Senators News: April 22nd

–Craig Anderson talked about the win last night, “We’ll enjoy this on the plane ride home, but when the sun comes up (Sunday) we know it’s all business again. It’s a great a feeling. You play 82 games during the regular season to get this opportunity. We limited our turnovers. We bought into blocking shots, keep shots to the outside and taking sticks away. We did the little things that you don’t usually notice, but can make a big impact.”

–Mark Stone talked about his first NHL game, “Game 5 of a Stanley Cup playoff series tied 2-2 – if you told me I was going to be playing in that game six months ago, I would have called you crazy. So it’s a very exciting time for myself, and there’s a great group of guys in here that helped me along the whole way. It was unbelievable, the difference in speed and strength. The players in the NHL compared to the players in junior hockey is something you have to get used to. But I’ve just got to stick with what got me here, and try to contribute in any way. Every game I’m just looking to get better.”

-I thought the Chris Neil hit on Brian Boyle was clean, so I didn’t mention it in my game report.  As expected no discipline is forthcoming and I think John Tortorella made a fuss about it simply to deflect criticism off his team.

-Here’s my profile of Sens prospect Matt Puempel.

-As Pierre LeBrun points out, the Raffi Torres 25-game suspension was a good one, but it’s definitely not a sign of increasing levels of punishment, rather an indication that players notorious for predatory hits will get the hammer when the opportunity presents itself.

-Prospect updates (their position in team scoring is noted in brackets, defence compared to defence):
CHL
Stefan Noesen (C/RW, Plymouth, OHL) 6-7-8-15 (1st) (Plymouth lost 4-3 to Kitchener)
Shane Prince (C/LW, Ottawa 67s, OHL) 14-6-7-13 (2nd) (67′s are down 1-0 to Niagara)
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (RW, Chicoutimi, QMJHL) 12-2-8-10 (3rd) (Chicoutimi is down 0-1 to Saint John)
Jakub Culek (C/LW, Rimouski, QMJHL) 13-4-3-7 (9th) (Rimouski is up 2-0 on Halifax)
Darren Kramer (C/LW, Spokane, WHL) 12-3-3-6 (6th) (Spokane lost 4-3 to Tri-City)
Mark Stone (RW, Brandon, WHL) 8-2-4-6 (t-2nd) (Brandon lost 4-0 to Edmonton)
SEL
Jakob Silfverberg (C/RW, Brynas) 17-13-7-20 (1st) (Brynas won the championship)

April 22, 2012
Categories: Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

Prospect Profile: Matt Puempel

Matt Puempel (LW, 6’0, DOB 1993, 1-24/11; contract 1.075/16)
2009-10 OHL Peterborough 59-33-31-64 -2 43pim (ppg 1.08) 2nd pts
2010-11 OHL Peterborough 55-34-35-69 -33 49pim (ppg 1.25) 1st rookie of the year
2011-12 OHL Peterborough 30-17-16-33 -3 31pim (ppg 1.10) 6th
2011-12 AHL Binghamton 9-1-0-1 +1 2pim (0.11)
2012-13 OHL Kitchener 51-35-11-46 +5 43pim (0.90) 3rd assistant captain
2012-13 AHL Binghamton 2-0-0-0 +1 0pim

Ottawa’s third pick in the first round last year (ranked #28 by Central Scouting), Puempel‘s following season was derailed by a lengthy suspension followed by a concussion.  As such, it was largely wasted in terms of his development.  He was signed during that season.  This year he forced a trade to Kitchener where he was able to stay healthy and set a career high in goals despite his points-per-game slipping.  His development allowed the Senators to feel comfortable enough to deal Stefan Noesen in the Bobby Ryan trade and he should get top minutes in Binghamton next season.  When drafted The Hockey News said:

He’s not a great skater, but he has good feet and is a pretty hard worker.

ISS said:

Puempel is a left handed skilled forward that possesses a great stick and shows a high end of ability to finish. His lofty ranking here at ISS may surprise some experts however. Pure goal scorers are a highly sought after commodity come draft day, and Puempel may just be the best sniper in this draft. Has good speed with quick acceleration. He makes a lot of smart touches with the puck and makes pretty solid decisions. He is at his best in the offensive zone, especially below the top of the face off circles. He has tremendous offensive instincts and is tenacious in offensive situations. He had to have season ending hip surgery, causing him to miss the Under 18′s, however he is expected to make a full recover. NHL Potential: Pure goal scorer with a bright future ahead of him at the next level. Style compares to: Patrick Sharp.

Red Line Report said:

After winning CHL Rookie of the Year last season had a rollercoaster sophomore campaign.  Battled inconsistency early before beginning to get it going around Christmas, then had his season derailed by hip injury.  Smart and highly instinctive offensive player.  Sees the ice very well and can create opportunities for linemates, but his real calling card is as a top-notch sniper down low.  Very dangerous from the circles in; has a knack for getting himself open in scoring territory and always has stick on the ice ready for passes and to pounce on loose pucks.  Great shot release and hand/eye coordination on deflections.  Not a blazing skater, but always gets there when there’s a chance involved.  Must bring a higher effort level on a more consistent basis.  Solid defensively and on the PK when he’s working hard.  Projection: 2nd line sniper and key PP guy.  Style compares to: Patrick Sharp.

Here’s Puempel being drafted, interviewed before the Subway Super series, and a pre-draft highlight package.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

April 22, 2012
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 4 Comments

Ottawa 2, New York Rangers 0

Jason Spezza and Craig Anderson combined to give the Sens their first lead in the series.  It was an excellent debut for Mark Stone despite limited playing time.  The Rangers were largely held at bay, despite the large edge in shots (41 to 30).  Here’s the box score.

First Period
Anderson makes a great save off Kreider.  There was a weird play where the Sens thought the play was dead, but the puck was live and Anderson had to be alert to make the save.  Kuba made a great defensive play on McDonagh.   On the Rangers first powerplay Anderson made a great save on Del Zotto.  The Sens opened the scoring (for their first lead of the series) on a great pass by Stone to Spezza who beats Lundqvist five-hole.  Michalek had a great chance.  Condra came close on a shorthanded breakaway.
Second Period
Ottawa’s first powerplay was a frustrating exercise with the team unwilling to shoot.  Karlsson with a great shot.  Anderson made great saves on Richards and then Dubinsky off a bad rebound.  Greening in all alone can’t beat Lundqvist on the backhand.  Michalek couldn’t score on a breakaway.  Two more powerplays for the Sens and still they won’t shoot.
Third Period
Anderson made a great save on Stepan.  Neil had a chance off a Turris rebound.  Ottawa’s final powerplay was a little better, but still couldn’t produce.  Spezza seals the deal with an empty-netter.

Here’s a look at the goals:
1. Spezza (Stone, Kuba)
Stone splits the D with his pass and Spezza’s quick shot beats Lundqvist 5-hole
2. Spezza (Konopka) (en)
Turnover in the neutral zone ends up in the back on the net

Top-performers:
Craig Anderson – he was perfect tonight
Jason Spezza – finally scored
Penalty-killing – was fantastic tonight

Players Who Struggled: no one stood out negatively tonight.

April 22, 2012
Categories: Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

Senators News: April 21st

–Ian Mendes Tweets his belief that Mark Stone will play tonight.

–Kyle Turris talked about the magic of Kaspars Daugavins, “Kaspars Daugavins came up to me before the game and gave me some magic. Earlier in year I was going through a slump, and I sit beside Dog Man in the room, and he said ‘Turry I’m going to give you some magic, and you’re going to score a goal.’ and I scored a goal that game. So (Wednesday ) night before I went out, Dog Man was in the back and I asked for a little magic.’ I swear to God it’s unbelievable. He did it to (Nick Foligno) in Long Island and Nicky scored. It’s legit magic. If you’re in a slump he’ll break you out of a slump.”  Foligno said, “Dog Man gave me the magic in Long Island. I was like, I’ve had a lot of chances the last few games but haven’t scored, and Dog came over to me and said, ‘I’m going to give some of the magic. Next period, I went out and scored. I think there’s something to be said for it. He gives you a little love, that’s about it. It’s only when he feels it. He’s got a sixth sense. Hopefully, I get the magic a couple of more times.”  Daugavins himself said, “It’s a special magic. I’m not telling the secret of how and what, but it works. Last year I gave magic all the time (in Binghamton) and we won. Certain guys I give it to. It’s good for two weeks, unless you break a stick, then I have to put a new one in. It only works when you’re thinking positive things. It doesn’t work if you’re mad and yelling at your stick. I don’t have any left to give myself, that’s why I’m not playing. My magic works better with Turry than me, that’s why I give it to him.”  We’ll see if the magic continues tonight.

–Paul MacLean talked about Jason Spezza‘s play, “It’s hard when you’re the best player … you’re the focal point of the opposition’s defensive strategies and they make it difficult for you, just like we’re doing for the Rangers. It’s just important to keep doing what you do, and keep doing it hard, and stick to it, and eventually we believe we’re going to break through. It hasn’t been in the fourth game, but maybe it’s the fifth game, and we’re guaranteed to play a sixth game and maybe it’s the sixth game Jason ends up breaking through. But you’re never going to break through it if you don’t continue to work at it and do it right. And I think he’s really been conscious of doing things right. He’s played a certain way for a long time throughout his career, and this year he has embraced some change in his game. Sometimes when you’re under the pressure and it gets important, you revert back to where you’re comfortable and what you like doing, and there’s been some instances, mostly in Game 1, where he got back to that player he grew up being, and we have to keep reminding him we need him to do this, but we feel Jason and the whole group are working real hard at the changes we’ve asked them to make.”

–Uffe Bodin was on The Team 1200 talking about Jakob Silfverberg and he said he thought Silfverberg could help the Sens in the playoffs.  He thinks Silfverberg could help the team in a number of ways, but particularly with his shot (which is what Tim Murray has mentioned repeatedly).

-Elmira lost 2-1 to Florida last night which knocks them out of the playoffs.  Brian Stewart took the loss and Corey Cowick, Jack Downing and Bobby Raymond were held off the scoreboard.

April 21, 2012
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

Senators News: April 20th

–Ian Mendes Tweets that Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman are taking part in practice today (which only means something if Jesse Winchester is unable to play).  Daniel Alfredsson is not expected to play in game five.

–Jakob Silfverberg won the SEL championship yesterday, scoring the game winning goal and being named playoff MVP.  He’s now available to the Sens for the playoffs, although he won’t arrive until after Saturday’s game (link).  It’s hard to imagine Silfverberg would cross the Atlantic simply to practice with the black aces, so it will be interesting to see if he plays or not.  Jared Crozier wants to temper fan expectations, although I’m not sure how out of control they really are (I’ve read more hype from the organisation than from fans).

-For those who want a sentimental look at the Sens in the playoffs thus far, check out Jeremy Milks‘ paean to the group.  This, in a way, echoes Don Brennan patting himself on the back for his Carkner and Konopka love throughout the season and urging management to re-sign them.  While it remains a possibility the pair will be back, I highly doubt it.  Neither could play in the regular season and the fact that each has had one good game in the playoffs is not a reason to bring them back.

–Joy Lindsay Tweeted comments from Tim Murray and Randy Lee about Binghamton next year, with Murray saying signing a #1 veteran defensemen was the priority for next season.

-Here’s my profile of Sens prospect Stefan Noesen.

–Stu Hackel writes about officials beginning to crack down on the chaos of the playoffs by calling more penalties.  It’s a long article worth reading in full, but his best point is echoing one Bob McKenzie made–when Brian Boyle went after Erik Karlsson (just like Brad Marchand went after Daniel Sedin) and it went unpunished that opened to door for depth players to go after skilled players.  It’s typically a successful strategy, as Phoenix is 2-0 with Marian Hossa out of the lineup and the Rangers probably should be 2-0 against Ottawa without Daniel Alfredsson.

April 20, 2012
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

Prospect Profile: Stefan Noesen

Stefan Noesen (RW, 6’0, DOB 1993, 1-21/11)
2009-10 OHL Plymouth 33-3-5-8 +1 4pim (0.24) 18th pts
2010-11 OHL Plymouth 68-34-43-77 +14 80pim  (ppg 1.13) t-1st
2011-12 OHL Plymouth 63-38-44-82 +18 74pim (ppg 1.30) 1st

An off the radar first-round selection (ranked #35 by Central Scouting), Noesen shook off a slow start to lead the Plymouth Whalers in scoring and improve on his production from last year.  He was signed by the Sens during the season, but he can only turn pro next year if he makes the NHL roster (which is very unlikely).  He should dominate the OHL next year and would play for the US at the World Junior Championships.  Red Line Report compared him to Jamie Benn, “Texas native decided to get serious about the game, especially his conditioning, and as a result took huge strides this season.  Always possessed buttery soft hands and a quick release, but took his game to the next level.  In the process, became more of a physical power-type forward who down the homestretch and playoffs was Plymouth’s “go-to” guy, and most consistent and dangerous scoring threat.  Plays an edgy physical game that makes opponents take notice when he’s on ice, but also takes lots of questionable penalties.  Still has to work on first two-step acceleration, but the time he put in last summer showed us he’s grown up and is now willing to give that off-ice effort.  Strong on skates and tough to separate from puck.  Has trouble defensively handling coverage assignments down low.”  ISS compared him to Colin Wilson, “He kept elevating his game throughout the year to secure his promising ranking here at ISS for the upcoming NHL draft. Noesen is a big, physical center that plays a real hard-nosed style of game. He possesses a very good combination of physical tools; he skates well considering his size, displays soft hands and a real touch with the puck while using his size effectively. He seems to relish playing in traffic while showing a willingness to compete in all three zones. Noesen shows the odd flash of quickness and he is always moving his feet. A very unselfish player, he is aware of where his teammates are and makes good crisp passes. Excellent secondary scoring option that brings great energy to shifts. NHL Potential: Solid two-way forward can chip in offensively.”  Pierre Dorion said, “He’s shown that he’s a power forward type of winger who was willing to go to the net and had good skills. He made plays off the rush and he’s got a really good shot. We believe he’s going to be a guy that helps us win down the road.”  Here’s Noesen being drafted (via TSN).

April 19, 2012
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Draft, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 3 Comments

Senators News: April 19th

-It’s remarkable that the Sens are tied in their series with the Rangers when their key players have yet to dominate.  Craig Anderson lost his best game of the series (game three), Jason Spezza has been a non-factor, Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris didn’t score until last night, Erik Karlsson has only one point, and Daniel Alfredsson only played one full game.  As a franchise, anything short of stellar play from their stars used to spell death for the Senators, but this year their depth has been good enough to win for them.

–Kyle Turris talked about scoring the OT winner, “To score in the Stanley Cup playoffs, in overtime, is something that every kid dreams of. It was very exciting … that’s for sure. [Paul MacLean] come up to me in practice, told me not to grip my stick and that it’s going to come. He told me at the morning skate, ‘Don’t get down on yourself, you’re a good player. The puck is going to come to you. Don’t worry about it’. Stuff like that gives you all the confidence in the world and it allowed me to score the goal tonight, I think.”

-After all the playoff mayhem of late NHL officials cracked down last night as the three games combined for 32 powerplays (26 between the Ottawa and Philadelphia games alone).  It didn’t make the games safer (hooking calls aren’t related to dangerous hits), but I’m interested to see if it’s forms a trend.

-Elmira lost 2-0 to Florida last night, with Brian Stewart taking the loss; Bobby Raymond scored a goal for the Everblades.

–Darren Kramer‘s Spokane Chiefs were eliminated last night, ending his CHL career.

–Stu Hackel rips into Don Cherry saying in part, “It was [Monday’s Coaches Corner] vintage Cherry, filled with half-truths, distortions and deceptions, all calculated to counteract the rising anger among fans who don’t like what they have seen. And you will hear and read those who think like Cherry parrot what he says time and time again. His main points sort of sound sensible — until you really think about them and examine them rationally.  A shoulder to the head is not fighting.  A head being held and smashed into the glass is not fighting. Crosschecks to the head are not fighting. Jumping a non-combatant is not fighting. Sucker punches are not fighting. Launching yourself into a player along the boards or in open ice is not fighting.”  And so on and so forth.  Picking apart Cherry is easy and old hat, but he still gets ratings and people still repeat his talking points (The Team 1200 springs to mind), so it’s worth delving into his nonsense from time to time.

–Red Line Report‘s latest issue is out with an updated list of 2012′s top prospects (with the position changes noted; for the previous report go link).  Coming into the 2011-12 season scouts believed the 2012 draft was going to be a deep one, but now the sentiment is the opposite.
1. Nail Yakupov (Sarnia, OHL)
2. Filip Forsberg (Leksand, Sweden)
3. Ryan Murray (Everett, WHL) (+2)
4. Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec, QMJHL) (-1)
5. Matt Dumba (Red Deer, WHL) (-1)
6. Alex Galchenyuk (Sarnia, OHL) (+4)
7. Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw, WHL) (-1)
8. Sebastian Collberg (Frolunda, Sweden)
9. Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton, WHL)
10. Pontus Aberg (Djurgarden, Sweden) (-3)
11. Andrey Vasilevski (Salavat, KHL)
12. Jacob Trouba (US NTDP, USHL)
13. Matt Finn (Guelph, OHL)
14. Derrick Pouliot (Portland, WHL) (+1)
15. Cody Ceci (Ottawa 67s, OHL) (-1)
16. Radek Faksa (Kitchener, OHL)
17. Teuvo Teravainen (Jokerit, Finland) (+1)
18. Slater Koekkoek (Peterborough, OHL) (-1)
19. Damon Severson (Kelowna, WHL)
20. Zemgus Girgensons (Dubuque, USHL)
21. Phil Di Giuseppe (U. Michigan, NCAA)
22. Scott Kosmachuk (Guelph, OHL)
23. Jordan Schmaltz (Sioux City, USHL)
24. Olli Maatta (London, OHL)
25. Brendan Gaunce (Belleville, OHL)
26. Oscar Dansk (Brynas, SEL)
27. Henrik Samuelsson (US NTDP, USHL)
28. Anton Slepyshev (Novokuznetsk, KHL)
29. Brady Skjei (US NTDP, USHL)
30. Tomas Hertl (Slavia, Cze)

No one fell out of the top-30 this month. Here’s the movement among former top-30 players: Martin Frk (#31, +7), Colton Sissons (#35, -3), Scott Laughton (#43, +6), Nick Ebert (#48, -17), Chandler Stephenson (#55, NR), Troy Bourke (#59, +1), Gianluca Curcuruto (#66, -15), Calle Andersson (#90, -11), Eric Locke (#95, -6), Jarrod Maidens (#98, -13), Matia Marcantuoni (#107, -2), Patrik Machac (#153, -20), Ryan Olsen (#221, -5), and Luca Ciampini (NR, -25).

April 19, 2012
Categories: Binghamton Senators, NHL Draft, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 1 Comment

Ottawa 3, New York Rangers 2 (OT)

In an exciting game that the Sens dominated despite falling behind 2-0, they were able to tie the series at two.  Ottawa needed their offensive stars to come through and both Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris scored their first goals of the series.  Marc Staal went after Jason Spezza‘s head for some reason, but as Spezza wasn’t seriously hurt I don’t expect the NHL to take any action.  Here’s the box score.

First Period
On a good first shift Smith took a boarding penalty.  Anderson gave up a fat rebound and Stralman scored to give the Rangers the lead.  The Sens regained the pressure, but a Karlsson a tripping penalty on Anisimov lead to a Callahan goal.  Prust continued the penalty parade this moments later.  The best chance for Ottawa came from Neil trying to jam the puck in.  Konopka then took a penalty for…checking?  A weird call.  Anderson continued to give out huge rebounds, but the Sens were able to hold on.  Ottawa dominated the 5-on-5 play again and eventually drew another penalty.  The Sens came close, but couldn’t connect passes to complete their plays.  Cowen had a big hit late in the period on Anisimov.  Michalek had a great late chance, but was unable to slide the puck under Lundqvist.  Ottawa dominated the period except while short-handed.
Second Period
The Rangers had early pressure off an inexplicable non-icing call, which was followed by Karlsson getting crosschecked in the face after a rush.  The Sens struggled to get pressure on their powerplay, but back to 5-on-5 Ottawa dominated again.  Cowen made a great defensive play about five minutes in batting the puck away from danger.  Carkner took a hooking call on that play to put the Rangers back on the powerplay.  Anderson made one great save on the man advantage (on Staal) which turned into a Michalek goal who beat Lundqvist with a backhand.  On the next shift Smith missed a glorious chance to bury the puck but can’t score on his backhand (Ottawa got a powerplay on the play).  The Sens had incredible pressure during the man advantage, but couldn’t capitalise.  Smith then got called for checking Fedotenko too hard.  Anderson made an awkward stop on Del Zotto and Winchester saved the day off McDonagh, but otherwise the Rangers struggled to generate chances.  As 5-on-5 play resumed the game was a bit more back and forth, with Gaborik falling into the boards followed by Anisimov taking a penalty on Spezza.  On the powerplay Staal hit Spezza in the head (no call was made).  The Sens scored on the following faceoff with Gonchar squeezing the puck through Lundqvist.  Ottawa dominated most of the period again, but lost Winchester to an injury (no video of it was shown so I can’t speculate about what it is).
Third Period
Anderson made a good stop on Richards in the first minute.  Foligno took a high sticking penalty early, but the Rangers had no good scoring chances from the powerplay.  Anderson made an important save five minutes in when he sprawled after over committing on the initial play, then another a few minutes later stopped a Callahan deflection.  Ottawa had a 2-on-1 just after the midway point, but Smith couldn’t connect with Greening.  The Sens followed that with a great shift where Phillips had a great chance.  Ottawa continued to carry the play and Turris had a scoring chance in the slot.  Foligno was then called for a trip.  The Rangers weren’t able to generate any chances on the man advantage.  There was a frenetic finish to the period, but the Sens had a hard time getting shots through the shot-blocking of the Rangers.
OT
Scrambly play to start with Anderson making a couple of routine stops off Rupp before Gonchar blocked a shot that lead to a 2-on-2 for O’Brien and Turris with the latter beating Lundqvist top-shelf far side.

Here’s a look at the goals:
1. Rangers, Stralman (pp)
Anderson gives up a fat rebound and an untouched Stralman beats him far side
2. Rangers, Callahan (pp)
Anderson gives up another fat rebound and Callahan gets behind coverage to bang it in
3. Michalek (Carkner, Spezza)
Carkner comes out of the box and sends a great pass to Michalek who beats Lundqvist with a high backhand
4. Gonchar (Neil, Foligno) (pp)
Neil centers the puck and Gonchar’s shot squeezes through Lundqvist
5. Turris (O’Brien, Gonchar)
Gonchar blocks a shot and Turris and O’Brien rush down the ice with Turris beating Lundqvist t0p shelf far side

Top-performers:
Kyle Turris – scored the OT winner
Jim O’Brien – must love the playoffs because he’s been fantastic
Chris Phillips – great play in all three zones

Players Who Struggled:
Jason Spezza – his best game of the series, but that’s not saying much
Bobby Butler – largely invisible

April 19, 2012
Categories: Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: Leave a comment

Senators News: April 18th

–Daniel Alfredsson did not participate in the morning skate today, but Mike Hoffman did.  While it seems unlikely that Hoffman will play, Paul MacLean wouldn’t discount it.

–Paul MacLean talked about the Sens problems in their own zone, “In the game we feel we had, depending on who counts the scoring chances against, 10, 11 or 12. Four of them we had the puck on our stick, in our zone, and didn’t make the next pass to get it out of our zone. That turned into a scoring opportunity for them, and ultimately the goal that won the game. It’s been something we’ve worked on as a team, all year long, our execution with the puck, especially in the defensive zone. If there’s one thing we can do better, moving forward as a team, is to execute better, talk to each other, listen to each other … especially in our own defensive zone when we have the puck.”

–Don Brennan has decided to start pumping Bobby Butler‘s tires, which is about as random as things get, but Paul MacLean did say “I thought Bobby skated real hard, played with a lot of energy. He got after the puck, shot the puck. It was a good game for him.”  He did play hard, but playing hard isn’t why you put him in the lineup–the entire Sens roster plays hard–Butler needs to produce to be effective.

–Joy Lindsay writes about Binghamton’s forwards at the end of the season, with the main takeaway being that Pat Cannone was named the team’s top defensive forward.

-Here’s my profile of Mika Zibanejad.

–Jacob Silfverberg‘s Brynas lost again yesterday so their series (which they lead 3-0) will go to a sixth game.

–Stefan Noesen‘s Plymouth Whalers were eliminated last night.

–Raffi Torres knocked out Marian Hossa last night.  It helped the Coyotes win and will losing Torres to suspension really hurt Phoenix going forward?  The media was all over Torres and I have to wonder if for once the NHL is going to put the hammer down with a significant suspension.

-The International Scouting Service (ISS) has released their latest rankings and here’s the top-30 which features many changes (for the previous list go link; I’ve listed previous rankings in brackets where applicable):
1. Yakupov, Nail, LW 10/6/93 L 5.10.5 189 Sarnia OHL
2. Forsberg, Filip, RW 8/13/94 R 6.01 176 Leksands SweAl (4)
3. Grigorenko, Mikhail, RW 5/16/94 L 6.03.25 200 Québec QMJHL (2)
4. Murray, Ryan, LD 9/27/93 L 6.00.5 201 Everett WHL (3)
5. Trouba, Jacob, RD 2/26/94 R 6.02 196 USA Under-18 NTDP
6. Dumba, Matt, RD 7/25/94 R 5.11.75 183 Red Deer WHL
7. Rielly, Morgan, LD 3/9/94 L 5.11.5 190 Moose Jaw WHL (8)
8. Teuvo Teravainen, LW, 09/11/94, 5.11 161 Jokerit FinE (29)
9. Ceci, Cody, RD 12/21/93 R 6.02.5 207 Ottawa OHL
10. Reinhart, Griffin, LD 1/24/94 L 6.03.75 207 Edmonton WHL
11. Gaunce, Brendan, C 3/25/94 L 6.02 215 Belleville OHL (7)
12. Collberg, Sebastian, RW 2/23/94 R 5.11 Vastra SweJE (11)
13. Maatta, Olli, LD 8/22/94 L 6.01.5 202 London OHL (12)
14. Galchenyuk, Alexander, RW 2/12/94 L 6.00.5 198 Sarnia OHL (16)
15. Faksa, Radek, LW 1/9/94 L 6.03 202 Kitchener OHL (17)
16. Finn, Matthew, LD 2/24/94 L 6.00.25 195 Guelph OHL (13)
17. Aberg, Pontus, LW 9/23/93 R 5.11 187 Djurgarden SweE (15)
18. Koekkoek, Slater, LD 2/18/94 L 6.02 184 Peterborough OHL
19. Pouliot, Derrick, D 1/16/94 L 5.11.25 186 Portland WHL
20. Laughton, Scott, C 5/30/94 L 6.00 177 Oshawa OHL (NR)
21. Girgensons, Zemgus, F 1/5/94 L 6.01.25 201 Dubuque USHL (21)
22. Kerdiles, Nicholas, C/L 1/11/94 L, 6.01.5 200 USA Under-18 NTDP (27)
23. Sissons, Colton, C/R 11/5/93 L 6.01 189 Kelowna WHL (26)
24. Skjei, Brady, LD 3/26/1994 L 6.03 203 USA Under-18 NTDP (14)
25. Lindholm, Hampus, LD 1/20/94 L 6.02.5 196 Rogle SweJE (NR)
26. Dalton Thrower, D, 12/20/93 R 5.11.00 179 Saskatoon WHL (21)
27. Wilson, Thomas, RW 3/29/94 R 6.03.5 203 Plymouth OHL (NR)
28. Bystrom, Ludvig, LD 7/29/94 L 6.00.75 208 Modo SweE (22)
29. Hertl, Tomas, LW 11/12/93 L 6.02 198 pounds Slavia CzeE (23)
30. Zharkov, Daniil, F 2/6/94 L 6.03 197 Belleville OHL (NR)

Falling out of the top-thirty: Stefan Matteau (24), Mike Matheson (25), Anton Slepyshev (28), and Jarrod Maidens (30).

April 18, 2012
Categories: Binghamton Senators, NHL Draft, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 1 Comment

Prospect Profile: Mika Zibanejad

Mika Zibanejad (C/RW, 6’2, DOB 1993, 1-6/11)
2009-10 J18 Djurgarden 14-8-12-20 +15 10pim (ppg 1.42) 4th pts
2009-10 SupEl Djurgarden 14-2-2-4 -2 4pim (ppg 0.28) 21st
2010-11 SupEl Djurgarden 27-12-9-21 +18 12pim (ppg 0.77) 7th
2010-11 SEL Djurgarden 26-5-4-9 +1 2pim (ppg 0.34) 17th
2011-12 NHL Ottawa 9-0-1-1 -3 2pim
2011-12 SEL Djurgarden 26-5-8-13 -2 4pim (ppg 0.50) 14th
2011-12 WJC Sweden 6-4-1-5 +2 2pim 7th

Zibanejad, the sixth overall selection in last year’s draft (ranked #2 by Central Scouting; he’s the highest draft pick for Ottawa since picking Jason Spezza second overall in 2001), made the Senators to start the year, but lost his confidence and was loaned back to his club team Djurgarden (with fellow draftee Fredrik Claesson; he also played with Marcus Sorensen back in the day).  He didn’t get the ice time the Sens thought he should as his team went through two coaching changes during the season and also struggled with injuries.  The highlight for Zibanejad was the World Junior Championships, where he scored the gold medal winning goal for Sweden.  He will play with Ottawa or Binghamton next year (Djurgarden’s relegation has nothing to do with that decision).  Prior to the draft Red Line Report compared him to Brendan Morrow, “plays on the wing internationally, but is more natural and effective at center – his position in league play [SEL].  Drives the net hard using his size effectively to power through checks and win battles along the boards.  Plays a physical game, banging opposing players in puck pursuit, winning loose pucks and causing turnovers off an aggressive and determined forecheck.  Creates space for linemates and is tough to separate from the puck.  Has outstanding speed for a big man with a long, smooth, powerful stride that eats up ground.  Has good hands, receiving even tough passes well without breaking stride.  Also has a very heavy shot that he likes to use when busting down the wing with speed.  Good scoring touch around net, but not always instinctive in his offensive reads.  Tough to contain because he’s got so many facets he can beat you with.  Fine defensive effort level.” ISS compared him to Jerome Iginla, “A very intense player, Zibanejad has extremely explosive technical skills combined with great power and a determined work ethic. He applies tremendous physical pressure on the puck carrier in all zones and can really hammer opponents with his hitting ability. He displayed excellent awareness and intelligence away from the puck and is always calculating his next move. Zibanejad drives the net well and never has very much trouble penetrating the middle lanes off the rush with the puck. His hands and offensive timing could still stand to improve as he doesn’t always handle passes well and struggles to deal with bouncing pucks. NHL Potential: Two-way energy player who can fit a variety of roles including special teams and offensive situations.”  Goran Stubb said this about him, “Mika‘s a real power forward but also has soft hands, good vision and fine skating skills. He has tremendous balance and is hard to knock off the puck. He’s very strong in the battles along the boards, finishes checks with authority and has a heavy shot that he gets off quickly.”  You can watch Pierre Dorion and TSN discuss Zibanejad via the links.

April 17, 2012
Categories: Binghamton Senators, Ottawa Draft, Ottawa Senators . . Author: Eye on the Sens . Comments: 2 Comments

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