Trevor Shackles: Sens Win 4th Road Game of the Year Ottawa beat Detroit 4-2 on the road for their 4th road win of the season

Good game.

Chabot goal was right off the charts in terms of his making a statement. It was in the net and everyone including the announcers had a delayed reaction before they realized the puck was in the net. Huge shot.

Anderson looks so solid. Sens will get strong offers for him coming up to trade deadline.

Now Trevor, I love you and deeply appreciate the thought you put into your blog. But, you really need to pause and think about the merit of your comments on fighting. There is a psychology of hockey.

If, for example, you had a chance to study at West Point or the Canadian Defence College you might be surprised by how much importance is given to studying the psychology of war or the psychology of command and leadership.

During the Viet Nam war, American forces began to study astrology as a key component in their military planning. We don't believe that the moon and stars determine the outcome of battles. But the Viet Song did and it determined their strategy. If you "think" something is important, it matters.

Fighting in hockey is exactly the same thing. As long as players tell you that it matters, it matters. If you don't think the Harpur fight pumped the Sens you were not paying attention. I thought the game was even up to the fight with Detroit appearing to be coming on stronger. I think the Harpur fight gave the Sens an emotional surge and was a huge part of the final outcome.

If the players believe it...it matters.

Can you imagine a coach trying to pump up his team between periods by reviewing the shot data with his players? Or, does he say nothing but trusts them to have Harpur's back?

Was Pyatt this bad last year? For some reason I remember him being somewhat decent as a 4th liner.

Nice to get a win, hopefully they can carry that into the game tonight.

Was Pyatt this bad last year? For some reason I remember him being somewhat decent as a 4th liner.

Nice to get a win, hopefully they can carry that into the game tonight.
- david22

Yes, he has never been a good 4th liner. Consistently gets caved in

Now Trevor, I love you and deeply appreciate the thought you put into your blog. But, you really need to pause and think about the merit of your comments on fighting. There is a psychology of hockey.

If, for example, you had a chance to study at West Point or the Canadian Defence College you might be surprised by how much importance is given to studying the psychology of war or the psychology of command and leadership.

During the Viet Nam war, American forces began to study astrology as a key component in their military planning. We don't believe that the moon and stars determine the outcome of battles. But the Viet Song did and it determined their strategy. If you "think" something is important, it matters.

Fighting in hockey is exactly the same thing. As long as players tell you that it matters, it matters. If you don't think the Harpur fight pumped the Sens you were not paying attention. I thought the game was even up to the fight with Detroit appearing to be coming on stronger. I think the Harpur fight gave the Sens an emotional surge and was a huge part of the final outcome.

If the players believe it...it matters.

Can you imagine a coach trying to pump up his team between periods by reviewing the shot data with his players? Or, does he say nothing but trusts them to have Harpur's back?
- spatso

This is a straw man. I'm not saying fighting doesn't boost the morale or have any effects (although I don't believe in it as much as other people, but that's neither here nor there). I'm saying that people will use his ability to fight to say that he's a good defender in between the whistles, which he simply hasn't been. Or even if you think he *has* been a good defender, you have to cite actual plays during the game, and not his fights, because those don't actually measure his ability to play the game. They're separate things.

How are the sens going to go ahead with their rebuild by signing Duchene + Stone and having young players develop in 2019-2020

Pyatt's game seems to have dropped off a fair bit from last year. Both Pyatt and Borowiecki have been tough to watch this year due to the number of errors and poor plays. It would be great to see them kept out of the lineup many more games.

I am of the opinion that Harpur has played well for most games that he has played for Ottawa this year. He does a very good job clearing the front of the net, his size and reach are very helpful in keeping the play to the outside and he usually makes a good pass to our forwards.

Tkachuk is due to get back on the score sheet. Hopefully he can do that in a big way tonight.

To Edmonton

Ryan Dzingel
Cody Ceci

To Ottawa

Jesse Puljujarvi
Kris Russell

Do you do the above deal?

Pyatt's game seems to have dropped off a fair bit from last year. Both Pyatt and Borowiecki have been tough to watch this year due to the number of errors and poor plays. It would be great to see them kept out of the lineup many more games.

I am of the opinion that Harpur has played well for most games that he has played for Ottawa this year. He does a very good job clearing the front of the net, his size and reach are very helpful in keeping the play to the outside and he usually makes a good pass to our forwards.

Tkachuk is due to get back on the score sheet. Hopefully he can do that in a big way tonight.
- SensFan25

Don't you think it has to do with them being put in situations they don't belong?
I think if their staying out of the top 9F and top 4D their very effective players

Don't you think it has to do with them being put in situations they don't belong?
I think if their staying out of the top 9F and top 4D their very effective players
- AlfieisKing

Nope. They have both played poorly this year. Many mistakes, many bad choices and few good plays. Our depth players from the AHL have played better.
Last year I thought Pyatt played at a fourth line level and that Borowiecki played well prior to his serious concussion. This year they both have been bad from the start.

How are the sens going to go ahead with their rebuild by signing Duchene + Stone and having young players develop in 2019-2020
- AlfieisKing

If we keep Stone/Duchene, we likely finish in the bottom 5 to 10 teams next year due to regression in goaltending and depletion of secondary assets like Dzingel, Ceci, Pageau, Boedker and perhaps Pajaarvi, Demelo, Tierney and Smith. We keep valuable leadership and our 2 most talented forwards to give us a team that is competitive on most nights and entertaining. We require good scouting and perhaps good luck to get the elite assets needed to turn into an elite contender.

If we trade Stone/Duchene we get more draft picks including 1st rounders and more prospects. We are not likely to get elite prospects because teams rarely trade them for rentals, even very talented rentals - like Karlsson. Next year we have an unwatchable team that gets demolished on a regular basis and is in tough to finish outside the bottom 3 teams. We lose valuable leadership for the young players. Ottawa would have also have very significant issues getting to the cap floor after next year because almost all money comes off the cap except Bobby Ryan.

At a minimum, I want to see Mark Stone resigned. He is the heart and soul of this team. I would be very happy to see Duchene resigned as well. Trade Ceci and replace him with Jaros, Harpur or someone else. Keep the money for Mark Stone and Duchene. I prefer to watch a team that can be competitive on most nights.

While some teams like Toronto and Chicago have come out well from deep rebuilds, there are a lot of teams like Edmonton, Arizona and Buffalo that have had a decade of very bad hockey. In the end, teams that draft well and manage assets well rebound nicely. IF you have bad management, you are (frank)ed no matter what you do.

Sensfan........bro.... name me 1 team that's won a cup out of the last 10-15 years WITHOUT a top 3 pick player *of their own*

I think Boston is the only one; but they had Seguin so that's even false

I agree with a lot of your points, including Resigning Stone; but not Duchene. He will make this team a lot better and when he's 31/32 is when this team will be playoff bound again. At a 8m cap hit, sorry, no thanks. I hate to say it because I like him

Sensfan........bro.... name me 1 team that's won a cup out of the last 10-15 years WITHOUT a top 3 pick player *of their own*

I think Boston is the only one; but they had Seguin so that's even false
- AlfieisKing

I fully get your point that a top 2-3 pick has been a common factor for most recent Stanley Cup champions. It is a fact.

Some things to consider...

You can only get a top 3 pick by winning the draft lottery. So, tanking to be absolutely terrible and finish last is not likely to generate an exceptional outcome anymore.

On a weighted basis, 20 of 32 teams will have a top 2 pick in the NHL every 10 years, so over half the league can reasonably be expected to have a shot at an elite franchise player over 10 years.

Franchise or true number 1 defencemen often come later in the draft. So LA, which selected Doughty at number 2, was able to get sufficient center depth outside a top 10 pick. Ottawa had its own franchise defencman in Erik Karlsson. Their draft record outside of that was below average from 2009 to 2014. We have Thomas Chabot...he is looking franchise defenceman to me.

If we want a last place finish next year, we just need to go with a Mike McKenna, Mike Condon duo in net. We have entertaining games but we lose most nights. If Mike McKenna plays too well we trade him...

I agree with a lot of your points, including Resigning Stone; but not Duchene. He will make this team a lot better and when he's 31/32 is when this team will be playoff bound again. At a 8m cap hit, sorry, no thanks. I hate to say it because I like him
- AlfieisKing

I am fine either way on Duchene. I'd be happy to resign him at 8 x $8.5M. I'm happy if he moves on. From all the noise that I have seen from the media, my take is that he is leaning towards wanting to move on. The communication from the team and his camp has been all positive to keep things from being a media circus. We'll just get a last minute letdown that he is being traded.

the danish prince !

I am fine either way on Duchene. I'd be happy to resign him at 8 x $8.5M. I'm happy if he moves on. From all the noise that I have seen from the media, my take is that he is leaning towards wanting to move on. The communication from the team and his camp has been all positive to keep things from being a media circus. We'll just get a last minute letdown that he is being traded.
- SensFan25

For what we gave up Duchene - and what we have to show for Karlsson + Hoffman - the Sens would need to make 1 HECK of a deal. It only makes sense that a team can add him and resign him to a deal right away

Please
Get
Rid
Or
Bobby f****** ryan

Please
Get
Rid
Or
Bobby f****** ryan
- AlfieisKing

They are going to need him to reach the cap floor.