Hey readers,

If you ever have a hockey opinion that you want to share, fire it to us in an This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll publish it if it's worthy.

Hey Nichols,

If you ever want to feel better about our drafting under the Muckler regime, take a look at this:

Year, Prospect, Rank

2007 – Traded for Toskala

2006 – Tlusty (13)

2005 – Rask (21) trade for Raycroft

2004 – Traded for Leetch

2003 – Traded for Nolan

2002 – Steen (24)

2001 – Colaiacovo (17)

2000 – Boyes (24) traded for Nolan

1999 – Cereda (24)

1998 – Antropov (10)

1997 – Traded for Clark

1996 – Traded for Yushkevich

1995 – Ware (15)

1994 – Fichaud (16)

1993 - Jonsson (12)

1992 - Convery (8)

1991 - Traded for Kurvers (turned out to be Niedermayer) 1990 - Berehowsky (10)

1989 - Thornton (3), Rob Pearson (12), Bancroft (21)

1988 - Scott Pearson (6)

~ Trevor from Toronto

When I first opened this email, I shuddered a bit. Typically I never want to see the words look at this followed by Jiri Tlusty's name.

Here is the tracklisting for the podcast: Okkervil River Unless It's Kicks; New Bomb Turks Veronica Lake; The M's Big Sound; Josh Ritter Rumors.

Fuck We Suck (22-21-4) vs If Wade Redden Scores Tonight I May Cry Myself To Sleep (22-17-7) @ 7pm ET, MSG; Television: Rogers Sportsnet

Like Cory Clouston said after a loss earlier in the week, anything that can go wrong, is going wrong. If you haven't heard, Pascal Leclaire will not be able to make his scheduled start tonight because of an errant Mike Fisher shot that rang off of Leclaire's mask in practice. To compound matters, Brian Elliott has the flu and will not be able to playing so the team has been forced to recall Mike Brodeur from Binghamton to make an emergency start.

There are so many things to hit on here, so bear with me:

• No further evidence is needed to prove that the old Mike Fisher is back. He's reverted back into that streaky point producer who has an uncontrollable howitzer of a shot. In typical Mike Fisher fashion, he missed high and hit Leclaire in the face...again. At least this time Leclaire was fortunate enough to be wearing a mask.
  
• More importantly, why is Mike Fisher and his wild 9,0322,232 mph slapshot even allowed to take shots at a Senators starting goaltender during a game day practice?
• It's also affirmed that Pascal Leclaire has joined the likes of Magnus Arvedsson, Sami Salo, Martin Havlat, the pre-1999 version of Daniel Alfredsson and Damian Rhodes' confidence as one of the most historically brittle pieces of Senators property.
  
• There's no update on Leclaire's condition yet, however, if he's due for more cosmetic surgery, I won't complain. I'll still embrace him even if he becomes our own walking plastic corpse like Joan Rivers.

Here's my prediction that ran in James Gordon's Ottawa Citizen prediction panel...

Senators 2, Rangers 4

I like Cory Clouston's thinking. By giving the team a puckless practice at Central Park yesterday, neither Elliott or Leclaire were afforded the opportunity to let in a soft goal. Unfortunately, I don't think that will carry over into the game tomorrow night. Besides, the Rangers have lost once in regulation in the past 10 games and Henrik Lundqvist is likely to be between the pipes in an important game.

Here are the lines tonight: Shannon-Regin-Kovalev; Foligno-Fisher-Neil; Ruutu-Kelly-Cheechoo; Daugavins-Smith-Donovan.

By the Numbers:

Last night, as Tim and I recorded the latest The 6th Sens Podcast episode ft. Wayne Scanlan of The Ottawa Citizen (that I'm uploading to the servers now and will be available later tonight), Tim and I crunched some numbers after looking at the schedule and standings.

Prior to the Olympic break, there are 15 games in 30 days (including tonight's affair). Here they are: New York Rangers; Montreal; Boston; Chicago; St. Louis; Boston; New Jersey; Pittsburgh; Montreal; Buffalo; Vancouver; Toronto; Calgary; Washington; and Detroit. Of these games, how many are legitimately winnable with the current roster and a banged up Alfie, Spezza and Michalek? Five? Maybe six?

Ottawa currently has 48 points in 47 games. Say Ottawa wins five games out of the next fifteen and gets 10 points. That'd leave the Senators with 58 points in 62 games. Now using last year's barometer for making the playoffs at 92 points, Ottawa would have to get 34 points in their last twenty games. Translation: they'd have to win 85% of their games after the Olympic break. While all this number crunching is fine and dandy, it really puts things into perspective regarding how poorly the Senators are playing and how easily the next stretch of difficult games can put them behind the 8-ball. If Ottawa's going to make a run here, they better start turning things around quickly.

As first reported by TSN's Brent Wallace, Eli Wilson has been fired as the goaltending coach of the Ottawa Senators.

Here is what head coach Cory Clouston had to say on the matter,

“I’m telling (you) right now: The responsibility doesn’t solely lie on Eli’s shoulders. I have to take some of that responsibility, I am part of the coaching staff obviously. I’m the head coach.It falls on my shoulders as well. We’re not solely blaming Eli. It appears that way, but to me we still have to find a way to make a change and this is part of the change.”

And here's GM Bryan Murray's take on the issue,

“Performance of the goaltenders in the organization had everything to do with it. I think Eli was a hard worker and paid a lot attention to it, but for some reason, both at the NHL level and American league level, we felt that the goaltenders weren’t where we thought they were going to be and where they have shown they can be.”

Alright, so I'm not going to pretend to be some goaltending guru or a guy who has any ability to contrast the impacts that the other various goaltending coaches have had for their respective NHL clubs, however, I may be one of the few who are asking, why now?

Why did the organization had to wait for a 5-game losing streak to fire the goaltending coach when the organization's goaltending situation has been in disrepair for years? Think about that for second. For all of the garbage that we've endured as Senators fans since the team's Cup Finals appearance in 2007, Wilson's credibility has never come into question until now? Why? Are we to believe that the Gerber / Auld duo could have been more underwhelming?

Like Bruce Garrioch mentioned on Off the Posts, it's easier to fire the goaltending coach than it is to fire the players. I never really want to revel in the fact that a guy lost his job but ultimately, the goaltending situation hasn't remedied itself during Eli Wilson's tenure and he deserves to shoulder the blame here. But, why now?

We survived the Martin Gerber era for God's sakes. Thanks to the timing of the move, I can't help but view Wilson as some sort of sacrificial lamb to appease the fans during this losing streak and absolve some of the blame from their goaltenders but he shouldn't be alone. After years of being able to duck behind John Muckler's incompetence, the time has come to hold Bryan Murray accountable for the job that he's done as a general manager.

As head coach of the Senators during that 06/07 season, Bryan was the one who had a first hand experience of Ray Emery and his reported antics that still took place when the team was winning. And when Murray assumed John Muckler's position as GM of the Senators, he didn't trade Ray Emery. Instead, he rewared him with a $9M+ 3-year contract and catered to him by hiring his personal goaltending coach. (For the record, I don't buy the argument that this recent losing streak was an easy opportunity to turf the guy who reportedly first got the job because he was Ray Emery's friend and mentor. If that were the case, Murray would have turfed the guy at the same time that he pulled the trigger on the Paddock and Hartsburg firings.)

And after Emery, fans were forced to endure years of Gerber and lest we forget Alex Auld - a cruel punchline to some joke discussing all of the inconsequential players who were at one point dealt for Roberto Luongo. Which brings us to Pascal Leclaire. A goalie who looked like he was finally starting to put things together before that ill-fated night when Mike Fisher ripped a clearing attempt upside Leclaire's visage. And since his return from the IR, Leclaire's been Gerber'esque at best. (Ed. note: I'm not writing Leclaire off here. I'm just saying he's played like shit.)

Although Eli could remain with the organization in some fashion consultant capacity for Cory Clouston, his tenure with the Senators likely ended when Bryan Murray pointed the finger of blame in his direction. And now that the blame game has started, don't be surprised to see more people start pointing their fingers in Bryan Murray's direction.

Here's the latest Bruce Garrioch article that details what Bryan Murray is looking for on the trade market. My comments will appear in bold.

ATLANTA — Senators GM Bryan Murray is looking to add a centre to help get the team out of its scoring doldrums.

Hhhhhwhat?

As the Senators continue their five-game road trip tonight against the Thrashers and struggle to hang onto a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, two league executives told the Sun yesterday that Murray is trying to deal for a centre.

Malkin to the Senators!

With top centre Jason Spezza sidelined the past three weeks, Mike Fisher struggling and Peter Regin miscast as the No. 1 pivot at the moment, the indications are Murray would like somebody who can play in a top-six role and possibly move to the wing once the team is healthy.

I said this yesterday, but I'll say it again. Mike Fisher is struggling because teams have shifted their focus on him and Kovalev. It's the reason why Clouston moved Regin between Shannon and Kovalev. Again, I mentioned this yesterday, should there be legitimate concern that Murray is reportedly interested in a quick fix center when that blueline is softer than the typical goal scored against an Ottawa netminder?

The most consistent centre for the Senators this season has been Chris Kelly, who has looked quite comfortable in his third-line role.

Up until the last ten games, I would have said it was Mike Fisher. I guess Kelly is the most consistent because of lowered expectations. Whatever. As an armchair GM, Kelly would be on my shortlist of guys who I'd be marketing at the deadline to capitalize on his strong play.

Making a deal is tough with the salary cap, but talk has started to heat up.

This is best thing I've read in this article. I can't even begin to explain why. For some reason, I keep re-reading this sentence and it makes me laugh.

“That’s easier said than done,” said one NHL executive. “There’s just not a lot out there right now. Not enough teams are eliminated.”

Murray is in Florida wrapping up meetings with his pro scouts before heading out to watch a few teams himself. The only teams actively selling — with the deadline set for March 3 — are the Oilers and Hurricanes.

Edmonton? Sweet. Get ready for Mike Comrie version 3.0 .

It’s not known if there are any hard feelings with the Oilers after the Dany Heatley fiasco last summer, but it seems doubtful there would be.

Why would there be hard feelings between these two organizations? Ottawa tried to strong arm Heatley into going there. Bryan Murray was doing Edmonton a favour.

The names being bandied about from Edmonton are centres Andrew Cogliano (4 goals and 6 assists in 44 games) and Robert Nilsson (6 goals and 8 assists in 29 games) and winger Ethan Moreau (4 goals and 4 assists in 43 games). All are affordable, but it would depend on what the Oilers want in return.

This is so weird. I just had a conversation with Tim the other night about how Robert Nilsson is the guy who could put the Senators over the top. Oh, and here's a true story to put things in perspective -- Jonathan Cheechoo has more points than Cogliano right now. Buy low!

As for the Hurricanes, the best option for Ottawa might be veteran centre Matt Cullen (8 goals, 19 assists in 44 games), who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. A lot of teams are interested in veteran winger Ray Whitney (13 goals, 18 assists in 43 games), but he has a no-movement clause and he’s going to be able to pick his destination, likely to a contender.

Translation: Guys with no-movement clauses like Ray Whitney will not waive their right to come here. So I ask, if guys won't waive to come here and Ottawa has to overpay to bring guys in via free agency, why isn't this team focusing all their efforts on building a successful team through the draft?

1. My initial reaction: This team sucks.
   
2. Okay. They're not that bad. Injuries have had a negative impact on the product.
   
3. Even before the injuries, this team was characterized by an inefficient power play, bad goaltending and a mediocre blueline.
4. But the team was winning in spite of these things. A power play and the soft, deflating goals can be remedied.
5. Or the team's record is flattering because it is inflated by the team's strong play on home ice.
   
6. Going back to the injuries have highlighted a concern that the Ottawa's two dynamic offensive talents who make their linemates better are aged 36 and 37. And aside from Peter Regin, no young prospect or player who is ready to assume top six minutes and contribute.
   
7. Would this team be willing to trim the fat and retool?
   
8. No, there's this perpetuated Canadian stigma attached to organizations that fans will not pay to see a loser.
   
9. Aside from the Maple Leafs, do Canadian owners own a team to make money? I'd say no. It's about the social aspect that allows them to brag that they own an NHL team in Canada. Besides, fans aren't paying to watch a team that's meddling in the middle of the Eastern Conference. Today's Senators fans are smarter. It's not so much about wins and losses as it is about being entertained and building a contender.
   
10. But is there any reason to assume that Bryan Murray would retool since last season's precedence shows that he's comfortable sticking with the status quo?
11. With the way the next month of the schedule sets itself up, these next few weeks of the season will make or break this team's chance to get into the playoffs. So what happens now? Even I'm a bit conflicted here.

It wasn't until I read a recent Larry Brooks article that I found myself nodding my head in agreement with what he had to say.

This is about the big picture. Management cannot afford to be shortsighted here. Making the playoffs for a fifth straight season is a nice little accomplishment, but ultimately means next to nothing if the achievement isn't a stepping stone to contention. ~ Larry Brooks, NY Post

After the game against Washington, we judged Pascal Leclaire performance in the same way that pundits criticized Mariah Carey's acceptance speech at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Instead of focusing on the good -- Leclaire's big saves, Carey's performance in Precious -- everyone's dwelling on the negative things, like the soft goals and an off-her-ass drunk Mariah. To make matters worse, Pascal didn't do himself any favours when he unleashed this blast on the local media following last night's loss,

“There were 40 other shots (Thursday night). F---, I’m going to make mistakes ... now it seems that every time I give up a goal, it’s scrutinized, and its always the story of the game. If you guys want to keep doing that ... I know I make mistakes. I made a mistake on the third goal, but at the same time I thought I did some good stuff. As long as we don’t win, there’s nothing else that matters. It’s 5-2, we’ve got to play smarter defensively, especially against a team like that. We gave them too many scoring chances.” ~ The Ottawa Sun

As cathartic as it probably was for Pascal to shit on the media,  they were just doing their job covering the Senators on a day-to-day basis and Leclaire's consistent penchant for letting in deflating goals has become a bit of a story.  The goalie with the short term memory has now become the guy with the short fuse. Maybe it was a bit premature on our part start lauding Leclaire's Memento'esque short term amnesia. Regardless, when does common sense prevail? Did he not pay attention during training camp when the PR department briefed the players on how to deal with the media? After the way last season's events unfolded, this is Dany Heatley 101 -  Don't slight a media group that prides itself upon stringing the words goalie and graveyard together. To illustrate the point, here's just a quick glance at what the Ottawa media has said about the goaltending recently:

• Here's a headline over at the Ottawa Citizen, Deflating Goals Continue to Hurt Senators
• And here's another one Leclaire's problems continue in Washinton
• And another, Senators goalies struggle to find consistency
  
• Brian Elliott didn't even play the other night and Don Brennan found a way to get in a subtle dig on Off The Posts.

Between the sloppy goaltending and the fact that the body count is climbing faster than a season's worth of Dexter episodes, this team's pursuit of a playoff spot has been a war of attrition. Earlier in the season, this team coped with the absences of Anton Volchenkov, Filip Kuba, Chris Neil, and Nick Foligno. Lately, they have had to cope with injuries to more expensive pieces of their roster. First there was the MCL injury to Jason Spezza's knee, then there was the shoulder injury to Daniel Alfredsson and Bruce Garrioch is reporting that Milan Michalek is out for the next two home games with suspected concussion and that he will not accompany the Senators when they begin a 5-game road trip next week in Carolina. To add some more intrigue to the injury situation, management did call up two  future Sens stars, Zach Smith and Martin St. Pierre to fill out the roster and Cory Clouston did say that both will play tonight. Here are the lines that Garrioch has posted on the Ottawa Sun's website: Shannon-Fisher-Kovalev; Foligno-Regin-Neil; Ruutu-Kelly-Cheechoo; Smith-St.Pierre-Winchester.

And in an interesting twist, Brian Elliott will get the call to start tonight. I don't get it. Even though Ottawa's playing the 13th seeded Panthers tonight, the importance of tonight's game can't be understated. With a win tonight, the 13th seeded Panthers can move within 5 points of the 6th place Senators. Bryan Murray acquired Memento to be the number one goalie. After the loss to the Capitals, Leclaire was already hot under the collar. He's fired up so let him play. Why risk inviting controversy with a potential Elliott win?