Nuff said.
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Nuff said.
]]>Stooli, wingman for Russell and Shredder-er, was not available for comment but Russell was quoted as saying, "Great. Just freakin' great! Another year of apologizing for his dumb ass!" Shedder's only comment was, "Whatever!"
Stooli joined the SU in season 2 and has since insulted or alienated a huge segment of their listening audience, including but not limited to, Muslims, the Irish, the gay community, Nazis, gingers, donkeys, ostriches, Leaf fans (which is ok), giggling drop-passing centers, GM's, marketing dept heads, customers of Lulu Lemon, members of his gym, some ticket-selling guy in New York, some t-shirt selling guy at the NHL store, the women in Russell's family, his wife on their wedding night, his ex-wife on their wedding night, Systine, wives of certain British ex-pats, border guards, airport security and probably the Amish.
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Hey Groundhogs,
We finally made it back into the studio for the summer show. We ran out of excuses for not doing one and it's been so damn hot, sitting in the basement talking hockey seemed like a good way to cool off.
So this is what we did; we start off with a needlessly long recap of our summers so far, stray completely off topic before we even get going, tell you about Stooli making a good impression on our contact down at the Sens, and then we get to the good stuff.
As you all know, the Sens have had lots going on since the end of the season and we tried to touch on most of the news-worthy topics including draft day and our newest non-drafted D prospect, David Runblad (who shall henceforth be known as, "Blad the Impaler"). Murray surprised us all that day and he did it again July 1st (Brian Lee, we're gonna need that number 55 sweater back). Say hello to Sergei Gonchar! We discuss these two moves and the biggest one of all, the re-signing or Cody Bass!!! We also say goodbye to Volchenchov, Cheechoo and Donovan while welcoming ex-Ottawa 67's star Corey Locke and Swiss star Roman Wicke to the fold.
As you might imagine, we have a few things to say about the ridiculous and needless soap opera that surrounded Jason Spezza earlier this summer and debate Murray's role in it. If you were one of the 5 people who went to the "LEAVE JASON ALONE!!!" rally on Parliament Hill, you may want to skip this part.
We follow that up with some various topics such as the Marc Savard rumours, the fail of the year for the NHL and the HHOF and our favourite part of this show, the full retard move of the off season! We giggle endlessly at some of the incomprehensible deals some GM's have made since the summer started and we need your help in deciding who went fullest retard. Listen up and send us your opinions.
And finally, we ask you, the listeners, to help us design our Sens Underground T-shirts for Season 6. We'd love to hear your suggestions for the slogan that will be used on said shirts and will become the rallying cry for SU next season. The winner will get something really, really cool. Don't ask us what yet but you trust us, right?
Ok, that's it until the fall. Enjoy the show and stay cool! Thanks for listening!
P.S. Oh, and of course we find some time to make fun of the Leafs but you probably guessed that already.
]]>2 things seems obvious after watching the "tryout" ...
The Ottawa Senators have officially announced the signing of Roman Wick. This has to be the worst kept secret in the history of the organization.
Not sure what the delay was here but it's good to see the team make it official.
Murray seems to think Wick is a legitimate candidate to crack the NHL roster. He will be given an opportunity to prove himself at camp and will apparently get a chance to play with skilled guys and show what he can do.
It's a one year, two-way contract.
Murray also spoke briefly to the media about the status of the remaining restricted free agents. He says conversations are on-going at this point with all three guys and expects to be in contact with all three in the coming weeks.
Our prized free agent signing will don #55 this season and noted how excited he is to see fans fill the Rink!
SensTV uploaded the feed ...
]]>Season 6 ... holy crap! Well I figure its time to make SensUnderground gear! So we want ideas for what to put on 'em!
I have some ideas on what I wanna do ... but I was thinking it would be cool to have y'all suggest some ideas.
So mes petite marmotte d'amérique ... whats a go
od slogan for the 2010/11 season 6 campaign?
1. Be Ur Reddererist!
2. Cock the Hammer?
3. Alfie eats Children!
4. Nieler really was worth the money
5. Russell is a cat tree!
6. "Whatever!"
7. Welcome to Ottawa ... a goalie graveyard!
8.
Come to the forums and give us some ideas!
http://www.sensunderground.com/forums/post/1163342
One Idea ...
]]>Hearing dates are not set, but the Sens have until the meetings start to get a contract done. Once the hearings are complete a ruling must be awarded within 48 hours, then Murray must decide if he will accept the deals or "Walk Away" leaving Campoli (which is likely) and or Regin to become free agents.
^ Peter Regin discusses how much he loves listening to the Sens Underground and how much of a sad sack joke the Toronto Leafs organization is.
Good luck Atrain! I will you well on Broadway or where ever you choose to get paid ...
Please Murray ... Sutton ... find a way to sign Sutton!!!!!!
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Sophia Donna was born June 8 around 11 p.m. at St. Joseph's Health Centre in Toronto aka Hell.
I'm really conflicted on this. On one hand, I really want him to stay on the team and be a productive part of it for years to come. He's a big point getter that you can't replace. But on the other hand, if he can't handle the pressure that comes with the big money and #1 centre spot, will he really ever be "the guy" who leads us anywhere? If a little booing is going to break him down, how would he ever deal with Chris Pronger in a 7 game series?
And by the way, contrary to what some internet types are saying, I believe that most of the criticism he has taken is warranted. He's a huge talent but that doesn't mean his faults don't exist. The complaints I've heard about him are true. You can't deny them and as fans, we have the right to express our feelings about him, good or bad. It's not like we haven't cheered him when his talent has shone and I don't remember him telling us to stop cheering. He has had many superb moments and has basked in the accompanying limelight. It goes both ways.
Jason, what's up. dude? Are you only happy when things are going well? Did you think 7 million dollars a year came without a price? Did you think it was all going to be easy? Are you going to bolt, like your buddy in San Jose did, whenever the going gets tough? Is that what a Stanley Cup champion is made of?
Or are you going to man up, show us that you have it in you and prove we were wrong about you?
How do you want to be remembered, Jason?
Would we be without knowledge of the golden gawd? ... Daigle stepping up and not giving Alfie the chance to be our captain? Maybe we would preaching the good word of Moulan Rougue?
For those you you wondering Daigle is still playing in the Swiss-A league for Langnau. He put up 7G and 17A in 25 games. I firmly believe that would it not be for the CAP he would still be in the NHL.
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Sorry we made you wait so long for the last show of season 5 but here it is. Seemed a little strange looking back at how the Sens bowed out to the Pens on the very same night Pittsburgh was gagging on a boat load of Halak. Hockey is a weird game sometimes.
This being the season ender, we of course look back at the final two games of the series:
Sens 4 - Pens 3 3rd OT
Pens 4 - Sens 3 OT
What a wringer they put us through in those last two contests. The game five, 3 OT win might have been one of the greatest Senators games of all time, led by an unlikely hero in Pascal Leclaire. To think that he could come in cold and pull a performance like that out of his ass after the season he had, well it was nothing short of awesome. And the boys gave it a hell of a run in game six too but they just came up short in OT.
Once the pain faded a little, it seems most Sens fans can look back at the year as a whole and see it as a good healing experience from the past few seasons that saw the franchise come so unglued. That is a success in our books. It was an up and down season for the Sens and the final series was much like the season as a whole. We talk at length on all these points and yes, Shredder gets his love for standing by Leclaire through it all but not without Russell poking him a few more times, just to spice up the show.
Also touched on are Clouston's coaching performance, Spezza's unhappiness with the fans and media, the possible future for Jason in Ottawa, some of the changes we are likely to see on this team coming up this summer, the injuries revealed by the team, the new standard in bad officiating being set this play-off season and a truckload of e-mails and voice mails from the Groundhogs. Oh, and a re-cap of the legendary weekend in NYC for Stooli's wedding.
Once again, we say to you from the bottom of our all-red hearts, thank you so much for being a part of our little world here in the Underground. Five seasons have come and gone since we first hatched this egg of ours and to see what it has grown into is truly amazing. Some of you have been with us since day one, some of you are new to the show. Either way, you have become friends to us and the podcast would be pointless without you. We put a lot of time and effort into the show and we are thrilled that you enjoy it and that's what keeps us going. If we helped to make your year following the Senators more entertaining, then that is reward enough. We can assure you, you make it better for us.
Until we meet again, SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM!
]]>I was going to write my year end blog/whine/recap, but we received a great e-mail this morning from Puddleduck, loyal and faithful listener-er to the show and this being a show "by the fans, for the fans", I decided to post his e-mail here on the home page for you all to enjoy. I think it represents the same feelings a lot of Sens fans are feeling this morning. Puddleduck, take it away...
"Hey gents,
It’s Sunday morning, and I’m still pissed. Don’t know what to do with this right now, so … just gotta talk it out, I guess.
Didn’t really have high expectations heading into this match-up with Pittsburgh, had a feeling that we weren’t going to go very deep with the injuries we had right off the get-go and our struggle’s to stay consistent. But oh, if LeClaire had been in net for the whole series and we had a full healthy roster … aahh, forget it. I’m just teasing Shredder at this point …
Not easy to be a Sens fan, is it? All year every article you read gives the team no credit, no matter how hard they work, no matter what they do. According to most mainstream sports media, winning streaks are just flash in the pan deals, losing streaks are when the real team is showing its true colors – feels like you just can’t win some days. Leafers are leafers, so you can’t really go by their hateful comments and vitriol – but the fact is that it’s not just them, it’s everyone. Every article about the series was geared to an easy and early Penguins victory, favored to repeat for the Cup. Sens actually dare to win game one, and the panic sets in – the story isn’t how well the Sens played off the start, but what’s wrong in Pittsburgh, can they fix it, don’t they know it’s just the Sens, you can’t LOSE to these people. No credit at all to a heavily injured team that came to play hard. The spin then becomes the Sens are the evil team trying to take a second Cup away from Sidney Crosby and co., the anointed ones. No matter how dirty and cheap the Pens play, they aren’t called on it; no matter how gritty and resilient the Sens play, they are still the villain. The coverage was slanted from the start to the finish, with every second article giving tips and encouragement to Pittsburgh to pull out of their slump. Add to that the officiating doing everything it can to kill any momentum you build (those time-outs for goal review killed us, in my opinion). Feels like we lost before we even started ... but we gave em’ hell in the meantime.
I’m proud of our Ottawa Senators team and what they did with what they had this year – everyone said that missing last year’s playoffs and losing Heatley was the death knell for our era and we couldn’t compete with the elite teams anymore. We proved them wrong and found other ways to win. I’m proud of each and every member of this team (well, Kovalev, eeerrr, ummm …) for what they brought to the table this year – this roster has potential galore and I look forward to seeing it healthy and ready to rock for next year …
I am still a proud fan of hockey and the Ottawa Senators – right now I am having trouble with being a National Hockey League fan. If this league does not review how the officiating is done and start making some changes, I may be done as a fan. I may have to save my emotional involvement for a sport with better officiating – fly-fishing for example. With a dozen different camera views and so much attention paid to every detail of the game, how can the number of bad and non calls keep piling up like this? True sport is about creating a level playing field, not what you can get away with. If the cheap shot artists and divers are the ones who are winning Cups and being touted as the heroes, what do you do with that? The refereeing system should be catching and punishing them at every opportunity, trying to bring some honor back to this sport – but it’s not. A day after my team is eliminated may be too soon to say, but I really don’t want to watch any more of the play-offs. I didn’t feel that way before the series started, but the bad taste in my mouth still lingers around this league’s officiating …
I still love the game. My son is starting to play now and that gives our family a good connection to it, but I’m starting to understand why some folks never came back after the lock-out …
Thanks to all three of you for the weekly podcast and the laughs … loved having the forums to vent and share the entire experience of this past year with the whole groundhog crew. Oh, and if I dropped a poem or two that really stank and/or offended someone … you’re welcome.
Next year, we’ll just have to be redder-er10 …
Cheers, Puddleduck"
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We're afraid the fat lady is about to sing. After taking game one and making us think maybe we had a chance against the Stanley Cup champs, reality has settled-in and it's all but over now. The champs are the champs and they are now looking like it. Full credit to the Sens for not rolling over and dying like we've seen in so many years past but it seems they are simply out-gunned in this fight. Consider the last 3 games:
Snes 1 - Pens 2
Pens 4 - Snes 2
Pens 7 - Snes 4
They almost stole 2 out of Spittsburgh and coming home it looked like we were in a great spot. However, they have been losing traction, little by little, mostly due to this Crosby guy that we think we heard the media mention once, maybe twice. There are other issues that have contributed to this precarious situation the Sens find themselves in and it all comes to a boil this episode as we go toe toe to toe on several issues including Spezza, our goalies (imagine), Spezza, the refs, Spezza, if the Pens are really that much better than the Sens, Spezza and Spezza. Jason may very well have coughed-up his last bit of good will with us as his dismal play in this series has been a huge factor in the 3-1 deficit the team finds itself.
Game talk does take up most of this show but a huge pile of your e-mails also take center stage this week, highlighted by two polar opposite examples of how to handle angry e-mailers. We also take a look at the major differences between these two teams and were they are on the development curve. Cloudy recounts of Stooli's bachelor party, a voice mail from Pittsburgh and we have a Jenna update for you. We do close out the show with an e-mail from listener Dan Posen who sums things up so well, we felt he deserved the closer's roll this week.
Enjoy the show. We fear there may be precious few left. Smoke 'em if you got 'em!
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And what a start it was! After 2 long years, the Sens returned to the play-offs and opened their series against the Penguins with an exciting win in a game that saw the teams trade goals back and forth all night. Every time it looked like one team was taking over the game, the other would score a big goal to turn the tide. But in the end, the good guys prevailed!
Sens 5 - Peng-u-ins 4
The third line was the factor that we anticipated they would be and Karlson the Apostle had a strong start to his play-off career. Two guys that do take some heat after this game are Spezza, who seemed to be indecisive all night, and Elliot. There is some disagreement on whether or not the Elliot abuse is warranted as he did win but some think the win was despite of him. As a matter of fact, there seemed to be a strange kind of vibe in this episode; call it a dark cloud on a sunny day.
We briefly skim over the last 2 games on the regular season but other than Alfie's 1000th game celebration, which we briefly discuss, who really cares? IT'S THE PLAY-OFFS, MAN!
Also discussed on this episode is the Floatalev injury and whether it really matters, the draft lottery, T(oronto)SN going full retard just minutes before the start of the post-season, the NHL showing absolutely NO respect to Sens fans, the winner of the regular season hockey pool and the restraining order being placed against Stooli.
They have a chance, folks! Just keep being red-er-er than ever-er before! Smoke 'em if you got 'em!
]]>It's time! Actually, it's past time so sorry about the late notice but let's do it! SU play-off pool 2010 
edition. Very simple: pick any 20 players, preferably those participating in the post-season (don't laugh, it's happens every year!). No goalies. Most points takes it all, whatever the all ends up being. Please get your teams into me by 7 pm Wednesday , April 14th. russell@sensunderground.com.
By the way, congrats to Joe Rocca for taking the title in the regular season pool with a narrow victory over Rob McNally, who's my brother-in-Law and wasn't allowed to win anyways, and Abu Dhabler who lead almost the whole season and failed miserably when it counted the most. (How very San Jose). We haven't decided what Joe gets yet but I guarantee it will be underwhelming.
Be Red-er-er!
Russell.
According to a report in the Ottawa Citizen, this coming Saturday will be proclaimed 'Daniel Afredsson Day' by the Mayor of Ottawa, Larry O'Brien.
Alfredsson, who played in his 1,000th career NHL game this past Tuesday, will also be honoured earlier in the day during the Senators final home game of the season against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Senators' 37-year old captain has 20 goals and 49 assists in his 14th season. Alfredsson has 375 goals and 615 assists in his career.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=317181
Pssst ... thanks TSN for finally reporting ANYTHING on Alfie!
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It must be play-off fever-er, or maybe the spring air but we just keep getting sillier and sillier every week. Unfortunately Ottawa Citizen sports writer and web editor James Gordon, our guest this week, gets caught right in the middle of it. Actually, it was kind of fun to do a goofy interview again like the old days, don't cha know! James got right into the spirit of it too, but he also brought it when we did get down to Sens business.
This week saw the Sens clinch a play-off spot, helping to erase the memory of last year's fail.
Canes 3 - Sens 4
Snes 1 - Isles 4
Sens 5 - Florida 2
After tying up 5th place, the Sens predictably came out flat against the Isles. So much so, we don't even bother to talk about it. Hey, we can throw them a mulligan on that one. The big story of the week, of course, was Alfie's 1,000th game against the Panthers. We sing his praise and question why others didn't, not that it should surprise us, right?
In Open Ice, we take a look into the near future and give thought to our possible 1st round match-ups. Devils or the Pens? Pick your poison with those two but we have our opinions on the pros and cons of both. We also take a look at the the phenomenon of the Sens losing too often to lesser teams and find there is some real proof to it. Another Sens signing, Kuba's surgery, Russell's rules with no exception, the News and possibly the most disturbing thing Stooli has ever said on the show.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em!
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With 3 more wins this week, everything seems to be headed in the right direction and at the right time for the the boys in red-er-er. And, if we do say so ourselves, we're picking up our games too as this episode features what may be one of the great all-time SU moments. In one of those glorious moments of inspiration that seem to fall out of the clear blue sky, we have a little something special for you that we think is going to be a staple of the Underground throughout the playoff run.
But enough patting ourselves on the back; look at the freakin' team:
Sens 4 - Slugs 2
Panthers 2 - Sens 3
Sens 5 - Caps 4 OT
Brian Elliot continued his unbeatable streak and even took the NHL 1st star honours for the week. Maybe Clouston is on to something? Say whatever you will about how the team has handled Leclaire, Elliot is giving them the stops they need. Question is, will it continue?
But it's not just the back-stopper, the whole team is throwing it into high gear now and stepping up for each other. Hell, even Kovalev found it in him to score a goal, his first point since the Olympics (but don't worry, it wasn't a slump). High praise goes out to many this week, including Alfie, Spezza, Karlson and the new scoring star, Regin! Put a guy with a Golden Gawd and a re-rejuvenated Spezza, next thing you know he's unstoppable! Of course, we touch on the 3 signings by the Snes this week too.
Then things get silly as we go over several topics including this year's new play-off slogan, the new name of the Real Sens Army, Stooli's new tattoo, the Don Cherry movie, the continued sucking of the Laffs, play-off talk, the News and e-mails.
Listen to this week's show right until the end. You do not want to miss what's waiting.
SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM!
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The roller coaster ride that is the Sens' 09-10 season continued this week as the boys sank deeper into the abyss to start, then came storming back with 2, count them, 2 straight impressive shut-outs:
Snes 3 - Thrashers 6
Snes 4 - Dallas 5
Sens 2 - Habs naught
Philly 0 - Sens 2
WHAT!? Where did that come from? We knew that they couldn't go on sucking and losing forever but don't tell me any of you thought that with all the goalie and defensive woes of late that we could throw two consecutive no-hitters. Elliot seems to be back in a groove as the team finally had a goalie give them the saves they needed when they needed them. The question is, how long will the bubble last this time?
All this, of course, leads us to more talk about the state of the goalie situation in Ottawa. You might guess that there is some varying opinions on how its been handled. That's nothing new for the Underground but would you believe even management has admitted that the ball might have been dropped? We discuss an interview assistant GM Tim Murray did with Doug Maclean where this very topic was raised.
Also on the burner this week, the new head shot rule (and no this has nothing to do with Kelly), Milan Mich-ach-chewalaka-hech's knee injury, a belated nod to the Women's gold medal and their rockin' celebration, Sean Flynn rocks, some Sutton love, e-mails, News, and a new anthem for the Groundhogs.
Please enjoy responsibly.
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This week we are joined by Rogers Sportsnet's Hockey Central host and former NHL gm and coach, Doug MacLean. We approached this interview not really knowing what to expect. Doug is one of those polarizing figures in hockey. People like this, however, generally give the best interviews as they have strong opinions. His chat with us was no exception. It was great and we think you're gonna love it. Our favourite part was before we started recording, Doug said, "What is this, anyways?"
And then, the bad news; the week that was for the Sens:
Snes 0 - Calgary 2
Snes 1 - Canooks 5
Leaks 4 - Snes 1
Ok, they did NOT just lose again to those idiots! Oh, yes they did!! How, we have no idea. It's just so inexplicable how the team that went on that run before the Olympics looks so bad now and could lose to a team as pathetic as the Laffs twice in two weeks. It's down-right humiliating, we tell ya! And we do.
Also on the menu tonight, we discuss Ovechkin and his on-going battle with the Law in the NHL, Steve Downie's ongoing battle with his brain and Michael Lansberg's leaf-tarded hatred of all things Sens.
E-mails, boxers shorts, News, brews...you know the drill.
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After our self-imposed two week Olympic break, we return to the Underground. As you may have noticed, there were a few things that happened while we were away. We skipped right over all those and went straight to the bodily functions sounds.
Ok, so maybe we did spend a little time talking Sens, starting with their four games since the Olympics:
Rangers 4 - Snes 1
Canes (not Chelios') 4 - Snes 1
Retards 2 - Sickly Snes 1 SO
Healthy Snes 4 - Oilers 1
Not the greatest of starts for the Snes after the break, something we were worried about, losing the momentum they had. Then, throw a flu in on top of it against the dirty ones and you have a pretty disappointing week. However, once healthy they seemed to be in fine form when they drilled the Oilers.
Many story lines emerged from these four games and they get a lot of air time this week. Sutton's arrival at the trade deadline and his immediate impact on the team and with the fans, has everyone cheering for Murray. However, what does this mean to the still unsigned A-train? And what would a week in Ottawa and in the Underground be without a good ol' goalie debate. Clouston sure gave us fodder to chew on this week with some very controversial decisions regarding his puck blockers. Is he playing with fire or just pushing all the right buttons?
Brian Lee was signed to a new contract and like many of you, we wonder why. We also discuss what is going through the heads of NHL players, besides elbows and shoulders. As for Colin Campbell, he's nothing if not consistent... consistently moronic.
Would it surprise you to hear we might have opinions on the Olympics? Likely no and we do! We tell you what we all thought of the "Tournament of a Generation!"
E-mails, voice mails, News and rudeness. It's great to be back. It's like scoring in OT to win a gold medal! Sorry, our Yankee listeners. Better luck next time.
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I'll save you all a piece. It might be a good idea to mention that I'll be following Russell's example and tying the knot later this month. Wish me luck Groundhogs!
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For the next 2 weeks, we switch our allegiances from our home town to our country. Before we head off on our break to watch the Canadians bring home the gold, where it belongs, we bring you one last show to catch you up on all the big news out of Ottawa this week, including:
Caps 5 - Sens 6
Sens 1 - Detroit 4
Sens 4 - Isles 3
After going toe-to-toe with the Mighty Capitals and coming out on top, the Sens went on to 2 sub-par performances but managed to get one win out of it. Let's mark it up to looking forward to the O-break. The important thing is they finished on a positive note.
There was lots of news off the ice this week as Murray had his option year picked up and signed on to be GM for at least one more year and this sparked a very well thought-out, intelligent, cohesive discussion. WE KNOW! We were surprised too!
Murray then went on to dispose of PEE-card and a 2nd rounder to, who else, Carolina for versatile veteran Matt Cullen. We all agree this was a solid move but we all also agree it must be leading to at least one more deal for a D-man. The question is, what type of D-man will Murray get and who might be packaged to bring him in? The future of poor ol' Cheech is also discussed as well as the likely plans for A-train.
Of course, we speak of the Olympics, the SU get together from last weekend (where we raised $270 for the Rene Faucher Fund), enjoyed some Beau's and made some new friends with the ground hogs. Stooli has the News, we have an e-mail and another voice mail from a British listener who sounds suspiciously like an old jewish woman from Florida.
Hockey Poolies, don't forget to get your subs in to Russell before the end of the Olympic break!
See you in two weeks. GO CANADA GOLD!
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Seems like we couldn't stay on one subject tonight. This show was swinging back and forth like a banana hammock, something that Russell had his fill of down in Punta Cana. When will you Euros ever learn?
Yes, Russell is back this week, just in time to see the winning streak come to an end in sucky fashion to the Leaftards. But there were 2 other games in there worth talking about:
Coconuts 1 - Sens 3
Sens 0 - Leafs 5 (huh?!)
Flames 2 - Sens 3
Go figure they knock off some of the best teams in the league for a month then lose to the doormats. It always sucks to fall to those fools but there is a silver lining to the loss. We explain.
Of course, the Olympics are a topic this week and we look at who scares us, what to do about Getzlaf and why we're suddenly pumped-up about the coming games.
We also discuss the Kovalchuk and Lehtonen trades, Ovechkin destroying Hal Gill, another Ray Emery incident, an update on the Sens Underground get-together this weekend, StooLi reads the News and we have your e-mails.
Look at all the good stuff we give you, just not in an organized fashion this week! Sometimes we get distracted by the pretty colours.
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Russell is away on his PIGMAN honeymoon and StooLi did WHAT?
Holy crap we are on a 10 game win streak and Jason Spezza is the teams GO TO guy? Who’s freaking Ottawa Senators are we watching?
Shredder and StooLi mourn the loss of Dion and as always ramble on over the Spezza goal streak, the Cowan Signing, Karlsons new Jesus status and as always the non-goalie . Oh yeah and the 3 wins this week
Sens 4 – Pittsburg 1
Montreal 2 – Sens 3
Sens 4 – Buffalo 2
Ya BABY 10 in a ROW! Bring it Vancouver, the Leafs suck!
One has to wonder what Russell is doing right now? Hmmmmmm
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A 7 game winning streak, the team is more or less healthy, all the pieces are in place and everything is clicking. These are fine times to be a Sens fan.
So in honour of that, we have as our guest this week someone who represents what may be the best group of Sens fans out; the Real Sens Army. A gentleman by the name of Michael, a member of RSA, joins us this week and he has an interesting story to tell about his group and their adventures at Sens games. You're gonna love what these guys are doing and what they're all about. It is also a nice trip back, for us, to our roots as supporters of the Senators fans internet community. The Underground and RSA just belong together!
As for the team themselves, another fantastic week of three more wins:
St.Louis 2 - Sens 3
Sens 2 - Boston 1
Devils 0 - Sens 3
Not only do they keep on knocking off the teams that have traditionally given them a hard time, they are chasing the best goalies in the league from their crease! Marty Brodeur was the latest victim of this revitalized Sens team, joining Pillsbury dough boy Thomas on the pine-polishing list. Quick! Someone throw us another sucka!
Good moods all around tonight but that didn't stop us from getting into a heated debate about, go figure, goaltending. Only on the Underground can you disagree on a goalie that has 5 straight wins, a goals against in those games of 1.00 and was the NHL's 1st star of the week but Elliot's stellar performance of late is still a hot topic. You'll love this one.
Other topics in tonight's Open Ice segment include A-train and his impending UFA status. Cormier's suspension by the QHL, the Vancouver-CBC rumble, what to do with Winchester when he's healthy, why the injuries to our star players may well be a blessing in disguise, possible moves by the Sens at the trade deadline and a look at some stats for the last decade and where the Sens figure in them.
We read a ton of your e-mails and play a couple of voice mails, one of which just might be the funniest we've ever received. Finally, we reveal more details about the upcoming Sens Underground get together on February 13th. Don't miss it!
Russell will be away next week on his honeymoon, soaking up the sun. While he's doing that, all you Sens fans should sit back and soak up the good vibes this winning streak has brought to Ottawa. It's been a long time since the team has looked this good and you fans deserve to enjoy every moment of it. Bask, we say, bask!!!
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Listen, we have no idea anymore what to expect from the Sens. Last week the play-offs looked like they were in serious jeopardy. This week, the sky's the limit! Last week, no goalies. This week, maybe too many! It's enough to drive a podcast to drink!
Things look a whole lot better this week after 4 shocking victories against some very strong competition:
Sens 2 - Rangers 0
Sens 4 - Habs 2
Sens 5 - Tim Thomas 1
Chicago 1 - Sens 4
WHAT??!! WHAT!!?? You really expect us to believe any of you saw that coming? Four straight wins, including the Bruins and Thomas AND Chicago? That's craaaaazy talk I tell ya! But it really did happen! So, the question this week is why? There seems to be some disagreement about what was the true reason for the revival. Was it the return of the Golden Gawd Alfie? Was it the sudden emergence of solid goaltending, including that of new star on the block, Mike Brodeur? Did the team just finally pull it together or was it a little of everything?
So much love to spread around this week. Alfie's return was nothing short of golden as his 6 point in 2 games demonstrated. Brodeur and Elliot showed us why hockey is all about goaltending. Karlson continues to dazzle, Neil was a force, Fisher is back on the score board, it goes on and on. The team is getting healthy again but that means players who have contributed are going to have to sit. We discuss the good and the bad of the return of the wounded and who may have to take a seat upstairs.
In Open Ice, we discuss the Sutton and Cormier hits, Mike Peca, Ron McLean's fall from grace, read your e-mails (badly) and defend our honour. Stooli, as always, has his News segment.
Isn't it good to smile again, groundhogs?
This one is for Spike. What a sweetheart he was.
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That's the horrible, lingering thought on every Sens fans' mind this week; are the play-offs slipping away on us? Death by a thousand cuts seems to best describe what's happening to the team right now as everything that could go wrong, is going wrong, be it injuries, bad luck, bad play or unreliable goaltending.
Ah, there's the big topic of the week: goalies. You can say things may be different if not for (fill in the blank) but the "fact of the matter is" nothing is going to save the season except... well... SAVES!
This week has been a complete and total disaster for the Sens:
Sens 2 - Caps 5
Sens 0 - Panthers 3
Sens 1 - Canes 4
Sens 1 - Atlanta 6
For those of you counting at home, in the last 3 games, the Sens have been out-scored 13-2 by eastern bottom feeders. Those were the easy games. YIKES!
The goaltending problems hit critical mass this week as the softies kept pouring in. Ultimately, it cost Eli Wilson his job, as we speculated it might in our last show. We discuss the ramifications of this move and what the chances are that it might actually help.
Like everyone else, we watched the Burrows-Auger drama play out this week with more than a passing interest. As you know, reffing is always a sore spot with us at the Underground and we feel this incident had the potential to be a real landmark moment for the league. We express our thoughts on the less than shocking outcome of the whole affair. It also leads us into a deeper conversation on the entire culture of the NHL. Also discussed is the potential for some veterans to see themselves as trade bait should this ship continue to sink.
Stooli has the News, we read your e-mails, play a voice-mail and announce an upcoming Sens Underground get-together with the Groundhogs. You'll want to tune in to get the info on that!
Until then, tune into this episode. You'll love it, trust us! Have we ever lied to you?
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Happy new year!
Long time friend of the Underground, Ian Mendes of Sportsnet, joins us this week for the first time this season. Lots of fun in this interview as we cover various topics including goaltending, the first half of the season and the locker room, not to mention Carrie's effects on Fish. (Ok, that last part was our doing)
We cover 4 games this week:
Avalanche 4 - Sens 3
Isles 2 - Sens 3 SO
Philly 4 - Sens 7
Bruins 4 - Sens 1
Some totally unexpected stuff this week (Philly) and some not-so unexpected (losing to the Bruins). Kovalev had the game of his career against Philly and as you might expect, it sparked some debate this week about our various perceptions of his impact on the team as a whole.
As always at this time of year, the World Juniors put on a show and we discuss the Canadian's oh-so-close finish to the States. An annual classic, this year was no exception however the NHL's scheduling dept. needs to put some thought into games on the same night as the finals. We share our thoughts on this brilliant spectacle.
Also up for debate this week are Eli Wilson and suspect net minding on his watch, the immergence of Chris Kelly as the most popular Senator in the Underground, a People are Stoopid segment, Stooli's News and your e-mails.
Beau's in your hands, Bawls in your mouths and monkeys on the ice! Damn, this is a show you need to hear!
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We'll say that now and get it out of the way because there's not a whole lot of joy in this episode. Who can feel good when Alfie is out for a month? "Ain't no sunshine when he's gone..." sing it with us...
Yes, these are dark days for the Sens but there is some good news in the Underground as Stooli makes his triumphant return to the show. During this episode we recap 6 freakin' games:
Sens 2 - NJ 4
Wild 1 - Ar-Sens-nists 4
Boston 2 - Sens 0
Sens 2 - Pens 8
Sens 3 - Slugs 2 SO
Habs 2 - Sens 4
As you might suspect, the Pittsburgh game is the one that gets the most air time this show. We go on and on about the hit on Alfie, the reffing and the shameful lack of response by the team after the hit. This topic spun out of control and even ended-up touching on the the fact that no one ever seems to stand up for Alfie and what this might say about him and his teammates.
We somehow got on to the old topic of Chara and his departure from Ottawa. Amazing how this is still such a worthy discussion for Sens fans. God, we miss him. Also, bad news for those of you sick of the "refs suck" debate. We really lay into them this week but they deserve every last bit of it!
In the Open Ice segment, Russell gets confused about attendance issues and bails out, we call on you to help us determine if drunken, obnoxious fans are mainly the visiting team's fans and, of course, we take a quick look at the Olympic selections. And, the News returns with Stooli.
Have a safe and crazy new years, Groundhogs!
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Some sad news this week. Stooli's father has passed away. It was expected but it's been a difficult time for him. Our thoughts are with him and his family this week as he is understandably absent.
The show must go on, they say, and we do our best to inform and amuse you this week. After a little holiday silliness to open the show, we cover 4 games for you:
Sens 2 - Philly 0
Canes 1 - Sens 4
Sens 2 - Knuckle Draggers 3
Slugs 0 - Sen 2
So, only one loss but it had to be against those knot-heads down the highway. Elliot throws two shut-outs this week but has his worst effort in the one game we reeeeeeeally wanted them to win. Oh well, life ain't fair. Just ask Coulton Orr (snicker).
The injury bug was in town this week and took out two forwards, Foligno and Spezza. We discuss the ramifications of these losses and how things may not be as bad as they seem.
Other topics this week include refs going full retard, head shots and CBC's Hot Stove segment. We check in with the e-mailers and voice mailers, give a plug to a loyal listener and give you our weekly Tiger update.
This is the last show until after Christmas for us. Next week we take some time to heal physically and spiritually. We want to wish you all the best of the season. We will see you all the week after Christmas to talk some Sens and World Juniors!
Have a cool yule.
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