Easy Ryder

Latendresse first line, Kots second line. That is a very good reason to watch the game tonight. I's just like training camp all over again. Anyway were just playing Ottawa, time to do some experiment.

Sometimes some players styles do not fit AHL. Since he is more a shooter than a playmaker he will benefit from better passing at NHL level. And if given chance to play with Saku he will learn and scores. With both sharp shooters like Kots and Ryder this line could do some damage. But before that let the kid earn his time on the 4th line for two games.

One thing that need to be considered too is that stats don't mean everything. +/- PP and PK are not considered. Some players are more valuable to the team while on special teams see Rivet on PK and Souray on PP.

Williams should not be a concern about this game. The guy almost crackdown after the incident, he called Koivu at the hospital with Recchi help. The concern should be on our players playing good enough to get us two points ahead of Carolina.

Downey played less than 5 minutes, he layed no hits. But skated well and played with heart. The Sens didn't cheap shot because we scored the first goal and we led the score all the game. So it was more with his good attitude that he helped the team.

Good to see Murray out of the line up. At least Downey is there to protect our key guys against those cheap shot Sens. I think they caught Maple Leafs bug while losing to them so many times in playoff.

I am curious about the russian line tonight. If i was playing against Kovy at center as soon as i would see him near the blue line i would put two man on him, knowing that he won't pass or throw the puck in the end of the zone. But if i understands that and throws the puck to his very speedy wingers, then Ottawa defense will be in serious trouble. The key is speed and puck control. My other doubt is about the third line, they will play Heatley most of the game and one thing that is good is that they are strong enough to contain them in the middle zone. My doubt is that it was Perezhogin that was bringing the puck in the other zone with his speed and that way keeping the puck control. Latendresse can't do that, it will change the balance of that line in which way ? Dunno. But let's see. One thing for sure we have to get stronger 5 on five.

Ottawa has been the first team last year to hit Kovalev to the legs and since that they kept up with that little dirty Murray game. One thing for sure the first Sen who goes on Kovy legs should get hammered, we need someone to show respect for. We have a space left to fill in the roster since Downey out so i say dress O'byrne as a fourth line player even if he is a defenseman to install fear in Sens mind. The guy is huge and he can skate.

You forgot Craig Rivet break away goal and his Mike Foligno style celebration against Colorado.

When i heard that Latendresse was hit by Chara in the first period, i thought concussion ? No. Good. So it is part of the learning in the NHL, he is physically toostrong to play junior so the coaches would send their goon after him because he would hurt weaker players. So he is a boy in a man body playing with a team that care enought to protect him from bad influence (Ribeiro trade) training witn one of the best trainer Scott Livington who is taking care that he is not only strong but flexible. And he has positive influence with players that are eager to win.

What's bugging me is the 3.525 million that Samsonov is getting to play fourth line. Anyway season is long and if it can light a fire under is a... Can we send Markov there too since the fire can catch him too.

Sorry !! must have spilled coffee on the keyboard !! Caps lock was stuck. Now repaired. Anyway, good to see Latendresse getting a real chance before the 10 games deadline.

SWEET TALK BY KOVALEV BUT CAN HE SKATE BACK TO HELP DEFENSE WHILE ALL HE IS DOING AT THE MOMENT IS POSITIONNING HIMSELF TO SHOOT BECAUSE HE CAN'T SKATE. IT DOES LOOK MORE AS A CALL FOR HELP TO MANAGEMENT BUT WHAT CAN THEY DO. CHICAGO IS SHOPING FOR A CENTER SINCE HANDZUS IS HURT AND THE BEST OPTION THEY HAVE IS PERREAULT. AGREED FOR ONE THING THOUGHT' PLEKANEK SHOUL FILL THE ROLE OF TH CENTER FOR A WHILE LET HIM PLAY IS GAME WAY WITH NO PRESSURE NO SCORE AND POINTS WILL COME. MY MARKET SEARCH SAYS THAT REINPRECHT FROM PHOENIX WOULD BE OUR BEST OPTION BUT HE IS LISTED INDEFINITELY OUT FOR SHOULDER DISLOQUATION. OR ROENICK....JOKE.

Quote Justin Timbit I'm sure Kovy and Sammy are starting to get frusterated knowing that their Centre is a bum who is equivalent to ribeiro...perhaps a tad worse!! Plekanek a bum ? Bitching around in media, doesn't care if we win or lose, not a two way player, not appreciated by teammates. :?- It is not because he doesn't fit with Kovalev and Samsonov that he is a bum. If we had a second center at this moment he would center 3 or 4 line and it would effect positively the results of the 4th line allowing Bégin to play wing instead of center, pushing out Murray and giving us a better 4th line. But we don't have that, we traded Ribeiro because he was bad influence, Grabovski is still hurt and will have to prove something in AHL first, management clearly want to wait at least half season to bring Chipchura, Lapierre is a temprary fix for 4 line. So what else do we have ?? Higgins is our best winger, Bonk, Johnson and Perez are awesome on the third line, so Bonk stays there. Perhaps it is your beloved Kovalev who is the problem actually not skating because of a lower body injury he has and risking making it worse instead of taking a break of one week to heal that.

True that Cube is missing 5-5. Transition to skating forwards is very sloppy from almost every defender. He was our best d for that long pass. At the end of the year all these defenseman will be free agents Rivet, Souray, Markov, Ninimaa... We will loose at least two, so i hate to burst your bubble but this is the best experienced defensemen corp we had in a long time and we will already be in transition next year with maybe Coté, Emelin or O'byrne. So for this year i am pretty confortable with what we have...

Our defense corp including Ninimaa is currently helpings us to be ranked tied second on PK and Souray is actually leading us for 1st place on PP.

Coté still hurt sprained knee date 20 september 4-6 weeks so he should be back in Hamilton soon. They really need him there. Defenseman Corp of Hamilton Traverse-O'byrne-Benoit-Roy??-Groulx??-Jancevski Sso does Grabovski with separated shoulder Indefinite. Too bad i was expecting some good from him. Hope he is back soon.

I do not have high hopes on Lapierre. Maybe the day Bégin get hurts he will be a replacement solution without the leadership. But with both Bégin and Lapierre at center i say we are in a risky place. Remember last year Lapierre was awful on the ice, nervous out of place. Maybe he gained confidence, hope so...

Good feeling for tonight, i say 5-4 mtl. Latendresse to score his first one tonight and usual Ryder, Higgins, Souray and Kovalev. Pominville (2) Roy Kotalik

Streit shoots from left side, was he playing RD while playing for Switzlerland in the Olympics ?? If so why Rivet is still playing Power play point.

What killed Buffalo playoff run last year was a lack of defensive depth, Lefties : Markov, Souray , Ninimaa,Streit ,Traverse, Coté ,Bouillon hurt Right: Komisarek, Rivet , Dandenault So what we miss a right defender back up : Could Bob convince Eric Desjardins for one last run win Montréal ?? Anybody ??

Philly's in bad shape i would say. Forsberg...Kovalev Pitkanen...Markov and Kots. Just dreaming but that would bring the cup this year.

The best center in the farm we have is Chipchura. It would help our 4th line which is uselessat this time being, we get stuck all the time in the zone because our 4 line center Bégin is getting caught out of position while banging other team defensemen. So if Bonk needs time off, play Johnson center with Perezhogin and Bégin at wings for 3third line. Play Chipchura with Latendresse and Murray at wings for the 4th line. This would at least proove one thing that Bégin cannot center a line but still be very valuable winger. That Chipchura and Latendresse can develop a chemistry that we saw at training camp.