As I spent the better portion of this afternoon watching the Senators game and Tweeting, I couldn't help but notice this little back and forth discussion between TSN's Brent Wallace and the Ottawa blogosphere's Sens Chirp on Twitter.
SensChirpAbsolutely incredible effort by Alex Kovalev. He's been good all year. Hopefully they continue to go in for him.
TSNwally @SensChirp If you think Kovalev's "been good all season" then I question your sanity.
SensChirp@TSNwally Offensive production hasn't been there all year but his game has been solid and has a lot to do with Fisher's breakout season.
SensChirp @TSNwally He has obviously taken it to another level the last month or so.
Nothing says ringing in the new year like having a TSN personality question your sanity in an unprovoked manner. Granted, Sens Chirp saying Kovalev has played well all year might be a little bit of a stretch. After all, if you exclude his numbers from today's game and his hat-trick against the Hurricanes, Kovalev has only scored 4 goals in the other 40 games. However, I'll forgive Sens Chirp since he does tend to get a little too excited after some Senators victories or individual performances. (As an aside, other than Jay Onrait or Michael Landsberg, aren't TSN's guys supposed to be above this kind of thing?) Regardless, I get where he's coming from. Kovalev has underachieved but his worth shouldn't only be lazily defined by drawing correlations between black and white numbers like salary and point production. Without an objective statistic to efficiently measure how much defensive attention he receives and the subsequent space that is created for his linemates, Kovalev's true worth isn't one of those things that hockey fans can quantify.
Another thing you can't quantify? Kovalev's ability to do the moonwalk. Go to the 1:40'ish mark of this Sportsnet highlight video to check it out...
It's been mentioned here before but could you, the reader, envision where Ottawa would be without Kovalev? As maddening as Kovalev may be, the alternative of watching Ryan Shannon and Jonathan Cheechoo toil all year on the second line would have been insufferable. It likely would have been the shallowest RW depth since Pat Elynuik and Vladimir Ruzicka lined up behind Bob Kudelski during the 1993-94 campaign.
More TSN Twitter Controversy
According to TSN's Bob McKenzie via Twitter, the Canadian World Junior coaching staff has lost confidence in Jared Cowen because of his mobility. I'm not sure whether Bob tweeted this with his tongue placed firmly in his cheek since Jared Cowen didn't take a shift and spent the duration of the game stapled to the Canadian bench. As a 6'5" defenceman coming off a significant knee injury, mobility will likely always be viewed as a sore sport, however, I'm sure this will raise more than its share of sensationalist responses from concerned Senators fans.
If Gord Wilson Thinks Mike Fisher's Wrist Shot Goes 3,056 mph...
...then Chris Kelly's first period tally was at least half that fast. Seriously though, where the hell did that release come from? And why isn't it being showcased more often? I apologize for going all Associated Press on you with this little Chris Kelly performance recap but I thought he played an exceptionally strong game. Even after an egregious turnover behind the net in the second period that helped cap a brief Flyers comeback, I thought he responded by playing well in the third and scoring another goal.
Senators Prediction Panel 42
Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I didn't get my prediction in to James Gordon in time for his panel deadline. Here's what I did write...
2-1 Flyers
I think this a game that even Theo Fleury would be hesitant to bet on. On one hand, the Flyers lost a heartbreaker to Boston in the Winter Classic on New Year's day but it's difficult to ignore the fact that they've been playing better as of late. That being said, it's an afternoon game and the Flyers players have a well publicized reputation for loving the nightlife and being bar stars. On the other hand, Ottawa historically stinks in matinees but Ray Emery is injured and unavailable to play. Without the extra hoopla and publicity, this may be another game in which they can surprise the opposition. I'm flipping a coin on this one and taking the Flyers.
Looking Ahead
Now that the 2010 is here, the Vancouver Olympics and the NHL Trade Deadline are going to sneak up fast on hockey fans. Even though I thought Chris Campoli was okay on the powerplay and albeit that Pascal Leclaire was awful, it's tough to ignore the glaring -3 that he and his partner, Matt Carkner, posted this afternoon. I'm not an advocate of mortgaging the future for a temporary fix, but if Bryan Murray can find an efficient upgrade on defence without having to give too much up, it has to be done. The combination of Karlsson, Campoli, Carkner and Picard just aren't playing consistently enough to justify standing pat.
Petition
I know that Tim mentioned this one of the podcasts, but I forgot to post the link to it. Anyways, here is Tim's petition to have Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos replaced by a head of cabbage.
Erm - there IS merit in the Kovy/Shannon issue... written by Dave In Montreal , January 03, 2010
I HATE getting into things like this because I am a Sens fan in Habs country - but there is a bit of a correlation in the fact that Kovy shines when Ryan Shannon is on the ice.
Maybe my memory is clouded by too much holiday egg-nog, but I don't think I am wrong when I say Kovy's production is directly related to when Shannon is on the ice. They feed each other - just like Kovy and Plekanec did in Montreal the last two years before he came to Ottawa. Kovy is not a "sniper" - he IS a natural playmaker which is why Fisher's got a kick-ass start to his season. Fish is a sniper-in-the-making.
Both Shannon and Kovy are playmakers - which means they'll feed each other till someone pots it. Both of Kovy's "hat-trick games" - Shannon was beside him. Shannon is Ottawa's Plekanec - USE THAT! Then we won't have to see the sporadic, will-he-show-or-will-he-not play that Kovalev's made us Ottawa fans feel, just like he did here in Montreal when Plec was benched or injured.
As much as people would want to dissect this game, and Kovalev's 4-goal/5-point game the bottom line is this: Put Kovalev/Shannon/Fisher on the same line consistently and they'll be as productive (if not more) than the Pizza-Line was - and THAT, my friends, is your secondary scoring when Alfie and Spezza come back.
Keep that line intact, and put Alfie/Spezza/Michaluk together and let them generate chemistry and not just band-aid solutions.... we have a contender for more than just the play-offs.
I'm just a year older than Clouston - and if he screws up I'll be more than happy to drop my beer bottle and coach our boys to victory!
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... written by Nichols , January 03, 2010
More importantly Dave in Montreal, why aren't you posting comments here more often? Nice work.
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BTW - for the record... written by Dave In Montreal , January 03, 2010
In your article you called out Carkner, Karlsson, Campoli (who was already in the doghouse anyway so that was an easy swipe), and Picard as being soft on defense today. I found myself asking (in more games than today) why Kuba is still on the ice when there are far better D-men in my son's Atom team that could fill his position.
Don't get me wrong - I am not advocating that my son take his place (he plays towel-boy anyway and I am sure the Sens have that position filled better than defense) - but if you are going to call people out maybe Kuba could be the one guy that stands out. Maybe? I THINK I saw the same game you did and many of the defensive break-downs came from having #17 give it away or fail to get the puck out of the zone - and I won't get started on trying to move that dumb piece of vulcanized rubber.
But I digress...
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@Nichols .... written by Dave In Montreal , January 03, 2010
Only because I'm full of sh..... err, Christmas Cheer. At least that's what the old man called it when he gave me a bottle of booze for the holidays. ;-)
Where's the "reply" button??? Vote Up / Vote Down / Report Abuse - that's all we get? It's abuse we can't reply to each other - can I report that?
I LOVE this site!!! And it's done using a CMS I specialize in - 6thSens, consider me a HUGE FAN and one who will try to help make it what you hope it turns out to be! (There goes that "Christmas Cheer" again... LOL)
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... written by Nichols , January 03, 2010
@Dave in Mtl
I think it's completely fair to criticize the way that Kuba's played as of late. Although, I think he hasn't exactly been put in the best situation to succeed since he hasn't been a benefactor from any of his defensive pairings.
That being said, I was an advocate of moving him while his value had peaked at last year's trade deadline. I think he's one of those doesn't do anything exceptionally well enough to stand out kind of players and at $3.7M per annum, he's ultimately replaceable without losing too much.
If you're crossing your fingers that he'll be gone soon, you might not have to wait long. I see him being moved in the offseason once his NTC expires on July 1st to pave the way for a Volchenkov extension.
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... written by Dave In Montreal , January 03, 2010
@Nichols:
I actually see Kuba waiving his NTC if Clouston starts seeing how much of a liability he's been and ices Picard in his place (not much of a difference, when we consider "talent - and that word is used loosely) and benches him between now and March 15th. Either that or Kuba actually wants to make his NTC worth something and starts playing like he should have been mid-season last year.
Way I see it - the forward lines are good. Don't screw with what works. Put Kuba on the back with Carkner - who's tried 8 years now to get where he is - and see how long he lasts when Matt's fed up with ending the games minus because his d-partner dropped the ball... again. THAT would give him the heads-up he needs and maybe start playing up to his contract like he used to.
Campoli SHOULD have been the scratch today - but with Picard being the option maybe Cory mae the right choice.
Sens don't need to tweak the front-end... With Alfie and Spezza out (2/3 of their "top-line") and we're still winning, it's the back end that Bryan needs to address. Hell, when the forwards are doing more defense than the defense is, it's a no-brainer to figure out what we need to make this team a Cup contender!
My offer still stands - I'll drop tomorrow's beer bottle to take either Bryan's or Cory's job. I swear! Though my Hab-loving boss might have issue with it. But hey - he's under-paying me anyway so screw him. Go Sens Go!
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Concur written by MasterOfPuppets , January 04, 2010
I agree with throwing Kuba under the bus here. I hate the way he plays. For man his size he should be pasting guys, but alas he's a "Spezza" on D. And his production has dropped like an Underwood duck lately.
Positionally he's not bad, but then he gets beat to the outside, being a bit slow and doesn't use his body. I won't make any comparisons to female body parts.
I'm thinking Ehrhoff may have been the better return than Cheechoo. Too bad that couldn't have materialized as it would have given the Sens a more complete 1st pairing D man (than any we have).
Karlsson needs more time in the A - for every good play he makes, there seems to be a gaff. 2 assists and -7 in 12 road games is not looking good for the upcoming road stretch in the second half. About 25 of the remaining games are road games.
The D needs to be more consistent for sure. I can't believe they let Phillys D-bags get them back in the game yesterday. That was horrid. That the 3rd goal was not goaltender interference was utter bullshit.
Kovalev can score - as we saw - he needs to shoot the puck more and get to those scoring areas to shoot.
So far so good without the former Pizza line. What would you call them now? The Calzone line? Two Thirds Pie?
Politics...the "Pup" must play or CiCi gets sent to the Principal's Office to explain to both Murrays. The Road will be the last straw!
In the mean time, you guys just don't see it but Picard for all his faults, Alexandre is the secret to Matt Carkner's relative success. Speed, positioning, puck movement! I'd bench Kuba and play Campy with "Erik". Actually we need Mathew Schneider for an excuse to kick #17 off the PP and a whole lot more!
Note: As I said game #1, Kovy is "Big Time" he makes our guys feel like they are "Big Time" and that's important. To Dave in Montréal, Shannon...man, you could play with AK 27, I would have scored more goals than Plekanic...the secret to playing with Kovy is keep moving at full speed he'll get it to you, even Kelly knows that!
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... written by Nichols , January 04, 2010
@Nik
I wouldn't disagree with the assertion of Karlsson politics or that Picard has been Carkner's best partner. It is tough to ignore that they have regressed a bit in the last month or so. Ottawa needs to cut down on the number of goals against and need better performances from these "offensive" guys on the blueline. If they're not scoring or protecting their end, they're useless.
But please, never joke about acquiring the former shell of what used to be Mathieu Schneider.
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Cowen's mobility written by Michael S , January 04, 2010
So Jared is slow off the mark. At 6'5" I don't want another Bobby Orr. I want Zedeno Chara combined with that speed demon Chris Pronger.
We gotta do something...reality is we are still two (2) D-men short...not a lot of guys in our Price Range fit here.
Didn't play the point on the Power Play much as a forward but if you did not get that puck to the middle of the ice and you took the shot... getting it through...there was another point man out there the next PP shift!
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... written by Nichols , January 04, 2010
@ Michael S.
That's a good point. The last time Sens fans started criticizing a big defenceman for being unable to adjust to the speed of the new NHL, the organization picked Wade Redden instead.
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KypperCabbage written by Colin S , January 04, 2010
I'm all for it as long as Watters is replaced by an eggplant first!
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... written by Dave Young , January 04, 2010
This is more like it. I never understand the lack of comments on this site. Its excellent.
Kovy is great. Ive said it around, but he's quietly creeping up on the team lead in points, only 5 points out. Not bad for an over the hill "enigma"
We didnt bring him in to be the guy. We brought him in to take pressure off the other guys, and create some room (which he has for fisher, and now Shannon)
I dont know if its shannon that helps him, I think its just another offensive mind. Thats why alfie worked there, and regin did sometimes. Foligno (I love him) is more of a cycler. Fisher and Foligno were content to cycle, but that wastes kovy.
As for Cowen. He made some jittery plays. In front of his home crowd with millions watching at 19 years old. With that size and that skating ability, he'll be just fine, dont worry
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The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
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The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 
Maybe my memory is clouded by too much holiday egg-nog, but I don't think I am wrong when I say Kovy's production is directly related to when Shannon is on the ice. They feed each other - just like Kovy and Plekanec did in Montreal the last two years before he came to Ottawa. Kovy is not a "sniper" - he IS a natural playmaker which is why Fisher's got a kick-ass start to his season. Fish is a sniper-in-the-making.
Both Shannon and Kovy are playmakers - which means they'll feed each other till someone pots it. Both of Kovy's "hat-trick games" - Shannon was beside him. Shannon is Ottawa's Plekanec - USE THAT! Then we won't have to see the sporadic, will-he-show-or-will-he-not play that Kovalev's made us Ottawa fans feel, just like he did here in Montreal when Plec was benched or injured.
As much as people would want to dissect this game, and Kovalev's 4-goal/5-point game the bottom line is this: Put Kovalev/Shannon/Fisher on the same line consistently and they'll be as productive (if not more) than the Pizza-Line was - and THAT, my friends, is your secondary scoring when Alfie and Spezza come back.
Keep that line intact, and put Alfie/Spezza/Michaluk together and let them generate chemistry and not just band-aid solutions.... we have a contender for more than just the play-offs.
I'm just a year older than Clouston - and if he screws up I'll be more than happy to drop my beer bottle and coach our boys to victory!