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!

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.

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



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!!!

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.

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?

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!

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!

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.

No, it's going to take more than soft, little snowflakes to explain the money Eugene Dangerfield is wasting on these two and by his comments in the press this week, he's getting a little tired of scratching those ginormous cheques for nothing. Can you blame him? Look at the results from the last week that he has to show for his investment:

Sens 2 - Coyotes 3
Sens 4 - Duck 3 (SO)
Habs 4 - Sens 1

No, you can never blame a loss strictly on one or two guys but you can certainly point to them as the main culprits in the no-show departments. The piling on of Spezza and Kovatard this week is excessive but they have run out of mulligans as far as the Underground is concerned. A look at some stats and a few dumb-ass comments by the "One Who Floats" only fires up our rage.

Murray also lets loose with some heavy handed criticism this week... which was very surprising but very true. We just wonder if it is productive or not? Whatever, we like it!

We take a look this week at a disturbing lack of depth in the organization as far as future star forwards go. Maybe not right now, but this could be a big problem in the not so distant future.

While we're star bashing this week, we throw in a little Tiger spanking (but he'd probably like that!), StooLi reveals his new infatuation, your e-mails and a some other truly useless time fillers.

Stay out of the snowbanks and enjoy the show.

Thanks to some handy connections, we have struck an arrangement for Beau's Beer, a local brewery from Vankleek Hill, Ontario, to be the official beer supplier of the Sens Underground. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship and we hope something we can grow into all sorts of cool things in the future.

Now, on to hockey. The Sens took off for the west coast this week and we cover 4 games:

Columbus 1 - Sens 2
Sens 3 - Bruins 4 (SO)
Sens 2 - Doucher's Sharks 5
Sens 3 - Kings 6

If you just go by the results, things don't look so good but over all, there were a lot of good things the Sens did this week. Unfortunately, they undid many of them too. Spotty defense, more bad penalties and some more no-shows from important players cost them some games they could have won.

Who were these no-shows? The main targets this week were Kuba, Elliot, Floatalev and, once again, Spezza. Some of these players could be defended but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone with much good to say about Jason this week. It looks like his back is really holding him, well, back but does that explain it all? And if so, should he really be playing? This is a major topic in this episode. So is Elliot and Clouston's public criticism of his play. Was this the right move by the coach? We discuss.

Clouston also made headlines this week by benching Foligno but many question if it was the right choice. We are no different but is there a motive to his madness?

There is praise this week too. Michalek's stock continues to rise, as does Fisher's. Philips had a great week too. Cheech is looking better and so is Shannon. We also discuss the return of Karlson to the line-up.

In Open Ice, we discuss grumblings from our listeners about a certain past Underground guest who has been rubbing some folks the wrong way. Then we go through a plethora of e-mails and voice mails. You guys rock!

Once again, we are without Stooli as he continues to support his ailing Father. Hopefully, he will re-join us next week.

Until then, please visit Beau's website to find the nearest watering hole that has it on tap. If they don't, ask them why the hell not! Tell 'em the Underground sent you.

Kicking the crap out of three top contenders in your conference rocks. Losing a whole bunch of players to stupid injuries sucks. And not having Stooli along for the ride this week also sucks. But being third in the conference is cool!

Shredder and Russell go at it alone this week, as crazy a week as you're likely to see this year. First of all, who'd have thunk that the Sens would be able to find that elusive top gear at just the right time:

Pens 2 - Sens 6
Buffalo 3 - Sens 5
Capitals 3 - Sens 4 OT
Sens 1 - Devils 3

For a team that was struggling to beat bottom feeders, they sure pulled it all together at the right time. A dominating win against the cup champions, a convincing victory over the slugs and then a miraculous come-back overtime win over the Capitals had Sens fans smiling and believing again. Yeah, there was the Devils thing but that was after the Gods became angry. 

You really have to think sometimes this team is cursed, at least as far as goalies are concerned. We finally find a solid, dependable starting goalie, one smart enough to sit out and rest a marginal injury and POW! Right in the kisser! A month without Pascal has us debating what the Sens' chances are over this next tough stretch with Elliot leading the way.

Injuries also struck down several other Sens this week. Poor old Donovan, that's just not fair. He gets his chance, makes the most of it and now he's gone long-term with a terrible knee injury. That's just wrong, we tell ya. Then Fisher, talk about a guy who has everything going for him, missing games with a fluke injury in practice. Tonight, Neil, who has been stellar, joins the list of wounded. For the record, THIS SUCKS and is a major topic this week. 

We take a look at how the Sens are doing, stats-wise at the quarter-pole in Open Ice and find that it's actually pretty impressive in most areas. An impromptu discussion about the struggles of Jason Spezza leads to some brillaint insight and some Underground conspiracy theories. We received lots of e-mail this we and we butcher almost all of them (We strive for consistency!). A couple of voice-mails and a teaser about a big announcement coming next week. And a look ahead at the week to come including the anticipated return of A-Train and the Sens only game this season vs Dany Doucher.

It's gonna rock!

Stooli is back, so are Russell and Shredder (at least in the sense of sobriety) and the Sens beat the Leafs. Yes, everything is as it should be.

As we settled back into our regular format this week, cursing at U-Stream all the way, we have but one game to cover in this show:

Laffs 2 - Sens 3

Yes, any win is a good win, especially over these knobs, but we can't say we were thrilled with how difficult it was. This was a game where the boys needed an incredible bounce back game from Leclaire just to barely scrape past the Clowns from Smogtown. However, what it lacked in beauty, it made up for in entertainment as a little of the old hatred snuck back in this week. We discuss the fights, the goals, Fisher's continued excellence and the sub-par play of Alfie and Spezza, amongst others (We smell injuries here). Enjoy it now folks, there are some real good teams coming to town and as we discuss, there may be a tough road ahead.

Before we totally dismiss the hated ones, we must have the mandatory conversation about their idiot fans and their tired act in our barn. They have become such an enema to us that it now appears they are having an adverse effect on ticket sales.  And why are there so many young kids cheering for those losers? All topics we banter about.

We also take a quick look at Pierre McGuire's preview of the Olympic team and some surprises on the bubble, not to mention an outside chance that Mr. Underwood is making himself a darkhorse for a checker's role.

You responded to our call for listener feedback with many emails and voice mails. Well done, Groundhogs! Top it all off with a visit from an old friend of the Underground, Stuntman Stu, public address announcer for the Ottawa Senators and local media dude. He has an interesting new charity idea in support of the Sens Foundation and he drops by to tell us about it. We, being the fine, outstanding citizens that we are, are more than happy to help him promote his cause.

Hope you enjoy the show. Cheers!

Shredder and Russell hit the town Saturday with their friend Howie and several hours later, Shredder decided it would be a great idea to record themselves after many hours staggering up and down Elgin St. in Ottawa. For better or for worse, this is the result.

Now, we know this is not going to impress many of you but you have to understand, after an uncountable number of Florida Track Suits, we... don't... care. 

We cover one stinking game:

N.Y.Rangers 2 - Sens 1 (SO)

Yes, we babble our way through a recap of this afternoon's game and all things considered, we think we did pretty well. But the majority of the show is really talking about our debauchery and ill-will towards the losers we encountered this night. You know, being married is really a good thing, all considered.

Disclaimer: excessive consumption of alcohol is a bad thing and we do not condone it. Ever. Under any circumstances. Especially when you are recording for the world to hear.

Cougars, Cougars, rah rah rah!!!

This is the first show this year that we have actually had a lot of hockey to talk about:

Tampa 2 - Sens 3 OT
Devils 3 - Sens 2
Oilers 3 - Sens 4 Shoot out
Sens 1 - Philly 5

It was a pretty rocky week for the Sens. Certainly not their best display by far and a week that brought with it the first bit of controversy we've seen this year. And go figure, most of it is centered on our goaltending! What would the Sens be without some goalie debate? Russell and Shredder go toe to toe on Leclaire's recent struggles but he's not the only one getting heat this week. Kovatard has firmly planted himself in the doghouse with his continued indifferent play but he also raises a bigger question for Clouston: how does he handle this guy and not lose his new-found respect with the other players?

We also take a look at Murray's comments about looking for another player but we question if he's looking for the right guy? Do we really need another forward or should we be boosting up an obviously under-manned blue line?

Russell's had it with Ruutu and Shredder is still no fan of Kuba, and he might be gathering-up supporters for his cause. With A-train out, Kuba has not stepped up and that has certainly exposed the AHL-3. The Sens seem to have gotten themselves on the wrong side of the refs this year and this last batch of games sure has made it very evident that discipline is a problem. This seems surprising but there they are, bottom of the league. We rant away on this topic for awhile.

Russell takes shot at the News, we read your e-mails, congratulate a long time Groundhog for bringing a new listener to the show and we read a beautiful love note to Fisher from his love.

We'll be back to our regular schedule next Wednesday at 9 pm. And guess what? NO tech issues this week!!! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Oh, Scarface is on! Gotta go!

Enjoy.

Thanks. Leafs suck.

My little family has gone through a tuff time these past few days.  My wife and son got the flu (probably H1N1) last Friday and are just now finally getting over it.  On Sunday, it was my daughter's turn to get it and it finally hit me on Monday.

Although I am feeling much better today, I'm not really up to doing a show tonight.  Plus, it's probably best that we delay the show anyway and avoid the risk of passing on this nasty bug to StooLi and Russell.

Not sure yet when we'll record the next show but we'll aim to get it out by the end of the week sometime.  Will give everyone a heads-up for those of you who like to watch the live streams.

Thanks.

Episode 6 finds us half dead from various illnesses but there was NO WAY we weren't going to produce this week. Stooli and Russell are fresh off a night with Metallica and their concert review gets the show off to a rockin' start. Then Russell sings the praise of a new band from Winnipeg he caught over the weekend called Domenica (www.domenica.ca). When did this become a music podcast?

Fear not, there is Sens hockey to be heard this week. We cover both their games from the past 7 days:

Sens 2 - Tampa 5
Atlanta 3 - Sens 1

A couple more losses that may normally cause concern but we're gonna say that they had a lot to do with the injuries to Spezz and A-train. Not to say there weren't some things that had us staring blankly at our TV screens, namely more slow starts and the lack of anyone stepping up to fill in for Spezza. Some feel our wrath while others are praised. Anyone else sick of Tampa yet?

In the Open Ice segment we discuss Eugene's attempt at reclaiming his moolah from Dany Doucher, which leads into an epic rant between Stooli and Shredder that may take some time to make any sense out of, the disappointing play of Kovalev and Cheechoo, the missing link on Ottawa's defense and the massive suspension handed out by the OHL this week. Stooli's news, e-mails, Tylenol and chuckles. What else could you want from a podcast?

We felt much better about the show this week. We think we have a pretty good handle now on how to balance the live video feed and the podcast. It felt much more comfortable and smooth this time around and we're sure it's just going to get better and better and if we can ever get all the gear to work properly, there will be no stopping us! Once again, we want to say thanks to all of you for your patience as we learn to master this new endeavour.

Master? Master! Obey your master! Yeah yeahhhhhhhhYAH!

Also, I will be using the old set-up for recording the shows until the technical issues I'm experiencing on my new iMac are resolved.

I apologize once again for last week's lost episode... still pretty pissed about that!!

It is with great regret that we have to tell you we don't have a proper podcast for you this week. Shredder got himself a brand new fancy Mac, tested it out and it all ran fine...until we started to record. Turns out, there was a compatibility problem with some of our other gear and we lost the whole show. UGH!!! This has never happened to us in the 4+ years we've been at this and we feel terrible about it. You guys deserve our best effort and we pride ourselves in delivering but it was not meant to be this week.

HOWEVER!!! All is not lost. 1) We did manage to get the video stream working properly and 2) we managed to save a fantastic interview with former NHL star Ray Ferraro of TSN. (fromage alert!) Ferraro was a "Ray" of light in an otherwise frustrating evening. His candor and easy-going style is a perfect fit for the Underground and you'll love his comments on the Sens and Heatley, amongst other things. He also shares some interesting stories and tells us a few interesting facts about his playing days.

It's a real shame this happened because we had a lot of great topics and e-mails tonight but we shall persevere! We'll get this worked out. Shredder has been just busting his ass on this folks, and he'll hammer out the bugs for next week. Guaranteed! We thank all of you for your patience with us during our growing pains and a special thanks to all of you who hung out with us during the live stream. We know when it's all said and done, the Underground will be much better for it.  

Until next week, Leafs suck and the Sens won tonight! WOOHOO!!!

Ray Ferraro

A former NHL forward, Ray Ferraro brings a unique perspective to TSN's all-encompassing hockey coverage.

Prior to joining TSN in 2008, Ferraro worked as a game analyst on Edmonton Oilers telecasts for the past five years and as a studio analyst on ESPN's NHL2NITE. He also appeared as a studio analyst on the NHL on NBC and as an in-studio commentator for men's hockey during NBC's coverage of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Ferraro is also a regular on the TEAM 1040 radio station in Vancouver and Canucks TV.

Ferraro played for six teams during his 18-year NHL career (Hartford, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis), scoring 408 goals and 490 assists in 1,258 NHL regular season games played. He also played in 68 NHL playoff games, recording 21 goals and 22 assists.

First off, we just want to say thanks to the people who not only tuned in to watch the stream but also were very patient with us as we figured out what the glitch was that delayed us. You guys made it a lot of fun, interacting with us as the show went along. This is very much a work in progress but we can already see the possibilities, the fun we can have in future shows as we introduce more features. If you didn't get a chance to watch the live video feed this week, we invite you to join us each and every Wednesday at 8 pm. You can also join us in the chat provided. Judging by some of the posts and reactions this week, it's going to catch on big time with the show's listeners. 

As for the show itself, lots of great news to cover and some great discussions that get us going but the cool thing is, it's all about good stuff! First off, two wins for the Sens:

Tampa 1 - Ottawa 7 (Booyah!)
Ottawa 3 - Montreal 1

What a snot kicking that was on the Bolts, highlighted by Michalek's first ever hat trick (Dany Doucher who?). Follow that up with an entertaining win over the Habs where AK27 stepped up into spotlight and put it to his old team. Smiles all around the city this week as this new look Sens team seems to be falling right into the mold of the kind of team we've been craving in this town; good ol' hard working, honest hockey with everyone on board. NICE!

In the Open Ice segment, we give credit to an ex-Sen for getting it right, a new Sen gets credit for paying his dues, a long term Sen gets the accolades he deserves for his new attitude and a rookie Sen heats up some debate about his possible future. (Hey Josh, we know we were hard on you this week but you know we love ya, bro!). The Birdman Al Strachan has once again been set free by CBC and this news was well received by the Underground. Now, the suspicious details surrounding his release are up for debate but why look a gift dink in the mouth? Some other possible line up changes we may see shortly stirs debate and some interesting stat comparisons. 

Stooli has his News and we name our new Sens Underground Ambassador to the UK. Next week, we do our show while watching a Sens game. That has to be good for a least a few bleeps.

Enjoy.

Everything seemed so positive, nice kid (emphasis on kid and that's important), level headed but with a nice air of confidence/arrogance about him. You got the impression nothing much would phase him. We all knew he would be playing in Sweden for another year and out of sight and out of print he just seemed to get better and better in our heads.

Actually he was properly forgotten by most of the hockey media who kept on soiling their underwear (front and back) with thoughts of Luke Schenn who apparently is Bobby Orr, Superman and Jesus all rolled into one. Soon we found out that TSN stood for The Schenn Network (copywrite Russell I think) who believe that he is the future of hockey and that his crap doesn't stink. He also wins every fight, mainly because we never see the ones he loses - his winning tactic seems to be pulling his opponent onto the ice and then giving the refs the bambi eyes treatment so they step in and stop it before any actual fighting takes place.

The world juniors roll around and some of us got our first proper look at him and Jesus he was good. He was easily the best dman on Sweden's team and easily outstripped Hedman who was still thought of by some as a possible No1 pick in the upcoming draft. Young Erik was voted dman of the tournament and this got us REALLY excited.

Suddenly he goes from being our top defensive prospect to being, helped by a relatively static Ottawa Senators 08/09 blueline, our saviour. Don't worry that Chris Phillips is having a bad year, next year we'll have Karlsson; don't worry that Jason Smith hasn't got any knees, watch out for Erik; don't worry that Brendan Bell is one of our top 6 dmen, Karlsson will make him redundant - and while we are at let's take all of our other defensive prospects and younger dmen like Campoli, Picard and Lee and make them all immediate tradebait because next year all our worries will be gone because we'll have Erik Karlsson playing for us.

Reading through various sens related blogs and forums (including this one) there was hardly a desenting voice, Karlsson was going to be great. Right from the get-go. No doubts, no worries, no problem. Actually more like no chance.

Karlsson is 19 and I don't know what you guys were like at 19 but I know that I wasn't one of the best in the world at what I do, I also know that I wasn't regularly in direct competition at my place of work against a whole bunch of people more experienced than I and better than I. I also know that at 19 people generally were prepared to cut me a little slack. Karlsson has not had that luxury. I'm not saying that he's one of the best in the world but he could be. I'm not saying that he's the best puck moving dman in Ottawa, but he probably will be one day and that day might come around pretty soon.

Karlsson has now played 6 NHL games and is on pace for between 25-30 assists this year which would have put him 2nd on the list for the sens last year. But this doesn't seem good enough. There have already been articles in the Citizen and Sun saying he isn't good enough. His GM and Coach have already come out publicly and said he needs to improve which is something we can all see. The forums are quick to judge and apparently Karlsson sucks or he should be in Bingo or he's done or he's not anywhere near as good as we thought he was. How can we honestly judge him so quickly. Hopefully he doesn't go anywhere, he stays in Ottawa and gets to play alongside a dman that is more imposing and more physical than Chris Campoli. We all know how good Meszaros looked alongside Chara, well I reckon Karlsson will look even better alongside a dman that can do some of the dirty work for him.

With the puck everything looks great, he can pass we can all see that. Along the boards and against the forecheck he's less impressive, did anybody honestly expect anything else from him. My neighbour's dog weighs more than Karlsson for God's sake - so does my neighbour's wife but that's less amusing for my neighbour.

Let Karlsson settle and he'll end up being what we want him to be. Get on his back from the get go and he'll be bouncing around between here and Bingo and that won't do him a lot of good. Karlsson picked up an assist in last weeks demolition of Tampa - by the way did anybody notice how great Hedman looked in that game - i'll answer for you, no you didn't, all you noticed was when A-Train creamed him against the boards. You know why nobody noticed Hedman's greatness last week? It was because Hedman looked ordinary last week. Luke Schenn has looked less than ordinary all year and both of these players were picked far higher than our boy Erik. Karlsson can't fail - some of Alfie's Golden Godness will rub off on him but it's going to take some time and as fans of the Ottawa Senators we should give him that.

I'm writing this before the montreal game and regardless of whether Karlsson scores his first goal or gets a couple of assist or has a bit of a nightmare our expectations of him shouldn't change too much. We should give him that as well.

Ok, we all know Rome wasn't built in a day (though it was visited in a weekend!) but we got through it! Our first ever live video stream show is now in the books but not without some hiccups along the way. Hey, there was a lot to do, alright!?

Seriously though, we had a great time and for our first try, glitches aside, we're pretty happy with it. As we do more of these, we'll get smoother at it and we'll be adding more and more content to the video aspect that'll make it alot of fun. Thanks to all that joined us tonight and of course you can listen to the podcast to catch the first part where the sound was missing.

Ok, back to the hockey part. We did discuss three games for the Sens this week:

Isles 2 - Sens 3 OT
Thrashers 2 - Sens 4
Penguins 4 - Sens 1

We really only get to talk about two of these games, however, because as many of you were very upset about this week, CBC decided not to broadcast the Thrashers game. There was no lack of outrage, and rightly so, from Sens Army about this and we reflect your dissent.

We touch on the bombs that Theo Fleury unleashed on the hockey world this week and discuss what, if any, repercussions they will have. The total lack of respect the NHL has shown for the intelligence of the hockey fan about his accusations is unbelievable and we rant away about it. We all agree that it's just another black eye on the NHL on Buttman's watch.

The Leafs...ahhhh, the Leafs. What would we do without them? They bring us so much amusement and for a show in which we didn't have a ton to cover, they give us so much material! From Bagpipes to Wilson, from Kessel to what might have been had the TRADE OF THE CENTURY taken place, it's all just so easy! We also have several e-mails regarding last week's discussion of the Sens-Laffs rivalry. The News with Stooli, People are Stoopid and whatever else we do to fill dead air.

We hope this new experience catches on with you. If nothing else, it gives us a reason to get back to the gym and work out. Gotta look good when you're on the tube!

Starting this week, we will start streaming our episodes live.  Each weekly show will be recorded at 8:00 PM EST on Wednesdays where you can now tune in via uStream or directly from our site and watch us live as we record our podcasts. The page link to view our stream will be part of the header and will be visible first thing tomorrow morning.  There will be further instructions on that page.

You'll be able to chat with us live using uStream's chatting services which will also be available on our streaming page.  And of course, we'll be live on Twitter as well. 

Just so you know, the shows will not be recorded on uStream meaning a show will not be available for viewing after the live broadcast is over.  Not now anyway… once we've done a few shows and have gotten the hang of it, we'll start recording the shows and either make them available as video podcasts and/or keep them stored on our uStream channel for later viewing.

Please tune in if you can… your feedback is always appreciated (good or bad).

Some of the flapped-upon topics are as follows:

Sens 2 - Rangers 5

Sens 2 - Burkie's Bozos 1

So, the season is under way and though the Sens certainly don't look like giant killers yet, there are signs that this team could make some noise this year. Early results from the crease are all positive as Leclaire has lived up to his billing. The offence seems a little lost at the moment but that just seems to be a matter of time until it comes around. The D is still a work in progress as Philips and A-Train (the REAL monster!) have been stellar but the supporting cast has been inconsistent. Still early, no worries.

As with any game with the Leafs, this one generated all sorts of side topics, including comparisons of the Sens and Habs as rivals to the Laffs, over-excited fan bases, the power of the Golden Gawd and a tale of beavers in Smogtown.

Also on tap, the one and only Alex the Great gets some air time this week as we discuss his Olympic desires and the possibility he may be getting a little high on himself. The Olympics themselves get the once over and Russell prods Shredder on Ray Emery's hot start... just 'cuz.

Stooli is in with the first edition of the News this season and he gets called out by an American for his use of a certain term that is now banned from the show, along with a few others icky words. A rule with no exception, pregnant chicks, daughters and the fathers they drive nuts, generous amounts of Alfie love and Leaf hating. Stir and enjoy.

We are back with the first episode of season 5. Hope you all had a great off-season but it's time to polish off the iPods, fire-up iTunes, stock the beer fridge and join us for the next 6+ months of Undergrounding. We have new players to discuss, old players to curse, new groups of people to offend and we get to all of it in the season opener plus so much more.

We start off by recapping our summers (riveting stuff) then tell you about some of the things you can expect from the show this year. But of course, the meat of the show is all about the changes to the team and what we can expect from the boys this year. Michalek, Cheechoo, Heatley, Kovalev, Carkner, Regin, Karlson, Leclaire...holy crap! Talk about changes! And we do, but go figure even this wasn't enough to make Stooli happy. However, at least he's vowing to watch this year, if only for awhile anyways.

We also take a quick look at some other topics of note such as Matts Pumpkinhead's retirement, Theo Fleury's "comeback", The Phoenix debacle and the genius that is Bagpipes Burke and the Phil Kessel deal. In case you're wondering, we predict a season of suckage out of T.O. Shocked, are you? Your e-mails and a medical tip from Stooli that brings the show to a screeching halt.

It's good to be back behind the mics again and we look forward to hearing from all of you lifers and you new folks too.  For the first time in awhile, it can be argued that the Sens are looking up so we're looking forward to happier times in the Underground. Break out the Bawls and brush off your Leafs taunts; we're back on the air!

PS- Don't forget to get your hockey pool picks in asap!

Same rules apply as last year. Pick any 25 players, 2 spares, no goalies. 1 point for a goal, 1 for an assist, 1 for a short handed goal and 1 for a game winning goal. As with last year, you can only pick 5 of the top 10 scorers from last year.  But here's another twist for this season: since everyone will pick Crosby, Ovechkin and Malkin, they will be exempt. For you Leafs fans, that means don't pick them! (don't be the dumbass I have to e-mail and tell that you can't have them, pick someone else!) That should help make the teams a little more different from each other and create more movement. 

Here are the top 10 point getters from last season after the 3 you can't have. Remember, you can only pick 5 of these players:

1- Datsyuk 97
2- Parise 94
3- Kovalchuk 91
4- Getzlaf 91
5- Iginla 89
6- Marc Savard 88
7- Backstrom 88
8- Joe Thorton 86
9- Jeff Carter 84
10- Cammalleri 82

As always, there will be a re-draft at the All-star break, Olympic break this year, where you will be able to drop 2 players and sub in your two spares, if you wish. You will drop all the points of the player you replace and you will get all the points that your sub has to that point.

Please have your picks in to me before 7 pm, Thursday night, Oct. 1st. Russell@sensunderground.com. Winner will get to attend Stooli's next tattoo session. Ok, maybe we'll dig something else up for you too.

I will post the pool on www.officepools.com and send you the login info.

Good luck and let's see who has the bawls to pick Heatley!

The first episode of season 5 will be recorded this Wednesday night! We just had our pre-season meeting to hash things out and we have some really cool ideas that we hope to make happen this year. I won't go into too much detail just yet as I don't want to ruin the surprise. Plus we have to see if we can actually pull them off and if we can, how fast we can make them happen. What I will tell you is that if all goes as planned, you are all in for a lot of interesting new additions to the show. We'll go into more detail on the show this week.

Get your rants and raves in quick! I know you all have a million things you want to cover to kick off the year so bring it on! Emails or phone meassages, we take 'em all! It's going to be a barn burner, I can feel it!

Man, we miss you knuckleheads. Take a deep breath. Here we go again!

For the most part I’ve been hard pressed to remember a time when the prospects have pushed the current NHLer’s this hard. We all know that some previous administrations seemed to overlook the “new guys” during training camp, mistakenly relying on the ability to “trade up” to a better team if the one they chose didn’t work out.

Let’s try and forget how “good” this has worked in the past and focus on what the Senators have been doing the past few seasons...

The Senators have been building a future that, in my opinion, will be very exciting to watch and cheer for. A Senators team that is, essentially, being pushed from the bottom.

Pushing from the bottom - just like your younger days (or current days for you young folk) when you thought you were too tired to drag your Sled to the top of the hill for the 100^th time. You dropped the little pull cord into the snow and started pushing from the back, easily finishing the job of reaching the apex of that hill. Boy was that last ride sweet... it kind of made you want to push your way back up again. Most times your mother’s voice eliminated this thought, but I digress...

Here’s hoping that with the “new guys” pushing from the bottom the Senators can take us all back to that very special place where you felt that they, not only could, but would try and win every game that they played.

I’m content to watch this season with the eyes of a newborn Sens fan. I’m pressing the reset button when October 3^rd comes. What kind of state is your fan mentality in as this season approaches?

As I sit here on my porch, watching it rain for the first time in like two weeks on a day I booked off for vacation, enjoying a nice Gamay Noir, ( Thanks Tubby. Would not have even known what a Gamay Noir was if not for "THE BOOK") I'm still having a great day.  I feel even better about the trade than I did before after hearing an interview with the Sharks radio play by play guy, Dan Rusanowsky on the Team 1200 this afternoon. Kudos to Steve Lloyd and Jason York for  great interviews with him and with Brian Murray today.

Dan could not say enough about the character these players will bring to Ottawa, especially Cheechoo. The scoring he will add remains to be seen but Dan said that Cheech is an outstanding dressing room guy that can really bring the guys together and that Milan ( Chong?) is not far behind. For my money, that's worth so much more than Heatley's goals.

I am so pumped and optimistic about the season now.  I wanna rock!!!! ROCK!!!! neh neh neh-neh, neh nehhhhh!!!!

It's not often you see a trade of this magnitude and your initial reaction is simply one of relief! But that's the case with me right now. I'm just soooooooo happy it's done and over with.

Of course, as the season plays out we will all judge this trade to death but I think the most important part of this trade is the intangible part: clean slate. There is nothing more important, in my opinion, for the Sens this year than to put everything aside and just be a respectable hockey organization again. Over the last few years, we've gone from "model franchise" cup finalists to laughing stock, dysfunctional trailer trash. Nothing could be better for this team and it's fans than to be rid of this selfish doucher.

Now then, the trade itself. We knew all along Murray had a tough job to do, trading a very expensive player with a bad attitude and a trashed reputation. I think Murray did alright. He certainly held out as long as he absolutely could and I give him the Brass Bawls award for that, considering the incredible pressure he must have been under. It seems to me this trade must have been available to him many times this summer but he only took it when he knew there was nothing better to be had and with training camp beginning.

Michalek I like a lot. No problem with this guy at all. He's young and has lots of upside. He'll get you 25 goals and is apparently sound in all aspects of his game. A second round pick never hurts, either. Cheechoo is obviously the key to this deal and one I suspect Murray didn't really want but again, had no choice but to take. I heard someone, I believe it was Pierre McGuire but I could be wrong, say that the reason Cheechoo's numbers had dropped was because he has fought injuries and as a result had his role on the team changed. He was no longer looked to as the goal scorer. If this is true and he's healthy, and he can find some chemistry with Spezz, then maybe he can get back to a 30-40 goal guy. If he doesn't, we now have Kovalev.

And right there is another angle to this trade I really like. DEPTH!!! We FINALLY have some good scoring depth which has been an Achilles heal to this team for years. If Cheechoo can perform well we now have 2 killer scoring lines and of course the extra depth means our third and fourth lines will be that much better too.

And finally, certainly neither of these guys could be any more one dimensional than Heatley. For all his regular season goals, a guy who refuses to do anything other than stand completely still, with his stick cocked, will never be anything other than easily covered in the play-offs. Imagine what Zetterberg would do to him? He could shut Dany down in his sleep, something the Sharks are likely to discover in about 6 or 7 months. I don't see this trade helping the Sharks solve their play-off woes one bit.

In the short term, this trade may look like a win for the Sharks and as Dany (Isn't that how a girl spells Danny?) fills the net in the regular season, which I'm sure he will beside Thorton, we'll be tempted to think we may have been fleeced, especially if Cheechoo struggles. But I suspect that as we get into the spring, we may find that we now have what the Sens have needed for so long: not the better player, but the better team.

Heatley, you suck like a Leaf and I hate you for putting us through what you have, just when it looked like the team was finally coming around. I hope you blow out a knee right before the Olympics. And as Stooli would say, "Get the Hell outta heeeeryaaaah!!! Get the Hell outta heeeeryaaaah!!!"

Just listened to the fans conference call with Melnyk, Murray, LeClaire and Leeder - no real surprises and nothing dramatic happened, which is entirely what you'd expect I guess. Worth noticing that I got my invite 10 minutes after the call started so there may be other stuff out there.

BM was asked about the changing shape of the Eastern Conference - said Toronto want to be the toughest team in the league and you'll have to deal with that. Montreal have got quicker and more active but he doubts they will score more goals than last year. Boston are the same as last year with a great defence and even though Pittsburgh have lost a couple of players they have a good young core. The one team that surprised him are Tampa and he believes they will be much more competitive although he does wonder how they'll work with 28 or so one way contracts. He didn't go as far as to say the balance of power had shifted but that it was much more comparable now.

He said Ottawa has to get better and he believes they will be a very competitive hockey team and that they will "build on the fact they were much better organised in the 2nd half of last year". Clouston "lead the way", Believes they will score more goals and will be much better on the powerplay with Kovalev. He would like one more big body on the blueline but expects it to be better and more mobile than last year. Importantly he said that the goaltending is in better shape than it has been for many years with the devlopment of Elliott and the signing of PLC. There is "no doubt" in BM's mind that the team is playoff bound.

LeClaire was asked about his general fitness, said he'd been skating for about a month and whilst it felt weird for the first couple of weeks being in pads again he feels very good and is "pretty close to perfect". Had a good summer workout and is excited and ready to go.

The only Ottawa player from last year that had a question specifically about him was A Train. Caller was concerned that he's a UFA at the end of the year and with all the new dmen coming up does this mean the end of A Train as a Senator. Murray loves the A Train. He is a physical, good character and is a good guy in the room even though he doesn't say an awful lot and he loves Ottawa. In a cap world harsh decisions need to be made but they are looking at moving forward with A Train beyond the end of the season and they believe that is what Volchenkov wants as well. Just because we have a load of good dmen coming through doesn't mean the end of anyone because you can't have too many.

Speaking of good young dmen, Erik Karlsson will be given every chance to make the big team this year. Murray's belief is that he'll be at worst very close to the team. Karlsson has bulked up from 158 to 172 pounds but is never going to be a big player but he will be excellent on the powerplay and plays bigger than his size in terms of his shot - a fact PLC confirms. If Karlsson doesn't make the Sens roster it has been agreed that he will do whatever the Senators thinks is best for him, whether that is Bingo or Sweden. It's likely to be Bingo because Murray believes he'll be on the team or one of the first call ups. Leclaire said that in the practices that he has had with Karlsoon he comes across as very calm and confident and is always in control. Murray commented that the farm system is much stronger than it was 2 or 3 years ago and that there are 4 or 5 players slated to be in Bingo this year that can step in and help the big team if the need arises but he wouldn't name names. The important thing is that he and Clouston both believe that the best players will be the ones called on first.

One caller mentioned players that he felt we missed out on in free agency. He specifically mentioned Moen, Bertuzzi and Boynton as players that are cap friendly and could have helped. Murray ignored the later two but said that he liked Moen and always had done, he looked at him a year or so ago but he was tied up with the Ducks so they signed Ruutu who is a similar player. Murray admitted that after the signing of Kovalev and with being unable to move Heatley his hands are to a degree tied until he makes a couple of other moves because they are over the cap. He did bemoan the lack of flexibility but did say that he didn't want to make big changes from last year's roster. Apparently no GM likes big front loaded contracts but that's the world we live in. Same with NTC's,a lot of the time, if you don't offer them you don't get the player.

There was a quick mention about the coaching changes, impressed by the new HC of Bingo should be a hardworking coach. The new assistant Lauer was hired partly because Clouston feels very comfortable working with him and feels that he will compliment him well. Luke Richardson will be doing some work with the young defencemen but is currently coaching a girls team (i had no idea Wilson had been sacked in Toronto).

Cyril Leeder spoke a bit about a few things, apparently the parking situation is going to be much better this year and has been the number one non hockey related thing on the agenda this off season. Also they are looking at a new scoreboard within the next 5 years and when it becomes a fans priority it will become an organisation priority. He likes the new scoreboard in Montreal. Las Vegas has the Hockey Awards on a 3year contract, Ottawa will look to getr involved in the negotitaions next time round, but more energy is being put to trying to get an All Star game.

PLC was aksed what he is looking forward to any particular games. Obviously the CBJ game and he is looking forward to playing in Montreal but his focus is the Rangers game first up and then the first home game. He's not so focused on particular individual games he just wnats to get back playing again. He's changed his shirt number because it'a new team and a new start and went for 33 because of Patrick Roy.

That was about it. No real questions about Heatley although the conversation about NTC's started with a mention of disgruntled players. I decided not to go into too much detail regarding the question about George Parros' moustache, but they did say I don't think it's as bad as that dude's porntache from the underground - don't know what that meant.

A while ago I posted the first of my 5 questions that I thought faced the Ottawa Senators going into the new season, the blog was all about what we would get back for Heatley which has turned out to be a whole bunch of nothing so far. Of course the worst thing about Heatley not going anywhere is that all of my other key questions (except this one) revolved around the Senators POST Heatley. He has spoiled my blogging schedule the selfish bastige.

So the one question I had that isn't impacted on by the fact that Heatley, at this point in time, remains an Ottawa Senator is this - Have Ottawa finally found a legitimate number one Goalie?

This has, of course, been a key question for the organisation for a number of years. As many of you know I am not from Canadaland and therefore have not grown up with Hockey in the blood and have only been following the Senators since the 03/04 season. The first goaltender I ever watched play for Ottawa was Patrick Lalime - didn't end well. By all accounts, Lalime was a nice guy but had a tendancy to throw the puck into his own net from time to time.

Since then the baton has been handed to Hasek, Gerber and Emery. Hasek left it behind at his doctor's surgery, Gerber kept dropping it and Emery threw it away and then drove over it with his Hummer - twice.

Brian Elliott arrived from Binghamton on a pleading wave of desperation and hope and showed that he might be a goalie for the future, but he also might not be. He played well in patches but also displayed a worrying tendency to let soft goals in. Would anybody really have been comfortable or confident going into the season with an Auld/Elliott combination for this season?

Midway through last season there seemed to be questions everywhere for the organisation; no secondary scoring, no dman who could get the puck to a player wearing the same colour shirt as him and goaltending that couldn't find their arses in the dark with both hands, let alone a puck through a crowded crease. Say what you like about Murray, and I have my own issues with some of the contracts he has handed out since becoming GM, he has a good trading record and with everybody moaning about these three problems he went out and did something about them.

For those that doubt the ability of Brian Murray as a GM I would point to his draft record, but I would first ask you to consider the following three words, The Meszaros Trade.

To get rid of Vermette and a 2nd round pick for a legitimate number one goalie was a great deal. But you know what, he got rid of Vermette for a number 1 goalie AND a 2nd round pick which we used to pick up the best European goalie prospect in the draft. So even if Leclaire doesn't work out we have a second shot at goaltending. The trade and subsequent draft was a work of hockey magic.

Leclaire has credentials no doubt about it. He also has issues with injury, but the guy is only 26. At the end of his contract, a very reasonable contract, with Ottawa he'll be 28. Prime goaltending age. Elliott will still be in the system at about 1 million per year and we'll have an idea whether Robin Lehner is something worth keeping an eye on. There was criticism about the trade from a lot of quarters, but mostly from Leaf fans and we all know what they know. Let's be honest taking criticism from the fans of a team that took Gerber off our hands isn't really criticism, it's like a bald guy telling you that your comb isn't any good.

Immediately Leclaire will give our team real confidence in the goaltending. I don't care what the players say in public, but it must be so disheartening to be playing in front of somebody who is always one shot away from from letting in a softie. This confidence should allow our defensive play to be a little more considered. The urgency to get the puck out of our zone in an anywhere but here manner should be gone and with players like Campoli and the possible appearance of Erik Karlsson as an Ottawa Senator and the eventual emergence of Jared Cowen and Patrick Wiercioch we aren't going to be the easiest team in the NHL to forecheck anymore.

Yes Leclaire spent most of last year injured, but he spent most of the year before that collecting first star awards and shutouts. He has had operation after operation but he is now saying he is fully fit. As long as he hasn't had his skill muscle (copyright StooLi) removed he should be good to go. For the first time in a long time the Senators can go into games truly confident in their goaltending and we won't have to score 5 goals to win games.

Of course we won't know the answer to the key question until at the very earliest mid way through the season, but at least this year we can expect a positive answer when we ask it.

As you know, Stooli is now butt-naked in the South Pacific Ocean, so we call up Joe from Shredder's other podcast Talking Canadian to fill the chair. We didn't know he'd also fill the studio with methane but this is what you get when you don't scout well.

Dany Heatley is front and centre again, of course. This knob has become the most hated man in Ottawa and maybe all of hockey. But thanks to our guest this week, Dan Tencer from 630 CHED in Edmonton, we get a feel for what Oiler fans think about their potential new crybaby. Dan also talks a little Oiler hockey and says the one thing that we Undergrounders love the most.

Chris Neil was awarded for showing the spirit that Heatley never would, maybe a little too well, but we seem to have gotten over it. And of course, Murray caught us all off guard by scooping Alex Kovalev from the free agent pool. It's certainly a surprising move that is being received with mixed feelings in Sensland and we are no exception. Huge discussion about this and about what Murray may have left to do.

We look at the Sens' first pick in the entry draft, the one that Burke didn't steal, as well as weigh-in on the moves other Canadian teams made. And finally, Russell professes his new man crush on Jason Spezza.

Your e-mails round out the show and likely the end of season 4. It's been another wild year with no shortage of drama. We can only hope that next season all the news about the Sens will be of the positive type. In any case, we will be back to do your bidding as the voice of you, the fans of the Ottawa Senators. We love you guys, man! Wanna hug it out?

It was a great run to the cup, maybe the best in years and as feared a few season’s back, the Penguins are now top dogs and may remain there for year’s to come. Will the Sens ever be able to reach the level of play and commitment the champs showed in winning the Grail? This is a heated topic in this show.

But as you can imagine, the real heat is on Dany Heatley, who as you all know, has demanded a trade from our beloved team. It’s a very shocking and confusing issue that Dany doesn’t seem to want to shed any light on. Was it really all about his ice time and Clouston? Or maybe he’s just mad Murray didn’t throw in another “N” for his name in his last contract. Hey, that makes about as much sense as his demands do. Regardless, we pile on him like everyone else has and take a look at what this team may look like after Murray works another Jedi mind trick on some poor fool GM. Remember Meszawful and Vermette?

We shoot it about the draft, our unsigned players, ex-Sens in the News, Roy Mlakar is an ex-Sen (karma), the dismal performance of the refs in the post-season and the soap opera of the Yotes and Balsillie.

We missed all you knuckle-heads and we’re happy to be back at it, if only for now. But with the draft, the free agency season and the likely shuffling of several Sens out of town, we’re sure we’ll be back in just a few weeks with more to flap about. Hey, it’s Canada... it’s always ok to talk hockey. Now go tan your pasty white asses!

Leafs suck!