-Ottawa beat the New York Rangers 3-0 last night.  Ben Bishop made 24 saves for the shutout, while Andre Benoit, Guillaume Latendresse, and Colin Greening (empty net) scored the goals.  Jim O’Brien, Mike Hoffman, and Andre Benoit joined the lineup (Peter Regin and Mike Lundin were scratches while David Dziurzynski was sent down to Binghamton).  It wasn’t a great night for Eric Gryba, but it’s hard to complain too much when the team doesn’t give up a goal.  I hope Benoit‘s performance keeps Lundin permanently in the pressbox.  I thought Mike Hoffman was solid in his debut; there were a few early turnovers, but on the whole he played well (including a couple of great scoring chances).  Oddly, Latendresse played the least of any forward not named Matt Kassian.  Here’s the boxscore.

–Nichols breaks down Eugene Melnyk’s appearence on The Fan 590 where he claimed he was going to forensically prove Matt Cooke intentionally injured Erik Karlsson.  I have no idea what Melnyk hopes to accomplish through his efforts–the league is not going to change it’s decision to not suspend Cooke, nor is it going to be happy that Melnyk is questioning their process.  Let’s say that somehow, some way, Melnyk is able to prove it…then what?  Is he going to take Cooke to court?  It’s as pointless as it is ridiculous.

-Binghamton plays Adirondack (27-33-5) tonight; the Phantoms are lead by Jason Akeson (44 points) and backstopped by Scott Munroe (12-16-0 2.78 .913).

-The Pittsburgh Penguins have loaded up for a playoff run by picking up Brenden Morrow and Jarome Iginla via trade, which would be a bigger deal if it had happened three or four years ago.  Morrow is two seasons removed from his last good year, but Iginla is still capable of putting up top-six numbers.  Does the move put the Penguins over the hump?  I really don’t know–the ability to grind and score upfront did not strike me as a need for Pittsburgh (puck movement from the back end as well as goaltending are more problematic in relative terms), but on the other hand it denies their competitors those additions.  By and large big acquisitions during the season does not translate to Stanley Cup success, but given that the Penguins were doing well without the additions I can’t see it hurting.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 29, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

–Jared Cowen practiced with the Sens today and Bruce Garrioch reports the plan is for him to start playing before the playoffs.

–Mike Hoffman was recalled by the Sens yesterday.  Bobby Kelly (while amusingly reminiscing on Murray’s deadline dealings of the past) briefly makes the case for Hoffman, whose speed and puck skills are part of the package that makes him worth slotting into the lineup (Bobby points out he would have been among the first forwards recalled were it not for injury).

–Kaspars Daugavins was picked off waivers by Boston; Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was in Ottawa’s management group when Daugavins was drafted in 2006.  Scott says the move was dictated by the trade for Matt Kassian along with Daugavins complaints about a lack of ice time.  I agree with Scott that I’d rather have Daugavins than Kassian, but that being said there wasn’t a long term future for the Dog-man beyond this season–there are far too many good players in the pipeline for him to remain in the organisation.

-Binghamton plays Wilkes-Barre (39-20-6) tonight; the Penguins are lead by Chad Kolarik (53 points) and backstopped by Jeff Zatkoff (20-19-0 2.00 .919).

–Jakub Culek, who due to injury has barely played in the QMJHL this season, has signed an ATO with Binghamton (via the same link as Hoffman).

–Ben Blood was sent down to Elmira (link above).

-Rather than a normal prospect update I thought I’d just highlight which players are still playing: Tim Boyle (NCAA, although he isn’t dressing), Cody Ceci (OHL), Jeff Costello (NCAA), Jordan Fransoo (WHL), Stefan Noesen (OHL), Matt Puempel (OHL), Troy Rutkowski (WHL), Francois Brassard (QMJHL), and Chris Driedger (WHL).  Four of these players are signed and may join Binghamton depending on how their (and the B-Sens) season pans out.

–Hockey’s Future has been counting down their top-50 prospects and thus far Robin Lehner clocks in at #31 and Jakob Silfverberg at #30.  I find lists like this largely meaningless, but they are something almost everyone engages in so enjoy.

–Ryan Kennedy offers his 2013 draft projections (no idea what Kennedy’s guesses are based on, but presumably he’s talked to scouts) and for context I’ve compared it to ISS’ last rankings (differences in brackets):
1 – Jones, Seth – D – Portland – WHL
2 – MacKinnon, Nathan – C – Halifax – QMJHL (3)
3 – Drouin, Jonathan – F – Halifax – QMJHL (4)
4 – Nichushkin, Valery – F – Chelyabinsk Chelmet – RusS (2)
5 – Barkov, Aleksander – F – Tappara – FinE (6)
6 – Monahan, Sean – C – Ottawa – OHL (9)
7 – Lindholm, Elias – C – Brynas – SweE (8)
8 – Nurse, Darnell – D – S.S. Marie – OHL (5)
9 – Shinkaruk, Hunter – F – Medicine Hat – WHL (13)
10 – Hagg, Robert – D – Modo – SweJE (23)
11 – Lazar, Curtis – C – Edmonton – WHL
12 – Zadorov, Nikita – D – London – OHL (7)
13 – Erne, Adam – F – Quebec – QMJHL (NR)
14 – Ristolainen, Rasmus – D – TPS Turku – FinE (10)
15 – Anthony Mantha – LW – QMJHL (27)
16 –Alexander Wennberg – C – Djurgarden – SweJr (18)
17 – Rychel, Kerby – F – Windsor – OHL (16)
18 – Pulock, Ryan – D – Brandon – WHL (12)
19 – Gauthier, Frederik – C – Rimouski – QMJHL (20)
20 – Morrissey, JT – D – Prince Albert – WHL (19)
21 –Bo Horvat – C – London – OHL (NR) (24)
22 –Valentin Zykov – RW – Baie-Comeau – QMJHL (15)
23 – Zach Fucale – G – Halifax – QMJHL (NR)
24 – Jacob de la Rose – LW – Leksands – SEL (NR)
25 –Max Domi – C – London – OHL (28)
26 – Santini, Steve – D – USA U18 – NTDP (22)
27 – Burakowsky, Andre – F – Malmo – SweAl (17)
28 – Morgan Klimchuk – LW – Regina – WHL (NR)
29 – Ian McCoshen – D – USHL (30)
30 – Eric Comrie – G – Tri City – WHL (NR)

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 27, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 2 Comments

-The Sens defeated the Devils 3-2 in a shootout last night, with Ben Bishop making 32 saves in the win (and being a big factor); Chris Phillips and Colin Greening scored the goals (Alfredsson and Zibanejad in the shootout).  The Sens gave up two one-goal leads in the game and were ultimately outplayed.  Ottawa did not deserve the win (they only had 14 shots on goal!), but the mark of a good team is winning games like this.  It was not a great night for Mike Lundin (despite an assist) who played the least on the blueline by a wide margin.  Here’s the boxscore.

-The Sens have placed Kaspars Daugavins on waivers today.  I’m not sure if the club would be willing to bury him in the minors or not, but if so there’s not much salary left to pay him in the AHL.  It will be interesting to see if another team takes a chance on him (I doubt it).  I think Nichols sums up the reasoning behind it succinctly:

It’s no secret that Ottawa has battled injuries all season and other callups have proven themselves to be NHL-calibre players. At some point you knew that the numbers game would get congested in Ottawa. I mean, Spezza and Michalek are sidelined and the Senators still have 14 forwards (including the Dogman) who have demonstrated that they can play or fill a specific role. Being a fourth line/penalty killing specialist who was on an inexpensive one-way deal, Daugavins could possibly be on the outside looking in. Whether it was now or weeks or months, Daugavins, despite how well-liked he was by teammates or the fans, was eventually going to fall victim to the number’s game. Fortunately for him, he proved that he could be an effective depth guy/placeholder in the interim.

If Daugavins is not picked up on waivers it’s a clear sign that the Sens have no future plans for him once the season is done.

–David Dziurzynski has been sent down to Binghamton; via the same link free agent signee Andrew Hammond signed an ATO to play with the B-Sens, which likely means Marc Cheverie will be returned to Elmira.

–Scott illustrates that the Sens aren’t the same puck-possession team they were with Erik Karlsson.

-I’ve seen comments that the Sens would be better off trading Craig Anderson while his value is high and having the goaltending tandem of Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner going into next season.  I understand the sentiment here, but the problem with it  is how the organisation views their goaltending.  Anderson is an established, reliable starter who can clean up the mess if Lehner struggles in the early stages of his NHL development.  They don’t have that confidence in Bishop who remains an older prospect with starter ambitions.  It’s a much easier (and safer) move for the organisation to move the (less regarded) prospect and keep the veteran.  Anderson has a manageable contract and could always be moved a year or two down the line if Lehner‘s play warrants it.

-Here’s a look at the Sens free agent signings (Troy Rutkowski, Andrew Hammond, and Buddy Robinson).

–Pierre LeBrun‘s power rankings have Ottawa 10th, writing:

The Senators just keep winning and winning and winning, despite all that top-end talent sitting in the medical ward. Running out of words to describe this accomplishment.

–LeBrun also tosses out this rumour:

Another team I’m told that’s held discussions with the Stars about Derek Roy is the Ottawa Senators. Roy is an Ottawa native, so that’s a natural angle there. But on the other hand, I do not think the Senators want to pay a big price in any deal they make before April 3; they still have the long-term view in mind.

I think the latter sentiment may dynamite the notion; in an NHL where a broken down Douglas Murray warrants a pair of 2nd-round picks, the Stars are going to want something meaty for Roy.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 26, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

Troy Rutkowski, D, Contract: 655k/16 (RFA) 5-137/10 (Sherman, Colorado)
6’2, Shoots R, YOB 1992, Edmonton, Alberta
2010-11 WHL Portland 72-10-37-47 (ppg 0.65) +24 65pim (3 fights)
2011-12 WHL Portland 72-13-32-45 (ppg 0.62) +18 37pim (1 fight)
2012-13 WHL Portland 72-20-46-66 (ppg 0.91) +32 43pim (1 fight)

Central Scouting ranked him 44th (North America) prior to his draft year (Red Line Report had him at #67), he tumbled to the fifth round due to inconsistent play.  As Michael Remmerde writes (via the link):

At various times this season, this guy gave you every reason to like him – great skill from the back end, outstanding power play skills, and even some rare flashes of physical ruggedness in his own end. But for most of this season, he just did nothing.

Here’s Red Line Report‘s scouting report prior to the draft:

Wildly inconsistent this season. Skating seemed to vary like the rest of his play. Sometimes looked heavy footed and slow, but other times showed he can carry the puck with speed. Good backward mobility, but overall his skating is not a plus. When he’s playing confidently, can be a big offensive force from back end. Can make a nice first pass or carry it end-to-end. Adept at joining the rush. Excellent PP skills, distributes the puck very well inside the zone and has a knack for finding shooting lanes. Accurate, hard shot, but we’d like to see him use the slapper more than relying on the wrister so much. Showed flashes of an active physical game in his own end, but played tentatively most of the season. Needs to keep his weight down to maintain his mobility and stamina. Has a ton of upside, but need to find consistency in his game.

He was considered a hit or miss pick who would either be a #4 blueliner or else a career AHLer (comparing him to Lukas Krajicek).  What’s clear is that he’s an offensively gifted blueliner (Jarrod Abbott called him a poor man’s Justin Schultz), but the Avalanche relinquished his rights allowing Ottawa to sign him as a free agent.  Abbott believes that one of the reasons Rutkowski was overlooked was because of the loaded blueline he played on–how much of his success was derived from teammates clearly played on the minds of NHL GM’s.  The signing strikes me very much as a hit-or-miss gamble.  There’s none of the near certainty that one had with someone like Schultz.

Andrew Hammond, G, Contract 720k/15 (RFA) FA 2013 (Murray)
6’3, Catches L, YOB 1988, Surrey, BC
2010-11 NCAA Bowling Green 6-17-3 2.67 .915
2011-12 NCAA Bowling Green 14-24-5 2.73 .903
2012-13 NCAA Bowling Green 10-15-3 2.47 .917

Like Robinson (below), Hammond was not on anyone’s radar during his draft eligibility and there’s precious little scouting material on him.  Chris Peters writes:

He has fair size, but his competitiveness has always been on display at BGSU. His breakout performance came last season as he helped Bowling Green make it to the CCHA finals before ultimately falling to Michigan in double overtime. Hammond made 55 saves that night in one of the great goaltending performances you’ll ever see.

Ben Meyer-Abbott wrote about him at the Chicago Blackhawks prospect camp this past summer and Hammond‘s coach (Chris Bergeron) said:

He’s not willing to accept mediocre or just OK. He wants to be great, and to him, that’s not just about words. It’s about the willingness to do what it takes every day.

That’s literally all I can find about Hammond beyond his statistics and the fact that he was his team’s MVP in his two previous seasons.

Buddy Robinson, RW, Contract NR/16 (RFA) FA 2013 (Murray)
6’5, Shoots R, YOB 1991, Bellmawr, NJ
2010-11 OJHL/CCHL Hamilton/Nepean 51-20-42-62 (ppg 1.21) 59pim
2011-12 NCAA Lake Superior 39-5-5-10 (ppg 0.25) 37pim
2012-13 NCAA Lake Superior 38-8-8-16 (ppg 0.42) -9 60pim

A free agent signing that was on no one’s radar, there’s not a lot of material written on Robinson (he was not ranked when draft eligible).  Linda Bouvet has a piece where Robinson talks a lot about himself:

It’s the first thing that everyone notices–scouts, coaches, other teams. ‘Wow, that’s a big guy.’ They expect me to play like that type of player. I’ve got to play like a big guy. I have to get stronger in the weightroom and be the one to get in the corners, get [my linemates] the puck. I love it though.

There’s also a fan post discussing him:

As has already been noted, he’s big…very big. He plays somewhat of a similar style to Kellen Lain, who has already signed with the Canucks – can lay some punishing hits, strong on the forecheck, good offensive upside. But where Robinson is better than Lain IMO is on the defensive side (Lain IMO is a better offensive player). Buddy is very good at supporting his defensemen & goalie, whether it’s in blocking shots or moving opposing players off the puck. He saw a lot of time on the Lakers’ penalty-killing unit this season and really excelled as a rock solid penalty killer. Two areas where he has vastly improved over the course of his collegiate career has been his skating and making better use of his towering frame. The size and strength he’s added has greatly enhanced his skating, making his strides more powerful and providing better balance on skates. That has, in turn, added to his foot speed. As a stronger player, he is better able to move players off the puck in all areas of the ice and it has really helped improve his overall play along the walls. Robinson also does a great job of using his size to protect puck and is tough to move off of it. If there’s one weakness that Robinson has (that should hopefully continue to improve in the AHL) it’s getting rid of pucks a little more quickly. At times this season, he’s held on to the puck too long, usually because he was indecisive. When he does move the puck quickly, he’s usually been pretty smart and confident about it.

This certainly fits what the bare stats indicate–that Robinson is someone who projects as a grinder, a depth player like David Dziurzynski.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 26, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 2 Comments

-Ottawa faces New Jersey (15-11-6) tonight; the Devils are lead by Patrik Elias (29 points) and backstopped by Martin Brodeur (10-2-3 2.10 .914).  Ben Bishop will get the start, but no other lineup changes are expected.

–Nichols provides an overview of the Danny DeKeyser sweepstakes and ends with this:

It’s worth reiterating that the Red Wings have widely been considered the favorites because DeKeyser’s a Michigan native who has been teammates with Red Wings Assistant GM Jim Nill’s son.

For those who missed it, here’s Red Line Report‘s scouting assessment:

He plays a simple, defence first, stay-at-home game. He’s not flashy at the offensive end, but moves the puck well and gets it to the right spots by making good decisions. Efficiently gets the puck out of the zone with crisp outlets. He’s physical and wins the battles down low, keeps the crease clear, and plays with a bit of a nasty edge. He’s an outstanding penalty killer who blocks a ton of shots.

–Andy Strickland Tweets that the Sens are the frontrunners to land NCAA free agent Buddy Robinson (38-8-8-16), who finished his second year at Lake Superior State. [An update: the signing is now official.  The 6’5 rightwinger signed a three-year ELC and fits the mould of last year’s Cole Schneider signing where he’s a project for down the road (although presumably on the rugged side).  I’d expect him to report to Binghamton shortly (he’s signed an ATO), assuming all his academic commitments have been dealt with.  Robinson was tied for 5th in team scoring with Lake Superior.  The Sens have signed a player from Lake Superior before (Derek Smith), but that was under Muckler’s management.]

–Mark Parisi goes through his weekly ups and downs and the only two players warranting a down are Jim O’Brien for being scratched (a reasonable choice) and Zack Smith because pucks have deflected off him into his own net (which seems a little unfair).  For my part I’d put Mike Lundin as someone who struggled (he may have broken a record with giveaways in his first game back from injury), as well as poor Peter Regin whose offensive woes continue.

-Binghamton has released Nick Craven from his ATO.  The NCAA free agent played four games for the B-Sens without producing a point.

-A couple of other B-Sens notes: Brad Peltz has still not suited up for an AHL game yet this season, nor has he been returned to the ECHL since he was called up from Trenton in January.  Ben Blood awaits his first AHL point 24 games in (although given that he only has 1 in 29 ECHL games, it’s not a big surprise).  I have to think after Marc Cheverie‘s performance on Sunday the situation would be ripe for NCAA free agent signee Andrew Hammond to get a start, but I’m not sure if he has finished his scholastic commitments yet and reported to the team.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 25, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 6 Comments

–Nichols delves into the Jay Bouwmeester rumours and comes to this conclusion:

Throw in the fact that Bouwmeester has a no-trade clause and the presumed likelihood that Calgary would want some NHL-ready young talent for J-Bo (mind you, I may be underestimating the Jay Feaster factor here), and I just can’t see a trade involving Ottawa coming to fruition.

Which were my thoughts yesterday–I just don’t see the Murray’s having an interest or a need for Bouwmeester.

–Sylvain St-Laurent delves into the Murray’s NCAA free agent goals and writes that while they made a pitch for Andrej Sustr they thought they would have a better chance at Danny DeKeyser.  I agree with Sylvain that DeKeyser is likely to sign with a team that will play him immediately and that might not be the case in Ottawa (unlike a couple of years ago when there was plenty of space for Bobby Butler).

-Binghamton defeated Hamilton 4-2 yesterday, with Nathan Lawson picking up the win (27 shots) and Wacey Hamilton, Mark Stone (2), and Stephane Da Costa scored the goals.  Here’s the boxscore and the highlights.

-The B-Sens lost to Connecticut 6-1 this afternoon; Marc Cheverie made 29 saves for the loss while Mark Stone scored the only goal.  Corey Cowick and Wacey Hamilton were a team worst -4.  Definitely an ugly game for Binghamton.  Here’s the boxscore.

–Luke Richardson offered a brief comment on rookie Michael Sdao:

He’s obviously an intelligent person. You never know if that’s going to translate into the sports world, but with Mike it does.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 24, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

-Ottawa defeated Tampa 5-3 this afternoon in a game the Sens nearly let slip away.  Ottawa lead the Lightning 4-0 after the first period, but lackadaisical play put Tampa back in the game (4-3) with just under two minutes to play.  Robin Lehner picked up the win (29 saves) while Daniel Alfredsson (2), Jakob Silfverberg, Guillaume Latendresse, and Eric Gryba (his first) scored the goals.  MacLean made an interesting move sitting Daugavins in favour of a healthy David Dziurzynski (who played over 14 minutes), so scoring a goal wasn’t enough to keep the Latvian in the lineup.  Both Sergei Gonchar and Marc Methot played, so Andre Benoit was scratched (I would have much rather seen Mike Lundin in the pressbox).  Here’s the boxscore.

–Scott had the scoring chances in the Boston game 12/8.

-I agree with Lyle Richardson that the Sens won’t move Ben Bishop until Craig Anderson is healthy.

–Ken Warren offers up some of this thoughts and I wanted to take a look at the first in his list of ten:
1. The Sens could use some defensive help so why not Jay Bouwmeester?
This idea is so silly I assume even Warren doesn’t believe it (his third point talks about how deep Ottawa is on the blueline), but beyond whatever price Ottawa would have to pay to get him, how does he fit in next year when the team is healthy?  And why would anyone want to pay Bouwmeester 6.68 million per season?

–Wayne Scanlan writes a rambling column that includes this:

Outside of Ottawa, this notion of playing for loser points is rampant, especially in a shortened season when a tiny losing streak can be fatal. On many nights, teams aren’t playing to win. They’re playing not to lose in regulation. It’s obvious to the most casual of viewers. Losses in overtime and the shootout are becoming acceptable for teams trying to gain precious consolation points, the single digit rewards for pushing a game past 60 minutes. Losses in regulation are devastating.

Scanlan implies this attitude is because of three-point games, but he doesn’t suggest a solution.  I’m assuming he thinks the old formula of two points for the win and nothing for the loss is the way the NHL should go, but for anyone who thinks that leads to more offense you are welcome to load up the NHL archives from 1995-2004; ignore the clutch and grab specifics and realise the whole point of that strategy was to prevent a loss.  Coaches will emphasis defence over offence and that approach only breaks down when officials call penalties against interference.  Personally I’d like to see a system of three-points for a regulation win, two for an OT/shootout win, and one for an OT/shootout loss, but there’s no evidence that will ever happen.

–Joffrey Lupul is unhappy with the NHL’s inconsistent discipline and all I can really say to that is welcome to the club.

-Binghamton faces Hamilton (25-31-6) tonight; the Bulldogs are lead by Michael Bournival (24 points) and backstopped by Dustin Tokarski (23-12-4 2.24 .915).

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 23, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 6 Comments

-Ottawa lost a heartbreaker last night, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Bruins with the winning goal coming with just over a minute left in the game; Robin Lehner (27 saves) took the loss, while Kaspars Daugavins scored the only goal.  The Bruins apparently played a perfect game as officials Dennis LaRue and Paul Devorski did not put them a man down the entire game (LaRue has had issues before with Ottawa).  Here’s the boxscore.  Sergei Gonchar was hurt late in the game, but details remain sketchy over when he will return (it seems as if it will not be long).  I was not impressed with Mike Lundin‘s return to the lineup, but it is only one game.

–Marc Methot is expected to play on Saturday.

-Any hopes the Sens had of signing college FA Andrej Sustr were dashed yesterday as he signed with Tampa.  The Lightning, incidentally, put Brian Lee on waivers today.  Lee is in the midst of an awful season.

-Binghamton plays Albany (27-22-11) tonight; the Devils are lead by Joe Whitney (41 points) and backstopped by Keith Kinkaid (18-13-5 2.64 .908).

-Here is the latest prospect update (for players with more than 10 games played I’ve indicated where they are in scoring; for blueliners they are compared to other defensemen on the team):

CHL
Cody Ceci (OHL Ottawa/Owen Sound) 69-19-45-64 (1st)
Matt Puempel (OHL Kitchener) 51-35-12-47 (3rd)
Stefan Noesen (OHL Plymouth) 51-25-28-53 (6th)
Jordan Fransoo (WHL Victoria) 67-8-14-22 (4th)
Jakub Culek (QMJHL Cape Breton) 9-4-3-7 (10th) (injured)
Jarrod Maidens (OHL Owen Sound) (injured)
Chris Driedger (WHL Calgary) 36-14-4 2.51 .915
Francois Brassard (QMJHL Quebec) 33-18-4 2.73 .909

Allsvenskan (Swe)
Mikael Wikstrand (Mora)  45-11-14-25 (1st) WJC 6-0-4-4 (1st)

KHL
Nikita Filatov (Salavat) 47-10-11-21 (6th)

NCAA
Ryan Dzingel (Ohio) – 39-15-22-37 (1st)
Max McCormick (Ohio) – 39-15-16-31 (3rd)
Jeff Costello (Notre Dame) – 30-9-18-27 (3rd)
Bryce Aneloski (Nebraska-Omaha) – 38-5-16-21 (2nd)
Michael Sdao (Princeton) – 31-8-7-15 (1st)
Tim Boyle (Union) – 15-0-2-2 (t-7th)

USHL
Robbie Baillargeon (Indiana/Omaha) – 55-18-23-41 (1st)

Sdao has already signed with the Sens and there’s no word (yet) of any of the other collegiate players leaving college early.  Regular seasons are completed in all leagues now so only the playoffs (for some) remain.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 22, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

-Ottawa faces Boston (19-6-3) tonight; the Bruins are lead by Patrice Bergeron (25 points) and backstopped by Tuukka Rask (14-4-3 1.92 .928).  Robin Lehner will get the start while Mike Lundin slides into Marc Methot‘s place.

–Scott had the scoring chances in the Islanders game 13/15.

–Patrick Wiercioch talked about himself and playing with Sergei Gonchar:

Confidence is a two-edge sword. It’s quick to get and really easy to lose, so you don’t want to build it up too quickly, but you obviously want to know you’re capable of making those plays and go from there. [Gonchar is] so patient and so poised with the puck. He draws a lot of guys into himself and opens up so many other opportunities for other guys on the ice, so when you do get the puck, you don’t have to make a quick play. You can kind of read off him. He has been nothing but spectacular for the past 10 or 15 games.

–Bobby Kelly goes over yesterday‘s official signing of Andrew Hammond.  I bring it up because of this:

Though this signing serves an immediate purpose for the team in Binghamton and adds slightly to the Senators’ goaltending depth, it will be most notable for the conjecture and speculation that arises as a result. Rumours abounding because of Ottawa’s depth in nets are sure to feed off of this signing. I would exercise a word of caution, but upon second thought, where’s the fun in that?

Normally I’d agree with Bobby that speculation about the goaltending situation is premature, but given that Hammond is destined for the AHL next year (and presumably the rest of this season), there truly is a logjam that makes no sense at all unless a player is moved (unless Bobby envisions an Anderson/Bishop duo next year with Lehner remaining in the minors).  The Sens really must move one member of their three-headed monster (no later than the off-season) and what makes the most sense is retaining Anderson and Lehner with the latter playing in the NHL next season.

–Mike Hoffman is close to coming off the injured list and Jakob Silfverberg had a lot of praise for him (link below):

He’s an incredible skater. He’s pretty much like Erik [Karlsson]. It doesn’t look too hard on him, but he’s so fast out there. Other than that, he’s got a great shot, he’s skilled with the puck, he’s got a good head, he reads the play. To me, he’s a really good hockey player.

–Don Brennan reminisces about trying to run Gonchar out of town (well, he doesn’t actually reflect on himself, but it would have been more entertaining if he did).

-Speaking of reminiscing, we can remember how Damian Cox thought the Sens rebuild was a complete mess last year.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 21, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 2 Comments

-Ottawa came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Islanders 5-3 last night; Ben Bishop made 26 saves for the win (allowing a couple of goals he would like back), while Matt Kassian (!), Jakob Silfverberg, Zack Smith, Sergei Gonchar, and Guillaume Latendresse (empty-net) scored the goals.  Marc Methot was hurt during the game.  Peter Regin rose out of the dog house to play quite a bit.  Here’s the boxscore.  Final thought: not a great night for the officials (Chris Rooney and Ian Walsh), with several phantom calls–Rooney has a track record of rough times calling Sens games.

–Sylvain St-Laurent thinks Gonchar‘s recent success is partially tied with being paired with Methot.

-Speaking of Methot, Paul MacLean says he may play tomorrow.  Mike Lundin is apparently ready to play if Methot can’t go, while Robin Lehner is going to get the start against Boston.

-Here’s my look at Ottawa at the 30-game mark.

-Confirmation has finally come through that the Sens have signed collegiate goaltender Andrew Hammond to a two-year ELC, who was rumoured to be signed two days ago.  Nichols echoes my point at the time that the signing is an indication that the team is ready to move one of their goaltenders (my guess remains Bishop).

–Corey Pronman offers his two cents on free agent prospect Andrej Sustr (RLR‘s opinion can be found here):

His skating is average, but notably above-average for a 6′8′’ defenseman. His mobility has seen significant advancements in the last 12-24 months. He’s a good puck-mover too, showing nice touch with the puck and the offensive instincts to make unusual offensive plays for a player his size. For Nebraska-Omaha on the man advantage I’ve seen him be used in front of the net as a screen or a primary quarterback up high. This combo of traits make Sustr a very desirable asset with the potential to be a #3 if not a #2 defenseman. He is not a player without warts though, for one even though he’s a huge player with a good wingspan, he isn’t all that physical. His decisions in both ends, while not a major issue, could use some work as he can make the odd bad turnover or be off with his positioning.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

March 20, 2013
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 1 Comment