FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-The Ottawa Senators played a game last night but when the dust settled on a game against the league-leading Washington Capitals, nobody was really talking about the team on the ice. And that’s because Owner Eugene Melnyk rolled into town (which maybe explains why they had to cancel Russian Heritage night?) and weighed in on a number of different topics on the hockey operations side of things. It’s become expected when Eugene is in Ottawa. You knows he’s gonna talk and talk a lot. All you can really do is buckle up.
-The Eugene Melnyk media tour started with a seemingly innocent announcement related to the team’s 25th anniversary. You would be forgiven if you missed that news yesterday in the Melnyk Media Circus. Before it was over, Melnyk gave interviews with the local media, on Fan 590, and on TSN1200 before closing it out with some incoherent ramblings in front of a National audience on TSN. I don’t know who advises Mr. Melnyk on media-related matters but whoever it is could probably tell the guy to tone it down a little bit. Every time his mouth opens, things get worse. I get that he owns the team and can do what he wants with it. But is it too much to ask that he show a little professionalism? There are eight games left in the season. Maybe the ranting and raving could wait a couple weeks? Maybe wait till you’ve had a chance to talk to your staff? Maybe wait till a day when your General Manager isn’t having chemotherapy? The thing is, I know it’s too much to ask with Eugene. He does things his own way and that’s always how it’s going to be.
-There was so much in yesterday that I honestly don’t know where to start. In Eugene’s eyes sometimes this team is a Stanley Cup contender on some nights and sometimes they’re BHLers (?). Throwing money at the team is baloney (any idiot can spend to the cap, remember?). Essentially it sounds like Dave Cameron is gone (mostly because of who he started in the home opener when Eugene was there), Bryan Murray can come back as General Manager if he wants to and there will be changes. NOBODY IS SAFE. Not even you, Tooks! Also, the Senators don’t need analytics. Too smart for ’em. Eugene tried them with his horses and it didn’t work. And now I think there’s actually a good chance they are applying those same horse analytics to the team. If the Senators practiced shootouts more and if they had Chris Phillips, this season woulda been different.
-Listen, I can keep a pretty optimistic outlook about this organization even in the darkest times. I felt like this season coulda been a whole lot different with a healthy line up and improved special teams. I firmly believe this team is a couple key pieces away from making noise in the Eastern Conference. But the thing I can never put a positive spin on is the words of Eugene Melnyk. Others in the comment section have managed to and I commend them for that but I just can’t do it. There are few things that suck the Sens fan life out of me like his words. Even when I agree with some of the things he’s saying, I’m always skeptical. I can’t help it.
-Which is why yesterday’s comments from the Owner about ‘big changes’ mostly had me worried. Partly because I’ve already heard from multiple sources that the front office has been asked to cut payroll significantly heading into next year. I’m already hearing stories about people that work for the team being laid off. So when everyone sees possibility in those ‘big changes’, I’m mostly worried about what’s going to be left over. If they fire Cameron, are they really going to pay big money for a veteran Head Coach, especially with two fired Coach’s already on the payroll and lowered budget? And if Murray does step into the Advisor role, do we really think they’d go outside the organization with that next hire? The problem I have with Melnyk’s media rants- beyond the fact that they’re annoying, unprofessional and tad embarrassing- is they’re usually full of exaggerations and half-truths. So while I believe there will be big changes this summer, I’m not really convinced they will be good changes for the organization. I want to be wrong. Prove me wrong, Eugene. Because like Karlsson said, everyone in the organization has to step up…Owner included…
The Senators lost 4-2 last night. They actually played a pretty solid game.
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Let’s just tack a Game Day post on to this one. If the Senators are going to mail it in down the stretch, I may as well too.
One change to the Ottawa line up as Dion Phaneuf comes out and Freddy Claesson draws in. Chris Neil is going to miss another game with the flu. Here’s how the Senators are expected to line up for this one.
Smith-Pageau-Stone
Hoffman-Zibanejad-Chiasson
Dzingel-Gomez-Ryan
Paul-Lazar-Puempel
Methot-Karlsson
Claesson-Ceci
Kostka-Wideman
Andrew Hammond gets the start in the Ottawa goal.
