The Sens need to stay the course through injuries

No one should be complaining in Ottawa to be perfectly honest.   This year’s laundry list of injuries to key players in the NHL is something to behold.   An all-star team really.  However, with Jason Spezza missing his third straight game tomorrow vs the Tampa Bay Lightning and Anton Volchenkov already on the shelf for the next week or so, the Sens are going to have make some changes – both defensively and offensively.

Ask most Sens’ fans this year and you’ll probably get a begrudging consensus that this is a good thing for Cory Clouston and the Senators.  There will be injuries – and they will be to substantial players over the course of an 82 game schedule (and hopefully more),  the team will have to learn to deal with it.

It’s a little early to start taking an extended look at the roster and making any kind of decisions based on play.  There are rookies that are stepping in, some good, some not so great.  Peter Regin has been a great quasi-surprise this young season.  In the last two games that Jason Spezza has been out, Regin has shown that he has the abilities to make plays.  He doesn’t have any points to show for it, but they will come based on his incredible two-way play alone.  He loves to pick the opposing players pockets and start the transition up ice.  Problem is: how long can the Senators wait for him to feel totally comfortable with second line center duty?

Meanwhile, Brian Lee got the call when Volchenkov went down to injury.  Erik Karlsson will most likely stay with the Binghamton Senators the rest of the year to gain confidence, experience and most importantly a little meat on his bones, so Lee is the first call-up.  Now, Lee hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t really made a case for himself as being someone we need to keep here.  Clouston called him ‘inconsistent’ amongst other things and now might be the time to take a look at a guy like Derek Smith, who’s always been quite unheralded, but very steady.

The last game the Senators played was a tremendously frustrating game (unless you’re an Atlanta fan).  The Sens outplayed the Thrashers, outshooting them 43-8 over the final two periods.  Clouston was quoted as saying he’s never seen anything like the performance of Pavelec, who ended the night with 50 saves out of 51 shots.  The line of Kovalev – Fisher – Alfredsson was buzzing all night, finally accounting for the only goal on a 5 on 3, late in the third.

That should be about enough to bring both frustration and confidence to the Sens squad – and Sens fans.  They should have won, they played better than they probably have played all year, Leclaire was solid, but they lost.  Park it and move on, but don’t let up against the Lightning or you’ll find yourself on the outside of a playoff spot looking in.

If there was one change I’d make (if I was coach that is), it would be to split up the Mike Fisher line for now.  I realize that they’re playing a smart, intense, cycling game and that Fisher and Alfredsson are leaders of the team in points, however, I think there might need to be some spreading out of the offense.  People are quick to point out that Kovalev has been underwhelming thus far, but they are the same people that should realize the amount of room he’s creating for Fisher and Alfredsson.  Knowing this, I would still move him back to the RW, a position he appears to be most comfortable with.  I would put him on Peter Regin’s line with Michalek on the left side.  Now, I’m a huge Ryan Shannon supporter and he played an excellent game versus the Thrashers, getting 6 third period shots by himself, but at some point you need to make sure that the line intimidates a bit more than they are.  Having a rookie center and a young right winger isn’t exactly the tonic.   Michalek can obviously intimidate by himself, but what better chance will the Senators have all year than to see if Kovalev and Michalek can get some chemistry going.  Move Foligno to the LW with Fisher and Alfredsson and obviously keep the 4th line intact.

But, to read and to know about Cory Clouston, is to know that he thinks about these things all the time.  If he doesn’t do it, there’s a reason and you have to think that he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Injury Updates:

Anton Volchenkov’s MRI was positive and he’s expected to suit up next week.  There have been some speculation that it could be two more weeks, but the common consensus is that he’s about 5 days away.  Especially with the character he has, he just wants to play – and thankfully, play he will.  Just not Thursday and probably not the weekend either.

Jason Spezza’s back has been giving him problems for years now – not a great thing for a young(ish) player to have, but this is probably the very best thing that the Senators can do right now – wait and be patient and let his back get better, instead of continuously sending him out and either making it worse or keeping it sore.  Spezza’s 8 assists in 10 games (no goals) is not indicative in the least of how well the center is playing.  He’s forechecking, backchecking and finally playing the game the way Sens fans had always hoped.  He can’t come back soon enough…

Jesse Winchester’s season never got going this year.  He sustained an injury in pre-season that saw him miss most of it and all the regular season games this year.  He’s healed now though, sent down to Binghamton for a conditioning stint and by all account was one of the better players in each game he’s player (4 points in 3 games).  Winchester is a physical presense that the Sens would love to get back into the lineup, but it creates and issue.  The Sens have one of the – if not THE – best 4th line in hockey, so who comes out in lines one through three to make room for Winchester?  Shannon?  Perhaps, but his play against the Thrashers made it look like he was on the right track after being concussed.  Donovan?  You’re messing with that 4th line, don’t do it!  Cheechoo?  Not likely, especially with the vote of confidence coach Clouston gave him yesterday.  Regin?  No way.  So…getting Winchester back really does open a new can of worms.  We’ll see how it all shakes out soon enough.