Who starts vs the Blackhawks on Thursday? I think Lehner needs to be the number 1 going forward, Anderson has looked ok but I think Lehner gives this team an edge that they desperately need. In the 3 years of pro ice time for Lehner we haven't seen him play like this. Might be finally time for the guy that they felt confident in trading a future Vezina candidate so Lehner would be their guy.

Who starts vs the Blackhawks on Thursday? I think Lehner needs to be the number 1 going forward, Anderson has looked ok but I think Lehner gives this team an edge that they desperately need. In the 3 years of pro ice time for Lehner we haven't seen him play like this. Might be finally time for the guy that they felt confident in trading a future Vezina candidate so Lehner would be their guy.
- tunmasterflex

they'll go back to andy.....he was lights out against the hawks on sunday

Who starts vs the Blackhawks on Thursday? I think Lehner needs to be the number 1 going forward, Anderson has looked ok but I think Lehner gives this team an edge that they desperately need. In the 3 years of pro ice time for Lehner we haven't seen him play like this. Might be finally time for the guy that they felt confident in trading a future Vezina candidate so Lehner would be their guy.
- tunmasterflex

I prefer watching Lehner, much more entertaining goalie to watch and his intensity you love as a Sens fan, but I think Andy is the better goalie right now - but they are both amazing. We have the best 1-2 punch in the NHL

Who starts vs the Blackhawks on Thursday?
- tunmasterflex

The great thing for the Senators is , the way things are going either one would be a good choice. That's a great decision to have to make.

I prefer watching Lehner, much more entertaining goalie to watch and his intensity you love as a Sens fan, but I think Andy is the better goalie right now - but they are both amazing. We have the best 1-2 punch in the NHL
- tuna99

Bob Mackenzie actually said that on the panel last night..........best goaltending tandem in the NHL.

Bob Mackenzie actually said that on the panel last night..........best goaltending tandem in the NHL.
- sensarmy_11

I think LA might have something to say about that, but as far as at this moment, the Sens are more than happy with their goaltending.

This is still my favourite Lars Eller highlight...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28B3QTEAiOc
- riceroni

So your favorite part was when the guy was laying on the ice with a severe concussion? Nice, good to see there is still some integrity in the society.

So your favorite part was when the guy was laying on the ice with a severe concussion? Nice, good to see there is still some integrity in the society.
- Habsody

no respeck

I think LA might have something to say about that, but as far as at this moment, the Sens are more than happy with their goaltending.
- JaredCrozier

i agree that quick is EASILY the best goalie of the 4, but i think andy and lehner are both better than jones. jones has good numbers, but i think that has a lot to do with the fact that: 1 - he plays for LA & 2 - he played a lot of "gimme games" last season against edm, ott, tor, cgy, nyi, etc.

i agree that LA is up there too.....and for what it's worth, if you gave me the choice between the two tandems, i'd probably take LAs.

it's funny, i think there were 4 tandems that the panel could choose from last night, and i don't think LA's goalies were there. if i recall correctly, the choices were Rangers, Ducks, Sens, and Preds goalie tandems.

So your favorite part was when the guy was laying on the ice with a severe concussion? Nice, good to see there is still some integrity in the society.
- Habsody

Lars Eller is one the Canadiens who I actually like, so I wish he hadn't been hurt, but it a good hit, suspended for Optics only.

Lars Eller is one the Canadiens who I actually like, so I wish he hadn't been hurt, but it a good hit, suspended for Optics only.
- corbechev

The one player who was guilty on the play was Diaz with his suicidal pass in the middle of ice. I just don't understand how you can enjoy seeing someone injured. But hey, there is a lot of stupid stuff going on lately...

Lars Eller is one the Canadiens who I actually like, so I wish he hadn't been hurt, but it a good hit, suspended for Optics only.
- corbechev

agree 100%

The one player who was guilty on the play was Diaz with his suicidal pass in the middle of ice. I just don't how you can enjoy seeing someone injured. But hey, there is a lot of stupid stuff going on lately...
- Habsody

i can't speak for anyone else, but as for me.....i loved the hit, but hated the result (both what happened to eller, and the fact that gryba was penalized and suspended for a clean hit)

the two culprits in that were, like you said, Diaz and the ice (which is what did the damage)

i agree that quick is EASILY the best goalie of the 4, but i think andy and lehner are both better than jones. jones has good numbers, but i think that has a lot to do with the fact that: 1 - he plays for LA & 2 - he played a lot of "gimme games" last season against edm, ott, tor, cgy, nyi, etc.

i agree that LA is up there too.....and for what it's worth, if you gave me the choice between the two tandems, i'd probably take LAs.

it's funny, i think there were 4 tandems that the panel could choose from last night, and i don't think LA's goalies were there. if i recall correctly, the choices were Rangers, Ducks, Sens, and Preds goalie tandems.
- sensarmy_11

Jonathan Bernier, Martin Jones, Ben Scrivens. They all benefited from playing for the Kings. If Lehner can be more sound technically he will become a legit #1. He is very quick and agile but he is caught too often out of position.

i can't speak for anyone else, but as for me.....i loved the hit, but hated the result (both what happened to eller, and the fact that gryba was penalized and suspended for a clean hit)

the two culprits in that were, like you said, Diaz and the ice (which is what did the damage)
- sensarmy_11

I was attending that game, my father was white like a glass of milk. This wasn't fun to watch but i have to admit, it was a legal hit. Anyway, this is now history and Eller is still stuck playing with Bourque, René that is.

I have an honest question regarding the Neil thing. He's a guy who has been known to overstep his bounds when the emotions get going, which happens in hockey. But should being apologetic after the game absolve him absolutely? Matt Cooke was apologetic about many of his hits after the fact, and so was Todd Bertuzzi. I'm not comparing the plays apples-to-apples, but my point is that being apologetic after the fact should have little bearing on any penalties/suspensions the league feels necessary to hand out. Do you guys think the play, basically clawing/gouging, should be penalized further by the league, and do you think his apology should be a deciding factor in any ruling?

He could of course be lying, but the apology is a further, minor, point in his favour for what certainly like like an accident.

I have an honest question regarding the Neil thing. He's a guy who has been known to overstep his bounds when the emotions get going, which happens in hockey. But should being apologetic after the game absolve him absolutely? Matt Cooke was apologetic about many of his hits after the fact, and so was Todd Bertuzzi. I'm not comparing the plays apples-to-apples, but my point is that being apologetic after the fact should have little bearing on any penalties/suspensions the league feels necessary to hand out. Do you guys think the play, basically clawing/gouging, should be penalized further by the league, and do you think his apology should be a deciding factor in any ruling?
- jmatchett383

Neil is not a dirty player at all and he never oversteps the bounds - he's never been suspended and has 2500PIM and 850 Games played - the reason Boll didn't care is because Neil isn't a dirty player.

Neil plays hard but he is not Dirty at all

Neil is not a dirty player at all and he never oversteps the bounds - he's never been suspended and has 2500PIM and 850 Games played - the reason Boll didn't care is because Neil isn't a dirty player.

Neil plays hard but he is not Dirty at all
- tuna99

I'll freely admit I'm not fan of Niel, but of course he has overstepped the bounds, and most fierce competitors do. Whether or not the NHL felt the need to suspend him is a different matter entirely. Whether it's jumping Radim Somik, his hit on Mark Eaton, or his (to me blatant) head show to Andy MacDonald in the 07 Finals...the NHL has never suspended him, but that does not mean he hasn't crossed the line, yet it also doesn't mean he's a dirty player. There's a very clear difference.

I have an honest question regarding the Neil thing. He's a guy who has been known to overstep his bounds when the emotions get going, which happens in hockey. But should being apologetic after the game absolve him absolutely? Matt Cooke was apologetic about many of his hits after the fact, and so was Todd Bertuzzi. I'm not comparing the plays apples-to-apples, but my point is that being apologetic after the fact should have little bearing on any penalties/suspensions the league feels necessary to hand out. Do you guys think the play, basically clawing/gouging, should be penalized further by the league, and do you think his apology should be a deciding factor in any ruling?
- jmatchett383

my opinion...

didn't really look like he could see where his hand was, just sort of grabbing for the helmet (according to him). his hand stayed there for about 1 second and then he took it away. his "after the fact apology" occured about 10 seconds after the incident, in the penalty box. it was not a scripted apology, in front of cameras, 2 days later....like cooke's "apologies".

i personally think it was not deliberate, he got 2 minutes for it, that should be the end of it.

I'll freely admit I'm not fan of Niel, but of course he has overstepped the bounds, and most fierce competitors do. Whether or not the NHL felt the need to suspend him is a different matter entirely. Whether it's jumping Radim Somik, his hit on Mark Eaton, or his (to me blatant) head show to Andy MacDonald in the 07 Finals...the NHL has never suspended him, but that does not mean he hasn't crossed the line, yet it also doesn't mean he's a dirty player. There's a very clear difference.
- jmatchett383

i agree absolutely that neil have "overstepped the bounds" on more than one occasion.

that being said, i think there are 2 different types of "overstepping the bounds".

1. delivering questionable hits, either a little late or a little high, or whatever.

2. pulling dirty bushleague crap.....biting, stepping on people with skates, stick swings, etc.

i think neil easily fits into the first category. that being said, an eye gouge fits into the 2nd category, and neil has NEVER pulled any of that crap. that poop is reserved for people like simon, ruutu, etc.

i dont' think neil did it deliberately, and i don't think he'll get suspended.

I think LA might have something to say about that, but as far as at this moment, the Sens are more than happy with their goaltending.
- JaredCrozier

I don't think LA has the best goaltending tandem in the NHL. Their numbers are great partly because Quick and Jones are competent NHL goaltenders, but also partly because of the fact that the team in front of them is extremely competent defensively.

The numbers are extremely comparable between Quick and both Lehner and Anderson, but Jones has only played a single game so there isn't really enough data to judge him on yet.

In my view, if LA was as disastrous in their own zone as the Senators are in theirs, you'd probably see different numbers for those guys.

i agree absolutely that neil have "overstepped the bounds" on more than one occasion.

that being said, i think there are 2 different types of "overstepping the bounds".

1. delivering questionable hits, either a little late or a little high, or whatever.

2. pulling dirty bushleague crap.....biting, stepping on people with skates, stick swings, etc.

i think neil easily fits into the first category. that being said, an eye gouge fits into the 2nd category, and neil has NEVER pulled any of that crap. that poop is reserved for people like simon, ruutu, etc.

i dont' think neil did it deliberately, and i don't think he'll get suspended.
- sensarmy_11

Fair enough. I agree 100%. He's not deliberately set out to try to end a guy's career, he just gets carried away in the heat of the moment, which is a good thing in a way sometimes with a player like Neil. I didn't see the whole game, just the highlights and the fight, so I was honestly just curious about how you guys felt.

what's the "cut off" date for being a repeat offender?

regardless, the primary point of contact on that hit, as seen in several angles and picutres, was shoulder to chest. there was contact to the head on the follow through, but that was after initial contact, and largely due to the fact that he had his head WAY down.

as for the comparison to moore's hit.....i don't really think they're the same. moore blind sided the guy, while gryba was straight up to him.

i personally think that hit was textbook, and very clean.......if it gets a suspension, it just cements my opinion that NHL discipline is a complete joke. that probably shouldn't even have been a penalty.
- sensarmy_11

I agree that the Moore hit is not at all similar. Moore's was a textbook example of the blindside hit of an unsuspecting player that the league is trying to do away with. He came from the side late and crushed a player that had no idea Moore was there.

Gryba was facing Anisimov face-on and was just going to finish his check along the boards. For some unknown reason Anisimov decided to look backwards to admire his pass.

Not the same play at all.

I agree that the Moore hit is not at all similar. Moore's was a textbook example of the blindside hit of an unsuspecting player that the league is trying to do away with. He came from the side late and crushed a player that had no idea Moore was there.

Gryba was facing Anisimov face-on and was just going to finish his check along the boards. For some unknown reason Anisimov decided to look backwards to admire his pass.

Not the same play at all.
- maaddmike

I'm not sure. I just watched the replay, and it looks like Gryba tags him on the chin. I don't think he intended to, but that's a play where a solid hip check would have been a better solution than going for the "big" hit. I don't think it was a deliberate hit to the head, but it looks like the PPOC was either high in the chest or head, hard to say for sure. But they way Anisimov's helmet flew off, he definitely ended up getting hit in the head, maybe on the follow-through.