Pittsburgh at Ottawa 12/6/08

[FightingIsGood]

Pens riding high with a 10-2-2 run in their last 14 games and are 8-3-2 on the road this season. Hopefully can keep both going today, but Ottawa definitely will give them trouble with the "Pizza Line" of Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson reunited and Alex Auld having a great season in goal so far. Heatley especially has killed the Pens over the years, especially on the PP. Staying out of the box is key for them today to not give that line too many opportunities with the man advantage.

Sykora and Satan both scored in the last game, so let's hope that both get jump-started a bit. I feel like both of them have underachieved and should have more goals than they have (Sykora 7, Satan 10). Malkin and Crosby have been terrific as usual and are 1-2 in the league in scoring, but they can use a little more help. Road PP showed signs of life against the Canes - the fact that they are dead last in the league on the PP on the road with all of that talent is a bit embarrassing and should be a motivating factor for them. Their inability to score on the PP on the road has IMO cost them at least 3 games this season where they've given up leads and lost, including Wednesday night against the Rags.

Pens' probable lineup:

Dupuis-Crosby-Satan
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Minard-Staal-Cooke
Pesonen-Talbot-Godard

Orpik-Letang
Scuderi-Gill
Eaton-Goligoski

Sabourin

[paint huffer]

Apparently Chris Neil is going to be back for this one. He was supposed to be out until the New Year, what a trooper, ha! I hope he dresses.

I don't think he'll be fighting anyone after having knee surgery so recently, but it's nice as a Sens fan to see him back.

[FightingIsGood]

Originally Posted by paint huffer

Apparently Chris Neil is going to be back for this one. He was supposed to be out until the New Year, what a trooper, ha! I hope he dresses.

I don't think he'll be fighting anyone after having knee surgery so recently, but it's nice as a Sens fan to see him back.

I don't know if that's smart on his part to come back this soon, but more power to him if he plays. It sucks though because he owes Godard a fight after running around in the last game and then declining him, and it likely won't happen.

[paint huffer]

Originally Posted by FightingIsGood

I don't know if that's smart on his part to come back this soon, but more power to him if he plays. It sucks though because he owes Godard a fight after running around in the last game and then declining him, and it likely won't happen.

Yeah, as happy as I am to see him back, I am a tad concerned. But earlier this year you had Alfredsson come back from minor knee surgery a few weeks early, Fisher came back from injury quite early as well. One of my roommates swears that the Senators' training staff are pumping the players full of steroids!

I'm not holding my breath for Neil vs Godard either. Like I said in the possible fights thread, Neil normally wouldn't fight Godard unless he absolutely had to. Today could have been that day, but on a fragile knee I'm not expecting it to happen. You never know, but my hopes aren't very high.

[moxie]

I am kind of skeptical that Neil would put himself back into the lineup if he wasn't prepared to fight. He has been nursing that knee injury since we went to the finals and fought Brashear and Parros since then. I'm not sure if he's ready to answer the bell with Godard or not but you never know.

[FightingIsGood]

To me, it doesn't make sense - if Neil has been bothered by this injury for the last year +, then why not sit him until it gets fixed? Ryan Whitney played with a bad foot all last year which evidently affected his play, and only decided in August to finally have surgery to correct the problem. And Neil fighting certainly isn't going to help - any sudden twist, and he's going to be out again and possibly make it worse. Is it the players wanting to get back in the lineup ASAP, or the team medical staff, or what?

[moxie]

Not sure, but he has been limping around Ottawa for over a year. Maybe he is afraid that if he is out for any length of time that a guy like Cody Bass could take his roster spot and make him expendable via trade. Who knows. He is a free agent at the end of the year after all.

[FightingIsGood]

Originally Posted by moxie

Not sure, but he has been limping around Ottawa for over a year. Maybe he is afraid that if he is out for any length of time that a guy like Cody Bass could take his roster spot and make him expendable via trade. Who knows. He is a free agent at the end of the year after all.

Well, props to him for fighting Godard with a bad knee - I didn't think he'd do it.

God, I don't know what it is, but I absolutely hate Jason Spezza. I see his name, and I want to punch his lights out. I have no reason why, I just can't stand him!

Oh, and I really, REALLY hate afternoon games.

[paint huffer]

Well either Neil's knee is 100% or the coaching staff decided to let him do his own thing. I just figured on a wonky knee he'd be told not to fight, especially Godard. I was surprised they went, but happy as well.

Spezza, as much as I dislike him, played his best game since the '07 playoffs, IMO. Big win for the Sens.

[FightingIsGood]

The fight was the highlight of my day, but the game completely sucked. The Pens pissed away a chance to gain ground on the Rags with 3 games in hand. And it's becoming more clear that the Pens have to start getting more goals from their wingers - Crosby and Malkin can't be asked to continually carry the team game in and game out.

[Blouin]

good scrap, I did not know Neil was still injured. Props for fighting today.