First of all, I just wanted to apologize to all of you readers who have come to this website for a steady flow of blogs and podcasts. The last few weeks have been mind numbingly hectic for me and the other guys so finding the time and energy to organize and write something just hasn't been there lately. It hasn't really helped matters that the Senators have substantially improved their play of late. When a team is winning, it's not like it lends itself to interesting conversation. So thank you to those readers who have emailed in asking when the next podcast will occur, we will be back in studios this week.

So without further ado, let's get on with this.

I think it was on the weekend that one of Ottawa's beat reporters Tweeted that Cory Clouston had formulated a plan for how he's going to get both goalies involved in the upcoming weeks. Frankly, I wouldn't have blamed him had he said that he's just going to ride the hot hand. For the past few weeks, Brian Elliott has been nothing short of fantastic. His rebound control has been good. He has eliminated his penchant for giving up the soft goal, he's made some timely saves and he's giving his team an opportunity to win every night.

Even after attending tonight's game and noticing that the report is out on Elliott and teams are targetting his blocker side, I have this new found faith in him to make to the proper adjustments. You can call it the Sans Eli Wilson Effect.

Now that Leclaire is healthy, it's not like there's any impetus on the coaching staff to get him back between the pipes so long as the team is winning. According to today's Don Brennan article, Leclaire's competitive juices are flowing and he's antsy to get back into the game. I don't blame him. So long as he's stapled to the bench, his days of "earning" a fat paycheck could be drawing to a close.

Considering that both goaltenders are impending free agents - Elliott is restricted, Leclaire is unrestricted - it's for these same monetary purposes that I'm interested in seeing how the situation unfolds.

On Monday, when I met up with a friend for a drink, the subject of the Senators goaltending inevitably came up and I was asked what I would do as GM if Leclaire had an unbelievable end to the 2010-11 season.

My answer was simple: I'd let Leclaire walk.

His reaction was incredulous. He couldn't believe that I would be completely comfortable in handing the reins over to Elliott and Robin Lehner next season.

So I ask you readers this, would it be significantly worse than the situation is already? For the past two seasons, Ottawa's goaltenders have been statistically anemic. Last season the Senators had the third worst save percentage in the league (90.0%) and the 19th best goals against average (2.80). This season the team has the 16th best GAA (2.79) and the 14th best save percentage (91.1%). (Ed. note: I know that the goaltenders were not to blame for the Senators' slow start. Porous play, injuries and personnel problems have played a significant role. )

Would any money spent on an injury-riddled Leclaire not be better served reallocating the payroll up front and improving the team's talent up front? Obviously there will be questions as to whether or not Lehner is ready for the NHL-level but at last summer's market shows, it's not difficult to find a capable veteran backup for cheap in FA. Personally, I'd rather roll the dice on an Elliott/Lehner tandem than risk overpaying some veteran who will likely box the goaltender of the future out of a job for a few seasons. Could it possibly be that much worse than the current duo has performed for the past season or so?

Undoubtedly, some will suggest that signing a big name free agent goaltender is the route to take. But because of some recent trends, some sabermetric hockey analysts have questioned how worthwhile it is to sign allocate so much cap space to a franchise goalie.

Besides I hear that Ray Emery is available...

According to the Team 1200's Scott MacArthur (@ScottMacArthur), Zach Smith has been recalled from the Binghamton Senators for tonight's game in Montreal. Because of the major boarding penalty that helped limit Smith's ice-time to almost 8 and a half minutes against the Islanders, the demotion allowed Smith to get some valuable playing time for one night only. So if you're at home trying to figure out what management is doing, try not to read too much into it. It was simply a headsy, proactive move by the organization to take full advantage of a scheduling perk that would have Smith play Montreal's farm team at the Bell Centre and re-join his Ottawa teammates the next day.

Other Weblinks:

So the Islanders came through town and nary a word was mentioned about Don Brennan's mancrush, Zenon Konopka. Well, we now know where these words went and they're available to the public over at Off the Posts.

The Euge has officially filed to appeal the Ontario Securities Commission's ruling that his conduct as Biovail's CEO in 2003 was contrary to public interest.

Word has it that Shean Donovan walked away from his PTO with the Syracuse Crunch.

Hfboards Thread of the Day:

Here's the link to the actual thread entitled Uh-Oh Cheechoo and here's what the original poster had to say:

Here's a screenshot of his latest stats with the Worcester Sharks of the AHL...the San Jose Shark's AHL affiliate.

Is it just me, or does it look like Cheechoo might be playing for the sharks very soon? Am I just panicking too quickly?

Free Tickets For the Tuesday Night's Thrashers Game:

Recently, The 6th Sens was approached by the Ottawa Senators to help create awareness for their affordable ticket packages because their research indicates that some fans don't really know too much about these ticket promotions. In exchange, I will be afforded the opportunity to give out some tickets over the next few weeks starting with two pairs of Coca-Cola Zero Zone tickets to give away for the Tuesday, November 9th game against the Atlanta Thrashers. (Note: The puck drops at 7:30pm and alcohol is prohibited in this ticket area.)

Located in sections 314, 315 and 316 of the visitors' end, tickets for the Coca-Cola Zero Zone start for as low as $15 and offer an affordable way for fans to see some live NHL action.

So how do your paws these tickets?

Well, on Thursday night, Pierre McGuire expressed his adoration of Carrie Underwood's song Jesus Take the Wheel. So what I want fans to do is submit a MS Paint photo, a Photoshop edit, hand-drawn picture or whatever that depicts Pierre riding shotgun in a car driven by Jesus.

Get creative and email them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Winners will be contacted via email.

(Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)

Sometimes it's easier to see the individual trees than it is to take a step back and look at the forest. Ottawa deserves some credit, they've now won 5 of their last 7 and are now .500 in games that ended in regulation. (Ed. note: 6-6-1 overall). Being average has never felt so good!

Albeit, Ottawa has taken advantage of a pretty favorable schedule of late:

- Won 4-2 in a game that they almost let slip away.
- Won 5-2 over a Phoenix Coyotes team that was playing their 3rd game in 4 nights
- Won 5-3 over the Florida Panthers - a team that Don Brennan described as the worst in the NHL
- Won 3-2 over a hapless Toronto team that had gone 167 minutes and 39 seconds without scoring a goal. It was the longest team drought since 1927.
- Won 4-1 over a gassed Islanders team.

Before I get into some random thoughts from tonight's game, here's a post-game haiku:

Continue Reading

Recently, I was approached the MLX Skates company to review, test and keep a pair of their skates. And as a website that caters itself to the impassioned hockey market that is Ottawa, I figured I would be doing you all a disservice if I turned down this opportunity. (You can thank me later.)

I'll give you a little insight into the company first. MLX was founded by former speed skating Olympian Dave Cruikshank. When his speed skating career ended, he embarked upon a new path: to train hockey players to be faster and more efficient with their energy. After working with a number of players, Cruikshank noticed that the skate technology was lacking and not allowing players to play to their potential. By creating the MLX brand, Cruikshank was hoping to marry the comfort, maneuverability and performance of a speed skate with the protection and durability of a hockey skate. While Mario Lemieux is unquestionably the biggest name to endorse the product, a number of current NHL players wear the skates -- including two of the Ottawa Senators, Sergei Gonchar and Daniel Alfredsson. (Ed. note: to see some of the pros who are wearing the skates, click here.)

But like the Double-Rainbow guy asked, "What does it all mean?"

Well, the company has broken away from the traditional use of leather and plastic by developing a skate boot that makes use of aircraft-grade composite materials. Bringing it more in line with how the advancement of speed skate technology has gone. According to the MLX website, their skates and their junior hockey skates feature a heat moldable thermoplastic in the boot, where typical other hockey skates do not have this. The thermoplastic, when heated, is pliable, and that is what allows the athlete to make the skate fit their feet. From the sounds of it, this composite material offers superior protection and superior ankle and arch support. Considering that I have had some issues in the past in regarding my right ankle, I'm intrigued to see how much improvement these skates can offer over my current pair. (Ed. note: Here's hoping that I don't have to find out how punishment this skate can absorb.)

The first time that I will get to test out the product is this Thursday, so stay tuned for a full review in the coming week(s). In the meantime, do yourself a favour and check out the MLX Skates website and their YouTube Channel.

Here's a mish-mash of information that I neglected to mention in today's earlier post:

One week after having his progress described as stagnant, Pascal Leclaire has been deemed fit enough to back up Brian Elliott tomorrow night in Toronto and word has it that he may even get the start against the Isles later in the week. So for all of you Senators fans who want to see Lehner take a step forward and develop at the professional level, you have be giddier than Don Brennan after he had chatted with Cam Neely. With Leclaire's clean bill of health, the goaltending phenom known as Robin Lehner has been returned to the AHL where he undoubtedly will start splitting duties with Mike Brodeur.
Sloth Donovan Signs a PTO with the Syracuse Crunch
This afternoon, Dan Seguin reported via Twitter that Shean Donovan has signed a tryout with the Syracuse Crunch, the Anaheim Ducks' AHL affiliate. Here's the official press release from Syracuse.

Jersey Deal
For being signed up as a Senators Insider, I received an email alerting me to a special package deal that includes tickets and an alternate Senators jersey. It's all speculation and wishful thinking on my part but given how inexpensive the package is, it makes me question whether or not the organization is trying to move as many of these jerseys as possible before introducing something new for the team's 20th anniversary next season. The details can be found here.

Hey guys and gals, I'm using this post to alert you a guest post that I penned for the Ottawa Citizen's Senators Extra website. If you're wondering what the context of the article is, it's essentially a revised, more coherent and PG-13 version of the Bryan Murray Era piece that ran yesterday. To access the actual story itself, here's the link and if you could leave a comment over at Senators Extra or retweet the story or just share the link with other Sens fans, it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I just wanted to thank those of you who took the time to look over my work before its submission.