as of right now Tarasenko has the third least ice-time for forwards.

Glad he's getting 5 million while Pinto remains unsigned.

Mathieu Joseph is my fav Sen tonight !!!!

Wow sens kinda look like a joke against the canes tonight.
Korpi with some interesting gaps on the right side.
Captain in the box with 2 min remaining down by 2.
Top D pairing and top forward lines kind of invisible.
Outshot by double digits.
Tarasenko paid 5 mil to be a third liner just like Colin white was.

There is a lot to not like about Dorion and Smith for dang sure.

They were good in the 1st period, but, as usual, the other team dominates the 2nd period. Always a problem with the players/coach.

Carolina set up to shut down the 1st line and other than for Joseph the Sens did not show much from their depth.

Never liked the idea of Dorion recruiting a goaltender. Korpisalo did not look very strong.

On the other hand, it is now 7 years since Carolina lost a home opener. They know what to do on opening night.

Instead of trying to trade Joseph + a sweetener, can we trade Kubalik, and Brannstrom and MacEwen.

Then sign Pinto, call up Smejkal and Jarventie and Klevin. Whenever Norris is ready (maybe by Dec or so ....) then send down Jarventie and sub in Norris.

According to one source (not sure which analyst), Norris experienced unease this summer. If that is the case, has he been back to a specialist to check out his shoulder and whether it is a structural issue or a tissue/muscle issue?

Game 1 thoughts.
They have enough talent to be really good.
They do not have a coach that deploys things correctly.
Evidence---Tarasenko. You get handed a pretty good tool here and you can't figure out where to put him to make him effective. That's personnel deployment.

I often get on Kelly's case...but he was good last night. So was Joseph. And....for a time so was Chartier. The body was being thrown around big time. Freddy Andersen and Korpasallo stood on their heads for the first two periods. But, where Brind'amour adjusted Smith didn't. Savvy and timely line changes to catch the Hamonic/Branny pair or that 3rd\4th line and hem them deep in their zone happened a lot in the 2nd and even more in the 3rd. We hung in with one of the best four teams in the NHL. If not the best. I don't think Norris or Pinto makes a difference in the outcome of that game. Our goalie looked mentally rattled after the first bad goal. It may have deflected.

All in all 7/10 tonight. They'll clean it up. Batherson at times looked better.

I felt the Sens played great in the first period. Things kind of unraveled after that. Tarashenko looked slow, had a couple of impressive puck protection moments. Most of the top forwards didn’t look great overall last night. I think that speaks volumes about Carolina’s game plan. Joseph was the strongest forward by quite a bit.

I was not impressed with Korposalo in the 3rd. The last two goals were back breakers. He played reasonably well until that point. Your #1 goalie cannot let in deflating goals that they should have stopped.

Jake Sanderson has some impressive rush moments. It’s going to be interesting if Sanderson and Chychrun move past Chabot on the depth chart.

Dorion needs to figure out the cap situation in the next few days. If he is unwilling to move a current roster player, I am not sure the end game. Norris going on LTIR would only be a duct tape fix.

Game 1 thoughts.
They have enough talent to be really good.
They do not have a coach that deploys things correctly.
Evidence---Tarasenko. You get handed a pretty good tool here and you can't figure out where to put him to make him effective. That's personnel deployment.

I often get on Kelly's case...but he was good last night. So was Joseph. And....for a time so was Chartier. The body was being thrown around big time. Freddy Andersen and Korpasallo stood on their heads for the first two periods. But, where Brind'amour adjusted Smith didn't. Savvy and timely line changes to catch the Hamonic/Branny pair or that 3rd\4th line and hem them deep in their zone happened a lot in the 2nd and even more in the 3rd. We hung in with one of the best four teams in the NHL. If not the best. I don't think Norris or Pinto makes a difference in the outcome of that game. Our goalie looked mentally rattled after the first bad goal. It may have deflected.

All in all 7/10 tonight. They'll clean it up. Batherson at times looked better.
- Octavarium

Brind'amour didn't adjust.

The Canes don't adjust. They just buckle down harder on their game plan.

It don't piss me off that Sens are trying to get Pinto signed to the best contract, its the spending of Pierre Dorion and his mistakes still showing. Look at what the Sens could have with these players off:

Tarasenko (5M)
Ryan, Del Zotto, White (5.02M)
Joseph (2.95M)
Brannstrom (2M)

This is 15M of cap space!! 15M! Sens could sign Shane Pinto and still have 12M+ of cap space.

It don't piss me off that Sens are trying to get Pinto signed to the best contract, its the spending of Pierre Dorion and his mistakes still showing. Look at what the Sens could have with these players off:

Tarasenko (5M)
Ryan, Del Zotto, White (5.02M)
Joseph (2.95M)
Brannstrom (2M)

This is 15M of cap space!! 15M! Sens could sign Shane Pinto and still have 12M+ of cap space.
- AlfieisKing

Ryan and White were buyouts that needed to be done at that time. So I give Dorion a pass. I have always thought that Del Zotto should not have been signed.
Tarasenko was a good signing but he looks slow and basically uninterested out there. I would look to keep Joseph (useful for PK at the least and has speed and seems interested out there) whereas .... where is Kubalik?
I believe Hamonic and MacEwen should never have been signed and I would trade Brannstrom while he still has value.

My 3rd pairing defence would be Klevin and Guenette and just live with their growth issues for the season. At 10-15 minutes a game it is manageable. Hamonic would be my 7th d-man. He is just too slow out there right now.

That 4rth line is horrible. Yes, Kelly was okay, but they don't have a lot of talent. I'd send MacEwen to Belleville (too slow, not enough talent). Bring up Smejkal.

I am quiclkly losing what little confidence in Dorion and Smith that I had. Both have bumbled their way into the season. How can we expect consistency on the ice when the line combos are constantly in flux.

Tough loss, albeit to what is likely the league's deepest and strongest team. That said, I think most here would say this is not the opening night roster we should have seen on ice based on preseason performances, even with our current roster challenges.

But they will do as they do - one has to imagine that Dorion and Smith know they are playing with fire on a short leash. If they can't break old habits they may not be long for their roles. But it's just one game, not ready to sound alarms. Silver linings, I would love to see Joseph at a PPG and change the narrative around his contract. I think he's better than last year.

Most of the key review points have already been covered off in the discussion here, but for me there were three major statistics that kind of defined the most concerning problem areas...

- Chabot/Chychrun combined to be a team-worst -5
- Korpisalo let in 3 goals on just 10 shots in the 3rd period
- Tkachuk/Stutzle/Giroux were a combined -3, with more PIM than shots

There's no question that Tarasenko needs to be better, but you're not going to win very many games if your top-line is being effectively neutralized, and your opponents are scoring the majority of their goals against your top-D pairing. As for Korpisalo, on the GWG you can literally see him reach across his body with the glove hand instead of just using his blocker/shoulder... which he better work on, because the Flyers are no doubt working on their high-blocker shooting accuracy as we speak.

Most of the key review points have already been covered off in the discussion here, but for me there were three major statistics that kind of defined the most concerning problem areas...

- Chabot/Chychrun combined to be a team-worst -5
- Korpisalo let in 3 goals on just 10 shots in the 3rd period
- Tkachuk/Stutzle/Giroux were a combined -3, with more PIM than shots

There's no question that Tarasenko needs to be better, but you're not going to win very many games if your top-line is being effectively neutralized, and your opponents are scoring the majority of their goals against your top-D pairing. As for Korpisalo, on the GWG you can literally see him reach across his body with the glove hand instead of just using his blocker/shoulder... which he better work on, because the Flyers are no doubt working on their high-blocker shooting accuracy as we speak.
- khawk

I couldn't believe how much trouble Chychrun was having with J.Staal.

I couldn't believe how much trouble Chychrun was having with J.Staal.
- BINGO!

Ya....

Norris has played 133 games - they gave him 8 x 8m
Pinto has played 99 games with the Sens. He's unsigned.

Chychrun has a total of 13 games with the Sens.
Tarasenko played his first game last night.
Korpisalo played his first game last night.

I think it's early for these guys.

I've always been a huge Chabot fan, but him and Norris need to have big years this year if the Sens are going to make the playoffs. Anyone else, whatever, but these guys combined make 16M. That's more than A LOT of players in the NHL and we can't have 1 hurt and 1 playing poorly defensively

In other news. CIBC has been added as a sponsor. Nice to see corporate coming back to the Sens a little. Ottawa is actually a pretty dead corporate town - even without Eugene. The parking seems pretty cryptic, but those savings of not having an attendant clearly didn't go into lowering the price of parking or concessions. I guess it's to help pay for Pinto?

In typical Ottawa fashion an open meeting was held so rich old hippy glebe residents could come and grumble about the Landsdowne 2.0. But for once I'm completely on their side. What an utter waste of tax payer money this will be. Landsdowne, as I've often said, should be a huge warning flag to Sens ownership of the folly of building a rink down town. Unless there's a RedBlacks game or a concert or festival it's a ghost town. Transit that barely works, parking that is non-existant and government employees still only working 2-3 days a week in the office (who weren't going to be your walk up crowd anyhow).....nope nope nope. The only down town site that makes sense isn't going to happen. The old RCMP HQ at Vanier.

I know it is extremely early, but if the Tarasenko signing doesn't pay off, it could be the main reason the Sens do not make the playoffs.

Having Tarasenko in the lineup to float for less than 15 minutes a game while having Pinto sit on the sidelines may be one of the worst decisions / signings / cap mismanagement in Sens history.

I know it is extremely early, but if the Tarasenko signing doesn't pay off, it could be the main reason the Sens do not make the playoffs.

Having Tarasenko in the lineup to float for less than 15 minutes a game while having Pinto sit on the sidelines may be one of the worst decisions / signings / cap mismanagement in Sens history.
- HoweHatrick

Yup.

Yup.
- SensFan25

"In Sens history"

That's a tad extreme. Give people a few minutes they'll come up with some other doozies that will shadow that one. I don't have a problem with T'senk. He needs proper utilization. Better line-mates. Someone who can run a power play. I'm talking coach not player.

A one year deal to a proven russian sniper while a third line center restricted free agent sits on the sidelines isn't devastating. Does it test organizational depth? Yes.

Tough loss, albeit to what is likely the league's deepest and strongest team. That said, I think most here would say this is not the opening night roster we should have seen on ice based on preseason performances, even with our current roster challenges.

But they will do as they do - one has to imagine that Dorion and Smith know they are playing with fire on a short leash. If they can't break old habits they may not be long for their roles. But it's just one game, not ready to sound alarms. Silver linings, I would love to see Joseph at a PPG and change the narrative around his contract. I think he's better than last year.
- Bartacus

Good point about a tough opening opponent. Buffalo and Detroit lost as well for perspective, also vs good teams.

A team they "should" beat in Philly on Saturday. Hopefully they can use that as good chance to bounce back.

If they don't then fans will start go get very nervous, even thought its just two games in.

Ryan and White were buyouts that needed to be done at that time. So I give Dorion a pass. I have always thought that Del Zotto should not have been signed.
Tarasenko was a good signing but he looks slow and basically uninterested out there. I would look to keep Joseph (useful for PK at the least and has speed and seems interested out there) whereas .... where is Kubalik?
I believe Hamonic and MacEwen should never have been signed and I would trade Brannstrom while he still has value.

My 3rd pairing defence would be Klevin and Guenette and just live with their growth issues for the season. At 10-15 minutes a game it is manageable. Hamonic would be my 7th d-man. He is just too slow out there right now.

That 4rth line is horrible. Yes, Kelly was okay, but they don't have a lot of talent. I'd send MacEwen to Belleville (too slow, not enough talent). Bring up Smejkal.

I am quiclkly losing what little confidence in Dorion and Smith that I had. Both have bumbled their way into the season. How can we expect consistency on the ice when the line combos are constantly in flux.
- OttawaB

Bobby Ryan - he was traded to Ottawa when Daniel Alfredsson - the face of your franchise walked to Detroit. Before Bobby Ryan even hit the ice with his team, Sens signed him to a $50M 7 year contract. Dorion was not responsible for that but as a fan if I can look at that and say "lets learn from our mistakes" then a professional GM can!

Colin White had 1 decent season. He didn't even score 15 goals and he gets one of the biggest contracts Sens players were getting at that time.

Sens are still paying for this mistake and don't tell Sens fans we are not. We should have Shane Pinto in the line up right now! We could've used him last night against a deep team. Maybe it cost them a point. Maybe those points are the difference between making it in the playoffs and not.

Oh yeah, then Mathieu Joseph comes in, scores 12 points in 11 games from Tampa, and Dorion gives him FOUR years! So yes, Dorion needs to learn that contracts should be earned. If you have to pay more later, then do it. I use to like this thinking but the cap is a real thing.

With Kubalik, so far he shows more value than Tarasenko when you consider he's HALF the cap hit. Also I think Kubalik will score more goals than Tarasenko - that's what my gut tells me. At least goals/game

There's probably a Tarasenko vs. Kubalik total goal parlay somewhere on the internet. You can bet on anything these days. I didn't like Korpisalo's mentally flushing the game down the toilet after one bad tip goal. He'd been rock solid up to that point.

Good point about a tough opening opponent. Buffalo and Detroit lost as well for perspective, also vs good teams.

A team they "should" beat in Philly on Saturday. Hopefully they can use that as good chance to bounce back.

If they don't then fans will start go get very nervous, even thought its just two games in.
- david22

Great point about Philly. That team is a tire fire - if we drop those kinds of soft pitches early it would be concerning.

Alfredsson back with Sens in player development/coaching role


https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/da...t-coaching-role-1.2020462

Bobby Ryan - he was traded to Ottawa when Daniel Alfredsson - the face of your franchise walked to Detroit. Before Bobby Ryan even hit the ice with his team, Sens signed him to a $50M 7 year contract. Dorion was not responsible for that but as a fan if I can look at that and say "lets learn from our mistakes" then a professional GM can!

Colin White had 1 decent season. He didn't even score 15 goals and he gets one of the biggest contracts Sens players were getting at that time.

Sens are still paying for this mistake and don't tell Sens fans we are not. We should have Shane Pinto in the line up right now! We could've used him last night against a deep team. Maybe it cost them a point. Maybe those points are the difference between making it in the playoffs and not.

Oh yeah, then Mathieu Joseph comes in, scores 12 points in 11 games from Tampa, and Dorion gives him FOUR years! So yes, Dorion needs to learn that contracts should be earned. If you have to pay more later, then do it. I use to like this thinking but the cap is a real thing.

With Kubalik, so far he shows more value than Tarasenko when you consider he's HALF the cap hit. Also I think Kubalik will score more goals than Tarasenko - that's what my gut tells me. At least goals/game
- AlfieisKing

In fairness, there are some misrepresentations there. I never liked the Ryan extension, but it happened a full 2 years after he was traded to the Senators. Now, you could argue that the 2 years that he played at $5.1M where he only scored 48/54 points should have been the rationale for letting him go as a UFA, but they certainly didn't sign him to a $50M/7yr contract sight-unseen. To that point, I'll give Dorion credit for only signing Tarasenko to a 1yr-deal... though I'd still like to know what the entire premise of the signing was, given that they'd already gotten Kubalik via the DeBrincat trade, and Pinto was the only NHL-level RFA on the roster without a contract.