Sens at Land’s End

The carcasses of the Sens and Lightning can still be found if one looks in the darkest depths of the standings.

I got home last night in time to watch my other team, the Blue Jackets, play a really superb third period and beat the Bruins 2-0. It was quite interesting seeing what it’s like to have a goaltender make big saves at key moments. Our old friend Antoine Vermette assisted on the winning goal for Columbus and was named the third star of the game. I hope he’s found a home for himself there.

From the sublime to the ridiculous: the Sens take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. It’s a clash of the titans. The last place titans. Actually, if you are familiar with Greek mythology then you know that the Titans ruled before being overthrown by Zeus and his other Olympian colleagues, so that kind of does make sense (especially if we ignore the fact that the Lightning must be seen as Zeus’ team due to their adoption of his symbol, the thunderbolt, as their logo). Also, these are two teams going down faster than the Titanic. I’ll never let go, Sens. I’ll never let go.

And the OBC is celebrating the occasion as only we (or anyone else with access to CoveritLive) can: with a LiveBlog! The Senators have never lost a game with us liveblogging it. I can only conclude that this means the OBC has magical god-like powers, so you’d better not cross us because our wrath is probably formidable. On that note, join us! It’s wise to keep us on your side.

“My name is Pascal, and I’m here to save you. HAHA, save! Cause I’m a goalie, get it?”

How about those Sens? Yep, they played pretty well last night. Of course, the rest of this season is pretty much meaningless and let’s face it, we’re all basically looking to the future now.

So. Pascal Leclaire.

I have some doubts, which I think were best expressed in the thrilling final five syllables of my deadline day haiku on this trade:

Au revoir, Antoine.
Bienvenu, Pascal (and pick) …
Bring Hitch and a doc.

In case you didn’t get the deep underlying meaning there, let me clarify: Leclaire has a history of injuries, and he played his only full NHL season (2007-2008) for a Ken Hitchcock team. There’s no way for us to know how much his great numbers — 9 shutouts, 2.25 goals against average, .919 save percentage — may have been propped up by the Blue Jackets’ defensive style of play. It’s possible we’ll get a nasty surprise when we see him playing outside Hitchcock’s system next year. (We’ve already learned from the failed Hartsburg experiment that the Sens don’t thrive when they’re focused on defence.)

On the other hand, Leclaire was considered a good enough goalie to be drafted eighth overall in 2001 by the Jackets, so there’s plenty of reason to think he’s got the talent necessary to thrive on any team, and most of the pro hockey commentators seem to feel that’s the case.

Then again, as Sens fans we’ve had our hopes crushed by seemingly talented goaltenders who turned out not to be so great many times in the past. Many, many times. Sigh. Then there was that time we had a goalie who really was good, but he failed us by getting hurt. And oh yeah, let’s not forget the fact that Leclaire is on a three-year contract with a cap hit of $3.8 million — almost identical to the contract signed about three years ago by that other dude who ultimately proved to be both crappy and untradeable.

(Speaking of, did you hear old Swiss Cheese won his first game for the Leafs last night? I think they may actually believe he’s a good goalie!! HAHAHA! *cough* I mean … yes. He would undoubtedly be an excellent option for Toronto for next season, and clearly Brian Burke should sign him right away.)

Oh yes. Leclaire has a magical combination of attributes — injury problems, relatively big contract, no long-term proof of NHL calibre ability — that hits every single one of those nerves made raw from watching the many years of terrible Senators goaltending. It’s only natural that we be skeptical here until we’ve seen him play well on a consistent basis for, say, nine or ten four or five consecutive seasons.

Whatever happens with him, though, I think it’s pretty clear Ottawa won the trade. What is the likelihood that any other team would have parted with more than a second round pick for Antoine Vermette? Not very high. (That’s why I’m choosing to look at this trade as a second for Vermette and Leclaire for nothing, and when you look at it that way it’s pretty darn sweet!) Vermette is a good player, but I seriously doubt he’s going to get any better and the fact is that he just doesn’t fit in Ottawa at his salary. While I feel bad for Vermette on a personal level because he just seemed so heartbroken to be leaving the Sens, I can’t say that I’m really sorry to see him go in hockey terms. Leclaire, though he is most certainly a gamble, is a risk worth taking. He also expressed nothing but happiness at joining the Sens, and he seems like a pretty likeable, laid back guy. If he can stay healthy, and if he turns out to be awesome — heck, even if he turns out to be slightly above average — then we’ve got something we’ve really never had before: a number one goalie. A real live number one goalie!

Just let that sink in for a second. It feels good.

My dream of Guerin
came true: he waited to move.
Waited, and waited.

Schubert, you stinker!
Like neverending winter,
You won’t go away.

The Sharks and the Wings
Swirling winds, rumours flying
Yet Neil still remains.

Others I thought might
Blow ‘way like leaves in autumn:
Smith, Kelly – still here.

Contracts rise, cap sinks;
Defence: unchanged, incomplete.
What the hell, Murray?

Deadline excitement:
In the end, waters were calm.
An anticlimax.

At last, he has gone:
Heart warms, snow melting in spring!
Can we mock Leafs fans?

Deadline excitement,
but yawn, I wake to Leafs talk.
No excitement there.

Kuba re-signed – WHAT?!
3 x 3.7 … okay.
Sign and trade? Please? Please?

Au revoir, Antoine.
Bienvenu, Pascal (and pick) …
Bring Hitch and a doc.