CFN – It’s tough sledding being a Sens fan this season. Although the team looked great on paper it’s playing more recently like a dog on paper.
Two more losses. Both of which highlight the need for the team to get the puck out of its zone more efficiently.
The team is scoring; but it’s not defending and keeping the rubber from hitting the back of the net. The team is actually playing better on the road than at home and now the hockey buzz is that team owner Eugene Melnyk’s Penny Pinching Play Off poor strategy is tying up the hands of GM Bryan Murray who deserves better.
It’s not that the Sens are a bad team; the opposite is true. They’re a great team that has been well put together and has a good coach; but in this cap age and parity teams need to adapt as the season moves along.
Ottawa not being a cap team has plenty of room to snatch up valuable players at the end of their contracts that teams want to dump to create cap space, but seems not able to absorb any further salary. Not sure if Mr. Melnyk has figured out how much he loses if the Sens miss the Play Offs or how much extra revenue he pulled in last year with two rounds?
If GM Murray can only trade off salary he’s extremely limited? Does he trade off new Captain Jason Spezza and his $7M contract for two players? Would the Sens really be ahead in the long run? Many are citing the loss of Daniel Alfredsson; but at the end of the day it’s the loss of Sergei Gonchar that has really hurt as the team is spending far too much time in its own end and that means drawing more penalties and giving up more shots and opportunities.
It’s not too late. It’s only the first quarter, but surely Mr. Melynk will have to open his purse strings for GM Murray if Ottawa are to make the play offs.
What do you think Sens fans? You can post your comments below and reach me on twitter @cwfreenews
