Chabot said something during the intermission that was pretty obvious as the game wore on. He said, Dallas was a very big team. And, he said, we move faster than what they do. Ottawa plays a really up tempo game with lots and lots of speed.

Solid game. Dallas is pretty good but I never got the sense that Ottawa was ever in trouble.

Hard to tell after such a few games but I'm curious to see if these guys don't surprise everybody this year. I thought they might and I posted as such a year ago but I have to admit that that I'm a bit surprised myself.

We'll see.

Dallas does not play much of a physical game and the numbers indicate they don't like to hit and they don't like being hit. Ottawa is in the top 5 in hits per game to start this season.

Curios to see if Ottawa finshes their checks tonight and whether it has an impact on the final outcome.
- spatso

Dallas was in the top half of the league in hits last year, hard to go off 6 games this year about how a team is when it comes to physicality plus Dallas is known to play a heavy style in the West very much like NSH. Ottawa was 2nd in hits last year. You need a balance in today's NHL because heavy hockey or trying to outhit a team eventually catches up to you physically. This from a capping perspective over the years.

Dallas is leading the west, with only 1 regulation loss. Boston is leading the East, with only 1 regulation loss. Both losses came to Ottawa.

Dallas facing Ottawa's 3rd string goalie.
- spatso

I wonder if Sogaard would've gotten the call if he was healthy. Hellberg could potentially be the 4th goalie.

Leafs lose. Leaf nation really unhappy. Matthews is flat. Temporary? Or, is there something more important beginning to come apart?

I follow simplistic belief that Sens will make playoffs if they finish ahead of the Leafs!

Leafs lose. Leaf nation really unhappy. Matthews is flat. Temporary? Or, is there something more important beginning to come apart?

I follow simplistic belief that Sens will make playoffs if they finish ahead of the Leafs!
- spatso

the pressure on the leafs is immense, they might be cracking under it.

the pressure on the leafs is immense, they might be cracking under it.
- Mithos

Maybe. It was strange when Coach says to media "our star players are not performing like star players." The next day he apologizes in the media and says it is not what he meant to say. So, media is now criticizing Coach for backing down from stating an obvious truth. Loss in Vegas last night was brutal in terms of effort. This could be a very good year.

the pressure on the leafs is immense, they might be cracking under it.
- Mithos

Especially surprising given the very solid play they have gotten from Samsonov.

Especially surprising given the very solid play they have gotten from Samsonov.
- Bartacus

Something is unravelling.

That was an excellent game....mostly.
Pinto's release is just stupid good.


The team kept it close. I thought Ottawa's D looked very composed tonight. They bent but didn't break.

But while I though Kastelic line was good. Damnit they get hemmed in their own end and are forced to ice the puck. I didn't notice if they started in their own end on some "classic DJ" coaching decision to ice his 4th line on a D-zone draw. But.....I did notice them in trouble a few times in their own end.

the pressure on the leafs is immense, they might be cracking under it.
- Mithos

The GM and the coach seem to have a hard time keeping their composure, which is very unhelpful.

That was an excellent game....mostly.
Pinto's release is just stupid good.


The team kept it close. I thought Ottawa's D looked very composed tonight. They bent but didn't break.

But while I though Kastelic line was good. Damnit they get hemmed in their own end and are forced to ice the puck. I didn't notice if they started in their own end on some "classic DJ" coaching decision to ice his 4th line on a D-zone draw. But.....I did notice them in trouble a few times in their own end.
- Octavarium

I believe Kestelic is the best face off man of any of the Sens centres.

I wonder if Sogaard would've gotten the call if he was healthy. Hellberg could potentially be the 4th goalie.
- PuckPix

Hellberg is a decent back-up, with very solid KHL experience. There's no reason to rush Sogaard, unless they need to make room for Merilainen - who is crushing it in the SM-Liiga early on this season (5-2-1, 2.05GAA, 0.923 sv%). As for his performance last night, there were more than one pretty big saves in the 1st/2nd periods to keep them in the game, and I thought he played exceptionally well in his first NHL game with the team. If he's the 3rd string G behind Forsberg/Talbot, they're in better shape than many believed in terms of goaltending.

I believe Kestelic is the best face off man of any of the Sens centres.
- spatso

Right now this is true, but it's definitely worth noting the massive team-wide improvement that's taken place in terms of the faceoff quality. I don't know if this has more to do with Giroux's influence or a change in coaching approach, but they're now among the top-3 faceoff teams in the NHL vs. having finished in the bottom-10 last year. Some of the player-level improvement has been really striking, if you compare this year to their 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons...

Norris - from 51.6% to 57.9%
Tkachuk - from 49.1% to 50.0%
Stutzle - from 37.6% to 50.0%
Pinto - from 38.3% to 61.0%

The change in Stutzle alone is impressive, given that he was literally one of the worst FO players in the NHL last year. Factor in that Giroux leads the team in faceoffs taken and has a 51.6% win rate, and Kastelic leading the team with a 71.2% win rate, and it's just a significant upgrade across the board.

Right now this is true, but it's definitely worth noting the massive team-wide improvement that's taken place in terms of the faceoff quality. I don't know if this has more to do with Giroux's influence or a change in coaching approach, but they're now among the top-3 faceoff teams in the NHL vs. having finished in the bottom-10 last year. Some of the player-level improvement has been really striking, if you compare this year to their 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons...

Norris - from 51.6% to 57.9%
Tkachuk - from 49.1% to 50.0%
Stutzle - from 37.6% to 50.0%
Pinto - from 38.3% to 61.0%

The change in Stutzle alone is impressive, given that he was literally one of the worst FO players in the NHL last year. Factor in that Giroux leads the team in faceoffs taken and has a 51.6% win rate, and Kastelic leading the team with a 71.2% win rate, and it's just a significant upgrade across the board.
- khawk

Kids growing up!

I apologize in advance to jumping on your blog unannounced but have anyone on your side heard the rumor of senators and hawks working on a trade of Debrincat for Seth Jones. How legit the rumor is anybodies guess. Rumors are just that rumors just wondering if there is any substance to this or just random site throwing it out there. Thanks

I apologize in advance to jumping on your blog unannounced but have anyone on your side heard the rumor of senators and hawks working on a trade of Debrincat for Seth Jones. How legit the rumor is anybodies guess. Rumors are just that rumors just wondering if there is any substance to this or just random site throwing it out there. Thanks
- Scott1977

Haven't seen any legitimate sources on this one, but I'll admit that I've had the idea of Seth Jones being a D-man target for a while now... especially once CHI paid out that massive up-front signing bonus for 2022/23. If they could get CHI to eat enough of the contract to get the AAV down into the $7.9M-$8.3M range that all of Chabot, Norris, Tkachuk, and Stutzle are in, I could see Dorion moving on that. DeBrincat being involved is interesting... though re-acquiring him might impede their ability to trade Kane in particular.

Haven't seen any legitimate sources on this one, but I'll admit that I've had the idea of Seth Jones being a D-man target for a while now... especially once CHI paid out that massive up-front signing bonus for 2022/23. If they could get CHI to eat enough of the contract to get the AAV down into the $7.9M-$8.3M range that all of Chabot, Norris, Tkachuk, and Stutzle are in, I could see Dorion moving on that. DeBrincat being involved is interesting... though re-acquiring him might impede their ability to trade Kane in particular.
- khawk

Why would DeBrincat agree to go back to Chicago where they have 4+ years of rebuild coming? He is a UFA soon enough and he has complete control over where he goes in to summers.

Why would DeBrincat agree to go back to Chicago where they have 4+ years of rebuild coming? He is a UFA soon enough and he has complete control over where he goes in to summers.
- spatso

Just a rumor he is still rfa after this season he has no control where he goes. I could be wrong

Why would DeBrincat agree to go back to Chicago where they have 4+ years of rebuild coming? He is a UFA soon enough and he has complete control over where he goes in to summers.
- spatso

I mean it's all hypothetical, but DeBrincat doesn't really have a say in the short-term. There's no NTC/NMC on his deal, he still has 1 RFA year ahead, and CHI may have a priority of getting out from that $9.5Mx8yrs cap situation. Plus, there's a good chance CHI would aim to trade DeBrincat again relatively soon - possibly at the trade deadline, where they can also absorb AAV to attract interest from heavily cap-limited playoff teams.

I mean it's all hypothetical, but DeBrincat doesn't really have a say in the short-term. There's no NTC/NMC on his deal, he still has 1 RFA year ahead, and CHI may have a priority of getting out from that $9.5Mx8yrs cap situation. Plus, there's a good chance CHI would aim to trade DeBrincat again relatively soon - possibly at the trade deadline, where they can also absorb AAV to attract interest from heavily cap-limited playoff teams.
- khawk

I doubt anything comes of it. Also at the draft I thought Seth Jones made better sense than acquiring Debrincat. Rh d to play with chabot I know the contract is horrible but I think the two sides could have made it worked imo.

I apologize in advance to jumping on your blog unannounced but have anyone on your side heard the rumor of senators and hawks working on a trade of Debrincat for Seth Jones. How legit the rumor is anybodies guess. Rumors are just that rumors just wondering if there is any substance to this or just random site throwing it out there. Thanks
- Scott1977

Seeing as we just acquired Debrincat from Chicago this is extremely improbable. I cannot think of any other examples in NHL history of a team acquiring a marquee player only to flip him back to that same team before the ten game mark. Ottawa would have to get their extra draft picks from the trade back and retention so Jones' contract matches Chabot's, and Cat is owed a massive QO. A team can only retain 3 salaries at a time and Jones has 8 years left, so retention would *seriously* hamper the Hawks' cap management flexibility for a very long time. So I'd say whoever floated this idea has zero insight and is just trying to drum up clicks.

Seeing as we just acquired Debrincat from Chicago this is extremely improbable. I cannot think of any other examples in NHL history of a team acquiring a marquee player only to flip him back to that same team before the ten game mark. Ottawa would have to get their extra draft picks from the trade back and retention so Jones' contract matches Chabot's, and Cat is owed a massive QO. So I'd say whoever floated this idea has zero insight and is just trying to drum up clicks.
- Bartacus

Agree just asking if there was anything you guys heard on your end to confirm this possible rumor

Agree just asking if there was anything you guys heard on your end to confirm this possible rumor
- Scott1977

I think the tenor of my response indicates that no, I've heard nothing about this. Outside yourself, that is.