New rink and new look for Ottawa’s Senators

 It’s pre-season . . . or exhibition . . . whatever or whichever you prefer calling it, but it’s still the National Hockey League and it’s here. Ottawa opened its ‘before-regular-season-hits’ schedule Sunday night with a pretty wild 6-5 overtime win in Toronto. We’ll get to that and a couple

Toronto Maple Leafs analysis and predictions on Stanley Cup

 The Toronto Maple Leafs, adorned with a legacy of triumph and tradition, are poised at the precipice of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, embarking on a campaign marked by lofty ambitions and meticulous examination. Reflecting on the 2023-24 NHL season, this storied franchise has navigated through heightened expectations and analytical

It’s cold-and-flu season, here’s how to deal with it (or not)

 It’s either the flu or it’s a heavy, heavy cold. Either way, I’ve got it and it’s going to be seven days tomorrow. (And before you roll out the old man-cold line, my friend Steph also has it. She’s bedridden and she’s also tough as beef jerky, so there.) It’s

Anticipating the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend

 It’s coming, three days of top-notch hockey competition. Showcases all around, photo ops with celebrities and ex-players, skill competitions, and the cream of the NHL players. Other than the Stanley Cup, the true highlight of the hockey calendar.  You know what that means: it’s almost time for the NHL All-Star

NHL 2023-24 Season Betting Preview

 There are just a few short days before the start of the NHL 2023-24 season. For every team, the slate is clean, giving every team the freedom to dream about winning the 2024 Stanley Cup. Even the Ottawa Senators have a chance to win the Cup despite not even making

The Puck Drops on a New Season of Glory

 The National Hockey League, known globally for its intense competitions and rich history, is poised to start its 106th season. Originating in 1917, the NHL has become a pivotal tournament in sports, captivating audiences for over a century.  The forthcoming season, beginning on October 10, 2023, and stretching to April

Senators’ rebuild is over? Really?

 “The rebuild is done . . .” "We've had a plan since we started this rebuild. I feel that we're in the next stage now, it's time to start to win.” The previous comments brought to you by Pierre Dorion (from various sources). In some respects, I guess this is

Time to get a move on, Ottawa

 Put up or shut up. Can Ottawa folk finally agree we are there? I mean, come on, the leeway given this franchise (that would be the Ottawa Senators) – especially by some members of the local media – for the past 3-4 years has been especially generous. Especially. And especially

Senators: Mission accomplished (for the most part)

 ABOVE: Dzingel gets one past Hellebuyck in the Sens 4-3 loss to the Jets on April 5, 2021. (PHOTO: NHL.COM/SENATORS/VIDEO) Thanks Trooper: “We're here for a good time, Not a long time So have a good time, The sun can't shine every day.” In just more than a month’s time, the

The underdog Sens come to life against the juggernaut Leafs, once again

 Joey Daccord dreamt of earning his first NHL win for a long time, it didn’t come in a way he could’ve imagined. Starting goaltender Matt Murray was supposed to start Sunday night’s game. It wasn’t until minutes before hitting the ice that Murray warned the backup Daccord that he didn’t

The Sens have found an identity

 The Ottawa Senators keep sending teams into tailspins. When they made a comeback down 5-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs two weeks ago, columnist James Mirtle wrote that the Leafs needed a trade to fix the “complacency that kills them.” Last week, two consecutive wins over the Montreal Canadiens ended

Tim Stützle has arrived

 On Tuesday night, it looked like the week would tell the same old story for the Ottawa Senators. The Edmonton Oilers took an early 4-0 lead over Ottawa, giving Senators fans an excuse to go to bed rather than stay up for the third period of a game that started

Stickhandling through a tricky route to a professional hockey career in the time of COVID-19

 Above: Nepean’s Graeme Clarke is focused on earning a contract with the New Jersey Devils by excelling in the AHL. (PHOTO: VAL WATTI) For junior players dreaming of an NHL career, the route to the major leagues has always been filled with obstacles, but this year they’re facing off against

Who’s tops in an all-Canadian division?

 Last week in this very corner the thought was that an all-Canadian team realignment in the National Hockey League should not only be instituted this coming season but should also be a permanent thing. Great idea? Well, I thought so. To further the discussion, this week’s gripper deals with a

Oh Canada? Works for me

 It’s such a darn good idea, so let’s make it permanent. When/if/how/why/where hockey of the National Hockey League variety returns to vacant/half-full/capacity arenas, it’s looking like a sure thing that the Canadian clubs will all be lumped into the same division. Makes sense, obviously, from a logistical standpoint given the

Filip Chlapik hits the ice in Prague while waiting for NHL season

 by Daniel Rainbird Filip Chlapik was pleased to go home to Prague, but now the Czech capital isn’t quite the way he remembered it. Prague is where he played in the under-20 Czech league with his older brother Adam. He won silver for the Czech Republic at the 2014 world under-18

Good and bad: Senators have changed their look

 Above: Alex Galchenyuk Are the Ottawa Senators accelerating, or just blocking the path towards achieving their self-proclaimed rebuilding plan? It’s a little bit of both from this corner. Let’s put it this way, general manager Pierre Dorion was definitely not “sit-tight-and-let-the-process-playout” during this very odd off-season. You likely knew that

Senators finally ‘back in the game’ as entry draft unfolds

 It’s not quite Lotto 6/49 (or in this case: Lotto 13/49), but you have to like their chances to come out a winner. Pick a number folks, any number - 3, 5, 28? How about 33, 51, 58, 60? Thirteen selections in all; three of those in the opening round;

Cards are in Ottawa’s hands . . . sort of

 We’re less than a month away from arguably the biggest 48 hours in Ottawa Senators’ history. The drama, mystery and intrigue will definitely get interesting. Kind of an Agatha Christie novel on blades. Without the murder, of course. For the Senators, general manager Pierre Dorion is easily the most fascinating

NHL swings and misses, big time

 Stephen King has notched his rightful place high up on the pole as one of my more revered writers (especially his earlier stuff). He came to mind Friday night shortly after 8. From the perspective of many an Ottawa Senator fanatic, only King – the Sultan of Scare – could

Kindness comes to call during tough times

 Nice. Niceness. Really wishy-washy words. Until now. To truly get the gist – the meaning – of what it’s truly like to be nice or kind, throw your community, your province and your country into a seemingly endless bind. Well, we’re here now aren’t we. Coronavirus or COVID-19 has changed

Few certainties in the Senators’ picture

 Anticipation, anticipation Is makin' me late Is keepin' me waitin' Carly Simon   Pretty cheesy lede, eh? Point being, in Ottawa playing the anticipation game is a daily occurrence, whether you’re a fan of the Senators or a finger-crossing rider on LRT. Things are seemingly never a certainty around these

Senators turn the page on dismal season

 Photo courtesy of NHLI via Getty Images The legendary rocker Bob Seger must be reading the Ottawa Senators’ collective mind: Turn the Page. Seger’s ditty doesn’t have anything to do with hockey, however the message behind the song’s title could fit nicely into Ottawa’s philosophy. Because let’s face it –

NHL post-season bringing the drama

 Photo courtesy NHLI via Getty Images Here’s one for the water cooler – what sort of grade would you give for this year’s NHL playoffs? If you’re a fan of tight hockey and biting your nails, give it a solid A. The numbers simply say as much. Here we sit

Leafs still a work in progress, without the work

 Photo courtesy of NHLI via Getty Images Boston’s Patrice Bergeron pretty much nailed it after his Bruins took the Toronto Maple Leafs to the woodshed Saturday night in a wild 4-1 win in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Bergeron – post-game – talked about “compete” and “determination.” His team had it;