Most Recent Blog Posts

• ottawa senators room ottawa senators room

  • From: sensfanone
  • Description:

    after 1 month I finally finished my new sens room

  • Blog post
  • 4 months ago
  • Views: 67
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• Anderson: saving lives Anderson: saving lives

  • From: deco11
  • Description:

    Anderson has been outstanding for the last few games. i am posative that he will stay with Sens he is a wild goile and plays well.he also has a 2.1 GAA not bad for how sens have been playing.

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
  • Views: 152
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• Luke Richardson Luke Richardson

  • From: sheihath
  • Description:

    I just want to extend my deepest sympathy to the Richardson family. I can only hope you can gather strength from friends and family to get you thru this terrible time. I am so sorry for your loss. May Daron Rest In Peace now.

    Sheila  ♥

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 1029
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• Lineup Changes; Changes Nothin Lineup Changes; Changes Nothing

  • From: MatinHat
  • Description:

    Sending Zack Smith to Bing will do little to change the Sens current situation. 

    The team needs to play more physical.  When checks are finished opposition players hear footsteps, they rush decisions and make mistakes.   Physical play inspires, motivates and shifts momentum.  Physical play captures the crowd at home and sperates opponents from their fans on the road.  Zack Smith can add much needed grit to the Sens lineup.

    The Sens have a solid hockey club from front to back.  The team has a nice mixture of veteran talent and gritty youth.  But solid teams also need spirit, inspiration and heart.  Players need to trust themselves and their teamates, and veterans need to lead by example.

    The only cure for the Sens is to work harder and play more physical.  Make the opposition pay for the two points they steal and reduce the current CFR. (crime frequency rate) 

    Go Hard Sens!!!!

     

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 1015

• Ottawasenators.com This Week – Ottawasenators.com This Week – Oct 18th – 24th

  • From: Senators_kaAdmin
  • Description:

    
    
    This week is all about redemption as the Sens have 3 key match-ups against Eastern Conference rivals. First, they head to Pittsburgh on Monday where they’ll face the team that’s knocked them out of the playoffs their past two appearances. Then they’re off to Buffalo on Friday to take on the Sabres who bested the Sens in their home opener this season. And finally they host the Canadiens on Saturday in a rematch of this past weekend’s Hockey Night in Canada game, where the Habs squeaked out a 4-3 win. It shouldn’t be too hard to get motivated for this week.
    Here's how this week is shaping up...
    
    
    SENS DAILY
    Every weekday, check out Rob Brodie's latest feature, which will focus on the news of the day.
    
    MONDAY - GAME DAY – Sens @ Penguins
    -    Sens Daily
    -    Gord’s preview
    -    Pregame pressers and player scrums
    -    Postgame pressers and players scrums
    -    Postgame highlights and photo gallery
    
    
    TUESDAY
    -    Sens Daily
    
    
    WEDNESDAY
    -    Sens Daily
    -    The Honda Sens Show – Season 2, Episode 3
    
    
    THURSDAY
    -    Sens Daily
    
    
    FRIDAY - GAME DAY - Sens @ Sabres
    -    Sens Daily
    -    Gord’s preview
    -    Pregame pressers and player scrums
    -    Postgame pressers and players scrums
    -    Postgame highlights and photo gallery
    
    WEEKEND
    GAME DAY – Saturday - Sens vs Canadiens – Hockey Fights Cancer Night
    -    Sens Daily
    -    Player profile
    -    Gord’s preview
    -    Pregame pressers and player scrums
    -    Postgame pressers and players scrums
    -    Postgame highlights and photo gallery
    -    Bell All Access
    
    
    
    BROADCAST SCHEDULE
    
    Mon, 18 Oct 7 PM @ Penguins - SNET-SENS
    Fri, 22 Oct 7:30 PM @ Sabres - SNET
    Sat, 23 Oct 7 PM vs. Canadiens - CBC
    
    
    
    BINGO WEEKLY ROUNDUP
    
    While the weekend may have started rough, it ended with a huge win on national TV against a bitter rival. The B-Sens were trounced by a perennial powerhouse, Hersey Bears team Friday night 7-1 in Robin Lehner’s season debut before being recalled to the Senators. Binghampton peppered Hersey netminder Braden Holtby with 36 shots during the game but only managed to put one past him, a powerplay marker by Corey Locke. The B-Sens ran into another hot goalie the next night as they outshot Syracuse 32-19, but again were only able to bury one. Bobby Butler scored his third of the season with 1:10 left in the 3rd period but it was too little too late as the Crunch held on for a 2-1 win.

    Sunday was a huge game for the B-Sens. Not only was it against an organizational rival, but it was broadcast nationally in Canada on CBC as part of the new broadcast deal struck between them and the AHL. Bingo did not disappoint as they marched into the Ricoh Coliseum and left with a 3-1 victory thanks largely to a brilliant performance by Barry Brust. Brust turned aside 41 of the Marlies 42 shots that included 18 in the 3rd period alone. Ryan Keller, Colin Greening and Eric Condra all scored for Binghampton in the win which brings their season record to 2-3-0. Check out the highlights from the Marlies game here.

    
    
    FANTASY FOCUS
    
    Still need a goalie? With Pascal Leclaire going down with a groin injury, Brian Elliott looks to be the starter for the foreseeable future. Robin Lehner has been recalled to back him up, and while he’s immensely talented, he may not be ready to steal the starting job just yet. Elliott has looked good in his first few starts but he’ll need more offensive support from the team in front of him. The Sens are averaging just 2 goals/game through their first 5 games along with registering an average of 26.6 shots for while giving up an average of 32.8 against.

    The line of Milan Michalek, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson are starting to heat up as well. They’ve combined for 8 points in the past 2 games and have cemented themselves as the top line in Ottawa. If any of these guys are available through free agency or a trade, snatch them up as they’ve developed a lot of chemistry early this year.
    
    
    WEB TIP OF THE WEEK
    
    Got an iPhone? Wanna win a signed Jason Spezza jersey? We’re trying to find some more cool ways of giving stuff away, so all you need to do is download the Mobio app from the iTunes App Store or directly at www.getmobioid.com, register and start scanning. Scan the barcode on this page and you’ll be entered into a random draw to win the aforementioned autographed Spezza jersey. And for those of you without an iPhone, the app is currently being developed for both blackberry and android phones as well. Stay tuned for updates on those.

    
    Until next week,
    
    
    Craig Medaglia
    
    Digital Publisher

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 1901
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• My Two Sens Worth -- Oct. 16 My Two Sens Worth -- Oct. 16

  • From: 2sensworth
  • Description:

    (Editor's note: Starting today, we'll be taking the blog on the road every now and then. As we begin to travel with the Sens a little bit more, we'll give you a sense of the hockey flavour we find in some of the NHL cities beyond Ottawa. First stop: Montreal and the Bell Centre, the home of the Canadiens).

    Oct. 16, Montreal

    The arena: Everything about the Bell Centre says big. And loud. Very, very loud. It's the NHL's largest arena in terms of capacity (21,273) and everyone makes sure they're heard right from the opening whistle. It's a steeply built structure, so the noise rains down from the top of the rafters in deafening fashion.

    Loud doesn't stop there. Music blares from the sound system at every stoppage or from every video that is played on the massive HD scoreboard that hangs above centre ice. It's a non-stop assault on the ears, but there is a certain cool factor about it all. There is no experience quite like it anywhere in the NHL.

    The city: As anyone who's been here knows (and lots of folks from Ottawa surely have), Montreal is one of North America's most cosmospolitan cities, with a hearty mix of French and English culture. But few things in this city have the ability to galvanize one and all than our national sport.

    Montreal lives and breathes for the Canadiens. Take a stroll through the heart of this city — as we did on a rainy, miserable Friday night, when the Habs were playing a roadie in Buffalo — and you'll see evidence of that everywhere. Young men and women walk the streets in Canadiens jerseys. Sneak a peek through the windows any restaurant or bar and you'll see TVs tuned to the game. A hockey mecca, indeed.

    The view: The press box (or gallery, as it's called here) is actually a ring high above the ice surface, on the seventh level of the building. There are fans below you and behind you. But far as you are above the ice, it's tough to beat the view. Strategically placed TV monitors are also handy for watching replays. Don't know if I'd go so far as to call it the best seat in the house, but it's got to be pretty darn close.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 953
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• Carkner: A Good Step Forward Carkner: A Good Step Forward

  • From: sensplayerblog
  • Description:

    After the way we started the season, beating Carolina on Thursday night was a good relief for all of us. We knew we were working in the right direction and doing all the right things to try to get to that point. But it takes a little bit of time to get chemistry and get our game back. We’re a confident bunch and we knew we were going to get there. Still, it’s a good relief to get that first win. Now we can try to take a breath and get ready for the next steps forward.

    I’m sure there were some people out there jumping ship quick because two losses in a row to start the season doesn’t look good, but that’s going to happen. We’re looking at the big picture and we know we have a good team here. We know we’re going to be successful. We just had to figure out what was going wrong and play our game. We played a good game Thursday night and got ourselves a 'W.'

    We'll be in Montreal on Saturday night and playing there has always been great experience for me. Last year, being my first year with Senators and going in there and playing, I thought it was just unbelievable. The crowd goes nuts at the Bell Centre and there's a lot of noise and excitement. It gives you chills going in there and playing in front of a crowd like that. 

    The Canadiens were actually the team that drafted me into the NHL, back in 1999. It was a pretty cool feeling, getting to see the tradition they have there in Montreal and going through a few training camps with them. It was a good experience and it taught me a few things, but it didn’t work out and I moved on. No real negatives about it. I was young and still learning. I knew I had a lot of work to do and it took nine years of work for me to get to the NHL.

    Monday night, we'll be in Pittsburgh and we'll see their new building for the first time. I hear that rink is pretty amazing. It’ll be something to see and I’m excited just to be a part of that.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 1834

• Ottawasenators.com This Week – Ottawasenators.com This Week – Oct 12th – 17th

  • From: Senators_kaAdmin
  • Description:

    

    Well, I can't say that I'm too thankful with how this past weekend went down but on the bright side the Sens are back home this Thursday to play the Hurricanes in the first Metro Family Game of the season (find out about this promotion and others here) before heading to Montreal to face the Habs this Saturday night.
    
    
    Here's how the first week of the season is shaping up...
    
    
    SENS DAILY
    Every weekday, check out Rob Brodie's latest feature, which will focus on the news of the day.
    
    MONDAY - GAME DAY – Sens @ Capitals
    -    Sens Daily
    -    Gord’s preview
    -    Pregame pressers and player scrums
    -    Postgame pressers and players scrums
    -    Postgame highlights and photo gallery
    
    
    TUESDAY
    -    Sens Daily
    
    
    WEDNESDAY
    -    Sens Daily
    -    The Honda Sens Show – Season 2, Episode 2
    
    
    THURSDAY - GAME DAY – Sens vs Hurricanes
    -    Sens Daily
    -    Player profile
    -    Gord’s preview
    -    Pregame pressers and player scrums
    -    Postgame pressers and players scrums
    -    Postgame highlights and photo gallery
    -    Bell All Access
    
    
    FRIDAY
    -    Sens Daily
    
    
    WEEKEND
    GAME DAY (Saturday) – Sens @ Canadiens
    -    Gord’s preview
    -    Pregame pressers and player scrums
    -    Postgame pressers and players scrums
    -    Postgame highlights and photo gallery

    
    
    BROADCAST SCHEDULE
    
    Mon, 11 Oct 7 PM @ Sabres - SNET-SENS
    
    Thurs, 14 Oct 7 PM vs Hurricanes - TSN
    
    Sat, 16 Oct 7 PM @ Canadiens - CBC

    
    
    BINGO WEEKLY ROUNDUP
    
    The B-Sens kicked off their season on a high note beating their East Division rival Adirondack Phantoms 5-1 in their home opener this past Friday. Cody Bass, Kaspars Daugavins, Jim O'Brien and Bobby Butler all notched powerplay goals while Patrick Wiercioch buried the B-Sens only even strength tally of the evening. Geoff Kinrade (2), Erik Condra (2) and Andre Benoit (3) all had multiple assists. Things didn't go as well the following night however as Binghampton lost 7-4 to Norfolk. The second period produced 9 goals between the two teams with the Admirals scoring 6 of those. Both Jim O'Brien and Bobby Butler scored for the second straight game with O'Brien burying two on Saturday. Ryan Keller had the other B-Sens goal.
    
    Bingo will have their hands full as they play 3 gamesthis weekend. On Friday they host the powerhouse Hersey Bears where Sheldon Souray could make his AHL debut in Binghampton then hit the road to face Syracuse Saturday before a matinee in Toronto against the Marlies on Sunday.

     

    FANTASY FOCUS
    
    Need a goalie? Well Pascal Leclaire has looked very good early on this season and while the team in front of him may be struggling to produce some offence, Leclaire's individual stats are very encouraging. Leclaire's save percentage is back over the .900 mark and minus the Toronto game on Saturday his goals against average is just over 2. As the Sens gel and develop chemistry, the wins will follow. Leclaire looks to be the starter for the forseeable future, so if you were waiting for the dominoes to fall before grabbing one of Elliott or Leclaire, you've been greenlit.
    
    The Ruutu-Kelly-Neil line was been very productive through the first 3 games of the season. While they won't be relied on to continually produce offense all year, they are definitely making the most of their chances so far. Ruutu and Neil are currently tied for the team lead in points with a pair each and Kelly buried the Sens first goal of the season on Friday against the Sabres on a great delayed pass from Jarkko. Their line is also a combined +5 thus far.

    
    
    WEB TIP OF THE WEEK
    
    We've heard a lot of good feedback regarding what you'd like to see in terms of mobile content this season and while we are currently evaluating apps for various phones we have put out a very slick mobile version of our Sens site that works really well. So if you've got your phone handy, check it out.
    
    
    
    Until next week,
    
    
    Craig Medaglia
    
    Digital Publisher

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 1772
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• Foligno: No Night Like It Foligno: No Night Like It

  • From: sensplayerblog
  • Description:

    There's nothing like opening night. For the new guys coming in, it’s a chance to feel out the atmosphere of the arena and get to know each other a little better. But it’s always exciting. Opening night in your own barn is a great feeling and you really start to feel what the season can be all about. It’s fun for the guys to play for real and I think that’s the biggest thing. It’s a game that matters and guys are going to push twice as hard.

    My first NHL game was in Toronto three years ago and that was neat, just because it was such a big moment for me. But my first opening night here happened the season after the Senators had gone on the run to the Stanley Cup final and we raised the banner for them. It was pretty neat to be a part of that. It was a special night just to see that accomplishment being recognized and it made you proud to be a Senator. We had a great start that year and we won that game 3-2 against Toronto and it was a lot of fun, for sure.

    For me personally, that first home game was an unbelievable experience. It’s something you’ve worked toward for most of your life and were able to achieve. It was a great feeling of accomplishment for me and I was proud to be on this team and with the guys. I felt like I worked hard enough to do that and it worked out. I remember being really nervous, stepping on the ice and hearing the crowd cheering for you rather than the game before in Toronto, where they were booing us. It really made you play a lot better and I remember it was a lot of fun playing that game

    We have three tough games in four nights to start this season, but I think it just gets the guys into game mode right away. There’s no fooling around. It’s back-to-back with the game tonight and in Toronto tomorrow, then the Washington Capitals are a great team that we face on Monday. It’s gets the guys involved and we want to get these points coming up.

    Right now, we’ve just got to worry about Buffalo. They’re a great team and we’ve just got to continue to work hard. Tomorrow night, we've got Toronto and they had a big win last night over Montreal, so it’s going to be interesting to see how that goes. But right now, I know all we’re focused on is that first win and that first game, and Buffalo is going to be a great contest for us.

    It’s always fun for me to play the Sabres. You definitely learn to hate them pretty quick. I grew up cheering for them when I was younger and my dad played in Buffalo. It’s definitely a matchup with special meaning to me, but now they’re just another team that I want to beat really badly.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
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• My Two Sens Worth — Oct. 7 My Two Sens Worth — Oct. 7

  • From: 2sensworth
  • Description:

    Maybe Jarkko Ruutu has found himself — and the Senators — a nice little good luck charm to get the 2010-11 season started.

    Not to mention a rather cool ride.

    Heads no doubt turned Thursday afternoon at the sight of Ruutu, sporting his familiar No. 73 Sens jersey, steering a Zamboni down Elgin Street (a.k.a. the Sens Mile) as part of a team-sponsored ceremony designed to rev up the red for the season that starts tomorrow night, when the Buffalo Sabres visit Scotiabank Place. Mayor Larry O'Brien raised the Sens flag in front of City Hall to cap off a spirited rally in the heart of downtown Ottawa.

    But let's face it ... while all kinds of vehicle transport can often be observed in the centre of the nation's capital, Zambonis aren't exactly among them. And Ruutu needed little in the way of persuasion to get behind the wheel of the iconic ice-making machine, with Spartacat (the Sens' ambassador of fun) riding shotgun in his own purr-fect way.

    "They asked me a couple of days ago," Ruutu said before his spin on the zamboni. "Why not? I’m always up for new experiences and this is one of them. Never done it before."

    Asked if he needed a special licence to pilot the machine, the feisty Finnish winger joked "I got it yesterday. Drove around the parking lot once. Got the stamp right away. I just hope I don't have to make any turns"

    Then Ruutu related the story of goaltender Antti Niemi, a fellow Helsinki native who backstopped the Chicago Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup triumph in 60 years back in June. Turns out that Niemi, who's now tending goal for the San Jose Sharks, has a bit of an interesting past. Four or five years ago, he was driving a Zamboni part time back home in Finland.

    "I hope it will affect me the same way as it did Antti Niemi," said Ruutu. "He usd to be a Zamboni driver and won the Cup last year. Maybe this can be a step toward that (for me)."

    And if Ruutu not so unwittingly gave the Senators' Cup drive a little bit of extra fuel with today's spot of fun, then so be it. Then again, he's always been a guy willing to do what it takes to win. If a Zamboni ride down the Sens Mile helps do the trick ... well, as the man says, why not?
    
    "It a little different approach (to getting there)," said Ruutu with a grin.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 1507

• Ottawasenators.com This Week – Ottawasenators.com This Week – Oct 4th – 10th

  • From: Senators_kaAdmin
  • Description:

    

     

    And we’re back. After what seemed like the longest off-season ever, we’re finally closing in on dropping the puck for the 2010-11 season and just like last year we’ve got you covered here at ottawasenators.com. We’re beefing up our coverage this season and for the first time ever we’ll be going on the road to provide you with pre and post game video coverage for every game. Also, Gord Wilson and The Honda Sens Show are returning for a second season and will be airing every Wednesday at noon starting this week. We also have numerous Sens players blogging for us this season like Nick Foligno, Jesse Winchester and superstar playoff blogger Matt Carkner. Click here to check them out and stay tuned for new blogs weekly throughout the season.

    I’ve added a few new features to this blog as well including a broadcast schedule, a weekly wrap-up of what’s happening down in Binghamton and a look at the Senators from a fantasy perspective for all you pool junkies out there. Check them out below the schedule.

     Now on to this week, there’s been a real buzz about this team all summer long and with the addition of Sergei Gonchar and the emergence of some of the younger players it’s easy to see why. After a strong pre-season, the Sens are primed to pick up where they left off last year and look to claim a playoff spot for the 13^th time in the past 14 seasons. It all starts at the Home Opener this Friday at 7:30 against the Buffalo Sabres, click here for tickets or catch the game on Sportsnet. The Sens then travel down the 401 to meet the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday for the first Hockey Night in Canada broadcast of the season, as always catch that game on CBC.
    
    Here's how the first week of the season is shaping up...
    
    
    SENS DAILY
    Every weekday, check out Rob Brodie's latest feature, which will focus on the news of the day.
    
    MONDAY
    -    Sens Daily

    
    TUESDAY
    -    Sens Daily

    
    WEDNESDAY
    -    Sens Daily
    -    The Honda Sens Show – Season 2, Episode 1

    
    THURSDAY
    -    Sens Daily

    
    FRIDAY - GAME DAY – Sens vs Sabres – Home Opener
    -    Sens Daily
    -    Player profile
    -    Gord’s preview
    -    Pregame pressers and player scrums
    -    Postgame pressers and players scrums
    -    Postgame highlights and photo gallery
    -    Bell All Access

    
    WEEKEND
    GAME DAY (Saturday) – Sens @ Maple Leafs
    -    Gord’s preview
    -    Pregame pressers and player scrums
    -    Postgame pressers and players scrums
    -    Postgame highlights and photo gallery
    -    Bell All Access
    

    
    BROADCAST SCHEDULE
    
    Fri, 8 Oct 7:30 PM vs. Sabres - RIS, SNET-E

    Sat, 9 Oct 7:00 PM @ Maple Leafs - CBC
    
    
    BINGO WEEKLY ROUNDUP

    The B-Sens start their season this weekend as well with back-to-back home games against the Phatoms (Friday) and Admirals (Saturday) after a lackluster preseason. Reinforcements are on the way however as the Sens reduced their NHL roster this past weekend sending a bevy of talented prospects down to the AHL to begin the season.

    
    

    FANTASY FOCUS

    If you’re like me, your fantasy league season is about to kick off as well so I thought I’d take a look at a few Senators that may be able to help you win it all this season. I obviously don’t need to point out players like Alfie or Spezza or Gonchar, but if you are looking for some depth in your draft or through waivers these players might be worth a look.

    Nick Foligno had a stellar pre-season and in doing so earned himself a spot on the top 2 lines for the time being. He finished with 4 goals and 6 points in 6 games and looks primed to take the next step this season.

    With the injury to Filip Kuba a spot has opened up on the Sens blueline and so far, Chris Campoli has filled it admirably. In just 5 preseason game, Campoli notched 8 points and tied Jason Spezza for the team lead in points. He also spent time paired with Sergei Gonchar, who has been an elite fantasy defenseman for over a decade, and saw time with both the first and second powerplay units.

    Finally, Erik Karlsson is looking to build off a point-per-game player performance last season that also saw him lead all defenseman in time-on-ice. He has a canon for a shot and could be absolutely lethal paired with Gonchar on the Sens top powerplay.

    
    

    WEB TIP OF THE WEEK

    We’ve added a new downloadable schedule this season after some very good feedback we received through our facebook page. So if you have a device or calendar that isn’t compatible with Infuzer, try using our .csv schedule instead. You can find them both here.
    
    
    
    Until next week,
    
    
    Craig Medaglia

    Digital Publisher

     

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
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• Winchester: Can't Wait To Get Winchester: Can't Wait To Get Going

  • From: sensplayerblog
  • Description:

    Leading up to this training camp, we were all excited about a new season. It's been pretty good so far, pretty intense. We've been on the ice a lot and done a lot of workouts. Personally, I feel healthy and I feel like I've got a lot of jump. I feel confident and it's been a lot of fun reconnecting with the guys and just battling every day. Hopefully, we can get some wins starting early.

    The excitement is definitely building for the start of the regular season. A week from today is the big game, our season-opener against Buffalo. I've trained all summer for that and it was a long summer. We're all raring to go and, especially after we get the last two pre-season games out of the way, it's going to be quite the week coming up.

    Last year, I got injured during the pre-season and it was a big downer because I missed out on a lot of fun. As intense as camp is, it's still a lot of fun. Having a setback like that ... I really feel for Kubs (Filip Kuba) after what happened to him, because he worked really hard all summer to come back healthy. I know for me, it was tough getting back into the swing of things because by the time I got back, the guys had played so many games already. Coming off my rookie year, training camp was really a big deal for me at that point, just trying to get back into the swing of things.

    This year, I'm healthy and I worked all summer on quite a few things and I just feel ready to go. It's always going to be a battle to earn ice time, but I feel like I've come in here in good shape and I'm confident. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to earn that forward spot. Whatever they have planned for me, it's out of my control. I just worry about what I can control and that's my effort on the ice.

    When you look down our lineup and see how deep we are at the forward position, it's pretty exciting. All four lines have some pretty skilled players and it makes for a lot of fun, especially moving forward.

    Seeing Alex Kovalev get into a fight the other night against Toronto was pretty cool. It was certainly not expected, but he stepped up when Karl (Erik Karlsson) got cross-checked and that's what we need as a team, to see leadership like the kind Kovy showed there. It's going to filter on down throughout the lineup and that's only going to build something good here.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 2007
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• My Two Sens Worth — Sept. 29 My Two Sens Worth — Sept. 29

  • From: 2sensworth
  • Description:

    Sometimes, there is no explaining the attachment an athlete has to a certain number. Or it just isn't all that obvious to the fan sitting in the stands or at home. But whatever the rationale, some guys will do whatever it takes to keep a favourite number on their back.

    All of which leads us to the story of Zack Smith, who will be wearing No. 15 for your Ottawa Senators tonight at Scotiabank Place when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. As the native of Maple Creek, Sask., explains, it's the same number he wore with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League. And for years before that, for that matter.

    "I wore it pretty much all of my junior career and in minor hockey, so it's nice to have it back," said Smith, whose jersey bore No. 47 up until now.

    But as every Senators fan knows, that No. 15 was last worn by Dany Heatley, the two-time 50-goal scorer in Ottawa who was dealt to the San Jose Sharks in September 2009. That move came on the heels of a summer of acrimony that followed his much-publicized trade demand. In short order, Heatley became arguably the biggest hockey pariah in this part of the NHL world.

    All of which explains the mixed reaction Smith has been getting from a lot of folks since the word got out in late August that he was about to become the Senators' newest No. 15.

    "I'm getting lots of comments from fans and teammates and staff," said Smith while wearing a wry smile. "A lot of people are happy I chose 15 and other people, not so happy. I'm glad to have it anyway."

    Needless to say, Smith has been getting the gears from some of his fellow Senators about his number switch. Not that any of them plan to hold it against their teammate, mind you.

    "It looks good on him," Nick Foligno said with a grin. "We were all joking with him about it but you know what, it's just a number. You've got to move on and I'm glad somebody picked it up. He looks better than in his (old) number."

    Of course, if there are a pile of goals still left in that jersey, maybe Smith might get some offers to take it off his hands.

    "You never know, it might have that magic," said Foligno with a laugh. "If it does, I might steal it from him next year."

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
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• Foligno: All In The Family Foligno: All In The Family

  • From: sensplayerblog
  • Description:

    When I had time during the summer to look back at last season, I didn’t think it was a terrible year. There were some things I did well and I was happy with the way I played. But I just think consistency wise, I was angry about that and I just never felt like myself during the whole year. So I wanted to come back this summer and work on those things. Just get my conditioning up and be a real solid player and work on the skills that I need to develop.

    I just had focus right from the get go this summer and I had a goal I wanted to attain. I wanted to get back to being the player I know I can be and have that consistency. That’s something I focused on a lot and I feel like a really hit on that and I feel really good so far in this pre-season.

    We play the Buffalo Sabres in Dundas on Tuesday night in the annual Kraft Hockeyville game and it would be unbelievable if my younger brother, Marcus, was in their lineup that night. I’ve never had the chance to play against him in an actual organized sport, so it would be pretty neat. He’s worked so hard and I think he deserves a shot at playing in a couple of exhibition games, so he can show them what he can do.

    I know I can definitely say I saw him put the work in first hand. Marcus worked out with me all summer and he really, really worked hard. He definitely has that dream to become an NHL player and it’s only a matter of time before he does. It’ll definitely be pretty special to play against him for sure on Tuesday night if it happens.

    Marcus is four years younger, but he keeps up and pushes me pretty well. He’s a big boy, he’s a lot bigger than me. It’s nice to work out with your brother. It’s something special and I think it’s something we cherish when we’re together. We look back on it when the year starts and we say it’s great that you get to work out with your brother and try to achieve the same goal. I’m a big fan of his and I know he’s a big fan of mine. I’m looking forward to seeing him grow in his career.

    My dad (ex-NHLer Mike Foligno) is back in the league as an assistant coach in Anaheim and I’m happy for him. That’s where my dad belongs. He belongs in the NHL, I know he’s an NHL quality coach and I think he’s going to do a great job for them. Just not against us, I hope, when the Ducks play us here in January.

    It’ll be different playing against my dad as a coach. I’ve never experienced that before, but that’s something we’re going to have to go through. I’ve already had him coach me in junior hockey in Sudbury, so it wouldn’t be too odd to have him coach against me. I’m just excited for him. He’s really happy and he’s going to do a great job for them. I think they’re getting a great coach and it’s going to be fun to play against him that night.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
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• My Two Sens Worth — Sept. 22 My Two Sens Worth — Sept. 22

  • From: 2sensworth
  • Description:

    Peter Regin had some high hopes for himself and his homeland when he headed off to the 2010 World Hockey Championship in Germany back in May. But becoming a YouTube sensation? Let's say that was hardly front of mind for the Ottawa Senators forward.

    Yet there it was, Regin's "sick" end-to-end rush for a goal against Finland, running up the views in the days afterward. While Regin has seen it himself, he adds "to be honest, I don't watch too much of myself." Others, apparently, had a much different opinion, with more than 40,000 hits for the several posts of the goal you'll find on YouTube (like this one, if you've never seen it).

    "Especially over here," Regin said earlier this week during Senators training camp, when asked if he was surprised by the interest. "I was on the radio about a week afterward and they were saying everyone in Ottawa was watching it. I was surprised about that because usually the world championship is not the biggest thing in Canada. It was fun."

    As much as the goal rocked to a lot of folks, Regin hardly had time to realize exactly what he'd done. Watch the video closely and you'll see he raises his stick and accepts congratulations from his teammates in typical fashion, even as you can see Danish fans going crazy in the stands (and at least one Finnish supporter holding his head in disbelief).

    "It was in the first game and it was such an important game," said Regin. "We ended up beating Finland and then we had to win against the U.S. team two days later. So I didn't have much time to think about the goal. It wasn't the most important thing right then. We were in a battle to keep going."

    The 2010 worlds, as it turned out, were a very big deal for Regin and Denmark. The Danes reached the quarter-final round for the first time ever and the 24-year-old Regin had a lot to do with it. In a lot of minds, he simply carried over his strong play for the Senators in the Stanley Cup playoffs and took it to another level. But the team result mattered more for Regin.

    "It was probably bigger for the country than it was for me," said Regin, who's represented Denmark at the last six world championships. "Usually, young guys from a country like Denmark want to play well at the worlds so they can come over here (to the NHL). That's what the worlds is for people from a small country. That's what I did when I was younger.

    "I wanted to do well so Ottawa would see that I could compete at this level. But I've already (made it) here, so I knew was going to come back anyways. So it was more important for the country and I did everything I could to help the country."

    Now Regin, who makes his pre-season debut tonight in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, turns his attention back to the Senators, for whom he scored 13 goals and 29 points during his first full season in 2009-10, then added another three goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup quarter-finals, a series in which he was arguably Ottawa's best player.

    While Senators head coach Cory Clouston hasn't exactly settled on his lines to start the season, Regin intends to be among the top six forwards when the puck drops for the regular-season opener Oct. 8 at Scotiabank Place against the Buffalo Sabres.

    "My goal is to play on one of those lines," he said. "That's what I'm trying to do. But if I don't make one of those lines, then I'm still going to do my best and work as hard as I can. I'm not going to shut it down. I'll just try to prove I belong there."

    And who knows, there might even be another YouTube moment along the way.

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  • 2 years ago
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• My Two Sens Worth — Sept. 19 My Two Sens Worth — Sept. 19

  • From: 2sensworth
  • Description:

    Already, there's a bit of a dark cloud over Senators training camp and we're only two days in. Not doom and gloom mind you, but everyone around the team definitely feels for defenceman Filip Kuba, who is on the shelf for a least 5-to-6 weeks with a broken right leg. Especially when you consider injuries cost the Czech blueliner 29 games last season.

    It also happens to be the second straight year that Kuba finds himself stricken by the injury bug in the early stages of the season. In the 2009-10 season opener against the Rangers, the veteran defenceman suffered a lower body injury at Madison Square Garden and didn't suit up again for nearly four weeks, missing eight games.

    This latest injury hit home in a particular way for Senators forward Nick Foligno, who missed nearly eight weeks last season after he fractured his right leg blocking a shot. While the two-week Olympic team took a little of the pain away of his absence, Foligno can surely relate to the frustration of being taken away from the game that you love.

    "I feel badly for him," the 22-year-old Buffalo native said earlier today, after confirmation of the extent of Kuba's injury was provided by general manager Bryan Murray. "You can take a positive out of it. At least it happened early in the year. He has time to recover and get some good game time in before things get real, real serious. But I'm sure he's going to have a good attitude about it and recover as well as possible. I know he's going to come back and be a good player for us."

    Still, nothing can erase the string of a professional hockey player missing even one game and, perhaps most of all, being away from his teammates for an extended period. After all, there's only so many movies or TV you can watch, or books you can read, before that eventually starts to get old and, well, more than a little boring.

    "For him, just not being able to play (is the hardest part)," said Foligno. "It's training camp and not too much is going on right now. But it's tough. You miss being out there with the guys, you miss going on road trips and you feel alienated a little bit. But I know he's a big part of this team and he knows that. We're going to miss him, but we're going to be excited when he comes back."

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
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• Carkner: Great To Be Back Carkner: Great To Be Back

  • From: sensplayerblog
  • Description:

    Today is the first day of training camp for a new season and it’s a good feeling to start getting back into the swing of things. It’s kind of a nerve-wracking day as well, because you’re going through all your physical testing requirements. It’s pretty strenuous on the body and I can tell a lot of the younger guys are a little bit nervous. But it’s fun to get back again.

    Last year, I came to camp trying out as a forward, but it's a bit of a different feeling for me this time around. But it’s the same kind of thing in some ways. I’ve been through a lot of training camps and the nerves are still there for the fitness testing. I always like to do well and perform my best. I can say it's definitely a good feeling that I’m not away from home now in a different city, trying out for a different team. It's nice just having my family settled into our house here and not living in a hotel and all that kind of stuff.

    The first day of camp was kind of a funny day for my family. I dropped my kids off at pre-school and I just said ‘daddy’s going to be back at work now.’ And they just said ‘when’s next summer coming?’ They love their time with dad, which is understandable. It’s really tough on the family during the season because you’re away a lot, but I have a great support group with my wife and kids and they love hockey, so it’s a bonus.

    Summer gave me some time to think about everything I went through last season. Of course, my family and friends, every time they see me it’s like ‘can you believe what happened?’ But you know what, I’ve been working my whole career to get there and it happened. I’m not ready to sit back and look upon the past just yet. I’ve still got some things I want to do in hockey. But it was neat to know that I was a Senator last season, playing in my home town. Just getting to do some community work with a bunch of different people just shows the kind of support we have from this community.

    After the way last season ended, we have some motivation coming into this one, that’s for sure. I think we know that if we could have got past Pittsburgh, you never know what would have happened. We just lost it there and we were so close to going far in the playoffs. Basically, we’re hungry to get going and we’re not looking that far ahead right now. I think we have some expectations that we want to do a little better each year. As a team right now, I think we’re looking pretty good.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 2167

• Great Blog Great Blog

  • From: rfrench
  • Description:

    I followed this all week.  Great to have this on the website to see first hand experience of these young professionals in training.  VERY well written and informative.......a couple years in college shows.  What a well rounded young man to play so well in this tournament and be an articulate spokesman on the SensTV clips!  Sure hope he makes the leap to the next level this year.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
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• Wiercioch: Great Way To Finish Wiercioch: Great Way To Finish

  • From: sensplayerblog
  • Description:

    (Defenceman Patrick Wiercioch, the Senators’ second-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, signed his first contract with the team in the spring after deciding to leave the University of Denver after two seasons. He’ll be sharing his thoughts about his first rookie tournament with the team in a series of exclusive blog posts for OttawaSenators.com).

    Tonight was our last game at the rookie tournament and it was awesome. The rivalry was there, the fans were right into it. It was a special game to play the Leafs for the first time and thankfully, we were able to come out on top.

    We would have liked to have come out of here with wins in all three games, but it's a learning curve. We had a tough first one against Pittsburgh, but we responded well and got better as the tournament went on. As a team, today was our strongest game as a whole for 60 minutes.

    Personally, this tournament was great for just getting the rust off my skates. It's been a long summer and a long off-season. You train really hard during the summer to get ready for this, but you can't really tell where you stand until you get into game situations. Getting into those games early and getting a feel for the pace of it was a good feeling.

    This was much different than the college experience for me. A team put together at the last minute like that, you don't really know where you're going to be playing or who you're going to be playing against. It comes together really fast at you. You're just trying to get out there and not make too many mistakes and try to win some games for the logo on the front of the jersey.

    I'm excited about heading to main camp next. Now the first chapter is completed and I'm thankful that I got the chance to participate in this tournament. It got my feet wet a little bit and hopefully, I can take the next step. I know I can't wait to get started.

    Lastly, I want to thank the Sens fans who have been following the blog. Hopefully, it's given them a decent insight into what's been going on down here in London. And I'd like to thank all the fans here for showing up. This tournament was great, with the atmopshere at the rink. It was well organized and just a credit to those guys who put it on. Now it's time for the next step.

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  • 2 years ago
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• Wiercioch: A Taste of Rivalry Wiercioch: A Taste of Rivalry

  • From: sensplayerblog
  • Description:

    (Defenceman Patrick Wiercioch, the Senators’ second-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, signed his first contract with the team in the spring after deciding to leave the University of Denver after two seasons. He’ll be sharing his thoughts about his first rookie tournament with the team in a series of exclusive blog posts for OttawaSenators.com).

    We’re down to one more game in our rookie tournament and it’s huge. It’s against the Leafs, so it’s probably the first taste I’ll get of this rivalry and it’s exciting. Even though it’s not the NHL, it’s still nice to play against their prospects and obviously, there’s bragging rights on the line.

    Absolutely, I’m also looking at this as one last audition before main camp. If anything, that game will give me one last chance to get comfortable before main camp, to get used to the pace and the feel of the game. I’ll use it as a nice stepping stone for main camp.

    For me, they key thing is probably just showing consistency over three games. If you can play two games well, then that third game is going to matter. If you can play consistent for three games, then hopefully they’ll give you the chance you deserve.

    Today is an off-day for us and I think we’re going bowling this afternoon, so we’ll see how we hit those lanes. I’m not the greatest bowler, so hopefully my 76 or 75 doesn’t bring the team average down too much. We’ll see how that goes.

    Our tournament games have been held at the John Labatt Centre here in London and it’s a great arena. The London Knights are fortunate to play here and call this their home. I’m sure they have an outstanding fan base to fill this place every night, and it’s probably a great atmosphere to play in every night.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
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