Viewpoint

I don't recall Murray's playoff history as being all that stellar. Murray is just covering his own *ss. If he leaves Paddock in place, then they lose out in the playoffs, then they are both gone...due largely to the fact that they don't have a stable goalie. Now, with Murray taking over, he can still use Paddock, team dynamics, etc. as scapegoats when they lose out in the playoffs. Then Murray can move back to being GM and hire a new coach. There's probably more to the story than we know. Considering their history, the Sens are destined to underachieve in the playoffs.

I'm pretty sure its Murray who needs to be fired

Blame it all on Murray.He and his brother have never been winners.Another loser no longer with the team was Muckler.Some might say he won a Stanley Cup in Edmonton.That was Sathers team handed over to him on a silver platter.Check out the past history of the two M&M'S Think maybe the owner needs to do some more homework

After all said and done, I liked Paddock as a coach but watching the replays of last nights game and him looking helpless behind the bench proves that he needed an out. Easier said then done, but you would think that the coach would Even Paul Maurice doesn't have an issue communicating/showing emotion when its need.

Overall, this is unfortunate but required in order for the Sens to have a chance at winning the cup.

Next move, send Emery to the minors!!!

It is always a hard decision to mark...at this point, Murray tried his best to change the goalie: Emery...but it could not do so....At this point, Murray did not have the choice to go behind the bench....He knows his team very well...people forget fast that it is Murray that he brought the Sens in Final last year....even with Emery!!!!I think sincerely that Murray has a good chance to go far this year...GO SENS GO...HEY TOMMY, I think that you don`t know your hockey...you should do your homework before writing anything ridiculous

Agree Scott; there was nothing else Murray could have done at this point. I feel bad for Paddock; I really liked him. I think many of the players really liked him too. But I think he was too soft for a team like Ottawa, a team that needs someone like Murray breathing fire in the locker room when things aren't going well. I hope Murray can beat them back into shape -- their play lately has been totally embarrassing. Not something you can blame on a coach or a single player, although if I had to give it a shot I would certainly call Emery out. Ever since he got back from things have been going steadily downhill. Either Murray needs to sort that out, or he needs to ship Emery out. That wouldn't solve all the problems; sadly, the lack of inspiration is a chronic issue that predates Emery. It's a shame, because when this team is good, they're very very good. (And when they are bad, they are horrid - with apologies to Mother Goose.)

i disagree with scott on this one.regardless of whether you love emery or hate him, paddock mis-managed the goalie issue from the start. instead of telling emery to cool it, he told him "wait and see". this to the guy who helped get the team to the finals. big ego or not, that's a tough one to swallow. emery should have been told that gerber was the man from the start. now the sens are in a position with 18 games to go and 2 shaky 'tenders. nice job, coach.

that, combined with the fact that team D has gone from bad to nonexistent, is more than enough cause to give paddock the boot.

regardless of the next 18 games, this isn't the year for the sens. here's hoping some major restructuring over the summer puts them in a position to face these young teams that will be the real threat.

ps. i'd be ashamed to be a leafs fan right now. the record is so bad they've likely missed their chance for next year's playoffs. nice record boys. HA!

By any means was it Paddocks fault, Murray dropped the ball come trade deadline and took it out on his coach. Ray Emery is the problem in Ottawa nothing short of a selfish child. My question is this, when Ottawa started terribly last season why did Murray not fire himself? goes to show you he too is selfish, a typical Ottawa scene come playoff time. I guess if ottawa does not go far in the playoffs Murray is out too?? be a great day for Ottawa fans.

goaltending + defence = cup....neither 'tender can carry the team through and defence? not much better.

never mind dumping Paddock the Sens have a major problem in Emery and nothing is being done to change it.

I was watching TSN last night and they were saying Paddock should have run Emery out on the rails. I agree!. Here's why:
1. Making 3+ Million and showing up late for practice on more than one occasion.
2. Letting in weak goals.
3. Fighting with his team mates at practice. (McGratton/Neil).
4. Letting his ego get too big. (he's not Brodeur!)
5. Having the captain come out to say his work ethic was not good.
6. Throwing and breaking his goalie sticks at practice.
7. insisting he was No. 1 when Gerber was hot in the first half. Everything went down hill from there.

There is an obvious cancer in the dressing room. To blame John Paddock is a little harsh with years as a coach in the NHL/AHL. Obviously Murray couldn't trade Emery because nobody wanted him. There is nothing wrong with Gerber. Don't expect him to play good when he's benched and on again off again. Paddock took too much of Emery's crap. They should put him on waivers and send him back to the minors and eat the salary. Bring up Elliot or Glass as a backup. To say these guys are too young, remember Emery filled in for Dominic who was there No. 1. Either way I agree they’re not going far in the playoffs this year unless they get this straightened out. What was wrong with Rolonson, he was available.

The team was hot until Emery came back from injury. He is a poison in the locker room ever since his head swelled thanks to a big contract. Send him to the minors!

I like the coaching move. I'd also like to see the defensively-challenged Meszaros moved out and Gerber given the #1 job. With Emery in the minors I guarantee he'll pick it up. And please give the 4th line more than 50 seconds of playing time per game!! McGratton works his tail off and never gets rewarded. We need him to bang up opposing lines for at least 8 minutes per game (see Carcillo in Phoenix, Laraque in Pittsburgh, etc...). I blame Paddock for this awful line management.

Love the Leaf fans on here! You're comical, at best - what do the Leafs have to do with Paddock being fired? On the topic at hand, what is the absolute truth is that this year's team is more talented than last year's team but are not playing like it. I disagree with Scott - this WAS Paddock's fault. He lost that room, and I suspect it was his treatment of the goaltending situation that is to blame. The 'win-and-you're-in' approach was misguided, and he abandoned it and crowned Emery the starter even though his stats were inferior to Gerber. This could not have inspired much confidence in the dressing room. I believe this team has too much talent to slide any further. This is the right move - look at the 2000 Devils. They fired their coach late in the season because the team was not performing, and the went on to win the Cup. With the respect the players have for Murray, I cannot see why this isn't possible here. It wouldn't surprise me to see Emery step-it-up under Murray, as he knows that he is his biggest supporter.

Your last comment is spot on. What other move did Murray have in his pocket? None. And in as much as the goalies (1a and 1b) have been a let down this season, you can't wholly lay the sub standard, second half of the season on thier shoulders. The team's defensive play has been horrible. I think the only chance Byran Murray has to even possibly get this team back into the finals was to toss Paddock. And even that will probably not work - I figure they'll be out by the second round.

Can't fire the team as the saying goes. Too many over paid players. They need to trade a few this summer and sign some winners, not winers. Go Leafs Go. Did you see how Florida gave up that last point last night. The first two shooters have had no success in shoot outs. Looks like they want that draft pick more than my Leafs.

They are just like the Lightning, but a bit higher in the standings. The top 3 can score, but no-one else can. They also have no goalie... Prediction - Sens out in 1st or 2nd round.

Who cares, it's Ottawa. Even if they got all three top stars at the trade deadline they would still choke when it really matters.

Go Leafs Go

Scott,

You are very correct that Ottawa's problems run deeper that John Paddock. Trust me, it starts with Emery and Gerber's goaltending shenanigans and works its way out to the defence corp, particularly with Redden and Meszaros. Since Ottawa technically has one productive line, without the top three clicking, the team since Christmas is reminiscent of 1992 and 1993 rather than 2006 and 2007.

If the goaltending and defence are AWOL, then naturally the rest of the team will have to bear the brunt. For years, Ottawa has needed a bona fide second and third line that can contribute offensively on a consistent basis. That issue has yet to be addressed. Until this happens, Ottawa will continue to fall short

I expect that Ottawa may stabilise in the short-term to make it into the playoffs but will not make it to the finals like last year. There will be some movement during the summer and Redden will be gone for nothing in return, Emery or Gerber, or both, will be moved or bought out and Meszaros, Vermette, Schubert, Kelly and Neil will be moved for paltry future considerations and a bag of pucks. In any event, firing Paddock may be a short-term, knee-jerk, band-aid solution but other issues need to be dealt with before the team returns to where it should be.

Murray has his work cut out for him...

Being defensively conscious is not something that's fixed overnight but these guys should be able to turn that around quicker than most since they played almost an entire year while being very good at that. Paddock was a big part of the problem, letting guys get away with too much, blasting other continuously in the media and being very timid behind the bench.
As much as some analysts say that the Lapointe deal doesn't bring much to the Sens I will tell you to look at the first proctice he participated in... he's already giving comments to lacklustre players and he's giving taps on the legs of guys not skating hard enough (funny enough, none of the other Sens seemed to mind that he was doing this in his first prctice as a Senator)! This guy's leadership will be essential if the Sens get back on track.

I also disagree with those saying Gerber is the guy to go with in net (yeah, I disagree with Don Cherry... but I usually do). After he called out Anton Volchenkov the guy lost a ton of respect from myself and probably a few of his teammates... you just don't call out a guy that will stop 1/3 of the pucks coming your way, you just don't! Anton, us fans love you, never mind that whining sub-par goalie! Ray's got to be the man... or call up Brian Elliot, he played great early in the season.

They should have got rid of Emery. He's not worth the distraction if he can't stop the puck.

There are two problems with Ottawa, Brian Murray and Ray Emery. Murray is not a winner , look at his playoff record in Detroit, which was a much better team that the present Sens , and Emery should be playing in the minors where he belongs.

I believe that SENS have a major management issue. Paddock was a good guy. Paddock and Murray were friends are co-workers. They need a Pat Burns or a Mike Keanan type to shake up that team. They have one of the most talented team in the NHL. I have the impression that they are spoiled like babies. The lack of decision making and action taking from the management team has been terrible and YES this includes Brian Murray. Where was he in trade times? It was clear they wanted a forward and of course a good goalie. What kind of management style says "you win your in". If you are a manager you are paid to make decisions. The goalie fiasco started much earlier in the season when Emery had 3 goals in the first period and was not pulled and the next game Gerber had 3 goals in 3 periods and was pulled. A goalie in hockey is like a pitcher in baseball, without confidence, they are useless. And the lack of confidence demonstarted to Gerber is totally unacceptable. Again, the coach broke his golden "flip a coin" rule for Emery but NOT for Gerber when the Sens lost to NJ in overtime. Has Emery ever won a Shootout? Emery belongs in the minors. They are suppose to be professionals, he off the ice behavior is an embarassment to the Team and the CITY of Ottawa. Eugene, give me a call, I'll make the necessary decisions to make this team into the team it is suppose to be. Stanley cup champions !!!

Regarding you article, I agree that MY SENS are not playing with heart, in fact quite the reverse. During the last two games,when they got down, they were like amateur players, not in position and lack-lustre. WE IN OTTAWA KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO!!! Let's hope that Brian Murray can light the fire on the candle.

I was shocked when the coach was fired, I think that the problems with the Senators are greater than the coach. Evidence of problems surfaced when the team played horribly when the major goal scorers were injured. The entire team needs a shake up and I am not sure firing the coach was it. I was present for the 5-0 loss to Toronto. Toronto was the better team both offensively and defensively. Emery and the boys need to decide if personalities and egos are more important than winning.

Whether right or wrong, it was the ONLY thing that Murray could do. This team is too talented to let this opportunity slip away. Murray took a page from the Lou Lamoriello play book and will now make this his team heading into the play-offs. Let's hope that the players wake up and realize that in the new look NHL, the chance to win the Stanley Cup does not come every year and they had better smarten up and give their fans something to cheer about!

A good man maybe, there isn't much evidence to support calling him a good coach; at least at the NHL level.

I don't think it was the wrong decision to fire Paddock. When they panned to the bench during the two routs this week, Paddock looked just as perplexed and mentally absent as the players looked physically absent. You need your coach to show some fortitude in these situations. I am not questioning Paddock's coaching abilities but he didn't show any 'Iron' when it was needed. Gerber should have been pulled when he eye-balled Volchenkov, whether he was screened or not, yet Paddock didn't even come over when Gerber went to the bench to talk it over with the defencemen. It looked liked they have been coaching themselves, and doing a terrible job of it, too. I think the lack of faith in the goaltenders have caused most of these woes. Emery should show contrition and accept some extraneous punishment(double-practice, maybe?)for his recent behavior overall, be given top spot again with no question marks and then maybe the team can move on. it is too good a club to be pulling these results. Go Sens Go!

Good man??? Good coach???

Uuuhhhh.... I don't think so.

Anyone watching those games could clearly see his coaching was pathetic.

He got what was coming to him.

The sens have always had issues showing inspiration when playing. Its almost like they have adopted the lifeness nature of watching a game at the corel center, where for the majority of almost any game you can hear a pin drop.
I feel for today's coaches, it must be difficult to continually have to inspire a team of millionaires. I don't think Paddock was any better or worse than most of the coaches in the NHL. The problem I believe is with the team itself. There are a number of high profile (and high paid) players that have been there for many years that have become comfortable in their positions. "Oh well, another loss, we'll still make the playoffs and I'll probably be on the golf course by the end of the first round". Time to shake things up and maybe bring some players aboard that can appreciate being on a team that has a shot at the cup.

You could see it coming - Lou Lamoriello and Bryan are good friends. The only team the Sens feel comfortable with in the East at the moment is the Panthers. The team's Stanley Cup aspirations are all but dead now. The new kids on the block (Montreal, Pittsburgh, Washington) won't miss the opportunity to bring them to their knees. When Pittsburgh beats Ottawa on Saturday it will reign in a new era of hockey in the East. The Senators' season ended with their ignominious loss to Toronto. Time to re-tool for next season. Ryan Miller anyone?

A team of constant underachievers. This team has seen more talent walk through its dressing room in the last say 5-6 years than virtually any other. And one Stanley Cup appearance!? They were close in 2003, but you know the old saying, " close only counts..."

I think they've put too much stock in the big three in recent years. They also under-valued Chara and over-valued Redden, in keeping the wrong guy. Chara is still dominant, able to eat up big minutes and may be the toughest guy to fight in the league. Redden is invisible in his own end, and his offensive talents are diminishing.

The team goes out trying to make this team tougher, more rugged for another playoff encounter with a big, strong western team. In so doing, they rely even more on the big three and less on secondary scoring. Donovan, Robitaille, and now Lapointe...I'm not sure how this improves the team.

Goaltending is probably the Achilles heal in all of this. A decision must be made early on in the season, as it was clear that neither was happy with the coache’s philosophy. Instead, Emery has been allowed to act like a spoiled overpaid athlete, and a poisonous environment starts to develop in the dressing room.

Now neither goaltender is worth talking about, the defence is invisible, and there is no evidence that this team is any tougher than last year.

This is a team that has squandered too many opportunities to finish the job, in terms of bringing in the final piece of the puzzle, each and every year. Now there window of opportunity is nearly shut, with the rest of the conference getting stronger and the balance of power shifting slowly away from the once dominant Sens.

The truth is Paddock took over a team that was one of the best in the league and he's let it slip away from him. Great coaches don't let that happen. Who can blame Melnyk for lossing patience the last two games where just plain UGLY!!

Team defence was the problem and that rests on the coach. Jaques Martin did a whole lot more with a whole lot less talent in the defensive zone. The last problem that team has is Emery. Send him to the minors, give Gerber the start... he can't be any worse.

It hasn't been the best of times for a Sens fan. Dissapointment in last years finals, terrible losses this year, goalie drama and now the firing of a head coach.
However, it could be way worse. We could be Leaf fans. Suddenly the situation in Ottawa doesn't seem so bad.

It's a shame that the Senators have faded so badly down the stretch. Where is the fire? I feel it's a real pity Paddock is gone, but sadly he didn't inspire the troops. Sad fact, indeed. I hope, as a long-time fan (not a fair-weather one) that they can really set a mark for the next month, and show, yes we can pull together. That will inspire them with confidence. Go Murray and Go Senators!

I agree, it is not all about the coach. It is painful to watch a guy like Alfredsson light up the score sheet one night and then take the next couple off alltogether. It happens all too often with the Sens. Of course I am a Montreal fan, so the bad news for Ottawa should be great for them... if they didn't seem to take a lot of the same nights off lately.

Paddock wasn't totally innocent here either. He made a very awkward situation with divided locker room, not to mention the destructive method of "you win and you're in" method for his goalies. That shatters even little confidence the goalies had, no chance for them to comeback. We have big problems with our D too, and Paddock should have got something going there. Keep juggling/making line changes didn't help spark any chemistry either.
He was a good man, but maybe not ready to coach a cup contender (at least expected!) team this season.
We still need some player additions/changes to be done in the off season to add us the strong secondary scoring and solid/strong goal tending for the future.

It should have been Murray who got fired.He did not even try go get a goalie at trade deadline time.Emery is the worst goalie in the league who no team wants and yet Murray blames Paddock.This team has no confidence when Emery is in net because they usually outshoot the other team they stil lose.Murray has got to go.No cup for the Senators with no goaltendinbg.

I feel bad for Paddock, he is a good coach and this was not what he deserved. But Scott is right, Murray didnt have much of a choice. Perhaps if Murray had picked up a big name player on deadline day he might have waited a few more games to see if anything gelled. But not getting any help made the situation even more desperate in the minds of the fans (not to mention get shut out 9-0 in 2 games) and prompted Murray to act now. Tough job. Let's see if this is the wakeup call they need and if Murray can get the train back on track.

There was a reason John Paddock did not coach in the NHL since his days in Winnepeg. Perhaps he was a poor coach for a good team!

The one that got away seems to be a constant theme in Ottawa. For years us fans have been hoping for a blockbuster trade, but to no avail. Paddock had is chance to save his job by effectively dealing with Emery, but his failure to discipline Emery made him appear as a pushover to his players. At the end of the day Paddock is gone Emery stays, not what I expected.

Ottawa has undoubtedly suffered from the adrenaline let down that more often than not follows a successful season. In the early part of this season they were still riding that high from last year. You see this in sports all the time - it is pychological - once you taste success it becomes more difficult to motivate yourself to that level again e.g. look no further than the lackluster play of Redden all year. This situation has been magnified by a few bad coaching decisions. Gerber deserves the number one spot. A few bad games mid-season did not warrant Emery pushing his way into sharing this spot. In fact, this may have contributed to Gerber loosing his edge. Finally, Paddock is a good man, and has great coaching ability - but perhaps he is not the right fit with this team as a head coach. His style of coaching seems at odds with many of the players personalities. That lack of chemistry as of late has in some part to do with Paddock. A head coach is much like an orchestra conductor - they harness and direct the talent infront of them and in doing so convey a sense of confidence to the players.

As a huge Sens fan, I have to say I agree. It's more an issue of the players. Ottawa has so much talent, I'd argue till I was blue in the face that Ottawa has more raw talent than any team in the league. What the team hasn't got, is a good goaltender, or enough grit.

I have a lot of respect for Brian Murray, with his coaching, and Alfredson setting the hardworking example, they can turn around. They need to commit to a goalie (preferably Gerber) and let him not worry about his job.

Incredible the man who should go is called Ray Emery .

Mr Murray gave him a very big raise for this year 3-3.3M and Mr Emery has absolutely has no work ethic.

Mr Murray is encouraging and supporting BAD behavior ...is it any wonder the team is struggling .

Ottawa has trouble understanding very basic elements of Management .

We Sens fans know the problem ...FIX the problem.

Go Sens Go

I am not a Leafs, nor Habs fan...I do not understand the surprise everyone is showing at Ottawa's mediocre play. Look at Bryan Murray's history over the past 20 years. He has had great teams but yet has failed to win the Cup with every franchise he has coached. Why would his latest stint be any different.

Too bad about Paddock. Would Don Cherry be willing to come to coach??

Your article says that the Sens problems "may" run deeper than Paddock. Your headline says, "problems run deeper than Paddock."

So...which is it? A maybe or a certainty?

I think that the Ottawa Senoators have lost their chance of winning the Stanley Cup. Last year was probably their best. They were firing on all cylinders. This year, they still had the momentum at the beginning which carried over from last year. It appears their team chemistry is gone and it sounds like they have a few bad apples in that room and no senior leadership to control it. Everytime their is a quote, it seems to come from Jason Spezza and not their team captain. I think that speaks volumes!! Their time has come and gone and it's back to the cellar for a few years.

Yes, their amazing start hides the fact that Ottawa has being playing average hockey at best. And that's the problem when you feel you can coast for most of the year - you just aren't one of the hot teams at the end. Just look at Buffalo last year, and Detroit almost always.
The coach had to go, and a key reason for this is his flopping about with Emery. He should have given him a couple of games against easier competition to help his numbers and gotten rid of him at the deadline for insubordination and mediocre play. Another reason was his inability to spark any other forwards to life. I'm sure these two failings made the other players feel like the coach was not as effective as he should be - and then look at the tail-off in performance.
You have to admire the GM for doing this early enough to try and salvage a play-off run; they were clearly going to be victims of the first-round otherwise.

It was defintely the right thing to do. Paddock may be a good man however not the right one to lead this team. There may be other issues that we don't see however, it is the responsibility of the coaches to rectify them.

Hats off to the Sens management for
making the move before any further damage is inflicted.

Iwas in ottawa for ten years to see this club face the direction it is going.But never seen this club be so distracted by players on the team be selfish by not showing up for practice on time,and not showing up to play hard for 60 minutes every night.they didnt get to the finals last year by relying on3 guys to do all the scoring.It`s a team game right.play as one and play hard.Look at each other and be accountable for your play and actions.Paddock is a good coach,but you can`t fire the players right.So something had to be done.The leaders on this team should be ashamed for this team playing this way.Play hard,play tough,lets make the next step to win the cup.lets go team ottawa.

I agree that firing John Paddock was really Brian Murray's only option.
In hindsight, if Paddock had come down harder and earlier on Emery, he might still be the coach. People in Ottawa were getting really angry over a guy (Emery) getting paid 3 million a season and can't make it to practice on time. Inexcusable.
It will be interesting to see how the players react. Hopefully it puts some fire under their butts and play to the level we know they can. Regardless of how the Sens do in the post season, the off season will be very interesting too - Who will stay and who will go, and who will be the new coach?

Something they should have done a long time ago is get rid of Ray Emery he has been disruptive to the team, his attitude is deplorable. He is making a mockery out of the privilege to play in the NHL.