33:12 -0000

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

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If you turned off the television after two periods, you missed one heck of a finish, as the Sens posted an incredible comeback to take the game 4-3 in overtime thanks to a beautiful tip-in goal from Mike Fisher.

To be completely honest, after the second period I started typing this up with the title already stating that the Sens had lost. In my mind, the game was out of reach. The Ottawa Senators were outplayed for the first 40 minutes by the Washington Capitals, entering the third period down 3-1 and getting outshot in those two periods 25-15. Yet the Senators absolutely exploded in the third, getting two goals and putting up 18 shots in the process while holding the Caps to 3 shots. Overtime lasted just over a minute, as Chris Phillips carried the puck into the Caps' end, threw the puck on net where Mike Fisher showed great hand-eye with a spectacular tip-in.

The first goal of the game also came from the Sens, a Peter Regin goal off a feed from Jesse Winchester. Truth be told, the line of Regin, Winchester and Shannon was likely the best of the night for the Sens, especially in the first two periods. In fact, Regin and Shannon ended up promoted to the second line with Fisher by the middle of the third, where their speed and takeaways stumped the Caps' defense. Chris Neil got his fourth goal of the year, already giving him more than his total output from last year.

(Read more for more analysis and video...)

Other players who had great games for the Senators include Brian Elliott, who made a handful of spectacular saves and was solid throughout the game; Filip Kuba, who quietly posted three assists, giving him 8 points in the last 3 games; and Alex Picard, who had a number of great blasts from the point during the night. Players who didn't have their best night include Jonathan Cheechoo, who helped create the Caps' third goal with a bad giveaway; and Pascal Leclaire, who left midway through the second period after getting hit in the face by a puck while sitting on the bench. He didn't return.

After first two periods, the Senators would have considered themselves lucky to come out of this game with one point. Coming out with two points has to be seen as a fluke, and something that the Senators cannot hope to repeat. Still, you have to hand it to this team for sticking in it and battling while down two goals to post such a great comeback.

Thanks to the two points from this win, the Senators are now first place in the Northeast Division.

Peter's take:

First off, Peter's glad he got to go to this game, no matter how torturous those first two periods were. I attribute the third-period comeback to this interesting fact: In the final frame, Cheechoo was only given 2:08 TOI, Nick Foligno was only given 1:45 TOI, Brian Lee was only given 2:50 TOI, and Chris Kelly was only given 3:56 TOI. Lee and Cheechoo gift-wrapped Jay 'Voyage of the' Beagle's first NHL goal mid-way through the second, Kelly took two stupid (if perhaps undeserved) penalties, and Foligno continues to look lost so far this season. On the other hand, Fisher was given (or, more honestly, earned) 7:10 TOI, Shannon was given 6:25 TOI, Regin was given 6:10 TOI, and Kuba was given 9:19 TOI. Going into the third period, Chris Neil--who was instrumental in the comeback, not only with his tip-in goal, but also a couple big tide-turning hits, said that not everyone was on the same page through the first two periods. Coach Cory Clouston rectified that by benching those who weren't.

Although I'm a little unsure why Jesse Winchester was only given 1:33 TOI in the third; he played like a man possessed tonight, and was benched seemingly because his line played so well and served as a good spot for Fisher.

Although the first two periods looked bad, the three goals could be traced pretty cleanly to personal errors. Chris Clark's goal (which was total B.S. anyway, because it was blatantly kicked in) came after Kuba left his position to give Alex Ovechkin (who was actually quiet, for the most part, tonight) a love-tap, while Brendan Morrison's goal came after Chris Campoli decided to take a Sunday skate and completely left his man unchecked, and the aforementioned Beagle goal was just U-G-L-Y ugly. But hey, it all worked out in the end, I guess.

I'm not sure what's wrong with Jason Spezza, but he looked off tonight, too. Not just because he missed two glorious (yes, Darren, GLORIOUS) chances to end the game in overtime, but he doesn't quite look comfortable in his skin out there. Let's say Clouston had good reason he was demoted to play alongside Neil and Foligno in the second period. Again, not sure what it is, but tonight might have been his worst game of the season.

I'm sure you all know this already, but if you look up "clutch" in the Ottawa Senators Dictionary, it's spelled F-I-S-H-E-R. The guy's Ottawa's all-time leading overtime scorer with five regular-season overtime winners and he's got one playoff overtime game-winner, too (which was against the dirty Leafs, to boot). How good is this guy this year?

UPDATE: Oh yeah, I want to talk about the Capitals a bit, too. Tonight, I learned who the second-dirtiest player in the NHL is, behind only Chris Pronger: John 'The Lumberjack' Erskine. Anyone else see him completely hacking, slashing, cross-checking everyone anywhere on the ice? It was ugly. He took one minor in the game, but on the shift where he took that minor, he could probably have been assessed five or six individual penalties.

You know who might have been Washington's best player, though, aside from Semyon Varlamov? Rookie Mathieu Perrault. This kid's got skills, and I was actually pretty impressed with his strength, quickness, and defensive and offensive awareness. He's a gamer.

Off the Post - November 22

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:00:11 -0000

[UPDATE] - The NHL suspends Danny Briere for 2 games for his hit on Scott Hannan... is it just me, or has he been a little violent lately?
[UPDATE, thanks to Section223] - Don't expect Torrey Mitchell tomorrow... and Dan Boyle is questionable.
[UPDATE, thanks to Tarlinian, Pizzle and Section223] - Torrey Mitchell is back from Worcester, though he might not be in Wednesday.
[UPDATE, thanks to idunno723] - Benn Ferriero, Ryan Vesce, and Logan Couture are headed back to Worcester.
[UPDATE, thanks to Nael M.] - The Sharks might be in Europe next season... dammit.
Wooooo! We're #1!
This day in history...
- November 22, 1963 - does it need an introduction?
- November 22, 1999 - Wayne Gretzky is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
- November 22, 2008 - the Sharks had 35 points... in just 21 games.
The Sharks Store is holding a Black Friday sale on November 27 - up to 33% off on jerseys.
Broad Street Hockey's recap of a decisive Sharks victory.
How are our former Sharks doing? Five players of note.
- #1 = A look at former Shark defenseman Matt Carle's success with Philadelphia.
- #2 = Christian Ehrhoff is doing pretty well for himself up in Vancouver.
- #3 and 4 = Milan Michalek scored his 100th career goal, while teammate Jonathan Cheechoo notched another goal for a season total of... two.
- #5 = Steve Bernier has three goals in his last two games (both against Colorado).
How awesome is this photo? Thanks to the Sharks Foundation and the Reading Is Cool program.

Three Sharks are in the top 7 for the early Art Ross race, while Dany Heatley in particular leads the pack in the Rocket Richard run-off (granted, A.O. is injured) and in PP goals, and is tied for first in game-winning goals.
Two Sharks fun facts = Heatley finds the back of the net one out of four times he shoots, and Derek Joslin, believe it or not, actually leads the league in something.
Ross McKeon's power rankings return.
Mirtle calculates the number of NHL man-games lost to injury, and San Jose comes in at 13th.
Fear the Fin - ranked 17th among hockey blogs.
Dallas Stars winger James Neal gets suspended for 2 games after hitting Derek Dorsett from behind. Dorsett's collapse is chilling to watch.
Jeremy Roenick shoots the shit, including referencing the Neal hit.
The NHL eyes a second team in the Greater Toronto Area.
The national teams pining for Olympic gold.
Steven Stamkos provides a goal for the ages, against the Anaheim Ducks... a shame it wasn't televised in Tampa. (Note - Stamkos also has points in all but 4 games this season)
Road trip photos, if you're interested.
Pickles' first fight.... ever.

Senators extinctify Penguins en route to 6-2 victory

PeterR — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:05 -0000

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

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The Ottawa Senators benefited greatly from a depleted Pittsburgh Penguins defence corps, an off-game from goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and plenty of secondary scoring to soundly beat Pittsburgh by a 6-2 score. It's rare enough for any of Matt Carkner, Chris Phillips, Chris Kelly, and Jonathan Cheechoo to score a goal in any given game, let alone each of them scoring in the same game--and Phillips even added a second goal on the night. I'll turn the floor over to Silver Seven Radio (watch for its relaunch soon) co-host Mark Parisi for a Coles Notes recap of the game:

Ottawa played a complete game for once. Lots of people scored. Mike Fisher was great. Michalek is mad because Fisher has the same number of goals as he does. Spezza doesn’t understand what to do now that the spotlight isn’t on him. Regin is mad because now he will never get on the ice. Leclaire is mad because he really needed to keep it to one goal for his GAA. And Cheechoo gave us pizza.

--Mark Parisi, hero

Well said. But because I'm long-winded, I've got details to add.

The game actually started pretty scarily, with Jordan Staal scoring only 69 seconds into the game to give the Penguins an early 1-0 lead. Ten minutes later, though, after some very strong sustained pressure in the Pittsburgh zone thanks to some effective cycling between notably Mike Fisher and Alex Kovalev, Carkner was able to fire the puck past Fleury to tie the game. Milan Michalek scored a powerplay marker in the second period, and then the Senators broke the game open with goals from Kelly--who had an impressive post-penalty breakaway goal, beating Fleury low blocker side--Phillips--whose two goals were from the very same spot, along the mid-boards on the left side, the first going far side and the next high short side--and Cheechoo to give the Senators all the offence they would need (and then some). Evgeni Malkin scored a late powerplay goal on a bogus powerplay to make it 6-2, but it didn't make any difference except for Pascal Leclaire's personal statistics.

To touch on that bogus powerplay quickly, it came right after Shean Donovan went down after a knee-on-knee collision with Matt Cooke. Donovan needed help to get off, which isn't a good sign when it's a player as tough as he is. Despite the fact that he's a fourth line role player who rarely even approaches 10 minutes of ice time per game, an extended absence could be tough for the Senators. Donovan's intensity does a lot to energize players on the rest of the team, and it's no coincidence that the team is 9-2-1 when he's in the lineup. Both Alex Picard, who was given two minutes for slashing, and Carkner challenged Cooke after the play, and Picard (or "pee car", if you're an FSN commentator) was the only one handed a penalty.

Back to the good stuff, though. It's amazing to see that Kovalev had no points tonight, because he had one of his most solid games of the season to date. His line, along with Fisher and Nick Foligno, was again the fulcrum of the Senators' offence: Fisher had three assists, Foligno had two, and the three of them controlled the play for most of their time on ice.

In doing so, they made it less obvious that Jason Spezza went pointless again tonight, and has no points in his last six games. He had a strong game defensively, but if you'd told me that the Senators were going to score six goals tonight and Spezza wouldn't have a point on any of them, I'd have had you committed. Even Filip Kuba got off the schnei tonight, netting an assist on Phillips' second goal (his third of the year and first in six games). Then again, Kuba had five shots on the night, Spezza only had one; hasn't that been an issue for a while now? I'm not panicking or anything, just excited for when Spezza gets that monkey off his back.

On defence, Picard had a pretty strong game tonight, his second in a row. In fact, if he didn't intersperse his good games with terrible ones, he'd look like a pretty good player in the Senators defence corps. He's well on his way to a career year, as his two assists tonight give him 9P (1G, 8A) on the season so far. (His previous career high is 22P in 2006-07 with Philadelphia.) If he could keep those defensive gaffes to the minimum, he'd easily surpass Brian Lee and Chris Campoli on the depth chart, and maybe even pass Carkner in tight situations.

Leclaire had a solid game tonight, although he wasn't overly tested. He had little chance on the first goal--Picard lost his check, a mistake that led to a 2-on-1--and the second goal was a sick shot by one of the best players in the league today.

Everything said and done, a very exciting game to watch, and a resounding statement that the Senators can compete against some of the most skilled players in the league.