Gut Check Time: Senators 3, Panthers 5
12 Comments Published by Sherry on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 10:39 PM.
Look, here's the thing. I know we can't win them all and I know that this team has a lot of holes to fill so making mistakes is normal but what confounds me is how this team can manage to look so listless and manage to make so many mistakes on any given night.
The thing is, I can understand if this team is maybe trying a bit too hard and making errors as a result, but from what I can gather they're not playing with a lot of confidence and approaching everything too tentatively. I can understand why you want to maybe keep things simple when you're in the middle of a slump but the point of the matter is you still have to skate hard, you still have to check hard and you absolutely HAVE to limit the odd-man rushes if you're going to work on that little confidence problem of yours.
It doesn't help that our goaltending has been absolutely crudtastic. Look, Ray I know you're hot shizzle or whatever you kids are calling it these days and sure, after Martin Gerber's poor display on Sunday you absolutely deserve a chance but if this is how you're going to respond you're going to have to higher a good spin doctor to convince Great Overlord Bryan Murray why you shouldn't be the one that gets shipped out since Marty-G at least doesn't have a track record of misbehaviour. I mean, Gord totally passive aggressively called you out on-air today when he said that the Panthers couldn't get Tomas Vokoun off the ice after a bad game against Washington. He said it thrice for emphasis. They could NOT get him OFF THE ICE.
The positives are that the Senators managed 46 shots-on-goal so creating chances isn't a problem but their defensive lapses are especially troubling. My standards for Wade Redden have been set so low that I'm just grateful everytime he doesn't softly turn the puck over. He was a -3 on the night and the only positive I can glean from it is that at least this means he's playing down his value.
I'm not a fan of John Paddock tactics of throwing the lines into a blender and seeing what happens but I honestly don't think he's a bad coach for this team. The thing is, he doesn't seem to get riled up about anything and what this team really needs is for somebody to knock over a few things in the dressing room and tear a strip off of the team (make somebody cry if you have to!). The time to be cuddly (not that I would characterize Paddock as anything close to cuddly) with this team is over. Sure, it was all puppies and rainbows when we were coasting and Alfie was kicking the ass of everything that stood in his way but he can't do it alone and I'm not entirely convinced he's 100% from that hip flexor.
My long-winded point is this: things are not near disaster or crisis level yet but so help me if this trend continues. You have to nip this in the bud because if the trend of getting demolished by teams continues, that could get to their head and one of the hardest things to do is recover that confidence you lost. Don't piss away the hot start or the great team you have. This is a great team and it'd be a damn shame if these assets were wasted.
That being said, I think I've been re-motivated to discover new forms of alcoholic pudding.
The Panic Metre is on the IR until further notice.
(Speaking of inappropriate seppuku jokes, here's a Suicide Hotline call from the very hilarious The Somethingorothers)
Labels: florida panthers, john paddock, noooooo, panic metre, ray emery, road loss, this can't be happening
Aww, that picture made me laugh and then made me sad. I'm not manic depressive....I swear...
Oh no! Not the Panic Metre! I suppose it might be the cause of your bad karma, or the fact that I didn't bench Fisher might be too. I benched Drury and look what happened.
I like how Gary pointed out that since starting 15-2 the team is below .500... 15-13-4 I believe. That's not so hot.
Anyhow, I think the team is slumping in the same fashion that they were terrible at the start of last year. Something is going to have to happen for them to get their minds back on track.
I don't know if it's because a piece of my heart died after the stanley cup finals last year but I've come to accept the sens as the eastern conference version of the dallas stars. A great team that no one really expects to do much. And they don't. Except we don't have our cup... *sigh*
Wow... I'm not really sure there's anything to say about the team's play that hasn't already been said. Heater or no Heater, until this team learns to start playing defense again they're going to lose a lot more games.
That's it, I need to talk about something non-sucky for a change.
A few weeks ago a buddy of mine referred to the short-lived Fisher, Bass, McAmmond line as the Seafood Line after they scored against the Lightning. I loved the name, but obviously Deaner would need a nautical nickname to fit in (so the other kids wouldn't make fun of him), prompting my friend to offer up "The Sea Captain". It was an awesome name! But the question remained, would the name stick? Would he earn his battlefield commission? In my humble opinion, he answered his doubters tonight. Not only did the Sea Captain score tonight (like any good seaman worth his salt while in a foreign port), but he also showed his true nautical spirit when his sea legs caused him to fall on his ass for no good reason on at least two consecutive shifts in the First Period! My hats off to you, Sea Captain. Now get back to the bridge and right this damn ship!
PS - You probably shouldn't tell Alfie about the promotion. I hear he doesn't take well to mutineers.
ckim, it's okay...I couldn't decide whether or not I was sad or hysterical either.
Kirsten, now I know who to blame!
Jay, do NOT ever compare the Stars and the Senators! (I hate the Stars). But I see your point, I think it's going to take a lot of soul searching for them to break out of this slump. I was hoping with Heatley gone this team would be able step up...there's still hope I guess.
Nick, that is an AWESOME story! I shall also take an initiative to start calling McAmmond the Sea Captain. It rolls off the tongue better than 'Hank'.
Which promotion are you referring to? The secret 'C' I gave to Zach on my fantasy team?
Alcoholic pudding keeps sounding like a better and better idea all the time now. And I had my own inappropriate suicide joke:
http://wwold.blogspot.com/2008/01/jfj-post-firing-suicide-watch-day-1.html
/self-whoring
Hahaha Sorry, Sherry! My bad. The PS was meant for the Sea Captain. I was worried that Alfie might think this ship tain't big enough fer two cap'ns.
(The hell... when did Alfie become a pirate? He'd clearly be a viking if anything.)
That dressing room speach is EXACTLY what they need. (I've never seen that site before - gonna add it to the tour Clearly it has not been delivered. If Paddock is disinclinded to deliver it, please please please ask me. I have enough hot-flash-and-pissed-off-fan-driven anger to do a credible job. I think they would be waaay more scared by me.
The only solution I've come up with is to bench Fisher forever, starting now.
LD, self-whoring is more than welcome here :P
Nick, this might be true. Alfie is Captain of the World, Deaner can be Captain of the Sea. (A pirate-Viking?)
Blitzen, if I have to sick you on the team, don't think I won't do it!
Kirsten, I think that would be painful...but for the greater good, right?
The only solution I've come up with is to bench Fisher forever, starting now.
Whoa,whoa,whoa...let's not say things, CRAZY things, we can't take back now.
Thanks for the link Sherry! Anytime you need a vicarious, froth-at-the-mouth spleen vent written by a raging lunatic, I'm your guy!
I meant on my fantasy team. I would bench him on my fantasy team because immediately when I bench Drury, the Rangers win. I figure it might work for Fisher too.