NHL sagas we’re waiting to see unfold

 ABOVE: Early indications are that Juraj Slafkovsky was a good pick. Canadians love a good story almost as much as they love their hockey. So, pairing the two together makes sense, no? In each of our seven centres – Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg (just in case you forgot

Canada, who ya’ got?

 Want 6/7th of the country after your scalp? Put together a ranking – top to bottom – of Canadian NHL clubs. So, with that in mind . . . here we go. And for the first time in many a year, the disgruntlement won’t be zinging out of Eastern Ontario.

Senators working the steps, upwards

 Labour Day has come and gone, and for those tiring of summer, the CFL, MLB, tennis, golf and over-long visits from your in-laws, hockey’s about to make its return. As does your charming narrator from over in this corner. Good to be back at Ottawa Life for – what is

NHL draft won’t be the next Haul of Fame

 Nineteen years ago this summer the National Hockey League conjured something quite remarkable – the absolute best draft in modern-day history. The year was 2003 - for those who have problems with math - and not only was that first round a bonanza but the following rounds proved rich with

Calling it: Bolts are done

 And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a series. Or . . . do we? Tampa’s muscular 6-2 win Monday night against Colorado brought the defending champions back to within a game in the Stanley Cup finale, which now sits 2-1 for the Avs. I really don’t enjoy playing the

Hey Tampa, this wasn’t supposed to happen

 Cap-shmap. So here we are in the era of the great equalizer, aka the National Hockey League salary cap. In a very great way, the salary cap was intended more for restriction than anything else. To be more precise – restrictive to any kind of dynasty. In no way whatsoever

The uncatchable Colorado Avalanche

 “There is a creature alive today . . . Without logic. It lives to kill; a mindless eating machine. It will attack. And devour. Anything. It is if God created the Devil and gave him . . . jaws.” This is not a film from 1975. This is a hockey

Hockey rolls on!

 Been there, done that must count for a lot given the lack of love the New York Rangers are getting heading into the Eastern Conference final. Across the board, hockey prognosticators are throwing their affection at the two-time Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. At NHL.com, some of the best

A week of searching in vain for a higher ‘power’

 “You got the power To keep my fire a-burnin' You got the power To keep my wheels a-turnin'” – War A hit from 1982 never felt so right in the 2020s. To many, though, the song doesn’t conjure much of a smile as Ottawa and the region’s mass power outage

Leafs’ killer instinct not to be found

 Here it is Ottawa, your absolute favourite subject . . . hello there, Toronto Maple Leafs. I know what you’re thinking: ‘C’mon man, there’s more than one Canadian team in the playoffs. I mean, c’mon!’ Agreed. But consider the bare facts (or Barefax depending on your positioning on certain matters):

NHL not in Jeopardy of lacking playoff questions

 It’s another edition of questions in need of answers. Or answers in need of questions. While this corner is certainly no Mattea Roach, we’ll do our best to seek truth as the playoffs rev up next week. Yowzah! WILL THE OTTAWA SENATORS BE GOLFING OR WATCHING WHEN THE NHL KICKS

Senators season coming to abrupt stop

 Less than two weeks until closing time. Seems like kind of a ‘hard stop’ here in Ottawa as interest seems to be gaining on a hockey team that is poised to do . . . well what, exactly? The Ottawa Senators are at a significant, meaningful stage in recovery (I

Lance Galbraith: Ottawa’s ultimate warrior gone too soon

 This one hits like a ton of bricks. My first season covering the Ottawa 67’s for the Ottawa Sun was the first time I met Lance Galbraith. It was the fall of 1999 and I’d just spent the past 10 years in Owen Sound writing and broadcasting about the hometown

Senators will have company in playoff chase

 If the playoffs do eventually come knocking, who steps out of the Ottawa Senator’s way? Realistically the organization would need to take a significant jump in order to rally and compete for a spot as early as next season. Could it happen? Sure, but unless Senators management can figure out

Norris takes that next big step

 Need a little sunshine? Here you go. One of the biggest obstacles potentially facing the Ottawa Senators and ‘taking that next big step’ is the lack of elite star power. Sure they have Thomas Chabot, but until now, not much else in the realm of A-quality offensive talent. It’s becoming

Getting enough Z’s, culture changes, Sandman enters and couch-surfing

 A few musings and ponderings as we move less than a couple of dimes from the National Hockey League playoffs. Zub entering Pecos Bill territory Ottawa’s own folk hero? Artem Zub seems to be the unassuming and quiet type; comfortable in getting the job done and calling it a day.

Sens deadline dealing generates mixed reviews

 A keeper for the keeper, a step backward, a definite head-scratcher, a collective ‘thank the heavens’ and a big yawn. Yes it was exceedingly busy for the Ottawa Senators on the National Hockey League’s trade deadline day. The question though, was it a particularly productive one? That’ll be debated in

Trade-deadline turmoil in Toronto?

 It’s expected the Ottawa Senators will look a lot like the Ottawa Senators come Monday next week. In other words, don’t expect much noise at the trade deadline (3 p.m. ET March 21st). Outside of shipping out a couple of minor role players and potentially Swiss army knife Nick Paul,

Senators: time for a change

 Jacques Martin. That’s right. Jacques freakin’ Martin. Ask yourself this – as far along as Ottawa Senators current head coach D.J. Smith has taken this relatively young troupe, which isn’t very far to be honest, isn’t it time to push this process along? There is no question Smith has some

Nick Paul: Stay or Go?

 They did it with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mark Stone. Will the Ottawa Senators hit the trifecta with Nick Paul? Seems like a reasonable question: Will Ottawa trade off one of its key contributors and more popular skaters at the NHL’s trade deadline? The similarities are striking. All three are/were in

NHL business about to get busy

 “Gentlemen start your engines?” Puh-lease. This is more, “Gentlemen, check your tank to make sure it’s topped up, get an oil change, ensure your winter tires are in great shape and bring an extra cushion for your rear end and a bucket of coffee to keep you alert.” This is

Senators vying for better grades in second half

 Give or take a few days or games or COVID breaks, the National Hockey League hits the halfway point during a very intriguing season. In Ottawa, this season was hailed as the end of the rebuild. While the phrase wasn’t exactly plastered on the facing of the Canadian Tire Centre,

Social media pushes the envelope, for once

 The days of turning a blind eye are over. If there is one good thing about social media – and there really is not much, truly – it’s that information and deplorable, inappropriate behaviors can no longer be swept under the rug. (Ask certain characters currently in public office). When