By Luke Peristy
Folks, it is the ultimate dream of any NHL player to play for a Stanley Cup, but I'm sure the second best thing in his mind is to play for respect and pride. If you ask me, playing for respect and pride is right up there with playing for the love of the game, which is pretty convenient because that's kinda the point of the season the Ottawa Senators are at right now. Sure, some people may point out that the Senators have not been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, and these people would be technically correct (the best kind of correct). However, when you're talking about a team needing 22 out of 28 possible points to have a 58.5% chance of making the playoffs, you don't exactly need to be Daniel Alfredsson to pithily summarize the chances of there being playoff hockey in Ottawa this spring.
Still, the team must soldier on, and we the fans/bloggers must soldier right along with them. What's the worst that could happen? It's not like the Senators' 1st round pick is going to get any worse.
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2013-2014 Ottawa Senators: Winning Can't Hurt.
Let's have some fun out there!
Ales Hemsky is pretty cool.
Still, the team must soldier on, and we the fans/bloggers must soldier right along with them. What's the worst that could happen? It's not like the Senators' 1st round pick is going to get any worse.
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2013-2014 Ottawa Senators: Winning Can't Hurt.
Let's have some fun out there!
1st Period
20:00 - Paul Maclean starts Ottawa's first line of MacArthur-Turris-Ryan instead of his favoured Neil-Smith-Greening line and is punished for his insolence by a Lightning goal 20 seconds into the game. 1 - 0 Lightning Bobby Ryan gets his stick hacked out of his hands on the play which is why he was unable to cover Teddy Purcell. It's just been that kinda year for Bobby Ryan.
10:25 - Bobby Ryan is robbed by Ben Bishop whose glove just happened to be positioned in the top corner Ryan was shooting at. It's just been that kinda year for Bobby Ryan.
9:10 - Clarke MacArthur is sprung on a shorthanded breakaway after Kyle Turris forces a neutral zone turnover. MacArthur fires the puck through Ben Bishop's expansive five-hole and ties the game. 1 - 1 Tie Clarke MacArthur was saying a few days ago that the team has to step up, and...hey, wait a second, is Clarke MacArthur leading by example? Somebody get this man a new contract an an 'A'!
7:22 - Teddy Purcell scores on a scramble in front of the Senators net as a Milan Michalek penalty expires. 2 - 1 Lightning
Let's break down the play with the help of Twitter.
6:53 - Tampa Bay takes a penalty, and off the faceoff, Spezza wins it to Hoffman, who passes to Karlsson who one-times it past Bishop. 2 - 2 Ottawa This goal leaves Karlsson only one goal back of the Ottawa Senators franchise record of most goals by a defenseman. Steve Duchesne set this record back in 1996-97, but then again, he had a playoff calibre team behind him.
0:26 - Tampa Bay sets up on the powerplay and gets the puck to Steven Stamkos for a one-timer, but Robin Lehner is equal to the task, keeping the score 2-2 after one period. I find it amazing that Steven Stamkos can generate the chances and goals he does. It's not like no one knows that's he's gonna camp out on the left side and set up a one-timer, but he can always pull it off anyway. Glenn Healy probably thinks he's a one trick pony, though.
10:25 - Bobby Ryan is robbed by Ben Bishop whose glove just happened to be positioned in the top corner Ryan was shooting at. It's just been that kinda year for Bobby Ryan.
9:10 - Clarke MacArthur is sprung on a shorthanded breakaway after Kyle Turris forces a neutral zone turnover. MacArthur fires the puck through Ben Bishop's expansive five-hole and ties the game. 1 - 1 Tie Clarke MacArthur was saying a few days ago that the team has to step up, and...hey, wait a second, is Clarke MacArthur leading by example? Somebody get this man a new contract an an 'A'!
7:22 - Teddy Purcell scores on a scramble in front of the Senators net as a Milan Michalek penalty expires. 2 - 1 Lightning
Let's break down the play with the help of Twitter.
Erik Karlsson tries to stave off two guys, Chris Phillips has no man's land locked down. pic.twitter.com/9GDbrrYmSF
— Travis Yost (@TravisHeHateMe) March 21, 2014
Ok, Chris Phillips looks pretty bad here, but he's still got two more years to figure it out.6:53 - Tampa Bay takes a penalty, and off the faceoff, Spezza wins it to Hoffman, who passes to Karlsson who one-times it past Bishop. 2 - 2 Ottawa This goal leaves Karlsson only one goal back of the Ottawa Senators franchise record of most goals by a defenseman. Steve Duchesne set this record back in 1996-97, but then again, he had a playoff calibre team behind him.
0:26 - Tampa Bay sets up on the powerplay and gets the puck to Steven Stamkos for a one-timer, but Robin Lehner is equal to the task, keeping the score 2-2 after one period. I find it amazing that Steven Stamkos can generate the chances and goals he does. It's not like no one knows that's he's gonna camp out on the left side and set up a one-timer, but he can always pull it off anyway. Glenn Healy probably thinks he's a one trick pony, though.
2nd Period
17:16 - Robin Lehner breaks up a Tampa Bay semi-breakaway with a well-timed poke check. This competent defensive play leads Paul Maclean to consider pencilling Lehner in for the 3rd defensive pairing.
15:05 - Bobby Ryan takes an interference penalty leading to a Valtteri Filppula powerplay goal. 3 - 2 Lightning It's just been that kind of year for Bobby Ryan.
12:32 - A Mike Hoffman rush leads to a great chance for Cody Ceci who, for some reason, declines to shoot the puck. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take, and this one is no exception. They say that when you're playing well, it's like the game is happening in slow motion, but I don't think that mean's you're supposed to actually play the game in slow motion.
15:05 - Bobby Ryan takes an interference penalty leading to a Valtteri Filppula powerplay goal. 3 - 2 Lightning It's just been that kind of year for Bobby Ryan.
12:32 - A Mike Hoffman rush leads to a great chance for Cody Ceci who, for some reason, declines to shoot the puck. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take, and this one is no exception. They say that when you're playing well, it's like the game is happening in slow motion, but I don't think that mean's you're supposed to actually play the game in slow motion.
5:35 - Ales Hemsky tries to walk around Bishop, but Bishop sticks out his pad and makes the save. "You're going to have to do better than that." says Bishop. "If you say so..." responds Hemsky.
2:28 - Ales Hemsky puts the moves on Radko Gudas like he's me asking a girl to prom. Unlike me, however, he succeeds spectacularly. He also scores on the play, which I guess is another difference between me and Ales Hemsky...You know what, let's just get to the video. 3 - 3 Tie
2:28 - Ales Hemsky puts the moves on Radko Gudas like he's me asking a girl to prom. Unlike me, however, he succeeds spectacularly. He also scores on the play, which I guess is another difference between me and Ales Hemsky...You know what, let's just get to the video. 3 - 3 Tie
3rd Period
19:37 - Ottawa starts the 3rd Period on the powerplay, but quickly gives up a shorthanded breakway. Robin Lehner makes the stop. They say your best penalty killer is your goalie, but only in Ottawa is the goalie the best player on the powerplay as well.
16:12 - Eric Brewer roofs a high backhand over Lehner's shoulder. 4 - 3 Lightning This was Brewer's first goal of the season, so take it away, Twitter!
11:17 - Steven Stamkos takes advantage of the Phillips-Ceci pairing in order to get a couple of point blank chances, but Lehner keeps the game within one. I assume there was a conversation that went something like this:
Cameron: "Sending out Ceci to defend Stamkos is like sending a boy to do a man's job!"
MacLean: "Right, that's why Phillips is out there."
Cameron: "That might be a bit of an overcorrection..."
8:56 - Zack Smith and Ryan Callahan have a gentleman's disagreement, assuming a slew foot leading to a slash and punch in the face is something that gentlemen do. Smith is assessed a penalty and Callahan scores on the powerplay. Some people would call this karma, and those people would be Tampa Bay fans. 5 - 3 Lightning
2:52 - Erik Karlsson takes a blast from his point which is tipped by Milan Michalek to pull Ottawa within one. Initially it looked like Karlsson had tied Duchesne's record, but Michalek just had to go and pad his stats because he's in a "contract year". Classic selfish play! 5 - 4 Lightning
0:55 - Ottawa pulls the goalie and Erik Karlsson draws a penalty, but fail to score on the 6-on-4.
Ottawa loses 5 - 4.
16:12 - Eric Brewer roofs a high backhand over Lehner's shoulder. 4 - 3 Lightning This was Brewer's first goal of the season, so take it away, Twitter!
Why can't our brewer do that?
— Capital Gains (@Capital_Gains65) March 21, 2014
Nailed it.11:17 - Steven Stamkos takes advantage of the Phillips-Ceci pairing in order to get a couple of point blank chances, but Lehner keeps the game within one. I assume there was a conversation that went something like this:
Cameron: "Sending out Ceci to defend Stamkos is like sending a boy to do a man's job!"
MacLean: "Right, that's why Phillips is out there."
Cameron: "That might be a bit of an overcorrection..."
8:56 - Zack Smith and Ryan Callahan have a gentleman's disagreement, assuming a slew foot leading to a slash and punch in the face is something that gentlemen do. Smith is assessed a penalty and Callahan scores on the powerplay. Some people would call this karma, and those people would be Tampa Bay fans. 5 - 3 Lightning
2:52 - Erik Karlsson takes a blast from his point which is tipped by Milan Michalek to pull Ottawa within one. Initially it looked like Karlsson had tied Duchesne's record, but Michalek just had to go and pad his stats because he's in a "contract year". Classic selfish play! 5 - 4 Lightning
0:55 - Ottawa pulls the goalie and Erik Karlsson draws a penalty, but fail to score on the 6-on-4.
Ottawa loses 5 - 4.
The Wisdom
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| Guess the Sens marketing department was right all along. Ales Hemsky really is a good reason to go to home games. |