Sens Underground Forums > Pre-Game Talk (Game 5)
I've sort of been assuming that Chester has reinjured his injury from earlier this year. This guy could be our 3rd line center if he could stay healthy.
Go with Dauganvins. He's got more experience.
Pesky Jones
Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC
Daniel Alfredsson not at Senators practice, but Mark Stone is
the replacement tomorrow?
tjlincoln
As per Ian Mendes and several others who were at the practice, Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman were taking turns playing on the right side of Foligno / Turris, with Butler on the right side of 9MM / Spezza.
No word on Winchester.
Kardinal
Who would you choose? Stone, who set the juniors on fire, or Hoffman who led Bingo in scoring, has NHL experience and is apparently good on the PP?
Sens-wihtout-a-Dawg
Just posted on Twitter by Dreger, Don Brennan, John Lu and others: Alfie not traveling to NYC for game 5.
Official notice from @NHL_Sens: #Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson will not travel with the team to New York for Game 5. #BelieveIt #NYROtt
..................and I'd pick Hoffman over Stone to sub in on the 2nd line.
Kardinal
...Can't wait until that PoS Hagelin plays in Game 6 in Ottawa. He's gonna get his. Melnyk is right - if a non-star player takes out a star player, the injured player's team should be allowed to pick which star from the opposition to sit out as well.
Sens-wihtout-a-Dawg
No Alfie and no Chester on trip to NYC, as per this article by the Citizen's Ken Warren. Also, no Silfverberg until at least game 6.
Senators coach Paul MacLean wasn’t giving anything away, other than saying Stone was one of the team’s options to replace the injured Winchester. Rob Klinkhammer, Kaspars Daugavins and Binghamton Senators call-up Mike Hoffman are the other options.While there’s great buzz about the potential for Swedish star Jakob Silfverberg to join the team now that he has captured the Swedish Elite League title with Brynas, Senators might be advised to practice some patience.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray is allowing Silfverberg to celebrate with his team in Sweden Friday and Saturday and he is expected to fly into Ottawa on Sunday.
It’s unlikely that Silfverberg, who won the SEL MVP honours in both the regular season and playoffs, would be in any condition to play in Game 6 on Monday.
Kardinal
I have a bad feeling with Butler on the top line for Game 5... I wish Stache would put in Klinky, even Hoffman, on the top line with Michalek and Spezza.
Sens-wihtout-a-Dawg
Makes me so angry at the NHL discipline department. Alfie and Winchester ... both missed significant time this year due to hits to the head that for which NO SUSPENSION was handed out. Now we're in the playoffs (what the players fight all year to play in), and one more hit each out and they're out ... NO JUSTICE.
Puddleduck
Silfverberg
Gotta love Swedish commentators, too :))
Sens-wihtout-a-Dawg
I'm skeptical about throwing a bunch of prospects with no NHL experience into the next game. This is a step above regular season. I'd favour the AHL guys over the SEL crew big time. Hey, I could be wrong but I don't see the logic in it. Look at Dawg's clip. The amout of time and space he had on that play looks like the warm up in this series. Butts, Daug, or perhaps Bingo men. No teens please. It's game 5 of the series!
Pesky Jones
I hear ya Jones-y, but it's a re-build year, right? I say, throw those kids in the fire and see what they got. We know what Daugy brings. If Stone can't keep up, he'll be benched and play few shifts - much like Daugy would anyway. Silfverberg has to play in Game 6 - can't have that much talent sit in the press box.
Sens-wihtout-a-Dawg
my concern is that there is such a magical chemistry happening with this team right now, if you airlift in a guy with no nhl experience, how does that play with these guys?
and, junior and SEL is NOT the SCP.
its a tough call. i suppose if you're looking at the the long term, it would be great experience for them. but, the guys on the team also have done something really special this year. it doesn't seem right to start throwing in new guys at this point.
Raging Russell
I hear ya Russell but I'm not worried about Silfverberg and Stone fitting in or messing up the chemistry. How hard is it to get the puck to Spezza or to chip and chase? The only thing is I don't know how defensively responsible Stone and Silfverberg are, cause clearly Spezza chooses to change every time the puck heads back towards Anderson. Apparently, Hoffman is not good defensively either.
Sens-wihtout-a-Dawg
it's exciting to have young guys like Stone and Silfverberg on the doorstep but I got to agree that throwing them in a Game 5 in the playoffs may be a bit too soon for both unless in practice they are tearing up the vets. I trust MacLean and Murray to make a better decision than I ever could so we'll see.
Nashville just beat Detroit in 5 they are very very good and Ottawa beat Nashville in the Reg. season.
tjlincoln
Too bad Pittsburgh survived tonight. Does Philly have a 3rd string goalie? It did wonders for Washington!
Doesn't look good for Detroit in the medium term - too many aging stars, half of them were playing tonight with solid injuries.
Sens-wihtout-a-Dawg
apparent;y, alfie skated today and made progress. lets hope the boys can hang around long enough for him to make it back.
Raging Russell
Mark Stone is in for Ottawa tonight. Bawlsy call by the Stache. But, he's been right on just about everything so far.
Raging Russell
At least Stone has been playing on a North American sized rink all along.
Honestly I was so shocked by Runblad's lack of readiness that I'm skeptical in this regard. That's all. He was number one in the SEL and probably won't be in the NHL next year either. Z-bad looked really shaky too. Silverberg and Stone better not look like deer in headlights out there.
Pesky Jones
in all fairness, very few teenagers,NA or not, make the jump to the NHL in their first year. most have to spend some time in the Ahl.
Raging Russell
So, if Winchester is out, who steps in? Klink-y? Daug-y? Or someone else?
Winchester has been incredible defensively and very good along the boards offensively.