"Sink or swim!"

Nikita's nose is not broken so will dress but Paul will go to Butts on right wing on the big line if Filatov is lookin' like he needs a night off.

The big question...the DEFENCE pairings...

I'd go with the Swedish Offence #65 and #7 and give 'em lots of ice. The "old boys" (#4/#55) are doing pretty well with lots of rest and #2 with #5 will be fine.

Andy in goal again!

Zack's line ready for Ribeiro.

Jason is fine as long as he has "Cyborg!"

Alfie, 9mm and their new center are ready to really put it together.

The "Bingo Line!"

Zack, Condra and Daug are terrific.

Goal tending wins. Andy is plain "Good!"

Nick Foligno @ center goes back deeper in his own end and starts the rush as well as anyone...carries it with more authority through the center.

Jason...shooting!

EriK is "Cool".

Greening, our cyborg, is afraid of "Nothing!"

9mm two to start.

Alfie is right there taking it all in...steady as she goes.

So what do we do now?

Lee goes back in and Butts goes to the big line.

Dress Neil, make him play on one leg.

Or play 11 forwards.

The "Money Shot!"

The scoring shot right now in the NHL is the winger going too far, too deep and shooting short side top corner...if the goalie deflects it to the corner ya shoot it off the back of his goal pad (or his "Arse!")

Note: There is more than the odd one going in.

So Nikita, you being a right hand shot going down left wing allows you to hold the puck even longer before going high short side and your shooting angle is twice as good. Last game, you held it a little long but ya still had him down early with lots of room upstairs. Doubtless you have been told this but it's good to think about it again as this play will come to you more often than you think.

Jason the "Big Shooter!" It makes my heart flutter every time you let one go...even that one high off the cross bar. Again as you doubtless have been told if you and Nikita are going to put it together you are/will become the "gunner!"  So it's recognize the shot and take it. You and I both know you are much better at seeing these scoring chances than you are given credit for. As for the too far, too deep one you already take that shot so remind Filatov!

Nikita is back!

Option one to start...#21; #28; #16

Option two during the game...#21; #19; #9 with Greening going to 2nd line center.

Option three...double shift Jason...#21; #19; #16

Option four...#21; #71; #11

Do ya get the drift...the DaCosta experiment was done 5-6 games ago, this move was long over due and should have been explored out of Training Camp.

Just sayin'...

PHX played 5 centers tonight and Kyle didn't even dress...they have a very old defence.

EDM has two surplus offensive centers and no defencemen.

Waiting for Petr, who may return after xmas is a mistake.

Come on Bryan live by the sword, spend some of your young "D" stockpile!

Plan "F", bring up Filatov and play #14 @ 2nd center.

Plan "X" throw in the towel and bring up and play all the kids! Playing goal in Ottawa can't be any worse than playing in Bingo!

Protect Spezza!

The DaCOSTA experiment is over.

If we don't get another center ice man to protect Jason, his production will drop until he stops trying.

Petr is done with that shoulder even if he can come back he will not be a true second center.

Note: this is the National Hockey League, ya can't get by with only Jason Spezza and Zack!

Bryan, either ya go out and get us a real center man (ya got so many young NHL ready high skill DEFENCEMEN that you cannot develop them all) or throw in the towel on this season.

You cannot win...

In the Show, you cannot win without a "Big Time" goalie; an "All Star" 1st line center; a "Gifted" puck moving defenceman and a first line center playing second line in "Sheep's Clothing!"

Z-bad is starting to look like a super 3rd and may not be here for another year after this one.

Silfverberg is in Sweden.

I think shoulders (Petr) hurt bad many times don't come back. It's a bad wager.

#24 is badly over matched and Nick and Alfie know it and it is having an effect on them.

Winchester is game but is more valuable further down the line up.

Zenon is too slow.

#14 is unavailable.

Condra is a bridge too far...right now.

Brooks Laich plays in Washington.

Sid, Geno and Staal play in Pittsburgh...our next stop.

Foligno (and we love the guy) plays wing like a center but put him at center and he looks like a winger.

Due to some great advice gathered from various sources Bryan, you now have a glut of  young NHL ready defencemen...you cannot develop them all...

Make your move "early"...this season hangs in the balance...

Reasons...

Reasons to trade for Kyle Turris:

the man can play center ice in the National Hockey League

6'1" 190lbs; 22 years old

smart...knows enough that he doesn't want to play in PHX for Dave T.

as much as the prognosticators/commentators (those old knowledgeable pros want to tell you what a bad move he made and how dumb he was (and he didn't/and isn't) he is going to get out of PHX

a 3rd pick overall

will love Coach Paul and thus Bryan Murray

a first string center to play second line in sheep's clothing

imagine if Alfie starts getting the puck in scoring position again

the price is right...a young NHL ready defenceman and a pick (2nd?)

the price is right No. 2...$1.2 actual first year/paid for by one playoff victory.

projection...could one day play with our other 1st round pick #21

"Attention" Bryan Murray

Bryan, you are sending your loyal Coach Paul into a spectacle, a street fight with one hand tied behind his back and the other guy Bylsma,who is no slouch, has three of the best centers in the league and the last change.

If you were ever going to pull the trigger now is the time...or at least make a move to give Coach Paul some flexibility.

I'd bring up Filatov and play Foligno (nice size) at center with Alfie...Konopka takes his draws in our end.

Note: they are going to play three line hockey with you if they can as they try to get enough ego minutes for Sid, "Geno" and Staal.

Plan "B" is Winchester vs "Geno" but that's a tall order even with Alfie and Nick as his wingers. Spezza gets Staal and Zack will put Crosby in the sack.

EriK has got to cut an inch off his hockey stick, Coach Paul, Alfie and I (I've been talking about it since training camp) we have all told him and give the "Hotshots" a lesson at their own game (puck possession). It cost us two goals the other night.

Old Guys!

Jimmy Ralph, the old 67's goalie, another Tranna expert and commentator, says the reason that poor teams like Carolina (and Ottawa) have such a big differential between PPs vs PKs as opposed to good teams like Vancouver and Tranna is because they are behind the play and chasing the puck all the time. This coming from a man, who is fifty years old and should know better having played for Ottawa.

Marty McSorley, the man who clubs Donald Brashire because he was too chicken to fight him, says the Dawg getting boarded from behind was his own fault. Where does Sportsnet find these guys...he has the blinks from one too many concussions and was himself a multiple offender. McSorley, you are wrong and you do not know what you are talking about!

Filip Kuba, it's one too many (and we know you got hit on your bad hand again). One too many give aways in our end. One too many pucks not held in at their blue line. One too many failures to clear during the PP. One too many poke checks where you don't get the puck. One too many opportunities @ 6'4" 230 to smear some guy that is not taken. One too many deflections off of your body into our net.

EriK played like a man with the cold and a flu...or else he was still hung over!

Gonchar is getting very frustrated with himself and with the way the other young guys in the league are treating him.
                  

Twenty Games!

We are twice as good as the Tranna guys thought and we could be better...

It's time to get Coach Paul to ask Bryan Murray for a second line center...

The other night in Edmonton, Jason for some reason starts to float a little bit in our defensive zone, he's a way too high and leaving Edmonton guys all around and in front of our net completely alone. The second line comes over the boards Alfie and Nick do what they can but DaCOSTA is following Jason's lead and is playing a way too high. Stephane is told to come down low and help out and it makes no difference, he's ineffective. Plus he's like 1 for 16 at the dot so the Oilers have the puck all the time.

The game hung in the balance I thought we were going to lose the game in the opening minutes...

Because Butts had the big game in Calgary, Zach's line couldn't get on for the first 6 -7 shifts and they have become our best defensive forward unit.

So ya got Gryba, who, we don't seem to like but every other team does. Wiercioch, for whom there is a lot of interest. Carkner, who would fit nicely in Edmonton.  Lee, who we are going to regret but it's just numbers here and of course Kuba, what can you say about the "enigma"...Bryan, ya owe us one, pull the trigger...Hemsky, Gagner, Turris...if the guy can chew gum and skate, he can play between Alfie and Foligno right now.


And stop talking about Petr...shoulders ya cannot fix!

Contrary to what Chris Stevenson says, I think we got enough...let's make a run...

Bravado BS!

Who is kidding who...you guys didn't like the look of Filitov in camp...ya didn't give him much of a look...ya sent him down twice...

Who do you guys think you are...65k in the "A" is less than the minimum wage, ya can't live on that...remember he went all through this last year in Columbus, this man is no virgin, he has seen these hard ass North Americans before as they tricked him on his American league contract. He knows ya can't live on that money over here.

Man up, send the boy home...you guys don't want him, you don't know how to retool Russian Forwards for the North American game...we have seen this 3 -4 times before...

Call it new coaching staff, call it new guy incompetence, where no one speaks up, call it failure to recognize skill, in fairness none of our coaches or GMs plural ever had this man's raw talent or were first round draft choices.

As the Russian Puck Daddy says: "Filitov is a salary cap casualty and you are not going to bring up to develop at $2.2 mill when you can let him develop at $65k." Red Army would go as much as a $1 million for their former appreciated International STAR!

Ya lost a legitimate gamble, it's not the end of the world, move on...

"Under Reporting!"

Concussion is the most under reported injury in modern medicine today!

But Professional hockey is the worst. Colie Campbell says concussions are down by half to this point in the season...horse poo!

Trainers and medics call it...a bruise...a contusion...a scalp laceration...face wounds...whip lash..."Ershytterung"..."Commotion Cyrybrale"...any thing but a CONCUSSION so we don't have to count it.

Note: In everyday medicine they don't like to diagnose it  because they don't know how to treat it...take two aspirin and go to bed for three weeks...

Shanny, if you were being honest, the number should be about double, as any head doctor will tell you awareness has tripled!

"Clear and present danger!"

A young man out west just died from a puck in the neck...

These concussions, these brain traumas, these serious head shots are nothing to be scoffed at...Shanny, you and Colie Campbell think it's "clever" to delay...to allow the repeat offenders to string it out... to avoid the final sentence/suspension.

Smart falls somewhere between intelligent and clever. Make the smart move and start to take action to protect your players NOW...it's your job!!

Note: The League, Bettman, has got to get Campbell out of this process immediately...he is old news...he's bad news...he's trouble...

Note2: Shanny/Campbell say concussions down by half so far this year...hog wash...the NHL teams in their wisdom, are calling them "Whip lash"or any thing but concussion...Buffalo called Miller's concussion whip lash initially!

"Irresponsible Shanny!"

Mr. Shanahan, you are the irresponsible one. To brush off Lindy Ruff with your bullsh*t ruling and response to him, how insulting...who do you think you are??? That neanderthal numb skull Colie Campbell.

The stars, Sid and Alfie, are one thing but the "goalies"...

It comes back to the Eric Lindros question: "How many $15 dollar tickets do you have to sell in America to make up for a $50 million dollar franchise player?"

We know you are scared to death of "Big Market" America of which Tranna thinks it's the lead pony but as unusual you guys cut off your nose to spite your face. Boys, the players are the meal ticket, never forget that!

Here is the prediction you don't want to hear, Lucic being allowed to play reckless and dirty will end his career sooner rather than later, he is not a power forward, he is a somewhat skilled, over sized line backer, who is being encouraged to cross the line!

Cheap shot...head shot...dirty shot!!!

"Concussion!" is the most common type of "traumatic" brain injury.

Intent!

Charging! Goalies are not fair game!

It takes a really tough guy to run over a defenceless goalie.

This was another case of a "Little boy" tantrum...he fumbles the puck after making a good defensive play and he takes it out on the goalie, Miller, who can't believe that Lucic is still coming after the puck is long gone.

Miller should have used the goal stick on him because he knows none of the Sabres are going to take revenge.


 "NONE!"


Shanny...put your skirt on Alice because you are just Colie's....         Yuck!

Blame "2006!"

In the 70's ya played a 2-1-2 until late in the game with a lead then you went to a 1-2-2 with the centerman deep and the two wingers still pretty high at their blueline.

In the 80's/90's the Devils and others played a 1-2-2 all the time but it was not the full trap...you brought the wingers back and the defence stood up because you could charge and head shoot guys and if the puck carrier got by you your winger just hooked on and water skied him to the corner.

"2006" no more redline...call it not a left wing lock but a full lock, it is really a 1-4 "Trap" with the center not even crossing their blueline...in football it's called a Gap Eight or Goal Line Defence.

And ya know who has figured it out...Detroit Red Wings they use wedge breakers and run illegal picks all over the ice, especially at the opposition blueline and don't get called very often.

So Greg M. don't insult us by calling it a 1-2-2, it's a 1-4 goal line defence as Philly tried to show us...

NOTE: Every game...Watson and Banfield, they sound like two Tranna Dentists...1st period, three (3) straight power plays, two (2) PP goals to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead and a little help up the ladder. Of course St Louis get nuttin in the first...Hitch will be fired up after this one...

The Broadcasting Smoke Screen...

When you look at how bad (Name Wise) the Ranger defence is supposed to be and how well they played, what does that say about Phillips, Kuba and Gonchar...Bryan ya gotta let Coach Paul off the hook...

Andy is really givin' 'er but is fading...bring up the "Big Guy" from Bingo for Tranna...

The Sabres are Buffalo meat for Alfie...get him into the game...

Bob Butler goes to the press box with a clip board and rink sheets to trace the routes (plural) of #23...

Sit #55, Buffalo at home on Friday night are simply too fast for him...

Remind #4, he usta own Buffalo...

Jason, score a goal...

#2 and #7

#17 and #65

#4 and #5

And "Andy" stay out and stay up...you are not King Hendrick!

They don't look like a last place team...

It's OK to cary 3 old DEFENCEMEN (?), but you sit one of 'em the odd game and limit the minutes of the other two...Coach you have instituted a speed game, match your personnel to it...

Youth equals speed...

Alfie is going to help, DaCOSTA and Foligno.

Neil could drop a line (he's momentarily forgotten the puck) and give Condra a chance with guys who can skate with him...

Rundblad gave Andy the shooter and Anderson went down early and deep but #10 does that to goalies.

For Coach Paul to say Rundblad is better than Lee did not help anything and he is "Wrong!"

You are a NHL hockey player, the puck comes to you at the point with the other guys under some pressure and 5 of them standing in front of the net with your three, ya shoot the puck six inches to a foot off the ice not up in everyone's pants...the idea is that every player gets a shot at it or if it gets through to the goalie you are going to get a low rebound...this is basic hockey offence...

EriK has made the adjustment, he has brought his point shot down a good foot and half...and he got it on the net...

#14 took another shot tonight, I don't think he's 100%...but he keeps going back out there.

For the money he's makin'...

For the money he's makin' and the skill he's got, with Greening hurt, I'd have David Rundblad playing left wing with Spezza and 9mm. David may have to play 4th line left wing when they put Caspers up there on the first line anyways...

If Alfie cannot return for the road trip "Shanny" should be fired...failure to protect the safety of his players!

Robin makes peanuts in the "Show" let him come up and back up "Andy", the big team needs him...

For all you "Foligno Traders", Nick is playing second line on your big team all by himself and making a pretty fair show of it.

If I was Bryan Murray, I would call in every one of our stick manufacturers and make him personally responsible for the fit, flex, strength and playability of every player, who is playing with his stick on our team. I can tell ya just sitting there with the naked eye, some are too long, some blades are too thin, some of the shafts are too frail, others are too brital (pucks bouncing away)...Come on boys, this is National Hockey League, sharpen up!

Where is Alfie?

Five straight power plays in New York tonight, Rangers three nothin' in the first period, why can't we see a little of that...we are the least Power Played and most penalized team in the league by a wide margin!

9mm is all we got...

Zack is the "Nuts" of the team...

The "Daug" is an excellent hockey player...

Condra is just going to get better...

The commentary on Kuba is a smoke screen...he's brutal!

Bring up Lehner and give Andy a break, he's playin' great but he's ready to crack...

We need Alfredsson back bad...

Winchester couldn't put the puck in the ocean...

Jason has lost that half step again, we may be playing him too much...

Foligno is OK but ya gotta give him something to play with...

DaCosta got run over and lost a puck battle to a guy the same size as him.

Neil is starting to forget about the puck again...

At least #2 and #5 pushed the odd guy from in front of the net...

"Bryan...either play all the kids or go out and get us a second line center!"

Hockey's version of"Stickem!"

It was as if the puck would stick on the Montreal players stick and stay...ours not so much...ours not at all...

In the old days, the old experienced defencemen could stick around because they would take the puck off you and it would seem as though it was stuck to their stick...our old guys don't get it off the other guy and there is too much of that Pierre McGuire's active stick,waving it around to no result...put your stick on the ice and take the puck off the guy.

Butler stunk, he turned the wrong way all night. It was evident early that he was going to the wrong spot with the puck or his body every time...that's tough to do!

When the power play was number one Jason was shooting from the half wall...all of a sudden he's going back in the middle, into the traffic where there is no play...

If for no other reason than to show you are an intelligent builder, ya gotta gas one old defenceman each game for the next three...the broadcasters are trying to tell us how well they all are playing, it's a smoke screen...

DaCOSTA shows flashes but he's easy meat for any of the big hitters as he cruises through the neutral zone and over the blue line...look out!

Lee didn't do bad...

Jared was OK!

Andy did what he could...

EriK stunk...he couldn't hit a bull in the arse with a snow shovel tonight. Everything was too high...it's his new long stick??

What happened to the guy going to the net. They practiced that for twenty minutes at the pregame skate...vapour lock...

The ZEBRA thought they were in Montreal, thus the HOME NON-CALLS...

Where's Alfie?

Shanny is the "Chicken!"

Shanny is the "Chicken!"

He's afraid of the Rudderless Rangers...

He's afraid of Colie Campbell and his Secret Committee...

He's afraid of the Back Room Boys, who call the shots...

He's afraid of the Owners...

And he ain't afraid of small market Ottawa but watch them leave Brendan in the lurch and totally on his own when the next..."Just a Hockey Play!" results in a very serious injury where the victim does not walk away...

Note: Watch out for these "Little Boy" tantrums...Last year Jason's push from behind...season over. This year, this Wolski "Cut", mad at the world, unloads on Alfie...that's what Konopka was trying to tell us...

This is not the time to sit Jared...

Jared does not require any "over" coaching at the moment...

Cowen, with the big reach and front of the net presence, helps Mr. Gonchar a lot more than he gets credit for...

It's not #2's fault that #55 is not reacting fast enough at his own blue line...#5 does not have Jared's range...

Pacioretty needs to see the mirror image of Big Z, Max is getting uppity again and Jared is not afraid to put the body on him but good...

Lee in all fairness is too rusty for the Habs, unless you take one of our old turtles out the Defence Corp...

Reggie Dunlop says: "Let 'em know you're there!"

A troubled 6'3" 210 lbs wonder kid,  who is on his way to the minors because he doesn't play in traffic, has left Ottawa/the NHL with his own personal legacy...a late, no puck, out of position, blind head shot to Alfie, that could be career ending and Colie and Shanny let Wolski get away with it!! Shanny your explanation is simply wrong and it "stinks!" Remember the Ref penalized Wolski for an "Illegal Shot to the Head!"

Theories!

If you are going to subject your goalie to 40+ tough shots every night bring up the "KID" and play him about 1/3 of the time.

Start substituting for one old defenceman each game, they are worn out and it's only November...a fresh Lee is better than any one of them...

When you are the first line on a one line team, ya can't take nights off...especially against your own division...

I'd pay the ransom for Turris...

The "DAUG" is back for the Habs, he knows Montreal really doesn't like Latvians...

Foligno and his Parisian center could use Alfie in a big way, maybe for Buffalo...


Stop taking Neil off the third line, that line is as good as you have got...

Keep skatin' 'em, when you are this tired you either faint or get your second wind...

Coach Paul, you have the last change, let us see some bench jockeying...

Remember our theory, we have to hang around untill the New Year and our "young people" get 40 games under their belt...

Win or lose, it is fun to watch, thinking about the Tranna guys drooling over our real "prospects!"

"Boston Garden!"

Boston Garden...hot pucks, bad ice, Big "Z", Coach Julien and a lot of angry Bruins...and ya know what...our kids are not afraid of HIM...some of the guys that played with HIM are a little tentative but ya can't blame 'em!

Their goalie, is the best, but he looks fat and slower to me. Let's get him before he gets himself back in shape...

They miss Ryder, who da thunk it!

The Sophomore, because "Thank you Kessell" is playing so well is feeling the heat...he thinks he has to score 10 in ten games...

The Bruins are switching back to their Playoff pairings on defence...this is not good news.

The "little punk" thinks he's a fighter, a tough guy, he could be the source of two minutes of PP Time tonight...PPs for us are going to be few and far between...

Bergeron owned Spezza last year but he has not seen our "New and improved version" this year...

EriK  under normal circumstances no, but tonight on their poor ice and those bad boards if Lumbering Lucic wants to go into the corner first then let him...discretion is the better part of valour...

Kelly could be a factor...

Gentlemen, you are going to have to play the road game of your life tonight, but ya got the squad to do it!