Kevin Francis: Sens Recap/DJ Smith continues to be his own worst enemy!

Great analysis here Kevin. More and more fans are growing even angrier with DJ, if it keeps up, it will only be a matter of time until DJ finally gets fired.

I think the best way to look at the Sens defense and how coaching truly does affect the outcome of the game, is to look at Paul Maurice and what his staff is doing with the a bit of a no name defense in the league. They don't have Ekblad due to injury while we all know Weegar was traded away and this team keeps winning. It shows you if you have a true NHL Defensive System, you can do a lot with less. Barry Trotz is similar in this area too. Take a look at this defense and then ask yourself how on earth Maurice is getting so much out of his defense compared to that of DJ and the experience he has on his blue line.

Marc Staal who is 35 and has looked so old the last few years playing, I cant believe he is still playing.
Radko Gudas - Slow but he brings a physical presence.
Gustav Gorsling - Who? 245 career NHL games
Josh Mahura - Who? 88 career NHL games
Matt Kierstad - Who? 23 career NHL games
Brandon Montour - 381 career NHL games

It's nice that you call out DJ for not only lying to us fans but for his inability to use his players properly.

Let's not forget Ottawa saw another back up goaltender again to go with Dallas and Boston so far. Three of their first 8 games the Sens have faced back up goaltenders. Will Brian Elliott play in goal for TB tomorrow night?

Sens games played on defense - Hamonic over 700 games, Holden 595, Zaitsev 400, Brannstrom 124, Chabot 321 and Sanderson 8

I don't believe the Sens issues are systemic. I believe they are having to adapt to teams that are studying them and learning to play more effectively and harder against the top of the line up.

What strikes me as really important is that Batherson is -5, Tkachuk is -5, Stutzle is -4 and Chabot is -3.

By contrast Pinto is +2, Motte is +6, Joseph is +7, Sanderson is +4 and Hamonic is +6. Not sure, but believe Pinto's drop off from his line mates is the direct result from his being moved up in the lineup where he faces tougher opposition.

Our top players have to be better and they need to recognize that they will be facing tougher match ups all season long including going against the opposing team's top defensive pairing.

Nobody said this was going to be easy. Fans need to be more balanced in their panic reactions.

There is no doubt we need a bigger body on defense. And, there may be a need for a replacement for Norris.

With what Ottawa has in draft capitol and prospect why are they not looking at Matt Dumba ? He is a RD and not a flashy guy but a solid defender who can and does bring a calm defensive game and would easily pair with anybody and make them better . We should be in the transition phase this year from your rookies getting reps to young stars pushing for a playoff spot and experience. We can not waste the value of the contracts we have ie Pinto at under 4M and Batherson under 7m more the pinto contract will almost double 3 seasons from now with the ability he has and has shown .

Judging by the practice lines it'll be Zaitsev ruining Brannstrom against Tampa.

Zaitsev wavied.
Dj fired.
Enough of thinking his way is the best way. It's not.

For me this started when he decided to mess with a 4 game winning streak line-up...just you know....."because". Brannstrom FINALLY started to look like a player we could use at the NHL level with a steady partner in Holden. OK----that pair works. Leave it. THEN You have Hamonic and Sanderson.....yes the kid will be amazing but right now minutes still need to be limited, he's still learning and Hamonic is the perfect teacher-----with that amount of minutes. And Chabbot and Zub. It was working. Whammo it's Zaitsev time. At this point I'm past blaming DJ for being a goof of a coach. Pierre from Orleans should have taken the Zaitsev toy away in the off season. The fact that he's still here for the coach to play is a management issue.

If I'm Cooper I'm telling my team that when the Sens have possession of the puck in their own zone just go over and stand against the boards and the Sens' plan, trying to deal with the forecheck, will be to send the puck to whichever of our guys is waiting against the boards because they're trying to get it to their man waiting against the boards at center ice. Be ready to check that man if they do get it by your guy against the boards at the point. Quite often they'll just dump the puck out into the neutral zone where you can just pick it up and attack again.

When the Sens were looking good and dangerous they were getting the puck to an open man in the open ice ready to move out of their zone or their D, even Brannstrom, were skating it out of their own zone and even skating it into the offensive zone for a dangerous rush attack. Smith doesn't like that because it requires skill and Smith doesn't like skill .

If the puck is dumped into the Bolts' end don't worry too much about a strong forecheck from the Sens except from that fourth line, and even they are doing it less because Smith doesn't like all the goals against when they were winning so he has emphasized more of a semi trap defense from their forwards. Once in a while Tkachuk will skate in and slam the boards real hard.

That's it. That's the Sens game plan.

Call Chuck Fletcher and make him an offer for Ristolainen. The Flyers fanbase, at least the ones whose heads are stuck in the 70s, will thank you.

With what Ottawa has in draft capitol and prospect why are they not looking at Matt Dumba ? He is a RD and not a flashy guy but a solid defender who can and does bring a calm defensive game and would easily pair with anybody and make them better . We should be in the transition phase this year from your rookies getting reps to young stars pushing for a playoff spot and experience. We can not waste the value of the contracts we have ie Pinto at under 4M and Batherson under 7m more the pinto contract will almost double 3 seasons from now with the ability he has and has shown .
- roadzy

I said it before....there are a LOT of FA RHD available in the summer, Dumba and Severson foremost among them. I have no problem if the sens wait and go out to get one of them when all it would cost is $$$.

Dumba would only be a this year move if Minny out of the playoffs by Feb. So, again, the Sens have to wait.

WHILE THEY WAIT....can they not tryout Thomson, JBD and Heatherington in meantime? Isn't a little inexperience better than incompetence (ie Zaitsev)?

Outside of DJ Smith, what the sens definitely need is a defensive specialist in the coaching stable, like a Richardson. It is nice Hamonic is a good teacher for Sanderson but the team needs a defensive structure. And Chabot looks to be regressing, either because he is saddled with bad partners, trying to do to much, playing too much, or all three!

Risto for Zaitsev. Flyers will also be so kind to throw in a prospect.

Risto is built for the playoffs, so he says.

Risto for Zaitsev. Flyers will also be so kind to throw in a prospect.

Risto is built for the playoffs, so he says.
- furio16

More curiously - and since you arrived with some Philly flare. Why does Carter Hart get to keep on playing while Formenton does not? Surely there's more to it than one of them having a contract and one of them not.

Risto for Zaitsev. Flyers will also be so kind to throw in a prospect.

Risto is built for the playoffs, so he says.
- furio16

Risto is built for tanking.

More curiously - and since you arrived with some Philly flare. Why does Carter Hart get to keep on playing while Formenton does not? Surely there's more to it than one of them having a contract and one of them not.
- Octavarium

There isn't more to it. Innocent until proven guilty with a contract, guilty until proven innocent without one. If a previously signed player proves to be involved, the team has the excuse of hindsight saying they had no idea when they signed the contract. But if an unsigned player gets a contract now that we we know about the incident, it would be terrible PR. It's pretty simple, really.

There isn't more to it. Innocent until proven guilty with a contract, guilty until proven innocent without one. If a previously signed player proves to be involved, the team has the excuse of hindsight saying they had no idea when they signed the contract. But if an unsigned player gets a contract now that we we know about the incident, it would be terrible PR. It's pretty simple, really.
- Bartacus

While I get the point you're making, and it is correct.
Jake Vertanen would probably disagree.

I listened to Don Cherry for years and he always used the term "You people" when addressing us and no one ever thought anything of it until the 24/7 rage machine decided that all of a sudden it meant something else which is complete BS and so one of the greatest hockey icons in Canada had to go.

Our entire society, not just the NHL, has become a sniveling, virtue signaling collection of cowards that is completely cowed by an extreme 24/7 rage machine that is intent on destroying everything that we used to hold near and dear to us.

We used to believe that you were innocent until proven guilty and there are still those who profess to believe so but that is obviously not true anymore. The cowards making the decisions with respect to Formenton care about nothing more than protecting themselves from that 24/7 rage machine that would cause all sponsors to run for the hills and a good many hockey fans to virtue signal their purity by not supporting the team that gave Formenton the innocent until proven guilty consideration.

I hope that if Formenton gets cleared of any wrong doing it will make a difference but I doubt it. He's surrounded by hordes of sniveling cowards and the 24/7 rage machine wants its pound of flesh.

Given the current options available on defence, I would use the following pairs:
Chabot Holden
Sanderson Hamonic
Brannstrom Heatherington

Personally, I think Chabot has the tools to be an excellent two way defenceman but plays far too many minutes. He is not as dynamic offensively due to a need to conserve energy. He is not nearly as good as he should be defensively due to a lack of concern by coaching and focus by the player. Chabot is in survival mode. I really like the player but I would love to see his minutes reduced to 22 minutes per game and more effort go into being solid defensively. Play Brannstrom 17+ minutes a game.

As for switching up the defense to have more size/snarl, I'm all for it but this requires adding 1 or 2 players via UFA or trade. In terms of near term prospects, the only Dman with any nastiness is Kleven, who is 2+ years away.

So apparently Pinto is up to the second line and Kastelec is moving up to the number 3C spot with Gambrell centering the fourth line. Seems reasonable to me at this point.

On D it's a different story. I like Holden well enough but think he might be a little too old to be playing alongside Chabot. He belongs on the third pairing with Brannstrom who I would tell to skate like the wind with that puck and I'd tell the forwards to make sure that whoever is closest they need to cover for any rushing or pinching Dman which also includes Chabot and Sanderson most of the time; but even guys like Hamonic and Holden can pinch down low whenever they can get to that puck first.

I'd limit Chabot to 24 minutes and tell him to skate with that puck every chance he gets.

I'd bring up JBD or Thomson to play alongside Chabot and if one didn't work out I'd try the other. I'd even give Heatherington a look if those two didn't work. None of this will happen of course because Smith's overriding concern is holding onto his job so he doesn't want to take any chances.

Some of you probably still think this is a playoff team. I don't and that's why I've always said they need to hold onto their 2023 first round pick in what is supposed to be a really deep draft year.

Sign Zub already!

Looking forward to a good game tomorrow with a great deal of interest in watching the forward group; and that top line needs to wake up, tell Smith to piss off and play the way they're meant to play.

I listened to Don Cherry for years and he always used the term "You people" when addressing us and no one ever thought anything of it until the 24/7 rage machine decided that all of a sudden it meant something else which is complete BS and so one of the greatest hockey icons in Canada had to go.

Our entire society, not just the NHL, has become a sniveling, virtue signaling collection of cowards that is completely cowed by an extreme 24/7 rage machine that is intent on destroying everything that we used to hold near and dear to us.

We used to believe that you were innocent until proven guilty and there are still those who profess to believe so but that is obviously not true anymore. The cowards making the decisions with respect to Formenton care about nothing more than protecting themselves from that 24/7 rage machine that would cause all sponsors to run for the hills and a good many hockey fans to virtue signal their purity by not supporting the team that gave Formenton the innocent until proven guilty consideration.

I hope that if Formenton gets cleared of any wrong doing it will make a difference but I doubt it. He's surrounded by hordes of sniveling cowards and the 24/7 rage machine wants its pound of flesh.
- Whatisavailable

Feel better?

I agree with a bit of that rant, but they'd been looking for reasons to fire Don for years. The first chance to get rid of PJ stock -- whammo he gone. If you're hurting the bottom line--you outta here.

Chabbot Heatherington (Chabbot will make anyone better Including lassi or jbd)
Hammonic Sanderson (this pair works play them less minutes though)
Brannstrom Holden (this pair worked---put them back together)

I would try at least one game with Giroux at center and Brassard on Left.

Drysdale out 4-6 Months after shoulder surgery

I'd also like my number one PP unit to be Stutzle on the right side, Pinto in that bumper spot, Batherson on the left side, Tkachuk in front of the net and Chabot on the blue line. If any of those guys are making too many plays that kill the PP then replace that guy.

I actually don’t mind Gambrell coming in bumping Brassard out
Heatherington has to bump out Zeitsev
And to be honest I missed the game against Florida it I watched the highlights and my god Forsberg has to stop them goals like use your body when they are scoring just over blue line straight on with no body blocking your view Jesus 🤦‍♂️

I listened to Don Cherry for years and he always used the term "You people" when addressing us and no one ever thought anything of it until the 24/7 rage machine decided that all of a sudden it meant something else which is complete BS and so one of the greatest hockey icons in Canada had to go.

Our entire society, not just the NHL, has become a sniveling, virtue signaling collection of cowards that is completely cowed by an extreme 24/7 rage machine that is intent on destroying everything that we used to hold near and dear to us.

We used to believe that you were innocent until proven guilty and there are still those who profess to believe so but that is obviously not true anymore. The cowards making the decisions with respect to Formenton care about nothing more than protecting themselves from that 24/7 rage machine that would cause all sponsors to run for the hills and a good many hockey fans to virtue signal their purity by not supporting the team that gave Formenton the innocent until proven guilty consideration.

I hope that if Formenton gets cleared of any wrong doing it will make a difference but I doubt it. He's surrounded by hordes of sniveling cowards and the 24/7 rage machine wants its pound of flesh.
- Whatisavailable

This is a disgusting take. If you think condemning coerced sexual assault is 'virtue signalling', solely because you are sad your team's third line isn't fast enough, you need to get your head checked.

This is a disgusting take. If you think condemning coerced sexual assault is 'virtue signalling', solely because you are sad your team's third line isn't fast enough, you need to get your head checked.
- Bartacus

Once he finds his MAGA hat, he will be calling you a snowflake in 3...2...1...

This is a disgusting take. If you think condemning coerced sexual assault is 'virtue signalling', solely because you are sad your team's third line isn't fast enough, you need to get your head checked.
- Bartacus

And I repeat...

I hope that if Formenton gets cleared of any wrong doing it will make a difference but I doubt it. He's surrounded by hordes of sniveling cowards and the 24/7 rage machine wants its pound of flesh.