Will changes pay off?

[Max Power]

'You have to make changes'Senators GM rolling dice with revamped lineup in bid for Stanley Cup
By BRUCE GARRIOCH, Ottawa Sun

The depth chart that adorns the wall in Senators GM John Muckler's Corel Centre office contains few holes.

Still, some key questions remain.

The new-look Senators head to training camp Tuesday amid excitement over the return of NHL hockey after a winter everyone would just as soon forget.

Gone, but not forgotten, from the Senators' 2003-04 lineup -- the last time they played -- are centre Radek Bonk, goalie Patrick Lalime, defenceman Curtis Leschyshyn, winger Marian Hossa and longtime coach Jacques Martin.

Time has healed the wounds of another first-round elimination by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the spring of 2004.

But Muckler still believed an overhaul was in order, and he decided to change the face of this club.

"I could have done nothing and maybe we would have had another 100-point season, but we wouldn't have been successful in the playoffs," said Muckler. "The fans here aren't going to settle for that and we're not going to settle for that either. We're all about winning a Stanley Cup here. That's our only goal.

"If you don't win a Stanley Cup, there is no sense in going back with the same old group of guys. You have to make changes and you can't be afraid to make changes in this job. If you make changes, though, you have to do it for the right reasons and I believe that's what we did here."

But Muckler is aware there are question marks going into training camp and he addressed those issues in a pre-season interview with the Sun.

THE DOMINIK HASEK QUESTION: This is the biggest one of all, but Muckler isn't the least bit concerned. Hasek, 40, is fully recovered from groin surgery he had in April 2004 and has looked "fantastic" according to those who were skating with him at the Bell Sensplex during informal workouts last week. "I know the biggest question is in goal and I have no concerns about it at all," said Muckler. "What I like about Dominik Hasek is this guy is a winner. When I spoke with him, I could see he still had the passion to play the game and he wants to come in here and prove everybody wrong. He wants to come in here and win a Stanley Cup. This guy has been an elite player and I don't think you ever lose your skills. Mentally, I know he's prepared for this challenge." Backup Ray Emery, who will be making his NHL debut, is going to play a role, but he's not coming off a standout season in Binghamton. "We're going to use both goalkeepers ... You have to have both if you're going to win a Stanley Cup," said Muckler.

THE "ARE THE SENATORS DEEP ENOUGH AT FORWARD" QUESTION: While Bonk was often criticized because he was a No. 1 pick who never lived up to expectations, his departure does leave a void that needs filling. All eyes will be on one guy: Centre Jason Spezza. "Spezza has got to have a breakout year," said Muckler. "This is his fourth year (as a) pro ... it's time to get it done. He's been up and down, but he's had a chance to be the main guy in Binghamton and he had a good year. He has to be able to show that he can get it done at this level." People around the league wonder if the Senators have the necessary depth in the middle. But Muckler is convinced Bryan Smolinski can fill the No. 2 centre spot. "Smolinski has the talent to be a No. 2 centre, he just has to do it on a consistent basis. I don't think there's any question about talent," said Muckler. There is no question Mike Fisher brings grit to the No. 3 position while Chris Kelly is going to get a chance to be the No. 4. That could mean Antoine Vermette gets moved to the left wing in camp, but those decisions will be left to Murray.

THE "WHAT IMPACT WILL BRYAN MURRAY HAVE" QUESTION: The Shawville native is a lot different than the stoic Martin. Murray isn't afraid to say what he really thinks and has a good relationship with Muckler. "I've known Bryan Murray for a long time and the one thing I know is that he can make this team mentally stronger," said Muckler. "He is a guy who is only going to accept winning. I like his attitude and his style of coaching and he loves to coach. He's dedicated and determined. A coach can't make a bad team into a good team, but he can make a good team into a better team."

THE "IS THIS THE CLUB'S LAST SHOT QUESTION:" A valid query. The new collective bargaining agreement is going to make it tough for Muckler to keep this Senators team together. If there's no new CBA, then the Marian Hossa for Dany Heatley deal probably isn't made. The Senators are going to have a tough time keeping both defencemen Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden after this season. Both will be unrestricted free agents. That's just the reality of it all. "We're going to try to keep our better players, but the reality is under a cap system we're not going to be able to keep all our better players," admitted Muckler. "That's not realistic unless you get a lot of co-operation from the players. People are going to have to accept that there are going to be changes."

THE "CAN DANY HEATLEY HELP CARRY THIS TEAM" QUESTION: The former top prospect for the Atlanta Thrashers must show he's fully recovered from the knee surgery he underwent following a horrific car accident in 2003, and an eye injury suffered last season in Europe. "I certainly believe he's going to help this team win and I liked the excitement that surrounded this move," said Muckler. "He's a skilled player. I know people are talking about his knee surgery, but if you have surgery on your (anterior cruciate ligament), you need a full year to recover. I was once told that you're never going to get a top player when he's at the top of his game, but you should remember what he was at the top of his game. I'm sure this deal is going to turn out to be good."

bruce.garrioch@ott.sunpub

[Max Power]

Another one

Murray happy about hitting postAfter waiting more than a year, new coach 'excited' about season
By BRUCE GARRIOCH, Ottawa Sun



New Senators coach Bryan Murray, a Shawville native. (SUN file photo)
Bryan Murray came home to win a Stanley Cup with the Senators. Now, he's going to get his chance.

It seems like an eternity since the 62-year-old Shawville native replaced the fired Jacques Martin on June 9, 2004.

Now, after shuffling papers around his office for more than a year, Murray will finally step onto the Corel Centre ice some time Wednesday morning and lead troops that are used to a different man behind the whistle.

Martin, who spent almost nine seasons behind the Senators' bench, wasn't sent packing because he wasn't a good coach. In fact, he compiled a 341-235-96 W-L-T record before the organization relieved him of his duties after yet another playoff series loss to the Maple Leafs.

"I've spoken with (Martin) about this and I understand what happened here," Murray told the Sun in a pre-training camp interview last week. "I was in Washington for nine years and then I got fired. It just happens.

"Things aren't going to be much different than what's happened here in the past. Mostly, I'm going to bring a different voice, a different attitude and I'm going to be competitive. I'm not coming here thinking that I'm able to reinvent the wheel. You can tell that things had gotten pretty routine for the players who were here. Nothing much changed.

"My practices are going to be about spending a lot of time focusing on skills and we're going to do a lot of time of offensive drills. Of course, it's important to play good defence. This is just going to be a different approach and there might be a bit of different attitude."

There have been plenty of changes to the Senators since Murray left his post as GM of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and became coach of the Senators -- agreeing with GM John Muckler on a three-year deal.

Goalie Patrick Lalime (St. Louis), centre Radek Bonk (Montreal) and winger Marian Hossa (Atlanta) have been moved elsewhere. Goalie Dominik Hasek, who won a Stanley Cup ring with Detroit in 2002, signed with the club as a free agent, while Dany Heatley was acquired from the Thrashers last month for Hossa.

Core players like Daniel Alfredsson, Zdeno Chara, Martin Havlat, Jason Spezza, Wade Redden, Chris Phillips, Vaclav Varada, Peter Schaefer and Chris Neil will be back, but the off-season changes were enough to make the Senators a 6-1 favourite to win the Cup, according to LasVegas.com.

"The guys who are here might feel that with somebody new here there may be some things they want to say and they may have suggestions on how this team can be successful," said Murray.

"These suggestions might not be anything new, but I want guys to be able to feel like they can come in and talk to me. I want them to come every day prepared to work hard and I believe we've got a good group here and we're going to have some success."

There won't be much time in camp to evaluate, so Murray, along with assistants Greg Carvel, John Paddock and goalie coach Ron Low, are going to have to work quick to find out where everybody is at. The Senators open the pre-season next Sunday in Toronto.

The competition is going to be stiff for one job on the blue line where top prospect Andrej Meszaros, Lance Ward and Binghamton's Christoph Schubert will all get a chance to battle it out. Redden, Chara, Phillips, Volchenkov and Brian Pothier are all guaranteed spots.

Up front, there are decisions to be made as well. Who is going to play where and how is ice time going to be divided? Is Havlat going to be on the left side or will Heatley play there? Does Patrick Eaves, the Senators' No. 1 pick in 2003, have what it takes to play at this level? Can Spezza handle being the team's No. 1 centre?

"Every team is going to go through a few changes every year and this team is no different. There's going to be some good battles on defence. We have four established defencemen and we have some decisions to make up front," said Murray.

"We're probably only going to carry one extra player during the season and I don't know whether that's going to be a defenceman or a forward. There are going to be people who are going to get opportunities. I want to see where a guy like Brian McGrattan could fit in on this team."

Before training camp, Murray would like to sit down and chat with Hasek. In the past, the 40-year-old netminder saw most of the action, but Murray isn't sure how much time Hasek will see in the net.

"I'm a guy who likes to have a plan," said Murray. "Is he going to play 40, 50 or 60 games? Does he want to play more? These are all things that I have to discuss with him."

For the first time in more than a year, Murray is thrilled about going to the office.

"It seems like it has been a long time ... We're all excited about getting back on the ice," said Murray. "The game is what this is all about. This is the exciting part of the job."

[grim]

This guy has been an elite player and I don't think you ever lose your skills.

Great then let's sign Guy Lafleur. Signing Hasek reminds me of the Tom "go f*^% yourself" Barrasso signing.

[Max Power]

Great then let's sign Guy Lafleur. Signing Hasek reminds me of the Tom "go f*^% yourself" Barrasso signing.

True enough but the other options would have cost us over 5 million. I wouldn't compare Hasek to Barrasso either other then they're both on the obvious decline because of age. Hasek is arguably one of the best ever while Barrasso was mainly a good goalie on a great team.
The good news is that we only need to deal with Hasek for one year. After that with the declining free agent age and potentially cap we might get lucky. Who?s coming up for free agency next year =]

[macca]

Great then let's sign Guy Lafleur. Signing Hasek reminds me of the Tom "go f*^% yourself" Barrasso signing.

What is the alternative? "Can't stop a beachball when it counts" Lalime?
Hmmmm...don't think so.

[charlio lemieux]

"Smolinski has the talent to be a No. 2 centre, he just has to do it on a consistent basis. I don't think there's any question about talent," said Muckler.


Atleast Alfredsson will make it appear as though he's a number two center.

[grim]

Atleast Alfredsson will make it appear as though he's a number two center.

He's promised us more. :]

[grim]

What is the alternative? "Can't stop a beachball when it counts" Lalime?
Hmmmm...don't think so.

The alternative at this point is... that there isn't one. Sometimes I think Muckler is too senile & sentimental about his days in Buffalo. Rob Ray? Prusek was an alternative. When Dom goes down and Emery becomes #1 ... Who is #2? Either way... a rookie tandem.

[charlio lemieux]

Chara for Luongo if Hasek goes down.

Who said that?
Wasn't me

nope
Not me
never said it

[macca]

The alternative at this point is... that there isn't one. Sometimes I think Muckler is too senile & sentimental about his days in Buffalo. Rob Ray? Prusek was an alternative. When Dom goes down and Emery becomes #1 ... Who is #2? Either way... a rookie tandem.

You are right. I hope the Sens have a Plan B if Hasek gets any mysterious ailments. He's a risk for sure, and I'm not sure whether Prusek could have handled being the number one guy. Prusek seemed too 'brittle' when he was asked to play a couple of consecutive games last year, but Prusek is definitely a good backup goalie with experience. We just have to keep our finger's crossed at this point.

[Max Power]

Don't worry guys I'm sure Irbe will be gtg

[macca]

Don't worry guys I'm sure Irbe will be gtg

Say it ain't so!! Not another NHLPA executive on our team! :cry:

[grim]

Atleast Alfredsson will make it appear as though he's a number two center.

He's promised us more. :]

p.s. Actually here's a good & fair description of Cptn. Alfie's skill set. Our quarterback. Weren't we the #1 offence and the #1 defence (or close) last time out? All thanks to clowny head.

http://www.animationartgallery.com/images/SIM/SIMP329.gif

From front to back: a growing trend of putting scoring forwards on the blue line during the power play could be the secret to success down the stretch and in the playoffs - NHL

Sporting News, The, March 8, 2004 by Chris Stevenson

Standing inside the blue line, the forward swings his stick back, the blade pointing toward the ceiling of Toronto's Air Canada Centre as he winds up for the one-timer. Everybody watching the Senators and the Maple Leafs knows what will happen next, but none of the Leafs can do anything about it.

Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson watches the pass slide across the ice from defenseman Wade Redden. A flash of Alfredsson's slap-shooting silver stick later, and the puck is rocketing behind Leafs goaltender Ed Belfour and into the net. Yet another goal for the Senators from Alfredsson on the point on the power play.

Playing defense on the Senators' power play puts Alfredsson at the forefront of a hot trend: forwards dropping back to the point with the man-advantage. More than hall of the league's teams are doing it on a regular basis.

The reason is simple: There aren't enough great offensive defensemen to go around. In a league starved for offense, coaches are looking for ways to get the most ice time for their best scorers, who almost always are forwards.

"How many teams can say they have two good offensive defensemen to play the power play? Not many," says Thrashers coach Bob Hartley, who has employed wingers Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley on the point on the power play.

"I don't believe in using two units of five guys for a minute each. I want my best guys to be on the ice in those situations. Putting Heatley or Kovalchuk on the point on the power play gives us more firepower. It gives us a unit the other team has to respect."

And because so many goals are scored off shots through traffic or off rebounds capitalized on by players in traffic--and the power play is run from the point where a lot of these shots originate--teams are using forwards to generate offense as quarterbacks.

"The forward is capable of either shooting the puck better or moving the puck around," says Senators winger Peter Bondra, a stalwart on the point when he played with the Capitals. "You go out there to score goals. That's the natural instinct for an offensive forward. That's the difference between a forward and a regular defenseman."

But not just any forward can play on the point.

"You look for guys who can shoot the puck and have good vision," says Thrashers general manager Don Waddell. "You want guys who can make a play."

Having a forward on the point isn't without its risks. Even so, Lightning coach John Tortorella is willing to have defensive liabilities on the point to reap the offensive upside. He has used forwards Martin St. Louis, Brad Richards and, most recently, hard-shooting Cory Stillman at the point.

"I don't think Cory's the ideal guy for the point. We're going to give up some chances just because of his skating," Tortorella says. "But you have to assess your team. We were having trouble getting shots through on the power play, and we felt Cory is a guy who can get shots through. We tried Marty there for six or seven games, but we lost his strength, which is retrieving pucks down low."

Having players who can score and be counted on defensively makes the burden of risk easier to bear. "The real good forwards don't put themselves in bad spots," says Scotty Bowman, the NHL's winningest coach and a nine-time Stanley Cup champion.

Blues center Doug Weight is one of the best two-way players on the point because he spends time in practice playing defense in one-on-ones. He says the keys for a forward who's playing defense are to match the speed of the attacker and to stay in good position so as to not be susceptible to fakes.

"I think the scariest thing about playing the point on the power play is the fact that you're the last line of defense," Weight says. "You can look unbelievable on the boards when the puck comes to you, and you never miss a pass. But when that puck's coming to you and you've got a Joe Sakic killing the penalty or a Mike Modano, and you know you're the last guy, and you've got to come within 2 feet of his stick to draw him to you to make plays, you've got to be confident that way."

Attaining a level of confidence can be a great help to a forward while defending and attacking.

"As you get more comfortable, you get more aggressive," Weight says. "And if you find yourself being more aggressive on the power play, the more chances you're going to get."

"You definitely have to have a comfort zone," Richards says. "Patience is a huge factor, because if you panic it will ruin everything you are trying to do. A lot of guys panic when they're skating backwards and they have a guy screaming down on them."

And if that isn't enough, the forward also has to keep an eye on the clock so he isn't stuck playing defense when the penalty expires.

"It's discipline. You can't overstay," Bondra says. "When I'm on the second unit, I want to make sure someone gives me a yell 10 seconds from the end of the power play, so I have plenty of time to get to the bench to make sure (they) put a defenseman (out) there. Usually the other team is coming back with its best players, so when those guys jump in, you want to make sure you have a defenseman there."

Advancements in stick technology over the last five years have increased the pool of players who have dangerous shots from the point. Many of those players are forwards. Combine the forwards' offensive instincts, open ice and a big shot, and you have the perfect ingredients for a power-play quarterback.

Alfredsson says the biggest reason he has become successful on the point is because he uses a composite, one-piece stick that has boosted the velocity of his shot.

"My slap shot, I feel, is pretty good now, so I know I can blast it from the point, and with some traffic in front, we can get some goals that way," he says.

Before the new sticks became popular, Bowman, always an innovative thinker, experimented with forwards on the point in his coaching days. He says not every player is suited for the role.

"I found, when I first started, the good offensive players didn't play well on the point," he says. "Guy Lafleur was a hell of a player, but he wasn't so good on the point. He wouldn't shoot the puck. Those creative players always think there's a better play out there, so they don't shoot the puck. That's what makes Alfredsson so good. He takes shots."

In his Stanley Cup-winning years with the Red Wings, Bowman used Sergei Fedorov (now with the Mighty Ducks) on the point with defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Bowman also used center Steve Yzerman on the point, but on a limited basis because Bowman didn't like losing Yzerman's faceoff expertise. Again, it comes down to effectively managing your assets. Weight's asset isn't his shot, so he plays to his strengths.

"I try to use my skating ability to get the puck across the middle and try to pick guys apart a little bit, make passes, try to get (defenseman Chris Pronger) the shots when I can because he's got the big shot from the point" Weight says. "You try to draw guys to you as much as you can, and you use your passing ability to create two-on-ones for your teammates."

But, when it comes right down to it, using a forward on the power play is about giving a team options. And as the playoffs approach and goals become even harder to score, more and more teams are getting the point.

Chris Stevenson covers the NHL for the Ottawa Sun. Managing editor Paul Grant contributed to this story.

RELATED ARTICLE: The best of the bunch.

1 Daniel Alfredsson, Senators. The captain has one of the best one-timers in the league and isn't shy about using it. "I think he is (the best) because he shoots the puck," says former coach Scotty Bowman. "I don't see anybody better in that spot," says Peter Bondra, former Capital and now a teammate of Alfredsson's. "He has a shot; he can fake it; he can more the puck around. He's got unbelievable vision. He sees the players around him so well, and he can find somebody open."

2 Doug Weight, Blues. He's got tremendous patience," says Lightning forward Brad Richards. He sees the ice as well as anybody in the league." Weight relies on his patience to draw defenders and then uses his passing ability to maximize his teammates' effectiveness.

3 Peter Bondra, Senators. "We used Bondra on the point because he might have the best one-timer I have ever seen," says Bruce Cassidy, a former coach of Bondra's with the Capitals who is now a Blackhawks scout. "It's not just that he gets it away, but it's accurate." Bondra likes to slip through the back door to use his one-timer from the off side.

4 Brian Rolston, Bruins. "He makes good decisions with the puck," says Thrashers general manager Don Waddell. Rolston also is blessed with tremendous speed, which makes him tough to beat one-on-one.

5 Dany Heatley, Thrashers, When Heatley is on his game, he keeps opponents guessing. He'll dart into the slot for a shot of stay back and pass. Honorable mention: Sergei Fedorov, Mighty Ducks; Ilya Kovalchuk, Thrashers; Miroslav Satan, Sabres; Paul Kariya, Avalanche; Scott Young, Stars; Ray Whitney, Brett Hull, Red Wings; Saku Koivu, Canadiens; Sergei Zholtok, Richard Park, Wild; Steve Sullivan, Predators; Alexei Kovalev, Rangers; Shane Doan, Coyotes; Cory Stillman, Brad Richards, Lightning; Brendan Morrison, Canucks.--C.S.


http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_10_228/ai_114086637

[charlio lemieux]

Atleast Alfredsson will make it appear as though he's a number two center.


Sorry should have read: Atleast Alfredsson will make it appear as though Smolinski's a number two center.

I meant that Alfie's tallent will make Smolinski better.

[leaferfan87]

Well there are definitely several if's:

1) Hasek's groin
2) You fired Jacques Martin for lack of playoff success and then hire the guy (Bryan Murray) who is the Marty Schottenheimer of the NHL

[Man.Utd]

Will the changes pay off? I don't know. At worst, I think we retain staus quo and there is a % for some nice improvement.

Hasek vs. Lalime. At this point, I'd have to say Lalime is definatly the better goaltender given Hasek's question marks. However, he sure didn't play like it last year in what was no-doubt a career low for him. I must concede that many people forget how Patty started out red-hot to begin the season and saved our butts quite a few times when the rest of the team was still rusty.. However, as soon as the rest of the roster picked it up Lalime just crashed right down to Earth and fell all the way through the blessed planet. If healthy, I think Hasek will at least equal Lalime's out put last year. But I do expect Patrick to rebound and perform better than he did last season in St. Louis, thus quite possibly being better than his counter-part this campaigne. It is also worth noting two factors; we simlpy couldn't keep Lalime here after that poor showing of his. The fans would make it too hard on him to perform at a high level. And Hasek, for all his drawbacks, has the potential to give us #1, boarderline elite, goaltending which is cup proven in the best case scenario.

Strength down the middle. Our weak point is definatly at center ice. But I think we made some definate additions by subtraction. Sure, we did lose Bonk and White who were our top two centers last year. But that was under Jacques Martin! That can't be stressed enough. Under Murray our top two pivots will be Spezza/Fisher or Spezza/Smolinski. I don't see how we lose much of anything. Hell, I see a marked improvement if Spezza breaks-out (we're all cautiously optomistic) and gives us a true #1. The new rules should help almost, if not all, the Sen forwards as a particularly young, fast team for the time being.

Coaching. We'll have to wait and see how this turns out. But the right move was made regardless. As good as Martin was it was time to move on. It just wasn't working with him. Hopefully Murray brings us some better fortunes. His willingness to play scorers with scores at times (no more White/Spezza, Bonk/Hossa, Van Allen/Havlat) is qutie refreshing. Sometimes you just need to screw balancing the lines and go with one loaded tandem to force the other team to defend a certain way. As mentioned before, no longer will there be guys like White and Bonk getting special treatment. Particularly on the PP, where Spezza will finally get some prime minutes. He also lets players play with emotion and that is key.

Defence. Our defense last year was no better nor no worse than the group we will ice this time around. And given we were among the best teams for GA, that's a good thing. As far as the big two (Redden + Chara) go we're as always very solid and have the best 1-2 punch in the league as far as I'm concerned. And the best two d-men period in the East IMO. Just as a side note, Redden may be helped by the new rules while Chara may be hindered. Phillips will be his usual steady self, giving us a very nice #3 defenseman. Volchenkov will hopefully be healthy this year as he missed all of last season. Pothier will stay on the bottom-pairing as he's on a one-way. Schubert and Meszaros will battle for a spot on that same remaining unit. Loser goes down to Bingo. Ward is our answer to losing Simpson. He's roughly just as skilled but he can play both F and D. And he makes the league minimum, not 1M+ dollars. Expect to see him as the 7th d-man, being used for tougher matches.

Chara - Phillips
Redden - Rachunek
Leschhshyn - Pothier ------- Simpson

Chara - Phillips
Redden - Volchenkov
Schubert/Meszaros - Pothier ------- Ward, Malec

Seem about equal. Slightly better if Volchenkov has that break-out year many expected last time and becomes a bonafide top-4 guy instead of a fringe one. I'm optomistic if he can avoid injury.

Heatley vs Hossa. A clear loss in the short-term, but not of significant proportions thankfully. Given the cap room we saved, the message we sent to the players, and the fact that Heatley may very well be better than Hossa in the near future makes this a win for Mucks IMO.

[Madferret]

2) You fired Jacques Martin for lack of playoff success and then hire the guy (Bryan Murray) who is the Marty Schottenheimer of the NHL

I did. I get hate mail over that daily. It was personal...