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Senators Drop Curtain In Music City - Sens/Preds Pre-Game Notes |
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Finally, all the debate about who should and shouldn't be on the roster can fade and we can now see if the right decisions were made by those in charge, and what the identity of the Senators will be. Is it the return of "Pesky Sens", or will the defensive lapses and mediocre goaltending that plagued the club last season return and rear its ugly head.
By most accounts, the right 20 players are going to be in the lineup, with Colin Greening, Erik Condra and Patrick Wiercioch popular healthy scratches.
We will get to see how a lineup without Marc Methot looks, and it will be the first step in determining just how vital his presence is. I stated my opinion yesterday, and it appeared that it wasn't overwhelmingly popular, and I can accept that. I just don't think it will be the gong show that many of you do. I could prove to be mistaken, but I don't think so.
The curtain drops on the Senators 2014-15 season with a lot of questions and nobody really sure what to expect. Predictions range from a top 3 spot in the division and guaranteed playoffs spot to 6th or 7th in the division and firmly in the McDavid/Eichel sweepstakes.
The forward unit features four lines that can skate and any one of them can score at any time, which should make life difficult for opposing coaches in making lineup matches.
Curtis Lazar will make his NHL debut, but is it the first of 9 or the first of many this season?
They open the season on the road, much like they did last year. Instead of Buffalo, they head into Nashville to face another team that nobody is sure what to expect from in the Predators. The Predators will be without Mike Fisher, who ruptured his Achilles' tendon in the summer and will be out another couple of months at least. They are still led by Shea Weber, one of the league's top all-around defensemen but they have a melting pot up front of pretty much other teams' castoffs - Derek Roy, Olli Jokinen and Mike Ribeiro up the middle.
This game will feature a couple of netminders who have had brilliant seasons in the past, but are coming off seasons they would like to forget. Pekka Rinne had his 2013-14 season derailed with a hip infection, but even when he did play he was less than stellar. Craig Anderson had dreadful numbers a year after posting all-world stats in the lockout shortened 2013 season. The first step to redemption begins tonight for both.
Puck drop is at 8:00pm EST and can be seen on TSN5 (unless it is pre-empted, but that is a different rant at TSN for a different time).
While many questions surround the Senators, most will not get answers tonight, but it is a start. After an all-too-long summer, the time has come. Drop the puck!
Who will open the season with a win? Make your predictions in the comments section!
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