Engels doesn't like the Sens, his bias shines through any time they are mentioned.
- 2gals1dane

Hey, you know who else doesn't like the Sens? Reality. And also, the standings.

Sorry if facts compromise your delusions.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Subban will not make the team.

If you look at the management
Yzerman
Babcock
Julien
Ruff
Hitchcock.

All no nonsense 'team comes first' type guys. I have a feeling that Subban's flamboyancy will not be appreciated by this group.
- Charliebox

Subban will be there. They might be a bunch of stick up their ass coachs but they are not stupid. Subban will be there. And Jbo is a very good skater. Not a huge force like the others but if he's on the team, I'm ok with it.

Pietangelo >Subban> Bow

IMO
- david22

Further proof that O's are like A's.

Subban will be there. They might be a bunch of stick up their ass coachs but they are not stupid. Subban will be there. And Jbo is a very good skater. Not a huge force like the others but if he's on the team, I'm ok with it.
- Iggysbff

You're far too reasonable a poster for HB.

Why are Melnyk's garbage fire finances in any way relevant? Engels said the Sens were overrated based on where "experts" predicted them finishing at the beginning of the season. And those predictions were based on the roster they had, not the one they could potentially buy.

All of that to say, congrats on a butt hurt post.
- oniremosewa

Losing a player like alfie has been bad ,also taking the experience of a gonchar on the backend has been diasterous.We had the most leverage in terms of cheap good young assets to move and cap space but did nothing,yeah that has nothing to do with anything

I have a question about this new deal with Sportsnet.

When they say no more regional blackouts, does that mean I can watch every Canadian team whenever they play on Sportsnet? For example, if you live in the East on your TV guide, you will see sportsnet west covering a Flames game, but when you click the channel, it's either blacked out or there is some other programing. The game is only intended for those in the Western region.

Are they now saying that all games covered by any sportsnet region will be shown to all Canadians?

That would be damn awesome if that's the case, but I can't help but think it would cut Center Ice subscriptions in half.

I know Subban is flamboyant, but I don't know where people come up with the "Subban isn't a team first guy".
I know the Media have said multiple times that he made veterans mad, but that was pretty much he made Gomez mad. Who the (frank) cared???
All Habs fan watch 24CH. There isn't a single incident that shows Subban not getting along with anyone, or not being a team first guy. He is very coachable, and has been very mature all season.
He's only had 1 bad game with a selfish penalty at the end, but he let emotions get to him. Also the only reason they were in that game was because of his amazing play.
- l3ig_l2ecl

because it's the easy position to take, because he's become an easy target, because other players in the league don't like him and certain members of the media have decided he's not their cup of tea. to say he's uncoachable when his level of play has improved year after year and his game has refined is proof that a lot of PK criticism is personal.

Losing a player like alfie has been bad ,also taking the experience of a gonchar on the backend has been diasterous.We had the most leverage in terms of cheap good young assets to move and cap space but did nothing,yeah that has nothing to do with anything

- top shelf 15

Right, except that all of the pundits picked Ottawa to finish high in the standings based on a roster that they knew did not include Alfie or Gonchar.

See how logic works? High five.

Hey, you know who else doesn't like the Sens? Reality. And also, the standings.

Sorry if facts compromise your delusions.
- oniremosewa

truth

Pretty sure Phaneuf should be there before Vlasic and Bouwmeester

Losing a player like alfie has been bad ,also taking the experience of a gonchar on the backend has been diasterous.We had the most leverage in terms of cheap good young assets to move and cap space but did nothing,yeah that has nothing to do with anything

- top shelf 15

so you didn't move cheap, young assets for Bobby Ryan?

completely disagree. whether a team is overrated or not has nothing to do with their payroll.
- DoubleDown

i've been saying since the start of the year the sens were hard overrated. People picking them to make the finals was awesome. No idea what these 'experts' were smoking.

Pretty sure Phaneuf should be there before Vlasic and Bouwmeester
- Pikey Fan

if this were the World Championships, i'm sure he would be there ahead of those two.

truth
- clark_griswold

I like your location, and can't help but think those were Nonis' exact words at that sports analytics conference he spoke a few weeks ago, right before he dropped the mic and walked off stage.

completely disagree. whether a team is overrated or not has nothing to do with their payroll.
- DoubleDown

We were a team that if last season was a full 82 games would have probably missed the playoffs.But we had the cap and moveable young assets, to help ourselves get better and we chose not too because of lack of funds.This is a factor ,if toronto would strapped do you not think they would have been able to do the moves they did that helped their team??

i've been saying since the start of the year the sens were hard overrated. People picking them to make the finals was awesome. No idea what these 'experts' were smoking.
- clark_griswold

I believe it's called Meth.

i've been saying since the start of the year the sens were hard overrated. People picking them to make the finals was awesome. No idea what these 'experts' were smoking.
- clark_griswold

again, it's the easy call: decimated by injuries last year and made the second round. so obviously no injuries = at least one more round of the playoffs.

Right, except that all of the pundits picked Ottawa to finish high in the standings based on a roster that they knew did not include Alfie or Gonchar.

See how logic works? High five.
- oniremosewa

I think EE is jumping the gun on patting himself in the back about the Sens position right now.

We are 1/4 through the season for god sakes. Outside Boston, there are no powerhouses in the North East. Ottawa could still, realistically, finish 2nd in the East. The year Ottawa went to the cup final, they were under .500 at the end of the November (not comparing rosters.. just sayin).

Vancouver has been at or around .500 at Xmas time almost every season in recent memory.

Ottawa has also only lost one game to an Atlantic division rival. That was to Toronto, in a shootout, the 2nd game of the year. They have played every team except Tampa, and they've played Detroit twice.

Subban will be there. They might be a bunch of stick up their ass coachs but they are not stupid. Subban will be there. And Jbo is a very good skater. Not a huge force like the others but if he's on the team, I'm ok with it.
- Iggysbff

I get the critisism against him, but the guy can play. I'd like both him and Pietrangelo on the team, to carry forward previous posts in here. I think he could rush the puck really well on the bigger ice surface.

We were a team that if last season was a full 82 games would have probably missed the playoffs.But we had the cap and moveable young assets, to help ourselves get better and we chose not too because of lack of funds.This is a factor ,if toronto would strapped do you not think they would have been able to do the moves they did that helped their team??
- top shelf 15

i agree with you. but Ottawa's pre-season rating was based on their current roster.

Pretty sure Phaneuf should be there before Vlasic and Bouwmeester
- Pikey Fan

because it's the easy position to take, because he's become an easy target, because other players in the league don't like him and certain members of the media have decided he's not their cup of tea. to say he's uncoachable when his level of play has improved year after year and his game has refined is proof that a lot of PK criticism is personal.
- DoubleDown

I'd throw some ( a lot) of that uncoachable criticism onto his coach right now.

We were a team that if last season was a full 82 games would have probably missed the playoffs.But we had the cap and moveable young assets, to help ourselves get better and we chose not too because of lack of funds.This is a factor ,if toronto would strapped do you not think they would have been able to do the moves they did that helped their team??
- top shelf 15

Okay, let's try this one more time.

When some experts picked the Sens to go to the Finals going into this season, they did so based on the exact roster the Sens currently have. Not based on the moves they could've made but didn't for financial reasons, not based on Alfie or Gonachar staying with the team, but based on all the players currently on your roster. And that roster has proven to be aggressive mediocre 25 games into the season, hence why they were - say it with me now! - overrated

Is English your second language?

I think EE is jumping the gun on patting himself in the back about the Sens position right now.

We are 1/4 through the season for god sakes. Outside Boston, there are no powerhouses in the North East. Ottawa could still, realistically, finish 2nd in the East. The year Ottawa went to the cup final, they were under .500 at the end of the November (not comparing rosters.. just sayin).

Vancouver has been at or around .500 at Xmas time almost every season in recent memory.

Ottawa has also only lost one game to an Atlantic division rival. That was to Toronto, in a shootout, the 2nd game of the year. They have played every team except Tampa, and they've played Detroit twice.
- Charliebox

You're right, it is early-ish. So are you telling me that you still think the Sens are the Cup contenders many picked picked them to be going into this season?

I think EE is jumping the gun on patting himself in the back about the Sens position right now.

We are 1/4 through the season for god sakes. Outside Boston, there are no powerhouses in the North East. Ottawa could still, realistically, finish 2nd in the East. The year Ottawa went to the cup final, they were under .500 at the end of the November (not comparing rosters.. just sayin).

Vancouver has been at or around .500 at Xmas time almost every season in recent memory.
- Charliebox

Very true, but unfortunately, it's a very common thing to do by 90% of hockey bloggers.