Hockey Night in Canada's Scott Morrison delivers his insights into the world of hockey, on and off the ice.
Ottawa & Calgary: too early to fret?
Comments (14)
Thursday, October 12, 2006 | 08:00 PM ET
By Scott Morrison
What a difference a week makes.
Think about it: A week ago, when the NHL was starting its new season, the idea of Ottawa and Calgary meeting in October surely inspired visions of a similar showdown in late June, with champagne on ice and the Stanley Cup nearby.
That may still happen, of course (we did, after all, predict the Flames would win it all and that Ottawa would be in the hunt), but let's just say it has definitely been looking like the faith has been wavering in certain parts of the country this past week because neither the Senators nor the Flames had gotten off to particularly impressive starts.
Heck, two games into the season in Ottawa and the owner gave an impromptu press conference and vote of confidence for his management team. Three games in and the number one line is dismantled and the three best players - Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson - are put together on the top unit. And then there is the matter of the second-string goaltender given the start in a fairly significant game against the Flames.
But that's what happens when expectations are great, you start 1-2 and look ordinary more often than you look good. Especially, in the case of the Senators, when it is contrasted against an impressive 3-0 start last year when the power play was magic and the goals were aplenty. Even coach Bryan Murray has already declared that the Senators won't win games the way they once did, that they will have to win the low-scoring battles.
The Flames, meantime, have had a stressful start themselves, going 1-2 in their first three games, though that is no different than a year ago. Aggravating the issue, though, is the presence of a rookie coach looking to make his mark and the recurrence of goal-scoring problems that crippled the cause a year ago. The Flames have already been whipped in practice and broken up their top line. There have been fears and whispers that nothing will be fixed until they bring in a front-line centre.
Now, there is plenty reason for concern and certainly displeasure with the start in both cities. That is the reward for being a fan. Or a paid critic. And while there is no time like the present to start to worry, it just might be a wee bit early to start fretting too much about either of these two teams. They both have issues that need addressing, but first they need to be allowed to work through them.
In both cases, the key word is probably work.
And patience.
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About the Author
Scott Morrison, the recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fameís 2006 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, has been covering hockey for 25 years. The Toronto native began his career at the Toronto Sun in 1979. After spending more than 11 years as a hockey writer and columnist at the paper, Morrison became Sports Editor in 1991 and led the section to being named one of North America's top-ten sports sections in 1999 - the first sports section in Canada to receive the AP Sports Editors North American Award. Scott, a former two-term president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, joined Rogers Sportsnet in 2001 as Managing Editor, Hockey, and is currently both a commentator on Hockey Night in Canada and a columnist for CBC.ca.
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Comments (14)
Bob Stache
ottawa
Hey Trevor, thanks for posting that garbage. This is a forum for opinions, not for your own personal goals (i.e. furthering your pathetic writing career). As for my opinion you stink. Go Sens
Posted October 18, 2006 01:06 PM
Trevor Seeney
Regarding: Backgrounder
2006-07 NHL season
I note the clause:-"Anaheim's defence is impressive – is there a better pairing in the NHL than Pronger and Scott Niedermayer?"
Prior to seeing your article I had penned the item entitled "Anaheim's Defensive Titans"
http://www.thehockeyrating.com/THRBlog006.html
I'd be interested in some feedback.
regards, Trevor Seeney
www.TheHockeyRating.com
Posted October 16, 2006 10:47 PM
Max
It sure is hard to be a hockey fan when all we get is the Leaf broadcasts! Nevertheless, Senator fans are believers and will stand by our team. I expect they want the cup as much as any fan out there, especially the boys that have been with them over the past 3 years. Chris Neil is the heart of this team. Every shift is at full tempo. Alfie scares me a bit and I wish they would have traded him instead of Chara! I believe this will happen before the mid season if the team waffles for the 1st half. Go Sens!
Posted October 15, 2006 08:16 PM
Brian
It's way too early in the season to be discussing who's going to meet who in the playoffs! The NHL season is still young and anything can happen to any team. Let's just concentrate on day to day games and wait until mid Jan before starting to make predictions!
Posted October 15, 2006 11:30 AM
Steve
Toronto
Ottawa’s 15 minutes is now 16 minutes old and the east appears to belong to the Sabres who just keep rolling along. Ottawa’s fate likely will come as no surprise to most so there is little to ‘fret’ about. Calgary on the other hand
Posted October 14, 2006 10:48 PM
Faraz
Vancouver
No matter how strong their roster is, Ottawa will not have playoff success with Alfredsson as their captain. As talented as he is, he lacks the determination and heart to do what it takes to win games, and it trickles down to the rest of the team.
Put the C on a Doug Gilmour/Dale Hawerchuk-type guy, and then they'll start having success.
Posted October 14, 2006 03:52 PM
Phil
Calgary
I will have to agree with Scott. Granted I don't know too much about the Sens in general, but I ought to think it's a bit too early to call for both teams - or any other teams for that matter. I mean look at Caroline, they were the glory last season and they aren't doing much for the first few games nowadays. We are only scratching the surfaces. I'm sure we give the teams some time and patience, they will work it out somehow. If they didn't, well, they don't deserve the playoffs in the first place then. Who knows, any teams can make the playoff just as good as any other teams. Can't we just all wait a bit before calling shots?
Posted October 13, 2006 07:36 PM
ROWBOCOP
EDMONTON
oTTAWA WILL BE FINE, LOSING CHARA IS THE BEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEMN NOW THEY WILL STOP RELYING ON ONE GUY AND DISCOCER TEAM DEFENCE WHICH WILL REALLY PAY OFF IN THE PLAYOFFS.
cALGARY HOWEVER, IS FAR TO DEFENSIVE MINDED, AND REALLY NEED A TENACIOUS WINGER, NOT AMONTE WHO IS SOFT, OR TANGUAY WHO IS MUCH THE SAME. iF I WAS PLAYFAIR, i' UNLOAD 1 DEFENCEMENT, AND PICK UP A GUY WHO WILL REALLY ATTACK THE NET.
Posted October 13, 2006 02:10 PM
Gary Epstein
Good call. I think these teams will definitely struggle to score from what I've seen of them so far. They will be hard pressed to beat the strong offensive teams. In my opinion, both of these teams will not make their conference finals unless they manage to bulk up offensively to compete with San Jose and Edmonton in the West and Buffalo and the Rangers and Devils in the East.
Posted October 13, 2006 01:50 PM
Erick
Toronto
It's still way too early in the season to make a judgement on any team. Wait till December or even in Janurary to start making predicitions on whether a team is going to make the playoffs or not. One good trade could turn things around, look at San Jose last year when they got Thorton.
Posted October 13, 2006 11:09 AM
Bam-B-To-The-Eno
As for Ottawa, a line full of prima donnas are not going to carry you to the promised land. Ahem, I'll rephrase that as Heatley is the real deal. Spezza is fine when he's on the offensive side of the red line and the puck and the net are in sight. Defensively he's in the worst 5% of the league. Alfredsson will have another great regular season, but once the playoffs start he'll fold up like an accordion. But he'll look good. It's too bad for guys like Heatley, Chris Neil and Mike Fisher as they give 100% game in and game out in both ends of the rink. Losing Chara was huge, I think Tom Preissing and Joe Corvo are good, but will not replace Chara. That toughness that Chara provided is gone and how can you replace that reach. In goal, Gerber is a good backup and Emery, although he'd tell you he's the next Jacques Plante, is as well a good backup.
Both teams will probably eke in to the playoffs but will be early exits. It's too bad, but I'm not complaining. As an Oiler fan it makes it that much easier to concentrate on watching just one canadian team come playoff time.
Posted October 13, 2006 10:23 AM
Tulip LaGraine
Ottawa
Ottawa are a bunch of bums. I've been a fan for years, they've always disapointed. It's time for them to "go" or get of the "pot". It's time to trade Alfie and Heats and start from scratch. It's time to get a goalie who doesn't choke.
Tulip L.
Ottawa
Posted October 13, 2006 10:17 AM
Bam-B-To-The-Eno
Too early to be worried about both of these teams, but you have to wonder with Darryl Sutter now sitting in the booth and not behind the bench, can Jim Playfair bring the same results. He was successful in Saint John with the Flames, but now he has big shoes to fill in Sutter's and Calgary faithful will settle for nothing less than a Cup. You would think that by adding Tanguay you would see more of a run and gun offense once seen in the saddledome, in the days of Joe Niewendyk, Theo Fleury, Gary Roberts, Hakan Loob, and Dougie Gilmour. That being said, anyone that took in last nights 1-0 win over Ottawa would agree that the game was exciting at times, but nobody wants to see a 1-0 game. To put it nicely it was a glorified game of pond hockey. There were at total of 11 power plays and the game winner was a broken play, a deflection, that resulted in a tap in for Iginla. Sure Emery and Kipper played well, but from first glance, neither of these teams will be hoisting Lord Stanley's Mug.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having stellar defense, as it does win hockey games. But relying on a 1-0, 2-1, or 3-2 win all the time adds pressure to not only the goalies but also the defense. In the end if you don't score enough goals, you don't win. Five goals in four games won't cut it.
Posted October 13, 2006 10:12 AM
Brandon
Newcastle
why is it just Ottawa and The Flames, im sure they have been good in the past, but goin from current rosters n games they haven't showed what montreal, toronto n edmonton have shown in canada, im sure teams tha win the games or at least score goals deserve mention
Posted October 13, 2006 09:23 AM