Senators vs Rangers - Round 2
Note: This picture is actually from Round 1.
Note: This picture is actually from Round 1.Ah, what an entertaining game. It truly was a shame it wasn't on TV here in Ottawa. In lieu of listening on the radio, some friends and I decided to head down to Marshy's to take advantage of the projector, all you can eat wings, pool tables, bubble hockey, and great atmosphere (man, they should be paying me for this). As always, it was packed with tons of Sens fans decked out in team colours, there to cheer on the team as loudly as they can.
Once we got settled in and ordered our wings (I got stuck with honey garlic because my girlfriend wanted to have some - note to self: don't bring girlfriend to all you can eat wing night), the game began. First period was very exciting - constant end-to-end action - but it produced no goals. The team looked as good as the last game against the Rags, which was an encouraging sign.
After a quick game of pool (I won, just so you all know how great I am), it was on to period two. This is where the fun started. If you went to the bathroom for an extended noodle draining you would have missed it all. 3 goals in 52 seconds. A new franchise record. A thrilled crowd at Marshy's. More importantly a comfortable lead to go into the third period with.
Aside from the hockey being played, there were also two great fights in this game. One featured McGrattan and Orr, and the consensus at Marshy's seemed to be that the decision went to McGrattan. He started off slow, but definitely finished much stronger than Orr did.
But that isn't the fight everyone is talking about. No, that honour goes to Luke Richardson. He managed to KO Dubinsky in one punch. Richardson stood there taking a few glancing punches waiting for his time, and then WHAM, smacked him right on the jaw. Dubinsky had to be helped to his feet and then assisted off the ice.
The rest of the game can be summarized with two words: Gerber Clinic. Martin Gerber was a beast in this game. During an extended 5 on 3 he not only repeatedly stopped cross-crease one timers, he also managed to clear the puck himself by picking it up in his blocker hand and throwing it out of the end Favre style.
Gerber's shutout bid was ruined by a garbage goal which was the result of a huge scramble in the crease. Gerber was dragged out of position by Hossa and this allowed Jagr to poke the puck passed him. It was a shame that a goal that clearly was not good (hell, even the MSG announcers agreed) ruined what was a well earned shutout.
The Sens ended up with a 3-1 win and looked impressive throughout. I would go as far as saying their best performance of the year despite all their goals coming in less than a minute.
Gerber is really starting to turn heads, and this game helped significantly. The question of who will be the number one when Ray Emery comes back is getting pretty tricky. There are heated debates among fans and it is becoming a big story in the media. The question really comes down to do you value the present or the past? In the past Emery has been better for this team, in the present Gerber has. Granted, Emery hasn't gotten a start yet (aside from the pre-season where he played part of a game and didn't look too sharp) but that is hardly Gerber's fault.
To me, the clear answer is to ride Gerber until he falters. There is no reason to put in Emery if we are winning games with Gerber. While Emery has looked good in his AHL conditioning stint according to reports, he will still be coming back after a long break with virtually no NHL game experience. Gerber on the other hand has gone 20-1-1 in his last 22 starts and we know he is NHL ready at the moment.
Either way, this team is looking good in the crease, and an insurance policy is never a bad thing to have.
Looks like there won't be much Senators hockey for a while. After having the most compacted schedule to start the year, we will only have 3 games in 18 days. Don't worry, I'll find something to write about.
Once we got settled in and ordered our wings (I got stuck with honey garlic because my girlfriend wanted to have some - note to self: don't bring girlfriend to all you can eat wing night), the game began. First period was very exciting - constant end-to-end action - but it produced no goals. The team looked as good as the last game against the Rags, which was an encouraging sign.
After a quick game of pool (I won, just so you all know how great I am), it was on to period two. This is where the fun started. If you went to the bathroom for an extended noodle draining you would have missed it all. 3 goals in 52 seconds. A new franchise record. A thrilled crowd at Marshy's. More importantly a comfortable lead to go into the third period with.
Aside from the hockey being played, there were also two great fights in this game. One featured McGrattan and Orr, and the consensus at Marshy's seemed to be that the decision went to McGrattan. He started off slow, but definitely finished much stronger than Orr did.
But that isn't the fight everyone is talking about. No, that honour goes to Luke Richardson. He managed to KO Dubinsky in one punch. Richardson stood there taking a few glancing punches waiting for his time, and then WHAM, smacked him right on the jaw. Dubinsky had to be helped to his feet and then assisted off the ice.
The rest of the game can be summarized with two words: Gerber Clinic. Martin Gerber was a beast in this game. During an extended 5 on 3 he not only repeatedly stopped cross-crease one timers, he also managed to clear the puck himself by picking it up in his blocker hand and throwing it out of the end Favre style.
Gerber's shutout bid was ruined by a garbage goal which was the result of a huge scramble in the crease. Gerber was dragged out of position by Hossa and this allowed Jagr to poke the puck passed him. It was a shame that a goal that clearly was not good (hell, even the MSG announcers agreed) ruined what was a well earned shutout.
The Sens ended up with a 3-1 win and looked impressive throughout. I would go as far as saying their best performance of the year despite all their goals coming in less than a minute.
Gerber is really starting to turn heads, and this game helped significantly. The question of who will be the number one when Ray Emery comes back is getting pretty tricky. There are heated debates among fans and it is becoming a big story in the media. The question really comes down to do you value the present or the past? In the past Emery has been better for this team, in the present Gerber has. Granted, Emery hasn't gotten a start yet (aside from the pre-season where he played part of a game and didn't look too sharp) but that is hardly Gerber's fault.
To me, the clear answer is to ride Gerber until he falters. There is no reason to put in Emery if we are winning games with Gerber. While Emery has looked good in his AHL conditioning stint according to reports, he will still be coming back after a long break with virtually no NHL game experience. Gerber on the other hand has gone 20-1-1 in his last 22 starts and we know he is NHL ready at the moment.
Either way, this team is looking good in the crease, and an insurance policy is never a bad thing to have.
Looks like there won't be much Senators hockey for a while. After having the most compacted schedule to start the year, we will only have 3 games in 18 days. Don't worry, I'll find something to write about.
1 comment:
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