Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 3.26 - Featuring Bob McKenzie

www.afootinthecrease.com

In Canada, we have long since grown used to significant issues being ignored with mindless temporary fixes presented as long term solutions by our nation’s capital city. Lately it seems this strategy often seen by our federal government based in Ottawa has been carried over to the decision making of the Senators. Case in point, the firing this week of head coach John Paddock.

Since starting the season 16-3, the Senators have struggled to a 20-19-6 record. Since their nineteenth game of the season, the Maple Leafs actually boast a better record then their provincial rivals going 23-20-5. Just thought I’d throw that in there. Replacing John Paddock with Bryan Murray will not automatically fix the Senators problems as many people are predicting though. This team’s problems go well beyond the man behind the bench.

Since being annihilated at the hands of the much tougher Ducks in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals, Ottawa has yet to address the problems that became oh so apparent last June. When Samuel Pahlsson and company drove the Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza line into the ground, the Senators were unable to generate secondary scoring. When the Ducks played the Senators far more physically than Ottawa could ever dream of playing, their only response to match up in terms of toughness was Alfredsson firing the puck at Scott Niedermayer. Let’s not even mention the disparity in goal between JS Giguere and Ray Emery.

So far the Senators have only further confused their goaltending situation, acquired fringe NHLer Mike Commodore to solidify an already very porous defense and picked up Martin Lapointe to account for both toughness and secondary scoring. This is a guy who has four goals in fifty four games.

Let’s be honest, if the Senators couldn’t beat Anaheim last year, do we really see them beating the powerful Western Conference this season. Didn’t think so. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.