tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49892415774283900022011-10-11T04:53:17.138-04:00A blog dedicated to hockey and all things relating to the Ottawa Senators.Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-56245834039030974542011-02-11T21:14:00.003-05:002011-02-11T21:18:26.526-05:00

Well, here it is. I always see blogs I like going on hiatus, but they had huge readerships. I guess this will be nothing but a whimper in the history of hockey bloggers, but I can't put it off much longer. The Breakout Pass is going on hiatus. It's been coming for a while, but I guess the final decision came when Fisher was traded. I love Fisher, think he's a great player, and if I had the time,

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-56557246633724087212011-01-19T17:43:00.002-05:002011-01-19T19:38:51.880-05:00

The term “dog days of summer” is used to refer to the hottest days of the season, and most baseball broadcasters use this term a lot to explain why some stadiums feel emptier than usual – the games seem to stretch on for an eternity and become less enjoyable because of the sweltering heat, and many fans would rather stay at home. Although Ottawa is currently in the midst of a relatively mild

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-63335387702102724272011-01-09T12:34:00.003-05:002011-01-09T14:04:17.058-05:00

First things first, I apologize for the long wait between posts. Between exams, the holidays and, quite honestly, a lack of motivation to watch this struggling product, I haven't had much time or interest in watching Sens games, even though I've still been following them religiously. Haven't had too much to say, either, since it would more than likely all be derivative of the rampant public

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-6085584621186905902010-12-16T08:45:00.002-05:002010-12-16T09:14:18.718-05:00

Assuming the status quo is intact, tonight's game against the Wild will mark Brian Lee's 26th consecutive game as a healthy scratch. Though the tale of Brian Lee has been told and re-told, and the laments of taking him over Kopitar and Mark Staal have been heard ad nauseum, at what point do the expectations drop, if ever? He is by no means a bad player, just caught in an awkward situation. His

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-33420435034712940222010-11-30T08:52:00.003-05:002010-12-03T23:59:21.714-05:00

Though Martin Gerber is often mocked for looking, and occasionally playing like the Gerber baby, last night's match made him seem much more like the military knife of the same name. Not because he was sharp or precise, but because watching the Senators lose to the last-place Oilers so spectacularly was about as much fun as being stabbed with one of these.And really, what can be said in anyone's

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-75385789221680076022010-11-27T11:30:00.003-05:002010-11-27T12:03:13.513-05:00

I got an opportunity to check out the Binghamton Senators take on the Hamilton Bulldogs at Scotiabank Place last night (thanks again for the ticket, @CassiieD!) and, as someone who doesn't get much of a chance to check out the farm team, thought I might take a moment to list a few thoughts on the "stars of the future" like Martin St. Pierre Patrick Wiercioch, Robin Lehner and others.Jim O'Brien

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-63994344190645188162010-11-25T10:03:00.002-05:002010-11-25T10:47:23.838-05:00

What do you mean, that's the wrong kind of "no offense"?Last night's "game" against the Stars was a real eye-opener -- please note that I use the word "game" very lightly, as games are supposed to be fun and entertaining, not so boring that they lull you to sleep -- insofar as the team's complete lack of goal-scoring prowess. Sure, our favourite scapegoats, the goaltenders, haven't been stellar.

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-52454649417099648922010-11-18T10:18:00.002-05:002010-11-18T10:25:33.335-05:00

First off, thanks to everyone who entered the contest for the Erik Karlsson jersey t-shirt. I wish I could give each and every one of you something, but at the same time I'm not independently wealthy, so there can only be one winner.I was impressed at the originality of some of the nicknames, and it was really hard to pick a winner, but in the end I went with Dan's entry of 'Special K'. The

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-84732344070503601522010-11-16T08:42:00.002-05:002010-11-16T09:23:20.035-05:00

This picture: Relevance? None at all. Awesomeness? Directly proportionate to the mustache.So last night's game saw the Sens suffer a complete ass-kicking at the hands of the Flyers. A couple of early tipped-in goals were all the goals Philly needed, but they kept pouring them on. Ottawa, meanwhile, looked sloppy in our defensive end. Our offence had no spark. Our shit-disturbers were taking more

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-81119590615399715322010-11-10T10:34:00.004-05:002010-11-10T11:29:04.667-05:00

Quick hits on last night’s game Campoli looked very solid, yet again. He already seems far more poised and calm around the puck than he did last year. Who knows, maybe the deal to get him in Ottawa could still work out. Alfredsson seemed a bit slow and uneasy, almost like his head wasn’t in the game. He’s due for a good game. If my memory serves me right, his last GOOD game was in Phoenix in

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-38414560627686160632010-11-06T14:25:00.004-04:002010-11-06T14:48:04.443-04:00

Mercifully, this jersey didn't make an appearance.Sorry I didn't get much of a chance to write a summary of the Islanders game, but chances are that either a) you've read/seen enough to know what went down yourself, or b) you just don't care. The upshot of it is that there's not much to recap,

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-52587164085952499042010-10-28T10:56:00.004-04:002010-10-28T11:14:39.227-04:00

Maybe the idea of 'tough love' isn't as efficient as it's suggested to be.After a few days of the media focusing on Clouston's new "good cop" routine in practice, (as opposed to the bag skates and screaming of the few practices beforehand) the Senators came out and played their best game of the season Tuesday night against the Coyotes. Kovalev looked inspired, Campoli and Karlsson were at their

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-59632794304572390372010-10-22T22:16:00.001-04:002010-10-22T22:17:56.836-04:00

I'm going to take a page out of The 6th Sens book and recap this game with a haiku.Daniel AlfredssonThe man, the myth, the legendNothing more to say.

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-44902981608825380362010-10-19T10:30:00.002-04:002010-10-19T10:35:38.498-04:00

Amazingly, still better than his play last year.Frustrating. Aggravating. Irritating. Pathetic. Hopeless.Pick any three, and that pretty accurately describes what it was like to watch the Senators get spanked by the Penguins last night. Sure, 5-2 doesn’t look HORRIBLE, but don’t let the score fool you—they really, really were that bad. If you didn’t see this game, consider yourself lucky. The

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-8539355612734636022010-10-18T12:42:00.006-04:002010-10-18T13:18:30.516-04:00

If only things worked out the way they look on paper...My apologies for the lack of recaps. With mid-term session in full swing, it's been hard to find a moment to sit down and blog.That said, there's been an abundance of time to watch the Sens play, and there's no doubt in my mind, or anyone's, really, that this is a team that needs a lot of work. On paper, this roster should not be 1-3-1.

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-67427203621225953542010-10-10T09:32:00.003-04:002010-10-10T09:55:17.715-04:00

Did you get the memo?To: Ottawa SenatorsFrom: LewyDate: October 10th, 2010Re: Shellacking by the LeafsAt this point it's painfully obvious that no one got the first memo I sent around except Leclaire and Foligno, so here's the upshot of it: THE SEASON HAS STARTED. Though, Nick, any time you want to pretend it's the preseason again is fine with me.After being two games in, usually a fanbase has a

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-40843287085268358562010-10-08T22:29:00.003-04:002010-10-08T22:57:15.843-04:00

One game down, eighty-one to go in the regular season. Though the 2-1 final score seems to indicate a close game, the Senators were outplayed for a large part of it, including most of the second period--oddly, the only period in which they picked up a goal.If Ryan Miller weren't Superman, we might have a different game recap here. In the span of the first few minutes, Ottawa forwards were buzzing

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-64739232477482502232010-09-27T13:56:00.002-04:002010-09-27T14:17:47.983-04:00

Hockey's Future has been updating their list of organizational depth for each team, and today was finally the Senators' turn.I'm particularly happy that Jim O'Brien isn't in our top four, like he was last year. It speaks very much to the great job Murray & co. have done to restock the proverbial cupboards. Ignoring the question of whether Karlsson should be considered as "graduated" from the

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-52809204496826303072010-09-18T13:51:00.002-04:002010-09-18T14:03:05.696-04:00

If this is any kind of indication about the upcoming season, we're screwed.Less than fifteen minutes into today's first practice of the year, Filip Kuba's skate caught a rut in the ice and he crashed awkwardly into the boards before being helped off the ice. No word yet on the seriousness of it, but the fact that it's Kuba is cause enough for concern. He missed 29 games last year and 11 games the

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-56862511991504944312010-07-29T22:08:00.003-04:002010-07-29T22:53:35.987-04:00

News out of the Senators organization today is that Peter Regin has signed a two-year contract with the club, avoiding an arbitration hearing which was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. The deal will pay Regin $950,000 in his first year and $1,050,000 in the second for a cap hit of $1M.For what it's worth, I believe this deal is one of the better ones in the NHL at the moment IF Regin can keep up

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-34496938281234068222010-07-21T15:38:00.002-04:002010-07-21T18:07:29.490-04:00

In the first bit of legitimate news for the Sens since the Locke signing, Nick Foligno has signed a two-year deal with Ottawa. Figures haven't been released yet, but should become public knowledge soon enough. Personally, I'm hoping for less than a million, but I'll be fine with anything up to $1.2M.Oh, and also, I wasn't the first blogger to say this, and I won't be the last, but that Kovalchuk

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-69251879713343021442010-07-07T13:33:00.003-04:002010-07-07T13:42:51.968-04:00

The Ottawa Senators announced today that they signed ex-67 and former Ranger/Canadien/Wild Corey Locke.Personally, I love this move. Locke was never given much of a shot by the Rangers, and the Canadiens weren't willing to play him in a role where he can excel. His game style is that of a top-6 forward--playing him for cheap minutes on the 4th line just doesn't work. I remember watching him

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-81775486778997073182010-06-26T17:23:00.004-04:002010-06-26T17:47:32.938-04:00

Having slept on the Rundblad situation, I still don't particularly like it. I would love to be proven wrong but at some point you have to draft forwards, especially with Karlsson - Cowen - Wiercioch coming up. I won't deny that adding Rundblad makes that defensive depth even more impressive, but having an Etem or a Tarasenko in the forward ranks would have been much more useful in the long

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-42374611650597166032010-06-23T12:39:00.005-04:002010-06-26T17:49:52.233-04:00

In the fifth and final segment of this series (parts one, two, three and four here), we'll be taking a look at Ottawa 67s right winger Tyler Toffoli.If you're in the Ottawa area and have been to at least one 67s game this season, chances are you've heard of Toffoli. Great shot, adequate skating, but doesn't show much enthusiasm or drive. His stats in the OHL are at more than a PPG average in the

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-52017058321564398532010-06-14T08:54:00.006-04:002010-06-26T17:55:23.537-04:00

Good morning, ladies and gents. In the fourth segment of this series (parts one, two and three here), we'll be taking a look at Peterborough Petes forward Austin Watson.Watson, 18, is the prototype of a forward who does everything well, but nothing spectacularly. This year, he tallied 20 goals and 34 assists in 52 games, 42 of which were with the Windosr Spitfires, and the other 10 with the

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-44906188542154656482010-06-10T08:42:00.006-04:002010-06-23T13:41:52.299-04:00

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for their Cup-clinching win in overtime last night (on a TERRIBLE goal by Kane...) If it couldn't be the Sens, I'm glad the Blackhawks were the ones to win it. Toews had a paltry series, but I guess his accomplishments in the other three rounds got him the Conn Smythe, not that I'm complaining.Extra congratulations are in order to Marian Hossa, the first

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-33769168795093654872010-06-02T08:13:00.006-04:002010-06-23T15:01:24.658-04:00

Good day to y'all. In today's third prospect watch, we'll be looking at centre Emerson Etem from Medicine Hat in the WHL.The two players mentioned previously would be 'fallers' in the draft -- that is to say, they're ranked considerably higher on most other teams' lists, and we'd be lucky to have them fall to us. Etem is a more reasonable player to hope for, even though NHL.com suggests that he

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-48313294984923244552010-05-25T12:07:00.006-04:002010-06-23T15:15:55.494-04:00

In the second part of this ongoing series (part one can be found here), we'll take a look at the second of five prospects likely to be available at the Senators' draft spot in the 2011 NHL Draft.Today, our potential draftee, from Helsinki of the Finnish SM-Liiga, is diminutive center Mikael Granlund. He's consistently put up a point per game or more for the last three years, with his highest

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-60753223393198974502010-05-15T21:30:00.004-04:002010-06-23T15:16:07.540-04:00

In the first of a few segments, I'll be taking a look at some of the players the Senators could be looking at in the upcoming draft. Keeping in mind that we've got Cowen, Wiercioch, Karlsson, Gryba and Smith either already on the team or on the verge of making it, I'll assume that our first round pick will be used on a forward. Furthermore, based on our recent troubles with Russians, (Kaigorodov,

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-11746386749739913322010-05-11T14:05:00.001-04:002010-06-23T15:16:23.076-04:00

Another year come and gone, same goalie questions. Neither of our goalies have legitimate starter numbers. Both are maddeningly inconsistent. We have our “goalie of the future” in the system. Meanwhile, our best paid goalie, usually a benchwarmer, puts up stellar numbers in the playoffs and all of a sudden the fanbase is rabid with cries of “Leclaire for life!” and “Worth every penny!”, while

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-25658229121739364822010-05-06T08:33:00.003-04:002010-06-23T15:16:37.117-04:00

According to the official website of HC Lugano, Josh Hennessy has signed a one year deal overseas. With this signing, Patrick Wiercoch is the only leftover of the Martin Havlat trade...so no pressure, Pat.

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-19182914518857642072010-05-05T19:50:00.004-04:002010-06-23T15:16:52.494-04:00

The bottom six forwards in place, it's time to turn our attention to the top-6. I think it's fairly obvious who goes in there, but chemistry is even more important on the first two lines than the last two. Sure, you could put Kovalev, Michalek and Spezza together, but all you get out of that is a trio that passes the puck too much. There's just not much firepower there. And you could put Regin,

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-34038878586953260782010-05-03T09:52:00.005-04:002010-06-23T15:17:20.328-04:00

Ottawa was once touted as a 'one-line team' not too long ago. Since the trade of Dany Heatley, winner of the Douchebag of the Year award, and Murray's signings of cheap college students and veteran grinders, this previously one-dimensional team can now boast its depth, one that is nearly unparalleled in the entire NHL--among the bottom six forwards, at any rate. Murray's drafting, free agent

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-48851710290645835832010-05-01T12:14:00.008-04:002010-06-23T15:17:37.753-04:00

Most elite teams in the League have at least one all-star defenseman. Detroit has Lidstrom, San Jose has Boyle, Pittsburgh has Gonchar, Washington has Green, Chicago has Keith...the list really goes on. Ottawa will one day have Karlsson as our elite, go-to guy, but he's not quite there yet. For now, our anchor in the back end is Anton Volchenkov, a shot-blocking machine and probably the best

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989241577428390002.post-31720580357265353172010-04-30T21:27:00.005-04:002010-06-23T15:17:53.347-04:00

If you're reading this, there's a very good chance that you know that the Senators got knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4 games to 2. Getting knocked out in the first round is never fun, but I guess it's better to make the playoffs than to have a horrible season and trade away your first round pick. (Hi, Leafs fans.)Where does that leave us? Last

Lewyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11886417987942229525noreply@blogger.com0