Madferret
1-02-07, 11:45 AM
Corvo sounds like beaten man after loss
Allen Panzeri, The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Late yesterday afternoon, Joe Corvo sounded as if he needed a session with Dr. Phil.
He was disconsolate.
The Senators defenceman had just been victimized for Vyacheslav Kozlov's second goal of the game, at 1:48 of overtime, giving the Atlanta Thrashers a 3-2 victory and ending Ottawa's winning streak at four games.
Kozlov pushed his way through Corvo in the neutral zone, won a 50-50 battle for the puck and then slid a backhander through Ray Emery's legs. If Kozlov hadn't scored, the Thrashers would have had a power play because Corvo was about to be called for interfering with Kozlov.
Senators coach Bryan Murray believed Kozlov interfered with Corvo -- not the other way around -- but that wasn't how the officials saw it.
As he worked out in the gym after the game, Corvo took a few minutes to beat himself up. He finished the game minus-1, leaving him minus-11 for the season, not what the Senators expected when they signed him as a free agent last summer.
"It's just typical of what's going on with me and defence all year long," Corvo said. "I mean, first I made a good play and stopped (the puck) with my skate, and I turn around and it's still rolling back to our end. Then I'm trying to get back in position, and there's no way I could have just because it's like he's trying to get to the puck and it's kind of like we got tangled up."
"It's just the way it has been going all year long," Corvo continued. "Obviously it's showing. I must be a defensive liability, minus here, minus there, I can't be plus.
"Most of my time that I'm really confident out there is on the power play, so I guess I've got to start building somewhere.
"If you know me as a person, it's going to be hard for me to bounce back from something like that. We'll see how it goes after next game."
Corvo won't have much time to reflect, not with the Eastern Conference-leading Buffalo Sabres here tomorrow night to start the second half of the Senators' season.
At 21-18-2, the Senators finished the first half one point over .500 because they won three games and lost two in overtime.
They're aware that a similar second half won't be good enough to advance to the playoffs
Daniel Alfredsson and Tom Preissing, both on the power play, scored Ottawa's goals. Preissing's tied the game at 16:05 of the third period.
Ilya Kovalchuk got Atlanta's other goal on a second-period power play.
Emery faced 35 shots, while Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen faced 29.
Former Senator Marian Hossa continued his campaign for the MVP trophy with three assists. He has two goals and 11 assists in his past seven games, although he almost didn't make it through yesterday's contest.
In the third period, the left side of Hossa's face ran into the right shoulder of Senators defenceman Anton Volchenkov. The collision almost knocked out Hossa.
"When he came to the bench, I think he was looking for the keys for his house in Ottawa," Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said. "But I asked him if he was OK, and I got the only answer I expect from Marian Hossa.
"He's a horse for us. I say the same things every day, but he's the most complete player in the league."
Hossa said it took him a few minutes to catch his breath.
"I lost it a bit," he said. "I was a bit dazed. But it was just for a minute and then I was OK."
Lest you think Hossa might have put Ottawa in the rearview mirror after two years, the Slovak forward who spent six full seasons and part of another in Senators colours said it was still special to get a victory here.
"Definitely, especially against this group of guys," he said.
"They're a talented group, and to come to their building and take the two points definitely feels great. It's our first win of the new year."
The Senators broke a scoreless tie 51 seconds into the second period with the Thrashers' Brad Larsen still in the penalty box for a high-sticking minor he had picked up just before intermission.
From the left side of the Atlanta net, Dany Heatley passed to Alfredsson in the slot. He fought off defenceman Niclas Havelid and beat Lehtonen with a wrist shot.
Exactly four minutes later, though, the Thrashers evened the score when Kovalchuk got his 21st goal of the season with Wade Redden off for roughing.
Emery didn't have much of a chance. Kovalchuk blasted a shot by him from the left point.
Almost seven minutes later, at 11:16, Kozlov made it 2-1. Emery stopped a shot from Hossa in the right faceoff circle, but Kozlov was at the left post and popped the rebound past Emery.
Murray was livid, believing the referees missed a high stick by Jason Krog on Chris Kelly. The Senators coach received no satisfaction from the officials, though, and 13 seconds later Chris Neil was penalized for charging Kovalchuk.
Allen Panzeri, The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Late yesterday afternoon, Joe Corvo sounded as if he needed a session with Dr. Phil.
He was disconsolate.
The Senators defenceman had just been victimized for Vyacheslav Kozlov's second goal of the game, at 1:48 of overtime, giving the Atlanta Thrashers a 3-2 victory and ending Ottawa's winning streak at four games.
Kozlov pushed his way through Corvo in the neutral zone, won a 50-50 battle for the puck and then slid a backhander through Ray Emery's legs. If Kozlov hadn't scored, the Thrashers would have had a power play because Corvo was about to be called for interfering with Kozlov.
Senators coach Bryan Murray believed Kozlov interfered with Corvo -- not the other way around -- but that wasn't how the officials saw it.
As he worked out in the gym after the game, Corvo took a few minutes to beat himself up. He finished the game minus-1, leaving him minus-11 for the season, not what the Senators expected when they signed him as a free agent last summer.
"It's just typical of what's going on with me and defence all year long," Corvo said. "I mean, first I made a good play and stopped (the puck) with my skate, and I turn around and it's still rolling back to our end. Then I'm trying to get back in position, and there's no way I could have just because it's like he's trying to get to the puck and it's kind of like we got tangled up."
"It's just the way it has been going all year long," Corvo continued. "Obviously it's showing. I must be a defensive liability, minus here, minus there, I can't be plus.
"Most of my time that I'm really confident out there is on the power play, so I guess I've got to start building somewhere.
"If you know me as a person, it's going to be hard for me to bounce back from something like that. We'll see how it goes after next game."
Corvo won't have much time to reflect, not with the Eastern Conference-leading Buffalo Sabres here tomorrow night to start the second half of the Senators' season.
At 21-18-2, the Senators finished the first half one point over .500 because they won three games and lost two in overtime.
They're aware that a similar second half won't be good enough to advance to the playoffs
Daniel Alfredsson and Tom Preissing, both on the power play, scored Ottawa's goals. Preissing's tied the game at 16:05 of the third period.
Ilya Kovalchuk got Atlanta's other goal on a second-period power play.
Emery faced 35 shots, while Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen faced 29.
Former Senator Marian Hossa continued his campaign for the MVP trophy with three assists. He has two goals and 11 assists in his past seven games, although he almost didn't make it through yesterday's contest.
In the third period, the left side of Hossa's face ran into the right shoulder of Senators defenceman Anton Volchenkov. The collision almost knocked out Hossa.
"When he came to the bench, I think he was looking for the keys for his house in Ottawa," Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said. "But I asked him if he was OK, and I got the only answer I expect from Marian Hossa.
"He's a horse for us. I say the same things every day, but he's the most complete player in the league."
Hossa said it took him a few minutes to catch his breath.
"I lost it a bit," he said. "I was a bit dazed. But it was just for a minute and then I was OK."
Lest you think Hossa might have put Ottawa in the rearview mirror after two years, the Slovak forward who spent six full seasons and part of another in Senators colours said it was still special to get a victory here.
"Definitely, especially against this group of guys," he said.
"They're a talented group, and to come to their building and take the two points definitely feels great. It's our first win of the new year."
The Senators broke a scoreless tie 51 seconds into the second period with the Thrashers' Brad Larsen still in the penalty box for a high-sticking minor he had picked up just before intermission.
From the left side of the Atlanta net, Dany Heatley passed to Alfredsson in the slot. He fought off defenceman Niclas Havelid and beat Lehtonen with a wrist shot.
Exactly four minutes later, though, the Thrashers evened the score when Kovalchuk got his 21st goal of the season with Wade Redden off for roughing.
Emery didn't have much of a chance. Kovalchuk blasted a shot by him from the left point.
Almost seven minutes later, at 11:16, Kozlov made it 2-1. Emery stopped a shot from Hossa in the right faceoff circle, but Kozlov was at the left post and popped the rebound past Emery.
Murray was livid, believing the referees missed a high stick by Jason Krog on Chris Kelly. The Senators coach received no satisfaction from the officials, though, and 13 seconds later Chris Neil was penalized for charging Kovalchuk.