The Sens

John Paddock decided yesterday that it would be a good idea to lay blame on the players in Ottawa and not the structure of the front office. Now I Like John Paddock, in fact I even spent some time at John's cabin when you used to reside in these parts. He's a cool dude. That being said, I disagree it is the players fault.

In Ottawa, they have one of the best lines in the NHL. Heatly is a 50 goal scorer. Spezza is a point per game player. Alfredsson is much like Spezza, and also adds some grit and a lot of leadership in the dressing room. They have some good young talent coming up. Brian Elliot has looked solid and Nick Foligno has upped his game.

The problem over the past couple of years is goaltending. Every good team has a good goalie defending its rearguard...well besides Detroit, but not every team has a Lidstrom. Bryan Murray has done little to address this situation. Gerber was a never a solid choice. Alex Auld isn't an NHL goalie. And they discovered Brian Elliot a little to late to save this season.

If Elliot continues to play well, then Ottawa will be a playoff team once more. They do need to add a puck moving defender, someone to anchor the power play. But outside from that, the Sens are 20 months removed from the Stanley Cup Finals. They have pretty much the same nucleus they had then, minus one Ray Emery. It's only a matter of time.

Clearly one fact remains. They aren't getting shit kicked night in and night out like the Habs and the Leafs. Also they are in the running for Tavares, and if not him, the puck moving defenceman they so desperately need in Victor Hedman. Who says an off year is a bad thing?