Ian Mendes

Don't fret Mendes.

We will win this series. I have tickets to Game 6, and my friends on the team won't let me down.

When Ian Sensdes is saying the Ottawa Sens don't have a chance, the fat lady has sung. FORE!

hold your heads high sens fans! you (with your VASTLY superior team) got to play 4 more games than the leafs this year! 2 home games worth of revenue!

let's face it. for the 2007/2008 season, that is ALL that separates you from the leafs.

(i'm sorry.. sports really brings out the worst in people eh?)

and really, let's stop bashing leafs fans for being eternally optimistic. i think optimism is a good thing. mr koymenella is confident that the sens will win the series when they haven't seemed close to winning at any time these three games.

"out of this world goaltending"????? you could've driven a truck through that 5 hole! try watching the Western conference playoffs for some goaltending, or maybe just the other end of the rink during Sens games

They printed tickets to game 6?

HAHAHAHAHA.

Pretty sure they've are already booked a back-up event for the Melon on Saturday night, but you keep holding you breath...

happyslapper...

I think that was Mendes' way of trying to avoid people blaming this on on Gerber. Gerber's the only thing keeping this series from being a complete embarassment for Sens fans (cause right now it's just a regular embarassment).

Now, with the superior goaltending being sported in the West - were you referring to Kippers goal a minute escapade the other night? or Nabokov's inability to pull out the win despite being spotted 3-0?

Actually flyingazn, there are a few things that seperate Ottawa from the Leafs. You're right, reaching the finals in 07/08 is a big one, but how about making the playoffs 11 years in a row? Or how about a core of Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson, Fisher, Volchenkov and Phillips. How about an ownership that wants to win and not just make money off their fans?

I'll be the first to admit this year has turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, but at least some off-season tweaking will put Ottawa right in the thick of things again. The Leafs? They might make the postseason in 2 or 3 years. But maybe that's being a bit optimistic.

Sens fans shouldn't be too discouraged. Not many teams would get through the first round missing their best player, who happens to be their captain, as well as missing their 2 best defensive forwards. The Pens are playing amazing and deserve to move on. It's been great to see Bass, Foligno and Lee show they have what it takes. A few minor changes and this team will be back in the hunt for 08/09. Till then, there's no shame in going down swinging, so hopefully we're in store for a few more games in this series.

mockman, the sens will be lucky to make the playoffs next year if they keep up the way there playing. And youve already made changes by getting more grit which you guys desperately lacked last year. Why not get some actual goaltending. Looking forward to the battle of ontario on the greens next week!

I can't beleive that some Sens fans still think they have a chance. To come back from 3-0 down a team has to have some heart, there is none of that to be found on the Senators. A lot of you fans are like "At least we MADE the playoffs, not like the Leafs". Well good job on making the playoffs, too bad you never showed up for them.

Hey everyone, after a few years of just reading comments, I've decided to join in.

The sens, our sens SUCK.

reasons:

1- We have a guy on our team that we tried trading twice but refused it (REDDEN)

2- We have different groups in our team (NEIL VS EMERY'S CREW)

3- We have a star that doesn't play like a star (SPEZZA)

4- We have players that are building cottages right beside management (Richardson- Murray)

Solutions:

1- stop making bad moves (we should've keeped Chara)

2- Why the F*** did we trade Corvo and Eaves.. (eaves was bright futur even with his injuries)

3- Why don't we trade Spezza for Luongo (Luongo wants out of VAN and Spezza just needs out)

4- Lets do a good clean up this year so that we don't end up not making the playoffs for too long (like the leafs)

Hey Ottawa fans, what's the deal with that horrible pre-game ceremony you guys have with that shirtless guy? Have you been doing this all year? Where did you find that guy anyways, was he cut from "300" for not being in good enough shape? I kept expecting him to yell "THIS IS OTTAWA" and kick Sidney Crosby down a hole. Sens fans seem pretty quiet at times and now I can see why. Fans of other teams get pumped up before games by being shown exciting hilights with some pyrotechnics mixed in whereas Ottawa fans have to watch that, haha.

They had to use that guy before the game to pump everyone up because they can't show highlights of Sens games, unless they just want to show highlights of them sucking.

Never give up on the Sens Ian! Have the Sens lost 4 yet?? Nope! So they still have a chance! I will be cheering them on loud and proud at ScotiaBank place on Wednesday!

GO SENS GO!

It really amazes me how many more Leafs fans read Ian's blogs than Sens fans. Can't blame you guys though, since there isn't much news on the Leafs front except for the upcoming draft. You can't win every year. Sure the Sens didn't win the cup last year, and they are on their way to an early exit, but why do you guys even bother Leafs fans?

Oh Ottawa fans, I feel for all of you. I feel for all of you that have bashed the Leafs at just about every game of the season, at every oportunity you could get, with your noses high, assuming your the best in the east as well as the west, blaa blaa. You have a good team, I wont lie, but eventually it will bite you in the a**, but its so sweet to see a team fall apart that has always had fans that could only trash talk the leafs, oh and mention that your going to hoist the cup. I really dont think that will happen anytime soon. Too many changes need to be made including what is obvious, the goaltending situation and Murray has to go. All I can say is give the Leafs time to figure out the management situation, some player changes and you will finally see a team Ontario can be proud about.

Oh and can I mention how great are ex-Leaf is playing, thats heart, that's emotion, atta boy Roberts.

Danny Heatley and Jason Spezza are apparenlty trying out for the role of the new playoff Alexi Yashins...

At least the Senoriatas will be in shape for bikini season.

see, i'm a leafs far and a realist. i know the skill level of my favourite team does not overtake the skill level of the senators team, but i have to say that this senators team has got to make real changes. how many years with the same failing group - bunch of weak individuals.

Spezza is weak mentally, Heatley can't produce on his own, and Alfredsson has endless amounts of conceit but little to offer in terms of true leadership.

forget about the core. at least the leafs finally know where they are in relative terms... anyone who believes the senators are close to a stanley cup is deluding themselves. i certainly am not.

have we ever seen a team that was so good for the first 20-30 games of the season and then being so bad. I mean this team was being crowned cup champs by almost everybody after that start.. and then what happen... But i mean what really did happen.. they lost heatly and alfie a bit but they lost them before and still played good.. There was no real changes until corvo and eaves trade... the only real change was the GM... So just why there is no real reason for this big slump... Also that corvo and eaves trade was BAD... u traded a O d for another stay at home D which you did not need and Stillman is not excatly a top scorer.... What this team is leadership and as in leadership i mean someone who will confront a player when need be.. Alfie is a great leader on the ice but he is a more non-vocal leader... Also they need front office help with experience... Murray is not the man for the job... Look at the habs that is were the leadership come to from the habs... The Sens need to bring in some people who have past experience of success... Also with the team so commited to 3 players they are gonna end up like TB and trading their young players for rental players is a STUPID move Murrary felt like he HAD to make a move and when u make a move just becasue you HAVE to they never come out good cuz that thing is the sens traded two younger players to CAR for 2 vets and the younger players played better than the vets esp CORVO. guess you don't no what you miss until you losses it

Oh I love this.Vancouver out,edmonton out,toronto out.Calgary tied 2-2,Ottawa down 0-3 and basically out.Is'nt there some other canadian team in the playoffs,oh ya thats right the montreal canadiens winning 3-1.

So all you laffs fans can keep dreaming about next year or the year after or the year after,and all you sens fans keep thinking you have a chance(lol)and we'll just quietly win the cup.Have a nice summer.

You know what, you sens fans are right. The core of your team is so much better than the core of my Leafs team.

The core of the team that finished the season with an awe inspiring 13-20-4 stretch. That's so much better than the horrible Leafs closing record of 20-14-3 (which to their defense included a 0-2-1 but after being officially eliminated).

The core of the team that includes 12 players under contract for next year at a combined 39 million. That's so much better than the Leafs 18 players under contract for 40 million.

Hey Ian, you're not allowed to give up, remember what the fat guy said. You're the sens army and they never surrender.

SENS ARMY! RISE!

You have to love the bitter Leafs fans on this blog. I mean, you guys are REALLY reaching for something to make yourselves feel better. Just read JUS93's post, it's obvious that you guys are bitter about 40-some years of sucking. There are always a ton of great posts on here that make me laugh.

goleafsgo444 - yeah we made some moves for grit, but the problem we had this year was defence and secondary scoring. With Redden on his way out and a few FA pickups, I don't think the chances of missing the playoffs are very high. Goaltending will be addressed too, don't worry. And a battle of Ontario on the greens? I think you guys have the advantage there...a lot more time to practice in the last few years.

jmdrake27 - learn the facts before posting. Corvo asked for a trade, we gave him one. He was good offensively, but made huge mistakes that cost us games (see McCabe). Lee will fill his role next year for a fraction of the price. Eaves will be a decent 3rd liner someday. We picked up 2 players with finals experience, Stillman had a point per game after the trade. I don't think Corvo or Eaves would have helped much more in the Pens series.

Bottom line, our best players are playing hurt, we had suspect coaching for most of the season, thrre were goalie distractions and it led to an up and down season. Nobody can argue what I posted above, we have a great core of players and with some tweaking in the offseason will be fine next year. The Leafs...not so much, have fun at the draft again...unless you do the same thing as this year where you miss the playoffs,miss a high pick and slowly run your heart and soul captain out of town. Stay classy T.O.

I think the Sens were overachieving for the first 20 games of the season. Gerber started hot because Emery was injured so there was no pressure. When Emery returned he showed that he was a cancer on this team.

The key to success in today's NHL is chemistry. You still need the right mix of talent but without the ability to play well as a team you might as well stay home. The Sens will be doing that soon.

Hey Ian, 'Ian Sendes' here. Good blog - at least you're calling it like it is. I'm a huge Sens fan, but even I said with the way they're playing, they wouldn't get past the second round. The Habs, Rangers and as we have all found out, the Pens are playing good - cup finals good.

And for the record, there's nothing wrong with wearing Senator rose coloured glasses.

Better than being in a cloud of 'blue' like most Laugh fans.

You know it's spring time when all the Laugh fans try to convince all other hockey fans that the Sens aren't that good. Even though we are in the playoffs. Again.

And the Laughs are not. Again.

Get your heads out of the 'blue' fog guys (or a particular area of the body). The Laughs just suck.

Ian Sendes is the best hockey comedy writer out there. Keep the laughs comin' Ian!!!!

Hey Mockman

Quick question when you mentioned in your bottom line that your best players are playing hurt, granted injuries play a role, but doesn`t this show that the Sens have no depth in there organization if these players go down and everyone around them go into shock...and also i don`t think you can blame Paddock for what happened during the year i think the blame falls squarly on the shoulders of Murray....He didn`t deal with the Emery issue when he should have, and also he didn`t address the one major problem that the sens are having during the later run of the regular season and the playoffs they have no grit, no toughness they seem to be floating out there, there is no urgency there is no pride they are a beaten team and have been since the second half of the year...I suspect this team needs alot more a simple teawking....It seems to me that since they made the finals last year they assumed that could punch there ticket for this year,but there are other teams out there that have improved themselves and they dropped the ball..

Did I actually read here that you guys think the nucks would give up LUONGO for SPEZZA?

ROFFFFFFLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Sorry, Spezz is a heartless, gutless, soft, whiney, NO CLUTCH **CENTRE**.

Vancouver has plenty of those, if they move Lu its not going to be to your crappy team for your crappy Spezza, dream on rofl.

Grats Sens, you got to get your butts kicked for 4 more games then Toronto. If the Season was 4 games longer you wouldnt even be in the playoffs.

Guys it doesnt take a leafs fan to know that Ottawa is garbage.

Many fans of many teams realize this. They also realize that the leafs beat Montreal, Ottawa, and tied the Pens in the regular season.

16 teams make the playoffs, just being 1 of 16 doesnt make you anything special. In fact it makes you a joke because you dont even deserve to be there, and are showing it.

PS. Montreal isnt going anywhere either, they might beat bosten but theres simply no way they can compete with the west or even with Pittsburgh in terms of heart, grit, and experiance.

You guys might as well get on my Calgary bus now, its pretty full though of real fans so you might feel a bit out of place.

Hey bighabsfan I would'nt go braging about your Canadiens being up 3 games to 1. Remember they finished first and were supposed to walk over the lowly Bruins, but from the games I have watched not only could it easily be 3 to 1 for the Bruins but it should be.

Other than the first game of the series the bruins have badly outplayed the canadiens, if I was a Habs fan I'd be ashamed to brag about this series, but that was always the way in montreal ride a hot goalie until he caves and then throw him to the dogs. The canadiens will not win the cup quietly or even at all, The Bruins are giving them all they can handle. Sure they might close out the series tomorrow night but the bruins have beaten themselves. Montreal has one thing going for them a hot goalie and the Bruins have proven this. What chance do the canadiens have against the real talent of the eastern conference if they can't even outplay the Bruins? And I'll say this again the sens fans need to worry how they are going to win tonight not be satsified that they are in the playoffs and the leafs are not. Like I said before I believe that the sens as players have the same opinion that it does not matter as long as they finish off better than the leafs, that's why they will never win the cup.

hey leafbums

"Montreal has one thing going for them a hot goalie.." that is what pretty much every Stanley Cup winner has done...ever! I don't know if Montreal will or won't but this is why Ottawa won't (actually now, did not). Ottawa has a lot of pieces in place (remember Anaheim)...it seems that Bryan Murray is very good at getting teams to this point but can not get them over the finish line? Maybe time for a new gm to take them home?

Solution:

-trade Alfreddson for a mobile puck moving defenceman..Mark Streit? and a draft pick.

-Emery for Kolzig (age factor might get it done).

-Slap the "C" on Spezza (I think he would rise to the occasion, put the pressure on him!)or give it to Phillips.

-put a Fisher-type player with Heatly/Spezza

-Somehow get Beauregard out of Minnesota to *****-slap Tucker (and anyone else, Avery) if he even opens his mouth.

-find a good young goalie rospect to learn under Kolzig/Gerber

-give Pat Burns his desered comeback

Alfie is a great player, I agree but it isn't going to happen with him in Ottawa.

Vader - I think people underestimate the importance of Alfredsson, Fisher and Kelly on this team. Not to mention that Spezza was playing hurt too. Yes teams have to play injured, and it's a classic cliche to say "no excuses", but our losses would be like Pitts trying to win a playoff round without Crosby, Sykora, Stall and an injured Malkin. I really don't think many people would give them a chance. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming it all on injuries, but I don't think Ottawa would have been swept with a healthier lineup.

Also, I don't blame Paddock, but he was definitly a part of the problem. His back and forth strategy with Gerber and Emery was a mess and was a big reason the confidence on this team began to sink. I really liked him, but thought another full year of Murray may have stopped our slide before it came to this. Not sure why you would blame Murray. He tried to trade Emery on a few occasions and when he did come in to coach, at least he made the decision to stick with Gerber finally ending the distracting goalie controversy. Even if the record didn't show it, the players responded to Murray much more than Paddock.

I totally disagree with the grit and toughness comment. I think it's the opposite. I think Ottawa lacked the skill, speed and scoring to compete with the Pens. Ottawa was much more physical and gritty, just look at the penalty count. Just because Ottawa has lacked grit in the past doesn't mean they still do. Murray brought in a lot of veteran players and gritty guys, he just couldn't find the secondary scoring needed to make up for our injuries.

That's why I say some tweaking could fix this. Clearly Spezza and Heatley can't carry the load when Alfredsson is out, so Ottawa needs to sign some proven scorers in the offseason and balance the team more. I don't think you can say they need a lot more than tweaking after just half a season of bad hockey, one year after they were in the finals.

It's over but Spezza at least manned up last night.

That's a step in the right direction, but it might be too late for him.

There are tons of issues with this team...and this is coming from someone with a subscription list full of them. ;)

With all the commentary (especially from Leaf fans) about how dismal and lackluster the Senators are, let us not forget the importance of how a dominant goalie can make all of the difference- especially in the playoffs.

Marty Gerber had a decent series. The real remedy for the SENS is to have a goalie that can "turn a series". History has shown how a sub par team and organization (IE: Leafs/MLSE) can make one good decision (Joseph/Belfour) and enjoy limited success (41 years and counting) despite a less than talented team on the ice.

The Habs Vs Bruins is a classic illustration about how a goaltender (Dryden/Roy/Price) can make the difference despite the domination of an opposing team.

Do not despair Ottawa fans, a good slap in the face is what this team needed. Drastic changes are not required, but a solid net minder is a top priority!

GSG!

Darth Gerber had it going for a little while, but eventually the dark side of the Force is always defeated. Watch Star Wars if you don't believe me.

Listen. I am a Sens fan. I will cheer for them until I die. Whomever is a Leafs fan, so be it, cheer for your team. I do not see the point in all this bantering between the two sides (trust me I used to be one of the most avid trash talkers of the Leafs around). Here are my two cents on this year's season, for both of Ontario's poor hockey clubs (This year).

OTTAWA - No explanation for what happened. No the Senators did not overacheive at the beginning of the season, this is how they should have played for the entire year. Yes a better goalie would have helped, but NO EXCUSES for what happened. Although the timing of the Corvo/Eaves and Stillman/Commodore trade ironically coincided with the beginning of the Sens slide, I still believe it was a good trade. The bottom line is these guys are professionals and should've been able to straighten things out, but they didn't. Some key moves and I think they will once again be a Cup contender next year (I know, it's a biased opinion, I'm a Sens fan). Murray is a good GM, he should stay. He built the Anaheim team that took Ottawa out last year. I am sure he knew moer than anyone what Ottawa was up against last year. Redden gone and Emery bough-out, the Sens will have some extra cap space to fix this team's roster. One more thing: Spezza and Heatley should stay, but they need to f**king WORK OUT in the off-season and learn how to fight for puck-possession, for god's sake did I ever get tired of that this series. For either of them not to score this series is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE (Sorry, I had to vent there a little bit, it has been a frustrating year).

TORONTO - Although you may not want my opinion, I have actually been living in Toronto for the past five years, so I have payed attention to the wheelings and dealings going on around here. The fact of the matter is the Leafs had their best stretch of the season when they had to depend on their young and fast players (As the new NHL has more often than not proven). I would not rule the Leafs out of the post-season next year if they make some key moves in the off-season, and now that they finally have a relatively good draft pick they will hopefully start building in the right direction. Ferguson out was the first right move. Let's see what happens in the off-season.

One more thing:

Jus93: Cheer for your team, not for ex-players of your team. Roberts left Toronto because of the management, nothing to be proud of.

BarrieGuru: I agree. Yashin would have played better than Heatley and Spezza did this year.

jmdrake27: Murray is the man for the job. As mentioned above, he built Anaheim, just give him time (by the way look at them this year, doesn't look to good for the defending champs does it?)

Hatterson: Nice stat. Guess what stat matters?

Ottawa: 42-29-11

Toronto: 36-35-11

BluThru&Thru: Good point. The Sens seemed to have no chemistry after the Corvo/Eaves-Stillman/Commodore trade. Might have been a better move in the off-season, definitely didn't seem to help. Neither did Emery, but no excuses.

Legend: The season isn't four games longer. If the season was only 17 games the Sens would have been first. Like that one? I do agree with your Spezza comment, although I think he showed some improvment, until the playoffs of course. Injured maybe? Who cares. Either show up or go home.

My main point is that if you are a hockey fan, be a hockey fan. A true hockey fan supports his or her team no matter what, and that deserves respect. That goes to all Sens fans and Leafs fans this year, tough one for us all.

Cheers

My apologizies. Ottawa was 43-31-8 this year, took Phillies record from the standings.