Call it the February blahs, the NHL season's dog days, whatever. Right now, everything is going wrong. And if you think it's frustrating for us as fans, imagine how the Stache feels? The poor guy has tried every line combination known to man to find a spark but nothing has worked. Just check the results:

Isles 2- Sens 1

Screaming Trees 5 - Sens 0 ( ouch!)

Blues 3 - Sens 1

Remember when the Sens were scoring like crazy and were one of the most offensively potent teams in the league? Yeah, seems like a long time ago. With the team now in danger of falling out of a play-off spot, we try to give some insight into what has gone wrong and what some of the answers may be. It's a lot of speculation and grasping at draws but we do our best. 

We're actually a lot like the team this week - out of sorts. We even break format and "go commando", pretty much abandoning our regular format and just free-stylin'. Its like a thread we keep pulling and the whole thing keeps coming unravelled. Who knows, maybe we're better like this.

Aside from moping, we do touch on several other topics, including douche bag leafers, the parking nightmare at SBP, Clockgate in L.A., and what would a week be without our old friend Brian Burke showing up in the press, butting heads with someone or other. We read an e-mail from a long-time Groundhog and possibly put a stake through the heart of the weekly poll question.

Ok, come on guys, let's get back to some winning!

REFS!!! YOU SUCK WORSE THAN A PROSTATE EXAM!!!!

Seriously, what's left to say? Lots, apparently. Of course, it will all be passed off as just "whiney Sens fans" but we ask the question this week: when does it become more than just whining? How many times do you see it with your own eyes and simply shrug it off? When does the very integrity of the game come into question? Did Maclean handle it the right way? If you don't like ref talk, best skip this section of the show.

On the other hand, there was a lot of good stuff to be had this week, if you are a Sens fan. The All-Star weekend was a roaring success, with all the Alfie love you could ever want. Finally, the rest of the hockey world gets it; The man is a Gawd! We discuss all the festivities and possibly the greatest All-Star moment of all time.

Oh yeah, we do take a gander at the last 5 games too:

Sens 4 - Sharks 1

Sens 1 - Ducks 2

Sens 1 - Kings 4

Sens 2- Yotes 3

Sens 4 - Bruins 3

The Sens hit the wall last week as a crazy schedule finally caught up to them on the west coast. Maybe Karlsson wasn't really diving; maybe he was just collapsing from exhaustion?

Other topics that get the once over include OV and his selfish insult to hockey fans everywhere, Tim Thomas vs the media, Filatov and his never-ending spiral, a new wrinkle in the concussion debate and what would a week be without Brian Burke and his gargantuan ego making an appearance. This week he's pouting about his girls getting picked on by the big, bad CBC. This guy, I tell ya...

We top it off with a few e-mails and do what we can to keep Stooli awake.

Please enjoy show #193.

One of the reasons we did suffer these two is that, unlike most mouth-breathing, delusional laff fans, these guys are capable of constructing a coherent sentence and can have a sensible, well though-out take on their team. This final round is a pretty damn good one and we thank them for their contributions to our show this week and over the years.

Now then, on to the good stuff... the Sens! Another succesful week saw the team go 3 and 1:

Sens 3 - NYR 0

Sens 3 - Habs 2 SO

Jets 2 - Sens 0 

Sens 3 - Laffs 2 (snicker)

We're not sure which win is more satisfying, the one over a very tough Rangers team or the always hopeless Laffs. Either one will do but we'll just forget that Jets snoozefest. While we're very happy with the results, there is some concern about certain patterns that have been emerging in recent weeks that may catch up to the boys if they don't address them soon. We'll fill you in.

Some other things we go over are Melnyk's verbal bitch-slapping of Clouston, Anderson's star-hogging, a good news story involving a former Senator and Captain Alfie of the All-Stars! We read a couple of e-mails and make fun of various other league issues.

96 to go for Alfie!

The All-Star game will be over-flowing with Sens, thanks to a phenomenal late comeback (not unlike the team itself) in fan voting that saw Milan Michalek knock The Screaming Tree's Kessell from the starting line up. 9MM will join Alfie, Spezza and Karlsson at the end of the month when the NHL's stars lace'em up here in Ottawa. Even George Dubbya was impressed with that ballet box stuffing!

But that was far from the only good news out of Sensland this week. Au contraire! (can I coach the Habs?) The good times just keep rolling as the pesky Sens continue to surprise the hockey world and add up points. We submit, for your approval:

Tampa 1 - Sens 4

Sens 2 - Philly 3 OT loss

Philly 4 - Sens 6

Sens 5 - Pens 1

The week started off looking like a tough road ahead but once again, the boys have come out smelling like roses and find themselves alone in 5th in the East! Not even the most optimistic Sens fan could believe that they would do so well, so fast! More good news is that Kyle Turris continues to justify the price Murray paid for him as he seems to have found a nice chemistry with Alfie (but then again, who doesn't?).

Now that we have Stooli back, there was lots of catching up to do this week and this lengthy edition will keep you busy and entertained as we discuss numerous topics including Anderson's awesome week, Z-Bad's new role as National hero in Sweden, The NHLPA's rejection of the proposed re-alignment and and good discussion on Bryan Murray's thoughts on what the Sens may do come trade deadline.

This was also a banner week for stupidity coming out of Laff Nation. Between their GM needing to hear the sound of his own voice and their delusional media going full-retard, they gave us mucho material to giggle about this week. Hell, even our own local media takes a good slap in the package from us this week. If that wasn't enough, the NHL players themselves tell the Laffs how over-rated they are. This is the part we'll miss the most - Leaf bashing.

Of course, we couldn't help but throw in our 2 cents on the Brad Marchand/Sami Salo incident. Considering our personal connection to him, we do keep an eye on his doings and one thing is for sure, the guy knows how to stir things up.

And finally, we tell you about how you can become a guest host on one of our final shows this season. Think you got what it takes to hang behind the mic in Studio 11? Have a listen and we'll fill you in on the details.

If nothing else, we'll fill up a few commutes for you this week. Enjoy!

The unofficial slogan for the SU over the years has been "by the fans, for the fans". After all, without you, there's not much point in turning on the Studio 11 lights every week. So, with Stooli doing God knows what in Hong Kong this week, we decided to try something different and invite one of our longest and most dedicated listeners to guest host with us on this show. Crazy Canuck joins us in studio this week. Anyone who has listened to the show over the years will be familiar with that name as he's been one of the most active participants on e-mail, in contests, and has sent us some classic audio bits too. We thank him for joining us and we know where to go now should we ever run out of cheese.

Now then, THE FREAKIN'SENS!!! These guys just keep finding ways to win guys, and in amazingly entertaining and dramatic ways. We take a quick look at all the games that were over the holidays:

Slugs 1 - Sens 4

Panthers 3 - Sens 4 OT

Sens 1 - Canes 2 OT

Habs 6 - Sens 2

Flames 3 - Sens 4 OT

Sens 3 - Slugs 2 OT

Devils 2- Sens 3 OT

Anyone see a trend here? Overtime is just a routine now and one that the Sens seem to be thriving in. And as if OT isn't exciting enough, how about mixing in the GOLDEN GAWD'S 400th goal for a game winner? Sens fans are still smiling ear to ear, as were his family that were in attendance. The man simply has a knack for the dramatic. Congrats to Alfie and we can't wait until 500!

Other big Sens stories in this show include Kyle Turris' debut, a couple more concussions for the Sens, a seemingly needless concern over our goaltending, and goal posts... a lot of goal posts. We also take a look at the World Juniors, the Winter Classic, more douchery for the Dept. of NHL discipline (or lack there-of), another brief round of fighting about fighting and a look at the leaked story on NHL ticket revenues.

We stick the rookie with the longest e-mail, drop a new poll question on you and, dammit, just have a little love-in about our 6th place "rebuilding" team.

Life is pretty good for Sens fans these days and we're enjoying every minute of it. You should too, starting right here!

In a shocking move that caught everyone off guard, our GM acquired Kyle Turris from Phoenix for David Rundblad and a 2nd round pick in 2012. That he traded for Turris is no surprise, as the rumours had been floating about that possibility for a while now. That Rundblad was the player we gave up is a real surprise. After all, this was the most highly touted defenceman outside of the NHL before this season started and remember that Murray went out of his way to get this prospect. Like most Sens fans, at first we were shocked. But as the dust has settled a bit and the emotions have ebbed, we can now look at this trade logically and calmly.

Or not. We get into a very animated and intense debate over this move as we argue the need for a forward over a d-man, the price that was paid and the risk involved. This is the Underground at its best.

Or is it? The scrapping is just beginning in this episode as the topic of when to fight really sets the yule logs a-blazing. If you're a fan of those times when we go toe to toe, this episode is for you.

Of course, we also take a look at the week that was for the Sens:

Sens 3 - Slugs 2 OT

Bruins 5 - Sens 2

Pens 4 - Sens 6

Not a freakin' bad week at all, taking 2 out of 3, and against good teams as well! It wasn't without its drawbacks though as we lose the NHL goal leader 9MM to a concussion... but don't worry, there's no problem at all with head injuries. Bill Daly says so. We'll tell you about that, too.

We also touch on the Sens FINALLY getting their new scoreboard, we re-visit the George Laraque interview to clarify a point, and look at the insanity running rampant in la belle province.

Your e-mails are read, a new poll question is revealed and then we head off on our Christmas vacation. We hope this holds you over until we return in the new year.

To you, our loyal listeners, from us in Studio 11, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic new year. Stay safe, enjoy the games and we'll see you in 2 weeks. 

Tonight's show has a pretty good rage factor as we once again tackle the hot-button topic of fighting in hockey. The explosive NY Times series on Derek Boogaard has certainly stirred things up so we figured, if we we're going to address this topic, why not bring in an expert? Tonight, we are joined by ex-NHLer Georges Laraque, one of the game's most imposing enforcers ever. What we discovered during our research for this interview was just what an incredible thoughtful and dynamic man Georges is. He really turns the stereotype of the NHL fighter on it's head. We discuss the Boogaard tragedy with Georges as well as his views on fighting now that he's out of the game. We also address some of the more controversial statements he made in his recent book, "Georges Laraque: The story of the NHL's most unlikely tough guy", which you should definitely be putting on your Christmas list. Go to Laraque's website to get your copy now!

Three losses by the Sens have us fighting mad this week:

Caps 5 - Sens 3

Sens 4 - Devils 5 SO

Canucks 4 - Sen 1

While the losses were irritating, there were plenty of other things that really got us worked-up this week, such as OV's spear on Neil and the follow-up FAIL by the refs, blown leads and just about everything about the weasely Canucks. On the bright side, Nicky Figgs continues to take his game to another level, in all facets. Huge hits, dominating fights and a candidate for goal of the year. The kid is catching everyone's eye but the question is, can he maintain this level of play?

It may be the season for giving but Shredder has a few thoughts on a certain overly-generous center. Filitov has decided that he doesn't do Ottawa and has gone off to "Occupy Russia". There aren't a lot of broken hearts in Studio 11 about this.

We close out the show with our follow-up thoughts on the Boogaard article and fighting in hockey. This is such a complex topic that we probably could have dedicated an entire show to it but we do out best to look at all sides of the debate. Do we have the ultimate answer? No but maybe someone does. This is a very contentious segment that we're sure will get your blood pumping.

Happy birthday, Alfie!

Yes, the time has come. After 6 seasons and a bit, we at the Underground have made a very difficult decision; season 7 will be our final season doing our podcast. Why? 7 just seems like a nice number? We want to catch up on our reading? We want to spend more time metal detecting on the beaches of Florida? While all these things are true, we did think long and hard about this and it makes sense to us for a lot of reasons. We'll lay these out for you in this episode and we're sure you'll hear lots more about it as the season moves along.

But there's a ton of Sens talk to be talked before we ride off into the virtual sunset. Now that Russell is back from his tropical slacking, the show returns with two weeks worth of games:

Sens 3 - Pens 6

Canes 3 - Sens 4

Sens 6 - Jets 4

Sens 2 - Dallas 3

Sens 2 - Washington 3 OT

Tampa 2 - Sens 4

So the Sens are now back home for the majority of the month after a successful road trip that saw them finish above .500%, a fine accomplishment for a supposedly "last place team". They are still sitting in a play-off position with a great chance to move up during this home stand. If that doesn't put a smile on a Sens fan's face, you're actually a Leaf fan.

Other than that, we discuss a truck-load of stuff this week, including the futures of Butler and Filitov and who's more deserving of a roster spot. Also on the table, Kenopka's role on the team, Spezza 1.5, re-alignment, the schedule for next season, the 20th aniversary of the awarding of the Ottawa franchise....it just goes on and on!

We round it all out with a few e-mails, some stories of Russell's problems with personal space, a new poll question and even a grudging nod from Stooli to Philips. The end must be near!

Please enjoy the show; it's all inclusive.

Cheers!

The final two games of the western swing played out as such:

Sens 5 - Oilers 2

Sens 1 Vancouver 2 OT

So where does that leave the Sens? Hovering right around the magical 8th spot, thank you very much! And being that we're right about the quarter pole, we figure tonight is a good opportunity to look back at what we thought would have to happen for the Sens to contend for a play-off spot and compare it to what has actually happened. Some of the results are fairly predictable but what is surprising is that the Sens have excelled despite some things not going to plan.

Filatov don't do good attitude. Yes, it seems like we may have crapped out on the gamble Murray took at the draft in acquiring yet another Russian enigma. However, the GM has given Niki baby one last chance at an NHL career. The question we pose tonight is does he even want one? On the topic of malcontents, we also explore the Turris to Ottawa rumours.

We know that some of your favourite moments on the show over the years have been the Stooil vs Shredder rants. But tonight, we have a twist; Stooli vs Russell! The old Crosby or OV debate resurfaces tonight and Shreds gets to sit back for a change and watch the other two go at it. Also, we question the handling of one David Rundblad and wonder why he's spending so much time filling his face in the pressbox instead of filling the net in Bingo.

We pound out a few e-mails, flip and flop, swallow our pride for a die-hard groundhog and even revive an old favourite segment.

If we were you, we'd set aside the whole damn week and just keep playing this episode over and over. Why? Because.......well, leafs suck. That's as good a reason as any.

Of course, we give you a run-down of the week that was for the Sens:

NYR 3 - Sens 2

Sens 1 - Slugs 5

Sens 5 - Screaming Trees 2

Sens 3 - Flames 1

So, again this week we see Ottawa winning the games they have a legitimate shot at. That, my friends, is a very acceptable state of affairs! Anderson had a rough outing but bounced back very strong. Alfie made his return and though it took a game or two for him to get going, when he did, he gave us a little bit of that old Swedish magic. Bobby Butts finally reported to the scorer's sheet and did it in style. They kicked the crap out of the Screaming Trees! So many great little bits of stuff to be optimistic about!

We also give you our thoughts on a few of the happenings around the league this week, namely the debacle that was the Philly-Tampa chess match and the demo job Lucic did on Miller. Once again, the NHL's and Shanahan's handling of this incident leaves us all scratching our heads but even more baffling is Dean Brown's blog that reveals an unbelievable twist to this story. You won't believe your ears.

And, as always, we throw in a few of your e-mails, the mandatory Stooli-Shredder arguement, a new poll question, sprinkle it all with a little cheese and off you go.

Enjoy!

This is not to say there isn't some fine, quality Sens/hockey talk this week. We kick things of by covering the two games the Sens played this week:

Habs 2 - Sens 1

Slugs 3 - Sens 2 (SO)

So, not great results for the boys this week but they were right there in both games. These divisional games are obviously a much tougher test for Ottawa but they're not getting blown out and the goals against are coming down, so things are improving. I think we Sens fans can live with that.

We also meander into various other topics such as Kenopka's leadership qualities, an Alfie update, Filatov's flop, doucher vs the no longer relaxing Milan, and the ever-present bashing of crappy reffing. We also weigh-in on the George Laraque steroid discussion and debate one of Russell's pet peeves; the anonymous source in sports reporting.

Your e-mails, a new poll question and a rather threatening voice mail from a "friend" of Shanahan have this show over flowing like a steaming bowl of chili. Warning: lube not included.

Aaaaaannnnd, go!

Yes, Shanny, you broke our heart this week. We wanted to believe in you but we can't find a single other person in the hockey world, outside of dirty leafers and Torts, that thinks you did anything but screw this up 6 ways to Sunday. Our rage is on full display this week over this and the Konopka debacle.

Ok, it's not all anger this week. Overall, it was a damn good week for the boys:

Sens 3 - Canes 2 OT

Panthers 3 - Sens 4

Sens 5 - NYR 4 SO

Laffs 2 - Sens 3

Sens 3 - Bruins 5

We, here at the Underground, suspected the Sens would surprise a lot of people this season but we never thought they'd do it this soon! There are lots of reasons for this early season success and we cover it all as we break down all 5 games in depth. On top of that, we say good-bye for the year to Z-Bad, take a quick look at the Kyle Turris rumours and we have some inside info on the new clock situation.

We had some good e-mails this week that we share with you and we give the live stream another shot. Seems it went over pretty well this time. And, due to your positive response to the poll questions last week, we give the ol' Flip/Flop segment another shot. It might have legs yet!

So, we know it's tough to go on without our Golden Gawd but if this episode helps you get through the week, then we've done our part. If you are still angry after listening, grab a paper bag, a lighter, have a bran muffin and head over to Fredo's house.

Otherwise, this is your standard weekly dose of Sens goodness, including a recap of all three games from this past week:

Flyers 7 - Sens 2

Jets 1 - Sens 4

Blue jackets 3 - Sens 4

Look at that! A winning week for the boys! We don't know how often we'll get to say that this year so we'll enjoy it while we can. As a matter of fact, there seems to be a lot of silver lining hunting around the studio this episode. We don't ignore the beat down vs Philly but we do give props to improved efforts from some unlikely players and a great week for Jezza.

Flips and flops abound this week and we may have flopped on a new segment. Ivan's great idea is on life support and unless we can find a way to breath some life into it before next episode, expect to see that baby scraped into the garbage can. But we give it one last run. We flap about a surprise call-up from Bingo and explore the possible options for the Sens with the impending Game 9 for Z-bad. We also discuss an interesting point brought up in the Ottawa media: the possibility that Paulrus may not have the talent to go the direction he wants this year. 

Filling out the show, like sausage and more bacon in a bacon explosion, we have your e-mails, a glance at some early season surprises from around the league and a look ahead at the upcoming week for the Sens.

Enjoy the recorded version of this week's show and remember to tune in live next Monday for the raw and unedited/unclean version!

Before all that, we drop our thoughts of the Sens' week on you. We look back at two games this show:

Avs 7 - Sens 1

Sens 1 - Caps 2

I think we can all agree that the less said about the Avs game the better, however we do give you a brief recap of the horror that was. You've been warned! The loss to Washington was much easier to swallow. Most Sens fans will tell you they can live with this type of loss. We give the once over to a very strong effort by Ottawa, despite the results.

You will notice a new intro to the show this week. In response to our challenge to you in our last episode, to help select our intro songs, groundhog Snafu came up with what we think is an awesome submission. This ought to inspire you all to take a shot at this!

We fill out the rest of the show with your e-mails, a pointless discuss on what constitutes a flip and a flop and our takes on Don Cherry and Aaron Asham.

The Sens Underground: Giving you another reason to hate leafers since 2005!

This week's episode has a little of everything that makes the Underground the must-listen part of your Sens week; Alfie love, leafer hate, jokes at the expense of various nationalities (tongue-in-cheek-ingly), a classic Shredder-Stooli rant and, dare we say, some entertaining insight.

The boys kicked off the season with 2 losses and a win:

Sens 3 - Wings 5

Sens 5 - Laffs 6

Wild 3 - Sens 4

The first game, predictable. The second, frustrating but with some measure of satisfaction in making the dirty ones sweat AND Alfie sticking it to them again. The third, a downright classic on a very special night celebrating the home-opener of season 20. And what a storybook ending it was! We give you our extended thoughts and opinions on all three games.

There were several interesting story lines that have developed early this season including the struggle of some of the vets, the booing of Gonchar, the benching of Lee and Filatov and the stellar showing of DaCo. Come on! How much more do you need!? We haven't even got to the return of Dany Doucher yet!

Still not enough for you? No problem, because we're just getting warmed up! We introduce the new listener-inspired segment, "Flippin' and Floppin'", discuss the effect of a new attitude surrounding the team but we also, with much trepidation, look down the road to what may be the impending end to the Golden reign.

Oh come on!! You want even more? No worries, we got you covered. How about a little chat about the backlash against Sheriff Shanny, Don Cherry's foolishness and an absolute classic rant between Shedder and Stooli on the future of fighting in the NHL. This alone is worth tuning in for.

And just for good measure, we'll talk about the crazy world of the salary cap, give you a new poll question, read some awesome e-mails and even tell you about a new way you can be part of the podcast which we think you'll love.

Don't ever tell us we don't treat you good! Unless you're Russian or Mexican, that is.

Nostrovia, seniors and senoritas!

If you're a SU vet, welcome back and thanks for joining us again. If you're new to the podcast, get ready for a unique experience when it comes to Ottawa Senators coverage.

In this season's premiere, we give you a healthy slab of stuff to chew on (wrapped in bacon, of course) as we look back on the pre-season and forward to the start on the regular season. The Sens went a respectable 3-3-1 in the warm-up games and had some pretty decent moments. Players such as Z-Bad, Cowen and Filatov showed us they should be major players on this re-building team while others have yet to win us over. We'll give you our run-down of who we liked and who we aren't sold on yet.

Also on the plate is what to do with some extra bodies kicking around, namely Kuba and Winchester. How will they fit into the puzzle this year? There is also going to be a log-jam of centers fighting for that 2nd line position and we mull over how that may all play out.

If you've been with us for a few years, you know that at times we've been critical of how the Sens organization has treated its fan base. This year, the 20th for the team, they seem to be doing all the right things and mending all the bridges. We take a look at some of the fan-friendly initiatives the Sens have introduced to be more inclusive and they are getting several thumbs up from us. Except for the goal song thing... that didn't go so well but that's not their fault.

The big topic in hockey so far this season has been Shanny's new career as a movie star. We love it and even have a few ideas how it can be even better.

We hear about Shredder's excllent summer adventures and oh yeah, the new unis ROCK! Stooli even wore his to the show this week!

Finally, we end the show with your emails, a new poll question and a conversation about.....hot sauce. Yes, hot sauce.

We're looking forward to an exciting season as the team embarks on a new era and we're glad to have you along with us for the ride.

GO Sens GO!

Lookey-here, the summer's over and the pre-season starts in just over a week. If you're like me, you're starting to get the itch to talk hockey and after getting together tonight with my fellow Ottawa Citizen prediction panelists, I'm scratching like a hound dog! (Pictured left to right: fellow social media types Peter and Graeme, Ian Mendes of Sportsnet, James Gordon of the Ottawa Citizen and myself.)

Of course, the big topic tonight was the up-coming Sens' season. As the conversation went on, it seemed that my cohorts considered me somewhat delusional for my optimism regarding the upcoming season. Rightly so, I guess, but after three long years of negativity surrounding this team, I've decided that I will blindly believe in the possibilities until I'm proven wrong. I figure I deserve a little silver lining after all the clouds of the past few seasons.

It seems few believe the Sens can accomplish much this season and at first glance, that would be the smart bet. However, the way I see it, this team has a chance to surprise a lot of people, if a whole whack of things go their way. And there is a long list of ifs.

For example;

If- Paul McLean has any people skills at all (and it seems he does), he'll automatically have a more enthusiastic team than the one that had no interest in playing for Clouston. That's a good start right there.

If- Craig Anderson plays all season like he did in the late part of last season, how can you not expect a few more points in the win column? Repeatedly falling behind early last year on bad goals crushed this team's hopes on so many nights. Strong goaltending could be like a miracle drug for a team that has so rarely had it.

If- The stars stay healthy. A team that will be going through a rebuild, using so many young, inexperienced players like the Sens will be, cannot survive long if their go-to guys are out of the line up as much as they were last season. The likes of Spezza, Michalek, Alfie and Karlsson will have to be around and produce for the team to have any chance at all. (With Spezza being the big dog now, the team should be able to back off Alfie's minutes and not rely on him as much as they used to, thus helping him stay healthy and in the line-up. Plus, there won't be the pressure to over-use the captain, as they have in the past, with less on the line.)

If- The vets on D, Philips and Gonchar, can bounce back from abysmal seasons. I'm hoping that much of what caused these two guys to have the worst seasons of their careers can be attributed to the disconnect with the past coaching staff. If they can rebound to somewhat of their former selves under the new regime, things will be a lot less scary in our own zone this year. (Note: I'm not holding out the same hope for Kuba.) This will be critical with the expected addition of two rookies on the blue line. 

If- These rookies, Cowen and Rundblad, can step in and play solidly in their first years. I don't expect the moon from these guys (remember that Karlsson also struggled out of the gate) but if they can just hold their own, that should be enough to improve upon last year's debacle that was the defense.

If- We find even one diamond in the rough. With so many new faces vying for positions with the club, surely there must be at least one of them that will exceed our expectations, right? Right? Anyone? Hello? You're not buying that one? Well, it could happen. Maybe Filatov finds a fit here. Maybe Butler is Spezza's new trigger man. Maybe Condra, Greening or Smith thrive in a pressure-free atmosphere. Maybe one of the many new draftees bursts onto the scene and catches everyone by surprise. Sure, not all of these things will happen but maybe one or two will.

If- Some of the teams, that so many of the pundits are saying will be better than the Sens, struggle. Who knows better than Sens fans that a team on paper doesn't always live up to the hype? This one I'm confident about. Some other team, or maybe several teams, will suck that we didn't expect to. This could help Ottawa finish higher than expected.

I know, that's a LOT of ifs, and I know they won't all come to pass. But I'm thinking this franchise is due for a break or two. So much has gone against them lately that the tide is bound to turn, sooner or later. There should also be some residual karma left over from the Calder Cup run with the youngens, making them much more confident. And with so many bodies ready to jump into the line up and take their shot, this team is likely to play hungry many more nights than not. I'd imagine there will be a very short leash on anyone not getting it done this season and that has to be a strong motivator to bust your ass every game.

Maybe I'm dreaming in techni-colour but what the hell. I'm not saying the Sens are a play-off team but if enough of these things fall their way, they could be in the discussion late in the season. I'd prefer to hope for the best and see where the cards fall than to dread every game like we did last year. If nothing else, I expect them to be entertaining and competitive, which no one can argue would be an improvement.

Hockey makes me...hopelessly optimistic. At least in September. 

#Sens20 is the hashtag to follow on Twitter - the Ottawa Senators will use this tag to promote all 20th Anniversary related news.

If you're interested in the Senators Promotional Schedule for the up-coming season, you can get it here.

HOCKEY MAKES US

When last we met, we were all anxiously awaiting our lobotomies to help wash away the memories of last season. How things have changed in a few short months! Optimism abounds in Studio 11 this week as the future of the Sens begins to take shape. Even Stooli couldn't find much to bitch about this week (we think he may even like Murray a little now). 

We begin the show by taking a quick look back at the play-offs and the cup champions Bruins' run. As you might imagine, we pass a little love onto Mr. Marchand and crew and slap our west coast country folk for their embarrassing antics.

We then move onto the good stuff - Sens News! After paying tribute to Bingo for their glorious championship, we turn our attention to the rebuilding of our beloved Snes, starting with the entry draft. It's pretty much high fives all around for the job Murray and crew did restocking the shelves with great potential for the future. With the addition of Zinbaj.... Zanbojor...... Zinflag.... Z-BAD and many other high-end offensive players, we can look down the road a few years from now and like what could be. 

Free agency saw Ottawa stay away from the insanity that took hold of many teams and again, we seem to like this! Alex Auld is big and bald... and he's back with the team for another go round as back up to Anderson, also folically challenged. However, even though it was a minor deal, the addition of former Ottawa 67 Zenon Konopka (Z-Kop) is the signing that really has us pumped.

Once we cover all that has passed, we take a few minutes to look ahead and see how all these pieces may fit into the puzzle that our new coaching staff, led by the Paulrus, has to play with. It's all the possibilities and the competition for roster spots that has us really excited to watch this new generation of Snes-es develop. 

Finally, we take a look at a few other significant NHL topics that unfolded while we were out, namely the removal of Colon, the insertion of Jagr and the rinsing of the Douche from San Jose waters.

One last thing; we'd like to get some input from you folks this week. As we ponder the future of the team, we here at the Underground are also pondering the direction of our podcast... going forward, to this end, we'd like to hear from you, the listener, twitterer, forum poster... groundhog, about what you'd like to get out of the show from week to week. Check it out and we'll be looking to hear from you over the summer.

Ok, that's all. Please return to your summer and enjoy the rays. Peace, out!

It was truly a landmark season for Ottawa. We witnessed the final demise of the first generation of the Sens, the dismantling of the old guard and the beginnings of the next regime. This is a time for both reflection on the past and looking forward to the future. It likely won't surprise you we do a lot of both this episode.

What is interesting is that while we....... move forward......... with a rebuild, we will do it retaining a major link to the downfall of the past. Clouston is out as coach but Bryan Murray has received a strong show of support from owner Melnyk in the form of three more years in his office upstairs at SBP. While it may not be totally surprising, it certainly is a debatable topic this week. To say it's a contentious issue would be like saying Kuba sucks a little. You'll love this scrap.

You don't have to be Stephen Hawking to read between the lines of the comments from several key figures regarding Clouston's firing. It was made very clear why he failed to get this team on board and none of it will come as a surprise. We take a look at what was said by Murray, Melnyk and Spezza on yet another failed experiment behind the bench and also ponder about posibble replacements.

Eugene also caused a stir this week and did some of the greatest back-pedalling this side of the election debate (he does like to give us stuff to talk about which is great if you do a podcast!). The Sens also signed two more prospects and unbelievably, this caused a tussle amongst us this week. And don't get me started on the lottery pick discussion! Oy vey! There was a lot of rage in the studio this week but I guess that's to be expected after such a tough season.

To close out the season, we finish up the last of the beer as well as your e-mails, one last bit of confusion over head shots, a final poll question, a last stanza of Facebook poetry, and a few final insults and call-outs. Oh, and yeah, we take a look at the final two games of the season, for what it's worth. But, you do get to hear about Shredder's trip to Boston where he got to hang with Brad Marchand and the Bruins. He even got to chat with a few Sens and did bring back some killer stories and news about a future interview that will rock the foundations of the Underground!

So, that's it for another season. It was the toughest we can remember as Sens fans yet for all the tank talk and swearing, we do have some things to be optimistic about next year. We saw some great things from future prospects late in the season and maybe we've finally found that elusive peice to the puzzle in nets. A new coaching staff will be in place come next September and hopefully a healthy Golden Gawd to lead this promising new batch of Senators into a new season and era.

As always, we want to thank all of you for being part of our community and our lives. We put a lot of time and effort into doing this each year but we do consider it a labour of love. You Groundhogs and the feedback we get from you make every minute worthwhile, from the e-mails to the voice mails to the forum posters and everyone in between. The friendships we've developed with you over the years was something we never expected but certainly we don't take for granted. Oh, and by the way, if we offended anyone along the way, don't take it seriously. We don't. It's all just meant to be silliness. Thanks also to those who have helped us along the way; guests, contributors and the Ottawa Senators, amongst so many. And finally, thanks also to our familes for the support and patience while we goof around down here in Studio 11.

Have a great and safe summer everyone. We'll see you at some point along the way.

Love and respect. Leafs suck.

Anyways, with the Sens out of the picture, we have to find some way to keep ourselves amused, right? (Ivan excluded.) I present to you the 2011 Sens Underground rage-filled Play-off Pool!

First off, we have to congratulate Dave from Toronto for his win of the regular season pool with 1,768 pts. Dave, you win...something. Let me clean out the garage this weekend and see what I can find.

As for the Play-off edition of the pool, same rules as always: pick any 25 players, preferably from teams actually in the play-offs, no goalies. 1 point will be awarded for each of the following: goal, assist, game-winning goal and short-handed goal.

Please get your teams to me before 7 pm Wednesday, April the 13th, puck drop! E-mail me at russell@sensunderground.com. I will post the pool on www.officepools.com once ready. And, as always, it's free to enter! Good luck and enjoy the play-offs, even if as just rage-filled, passive observers.

Leafs suck!

We go over the games the Sens played this week, which included a win we didn't want, a win we didn't expect and a loss that we can't believe. Yes, the tank is officially dead. But it may not be all terrible news. We break down how the draft looks and what the Sens may expect to grab this June.

Also covered is the signing of Stephane Da Costa, Alfie shutting it down for good, some freaky stats, Bass and Shannon get recognized, an upcoming roadie and news on the SU hockey pool. Stooli throws a nasty punch of reality and a new poll question is posed. We then end the show by looking at the significance of this season in Sens history, why we may not have to languish for years in the dregs as other teams have had to do to rebuild and also how we may be seeing a shift in the thinking of GMs around the league.

One more show to go. Next week we'll be cleaning off the desk and emptying out the beer fridge. We advise you do the same while listening to this rather lengthy show. Enjoy!

The boys pulled points out of three of four games this week and against some decent teams too. But no battle will compare to the epic struggle to come against the Panthers this week. And let's not forget our final game against the Laffs this Saturday, a game in which the Sens may have a chance to nail those losers' coffin shut for the season. One last sweet victory... wouldn't it be nice?

Once the game talk is done, we take a look at 2 Sens prospects; top D-man in the Swedish Elite League David Rundblad and an apparently humbled Bingo goalie Lehner. Looks like Murray's tough love has had the desired effect on him. We also take a quick look at the Bertuzzi hit and how the NHL dealt (didn't deal) with it in light of recent events.

We round out the show with a look at some unreal numbers from Andy, a mystery poll question, old school punches, a potential SU road trip and the Underground welcomes a brand new baby Groundhog to the ranks.

Just 5 games left. Win or lose, enjoy the ride. Oh, and Leafs suck.

The legendary "1 Hour Show". We were sure this would be the one. No such luck. We're convinced now that it's just a fantasy, like Atlantis or actually winning something in Roll up the Rim. It didn't seem like there was enough to keep us flapping for more than an hour but, like the Leafs and missing the play-offs, we find a way.

So, what did we do all this rambling about? Well, there were three games to go over, even if we did miss most of them. Oh, and we just happen to now have a goalie signed for 4 years! Andy's now driving the tank and even though this should be great and happy news, maybe not surprisingly in Ottawa, there is a sense of trepidation amongst the fan base and the Underground. We'll give you all the angles on it and take a look at where this leaves Lehner in the big scheme of things.

Of course, we have our take on the inexplicable actions of Matt Cooke and whether or not the NHL's tough stance against him was really that tough at all. One thing we all agree on is that the guy is a complete idiot. 

We throw in a geography lesson, some man-love for Spezza and a discussion about if there is a spot for Shannon on this team... going forward. Your e-mails, some thank you's, punches and poetry.

The season is winding down and the tank for the bottom is now in top gear. Only a few more shows left so cherish every pointless bit of silliness while you can.

It's St. Patrick's day! What better time to spend a show talking about violent shots to the head!

Now that Ottawa is playing out the string with nothing other than tank jobs to hope for, you can expect our shows to spend a little more time on issues other than Sens related ones. Tonight's show is a perfect example of that. We're sure it won't surprise you that head shots and the GMs' meetings take up a huge part of the allotted time tonight but it's worthwhile, let us assure you. A great debate is to heard this week, at times bitter, at times nasty and at times silly but certainly a topical and interesting discussion. The fact that we saw two of the most perfect examples of the types of hits that are under debate just a few nights ago (not to mention the two players involved) only serves to make this rant-fest all the more timely and volatile. 

Some heavyweights have started to chime in on the whole violence and heads shot issue this week. Our owner Eugene had a thing or two to say about it as did Mario, once more. Shockingly, the most logical and brilliant idea of all came from a very unlikely source that we think will surprise you as much as it did us.

Other than that, we take a look back at the successful re-starting of the Sens tank this week, we check in on a groundhog at the epicentre and follow up on a bunch of ex-Sens to see how things are shaking for them. Your e-mails, poetry and punches, and a birthday for mini-Shredder. Happy 5th, Benji!

Enjoy the show, the 17th and remember, leave your tank at home if you're out tipping a few back tonight.

We start the show with a little submission from our good friend, comedian Todd Van Allen. He helps set the tone for this episode as we have major concerns over the state of Tank Nation. After torturing us for so many months with losses, now that we want them to lose, the damn team won't stop winning! 4 wins out of 5 and even knocking off the seemingly unstoppable Devils! You aren't going to finish last like that boys and now the Colorado tank, driven by that savvy commander Elliott, is bearing down on our 6 and ready to fire.

After we get done with all the games, we take another look at why long-term deals may not be a very good idea and how the Sens' season may illustrate the point. Also pondered is whether the absence of certain injured vets might actually be a good thing for the youngens at the moment.

We weigh in on the topic du jour, Chara and head shots but did so with some trepidation. We were a little worried there was nothing left to say on the topic and we'd just be adding to the noise but it did turn into a great exchange with some interesting new views being expressed. The need for change seems to be the general consensus, except with the NHL Board of Governors who have extended Buttman's contract for another 5 years. This causes us much distress, as you can imagine. We say hello to a new prospect Wacey Hamilton and wonder why the Snes would expect us to go say hello to Crapalev on his new team.

Some epic e-mails and a few voice mails, topped off with a new poll question regarding captains and some teenage angst, and you have a podcast to rival any! Now if you'll excuse us, we have to get down to the motor pool and figure out how to get this tank running again.

Holy Crap! What a week it was for the Sens and what a show this is for you!

We don't know how many times we've said it on this show over the years but hockey can be a very strange game.

With all the odds stacked against them, half the team made of Bingo call-ups and the other half, mostly the vets, in the hospital, the Sens are now showing more life than they have all year long! Suddenly, when we find the team laying in a steaming heap at the bottom of a pit, they are pulling themselves up by their jockstraps, dusting themselves off and PLAYING HOCKEY...WELL!!!

But it really is no co-incidence that a group of young, hungry, enthusiastic players can bring a better effort than a group of jaded, beaten down vets. They don't know any better! So many changes gives us so much to talk about this week and finally, some of it is good. We actually have some wins to talk about and even the losses were great efforts. The Flyers!!?? Really?!

In the last of the trade deadline deals, we saw the Sens boot Campoli to the Hawks and Murray pick up two players off waivers in Svatos and Mc....Mcel...McElennenhilleni.....that goalie guy.

But most importantly... HE'S GONE!!!! THE ONE THAT FLOATS IS NO MORE!!! Von Krapatard has played his last game as a Sen, his stupid, smug face is no longer hanging above the doors at SBP and the world just smells... cleaner. We beat all these topics about Studio 11 tonight. However, no one topic dominated the show like the Philips signing did. To say that we are concerned would be like saying LeClaire has an ouchie.

We also cover a million other topics this week, including what to do and when to do it with Anderson, many bits of news about the Golden Gawd, (cheese alert) from his back to the future, an attitude adjustment for Lehner, various bits of News coming from the brain trust of the team about sweaters, ticket prices, clocks, UFAs......*GASP* and even more stuff! Emails and voice mails too! It's all hands on deck this week.

Damn, there's a lot to digest in this show so set aside some time, climb aboard the tank and come for the ride! FORWAAAAAARRRRDDD!

If there's one thing our GM has proved that he's good at over the years is the art of misdirection, very much like a Kuba point shot. He got us all looking one way, for a Kovalev or Philips trade, then he pulled one big-ass rabbit out of his hat and traded Elliott to the Avs for Craig Anderson. NOBODY saw this coming and we are as shocked as the rest of you. Seems we all have the same opinion of it though and it's not surprising, this being a talk show and all, that we share it with you.

We also say farewell to Jarko Ruutu this week as he was unceremoniously shipped away to Anaheim for a lowly 6th round pick. Certainly not much of a return but it seems few hearts are broken over this.

We touch on the 2 games that were this week, including Chris Kelly's instantaneous re-appearance in Ottawa with Boston and then the spirit-raising stellar debut of Anderson against the Doofusses from Hogtown, a shoot-out shut-out! This was also the night of the SU Rage Rave 2011 in Ottawa so we'll tell ya how that went.

Other topics include the bleak outlook for the Golden Gawd, the bright future of another Swede, the unlikely meeting of two former Sens puck blockers trying to regain their careers and the Twitter phenom that is Biznasty2pointO. A few e-mails, some poetry and a few pops and we have a show!

Trade deadline is a-comin', folks! I'm sure we'll have a ton to talk about next week. See you then, Tank Army!

We all knew it was coming but we didn't think it was going to be so dramatic and quick. Mike Fisher, probably the most popular Senator of all time, next to Alfie; GONE! Chris Kelly, unsung hero to the Underground and long-time Sen; GONE! Folks, the re-build has begun and it's no joke.

Bryan Murray has apparently re-thought his 1-year plan to fix this team and struck a death blow to the old guard. By moving two very popular core members of the Sens, notice has been served that the times, they are a-changin'. We obviously spend quite a bit of time on this epic moment in team history as we see the end of one era come to a close and consider the genesis of the next. We also ponder what moves may be yet to come in the next week and a half as the GM stock piles picks and cap space.

We have 7 tank assaults to cover this week, as we were away for so long, and we race through them so we can get to the good stuff. Strangely, there was even a win in there but of course it had to be the one damn game we needed to lose more than any other! We did, however, get a taste of what it will be like to watch some of the young talent that will make up the next generation of this team and we saw some promising signs.

Many other topics needed to be verbally fondled this week, including our belated thoughts on the all-star game and it's various points of interest, including the draft and the epic fail that was the Guardian Project. We also look at a proud moment in SU history that includes Leafer abuse, Mario's full-retard comments and Ray Emery's new lease on life. We catch up on the results of our last few poll questions, read a ton of e-mails and Stooli provides us with a classic punch in the face of reality.

Finally, don't miss the announcement of the 2011 SU Rage Rave being held this Saturday night. It should be an epic evening as the Snes take on the Make Me Laffs. Think there will be a few elbows bent during that game?

Thanks for waiting for us to get back behind the mics. We were jonesing for a fix of rage ourselves and we know you were too. We hope this episode was worth the wait. Ok, now everyone back up on the tank! We have points to squander!

Private Parts, out!

The brain trust for the Ottawa Senators made their long awaited appearance before the media this week and did their best to clear the air, or at least buy themselves some time until Full Tank is accomplished. The funny thing was M&M seemed to have slightly different messages to send out. Murray seems to think the fix for this team can be achieved very quickly whereas Melnyk was a little more reserved with his predictions. This leads to a whole lot of debate this week about mixed messages and realistic plans. Hey, at least they gave us SOMETHING to talk about!

One thing that everyone seems to agree on is that the captain shall remain the captain. Both M&M and the Golden Gawd have agreed that Ottawa is home and barring some unbelievable deal, Alfie will finish his career as a Sen. See, there is some good news this year!

There were some great quotes in the News this week regarding the GM's and owner's pressers, most notably by Rob Ray regarding Cory Clouston and his relationship with his players. The coach gets a lot of our attention in this episode.

Of course, we go over the latest string of losses, or steps towards the lottery pick, depending how you wish to look at it (but the Philly fights were fun!). Stooli tears yet another hole in the NHL's ass over the Guardian project (was this guy ever a kid?), we discuss the smoke and mirrors of the NHL's record revenue, Facebook stuff, the joke that is the NY islanders, e-mails and poll results.

A reminder to our pool participants; it's the All-Star break and time to send in your subs. If you'd like to make any changes to your team, please e-mail them to me (Russell) this weekend.

Enjoy the break and festivities this weekend.

Tank Army did a fine job of sinking deeper into the mud since last we spoke. One win out of four is a good step towards that holiest or grails; a lottery pick! However, when we are chasing the Isles down the standings, did they really have to be the one team the Snes find their scoring touch against? It was Lehner's first NHL win though, so we have that going for us.

I guess we should give them credit for a strong effort against the Ducks but once again, no goals, no wins. Really though, at this point the outcome of the games is secondary to any story lines we can amuse ourselves with until golf season opens. This week, we can take solace in the re-emergence of Milaaaaaannnnn and the strong showing by Butler in his call up game. Of course, it wouldn't be the Underground if we didn't find all sorts of things to bitch about, and we do... such as the seemingly nonsensical shuffling of Bingo players in and out of the line up, Kuba and Gonchar's sucking, the disrespect shown to Carks and confusing decisions by Clouston.

Or is it really Clouston making the decisions? That's a topic we ponder this week as Bryan Murray gets a thorough "who's-you-father", including our look at a great piece of work from reporter Ken Warren on Murray's past work. 

We also give our thoughts on possible re-build scenarios,  head shots and if we should we give a damn about them,  a new story floating around about the Chara move, e-mails and angst.

Finally, we announce the date of the upcoming SU get-together. It's gonna be rage filled and tank-laden! You'll want to be there!

Raise your turrets and enjoy the show.

We also get to dissect 3 more losses for the Sens, which include a 6-0 stomping by Brad's Bruins. At this point, we call on you to embrace the suck and go FULL TANK ARMY! But during this stretch, there were some moments worth debating, such as the decision to bench Carks for Lee and why Lee was even taken out after several good games.

Frustrations boiled over at practice today. We slap that around the table and also discuss Karlsson's All-Star nod over Alfie. New call ups are coming and others are returning to the farm. Will they make a difference and do we even want them to? Facebook angst, e-mails, a voicemail and some potty-mouth moments complete this week's show. 

We know it's going to be tough being a Sens fan from now to the end of the season but stick with us and we'll get you through it, rage and all!