S4 - Episode 21: Ok, NOW They’re Done

We all knew they were pretty much done but now we can confidently nail that lid shut on the coffin. In a season that has drained Sens fans of their will to live (or certain fans to stop watching games before the next podcast), this late season push has certainly been a welcome distraction. Admit it, even though you knew they wouldn’t run the table, in the back of your mind, with every win, you kind of thought, what if?

Ok, you can let it go now:

NY Islanders 2 – Ottawa 5
Ottawa 2 – Rangers 1
Ottawa 1 – Carolina 2

The inevitable loss that we held out hope against finally came at the hands of the Canes. Even though they put up a good fight and looked like they had a chance at the win, the clock struck 12 on Cinderella.

Ahhhh, what the Hell! It’s been a long, tough year, let’s not suffer any more. Let’s just pod out the string and enjoy it. The question is, how will the team react now? Will we keep seeing the strong efforts we’ve seen since Clouston took over or will they take their foot off the pedal? And will you secretly be hoping for them to slip back into the lottery? We discuss.

It didn’t take long for the Leafs to take a once quiet, mild mannered, professional named Martin Gerber and turn him into…well, a Leaf. Does it surprise you to hear we bring up his suspension? Or that even we can’t let this Ovechkin thing go? Ok then, how about we pick a new whipping boy and argue about his salary? Or how about Shannon’s emergence as our new man crush? And Ivan White, that e-mailing fool, gets us onto the topic of West vs East. Not to mention, he even picked a good tune this week!

News, e-mails, more insults, bleeps, and pushing the limits of what’s acceptable on the Underground.

Please, if you do nothing else this week, go too www.breakingground.ca and help out the animals!

This public service announcement has been brought to you by the number 4.

S4 - Episode 21: Ok, NOW They’re Done

S4 - Episode 20: Nothing But Wins, Baby!

Hard to believe, isn’t it? We, Ottawa Senators fans, are smiling ear to ear about the play of our team and we’re happier than a Florida Panthers’ camera man!. How things have changed and how quickly they changed. There is no denying it, Clouston has this team ROCKING!

To a man, the team is playing like we haven’t seen in a long time. This week speaks for itself:

Ottawa 4 - Pittsburgh 3 OT
Buffalo 2 - Ottawa 4
Montreal 4 - Ottawa 5

Brian Elliot sets a Sens’ record for most consecutive wins by a rookie goalie yet we still seem to be hedging our bets on him. Ahhhh, what the hell, he’s been great! After all we’ve been through let’s just feel good about things for awhile.

Goaltending does lead us into an interesting conversation this week. Along with the returning Stooli, we talk about the best Sens goalie ever. Not sure we ever come to a conclusion though.

Carbonneau was not the right coach for the Habs but Shredder asks would he be the right one for the Sens? Could it now be anyone other than Clouston? Ovechkin got a lot of people talking this week with his 50th goal celebration and we are no different. Stooli’s News, People r Stoopid, e-mails and the return of an old favourite of the Underground.

S4 - Episode 20: Nothing But Wins, Baby!

S4 - Episode 19: Ian Mendes Goes Underground

We finally caught up with our longest running guest this week. Ian joins us after far too long an absence but it was worth the wait. He has some really interesting things to say this week about Clouston, Hartsburg and the last two seasons of strife for the Sens. Man, we missed Ian! And you will likely be missing a certain inky cast member this week. Stooli takes the night off so at least you know the show will be less offensive, which may or may not be a good thing.

This was a pretty good week for the Sens:

Edmonton 2 – Ottawa 4
Buffalo 3 – Ottawa 6
Stinking Dirty Leafs – Ottawa 2
Tampa 2 – Ottawa 3 OT
Ottawa 3 – Boston 5

Even the loss against the Bruins was a pretty darn good effort that came up a little short but you have to like the fight they showed. It wasn’t that long ago a first period deficit meant game over but Clouston seems to have these guys believing that they are never out of it. We look at the change in the team since the T1000 took over.

We also discuss comments Jason York of the Team 1200 made about Sens fans and their treatment of past goalies. This causes a pretty good head mashing. “ Stick-Gate”, courtesy of Ron Wilson, is a topic of discussion as is Shredder’s visit to a magical land deep in the bowels of SBP (but Russell saved $4).

We give our version of the News, not Stooli style, and Shredder does the WORST rendition of “WHAT!!?? OMG!!!” you’ll ever hear. The Golden Gawd has enormous junk and Shannon is his newest disciple. Your e-mails and talk of the impending cat fight between Hillary and Carrie.

Pffft…like you could do better.

S4 - Episode 19: Ian Mendes Goes Underground

S4 - Episode 18: Dean Brown Goes Underground!

And Vermette goes to Columbus! Yes, the trade deadline brought us a slightly different looking Sens team today. We won’t see the real difference until next year when Pascal Leclair becomes our next starting goalie but we do say goodbye to long time Senator Antoine Vermette as Murray pulled his only trade of the day. A nice surprise was that he also got them to include a 2nd round draft pick too, which is nice. We debate the merits of this trade but also the trades that didn’t happen: Neil and Kuba. Shredder’s new whipping boy Kuba is now locked up for 3 years which really shocks us as does the fact that Murray was not able to move Neil. Stooli and Russell get into it over why Neil was not moved and his possible future with the team.

Amidst all this trade blather, there were some games played:

San Jose 2 – Ottawa 1
Toronto 4 – Ottawa 3 OT
Calgary 6 – Ottawa 3

You can see why we might want to avoid the recaps, which after last week’s show caused much debate. The response to the question of the length of said recaps was pretty close to 50/50. The fact of the matter is, we have been shortening them slowly for about 2 years and you’ll likely see them shortened a little more in the future. But there is not much short about this show. It’s a true marathon. Russell was doing pretty well until the Leafs game and then he went on his rantfest. But he was not alone this week. Rants rule the day in this show. From parking to Kuba to who Dean Brown hates, there’s no shortage of flapping this week.

Yes, Dean Brown, voice of the Ottawa Senators, joins us this week and it’s a classic. Apart from his views on today’s trades, we speak about some Sens personalities of the past and the team’s reaction to their new coach. Oh, and Gord Wilson’s place on the Dean Brown Totem pole. You’ll love this.

We also place a call to Mrs. Pigman in regards to Showergate and it takes an unexpected turn.

People are Stupid, rules with no exceptions, your e-mails, plenty of leaf bashing, Russell calls out Roy Mlakar, and endless silliness this week. It’s destined to be a classic. Enjoy.

S4 - Episode 18: Dean Brown Goes Underground!

S4 - Episode 17: The Russelless Episode

The show must go on... and with Russell's absence, StooLi takes a stab at hosting the show. Not your typical Sens Underground show this week and there probably wouldn't have been one if it wasn't for the recent trade Bryan Murray just pulled off.

So of course, we discuss the trade that was... Chris Campoli and Mike Comrie for Dean McAmmond and a first round pick (San Jose's pick).

We cover the games from the past week:

Ottawa 2 - Nashville 0
Ottawa 2 - Colorado 3 (OT)
Vancouver 5 - Ottawa 2
Ottawa 3 - Montreal 5

But we covered the games StooLi and Shredder style... very quickly! StooLi does the News (also StooLi style) and in Open Ice, we chat about Sundin's first game back in Toronto, the mess that is the Habs, Tortorella as the new coach for the Rangers, and we cap it off by discussing what we think Ottawa will do come the trade deadline which just a few weeks away.

We used an intro song from a previous Underground season in this episode... you know... to remember the good'ole days. Oh yeah... we did some 'membering at the end. 'Member when... the... Sens.... DIDN'T SUCK!?

S4 - Episode 17: The Russelless Episode