All I Want For Christmas...
0 Comments Published by Dany Heatley Speedwagon on Friday, December 23, 2011 at 3:25 PM.
...is a playoff spot. Okay so maybe I'm better off asking for a pony, but please entertain me for a second if you will.
The Senators are currently sitting 7th (SEVENTH!) in the NHL. They aren't just in the playoffs, they've got a cushion! (please don't mention 35 GP, it's Christmas, just let me go with it)
At 17-14-4 the Senators are 3 games over .500 (I don't understand the math either) and have a favorable schedule on the horizon. With a game in Carolina tonight, then Montreal, Calgary and Buffalo all up after the Christmas break the Sens have a real chance to put themselves in a place no one thought they'd even be close to at the beginning fo the season.
On paper clearly this Senators team doesn't look like they should be a contender. They're somewhat laughable when you stack them up next to a roster like the Bruins, Rangers or Flyers but here's the thing: The east is bad. Perrenial playoff lock Washington appears lost this year. The Sabres are looking for their receipt for Ville Leino. The Tampa Bay Lightning are learning that maybe you can't replicate last seasons's success with a 40+ goalie.
Meanwhile the Senators just seem to have the ingredients right now they've always lacked. They are getting scoring up and down the lineup (11 players in double digit points, 4 in double digit goals), they have a capable puck moving defenseman (who is still making the sophmore mistakes, give it time) and they're winning games they should be but usually don't (taking advantage of a depleted Pens team 6-4 at home and winning a big game in OT against Southeast leaders Florida).
While it might be crazy to think this team which is largely unchanged from the one that started the season (and was anticipated to be only slightly better than Winnipeg) is able to make the playoffs, I'd argue it could very well be where we are headed if the Sens step on the gas coming off the yule season. Granted as I've said before, making the playoffs will more than likely end in being a minor speed bump for an elite east team, I see no reason not to be elated at the chance to watch hockey in spring. Sure the Senators don't have a very realistic chance at hoisting the cup in 2012, but what's wrong with getting the kids a little playoff experience sooner rather than later.
So, who else wants a pony for Christmas?
The Senators are currently sitting 7th (SEVENTH!) in the NHL. They aren't just in the playoffs, they've got a cushion! (please don't mention 35 GP, it's Christmas, just let me go with it)
At 17-14-4 the Senators are 3 games over .500 (I don't understand the math either) and have a favorable schedule on the horizon. With a game in Carolina tonight, then Montreal, Calgary and Buffalo all up after the Christmas break the Sens have a real chance to put themselves in a place no one thought they'd even be close to at the beginning fo the season.
On paper clearly this Senators team doesn't look like they should be a contender. They're somewhat laughable when you stack them up next to a roster like the Bruins, Rangers or Flyers but here's the thing: The east is bad. Perrenial playoff lock Washington appears lost this year. The Sabres are looking for their receipt for Ville Leino. The Tampa Bay Lightning are learning that maybe you can't replicate last seasons's success with a 40+ goalie.
Meanwhile the Senators just seem to have the ingredients right now they've always lacked. They are getting scoring up and down the lineup (11 players in double digit points, 4 in double digit goals), they have a capable puck moving defenseman (who is still making the sophmore mistakes, give it time) and they're winning games they should be but usually don't (taking advantage of a depleted Pens team 6-4 at home and winning a big game in OT against Southeast leaders Florida).
While it might be crazy to think this team which is largely unchanged from the one that started the season (and was anticipated to be only slightly better than Winnipeg) is able to make the playoffs, I'd argue it could very well be where we are headed if the Sens step on the gas coming off the yule season. Granted as I've said before, making the playoffs will more than likely end in being a minor speed bump for an elite east team, I see no reason not to be elated at the chance to watch hockey in spring. Sure the Senators don't have a very realistic chance at hoisting the cup in 2012, but what's wrong with getting the kids a little playoff experience sooner rather than later.
So, who else wants a pony for Christmas?
Playoffs!!!1!...?
0 Comments Published by Dany Heatley Speedwagon on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 10:52 PM.
So I wake up today and the Sens and Leafs are tied for 8th in the standings. Can anyone help me out here? Are the Senators overachieiving or are the Toronto Maple Leafs failing miserably? (remember when they were first place in the league? Fun times!) For a team picked by most to be the cellar dwellers of the East this season (with the exception of the Winnipeg franchise formerly known as the Atlanta Thrashers) I'm nothing short of surprised with what I've seen out of the Senators so far. While 8th place and a potential first round matchup where the Senators would look like a punching bag to whoever the top team is in the east isn't an enviable position, it should be considered a measure of success given the expectations for this team to start the year.So of course now that the Senators are barely clinging to relevance in the playoff race a mere 2/5ths of the way into the season it's only logical they start making trades to further position themselves for a first round playoff curbstomping. Enter Kyle Turris.
The aquisition of Kyle Turris brings promise for both the present and future. There seems to be a lot of hype surrounding the potential of this kid despite the fact he's got a very short resume. I'm going to go on record and say I don't know what to expect out of KT, but I hope he can solidify himself in the top half of the lineup. Much like the Filatov experiment I don't see a large amount of downside to this trade. Yes, Rundblad was a big piece to give up (along with a 2nd round pick) but to get a player who's proven he belongs in the NHL (with the potential to excel in the future) you need to give up some assets. It's fairly low risk and potentially high reward. Rundblad was the 3rd best young defenceman in the Senators system and with Cowen and Karlsson looking to be the future on the blueline, his greatest value to the Sens might have been as a piece in this trade rather than as a second line D-man. Finding guys to round out your D beyond the top pairing isn't hard. You grooming your own top guys and use the trade market and free agency to fill the gaps.
