Gameday 37 - Senators
Scotiabank Place
Know Your Enemy: The 6th Sens
It will be interesting to see how Cory Clouston handles Kovalev's ice-time this second time around. As poor as Kovalev's work ethic has been this year, the organization is in a precarious position - they need Kovalev to produce and build his trade value. Aside from a meeting with Murray following his initial demotion in ice-time, he's a mercenary whose actions haven't exactly elicited impressions that he actually gives a shit out on the ice. As an aside, has there ever been another player in the history of the game who has scored 1,000 points who has less fans than Kovalev? Hell, he even spurned Montreal, the only city that seemed to become romanticized by his talents, to pursue more money and a longer term.
Last meeting with the Pens: November 26, Pens 2-1. [Recap] We said:
In the last few weeks, MAF has been as solid as we've ever seen him, as have the Pens special teams. This game was a microcosm of the Pens's current five-game winning streak: good goaltending, unreal penalty kill, and timely powerplay goals.
Season series: Pens lead 2-0.
Pens Notes:
Jordan Staal is back at practice.
Dustin Jeffrey has been returned to WBS.
Sens Notes:
Sergei Gonchar is a team worst -19.
Best Senators-Related Photoshop or Gif:
It's Boxing Day in Canada.
Pens' lines:
Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Pascal Dupuis
Matt Cooke - Evgeni Malkin - Max Talbot
Chris Conner - Mark Letestu - Tyler Kennedy
Mike Rupp - Craig Adams - Eric Godard
Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Zbynek Michalek
Alex Goligoski - Deryk Engelland
Marc-Andre Fleury
Sens lines from Empty Netters:
AMilan Michalek - Jason Spezza - Ryan ShannonNick Foligno - Mike Fisher - Daniel AlfredssonJarkko Ruutu - Chris Kelly - Chris NeilPeter Regin - Jesse Winchester - Alex KovalevChris Phillips - Erik KarlssonSergei Gonchar - Filip KubaBrian Lee - Chris CampoliBrian Elliot
It's Michalek versus Michalek tonight as Zbynek meets Milan.
It's hard to have a game in Ottawa without posting this:
And via The6thSens:
Great blog.
Shoot 'em down!
Do It.
Go Pens.