The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

I have to admit, when I saw Bryan Smolinski get smoked during Saturday's NJ game with a big hit in the first, I can't say it caused me much concern. But, no doubt after reading SBP's blog, Smolinski has netted 3 goals in his last 5 games and realized he must cease to suck...The first injury hurdle for the Sens starts tomorrow with Wade Redden, Martin Havlat and Chris Neil missing tomorrow's Islanders game. All three are a vital component to the team's makeup, but Ottawa has enough depth and cannot use that as an excuse if they lose tomorrow...For all you Redden haters out there, check out his stats: tied for 3rd in scoring amongst defenceman with 21 points, 2nd in the league in plus/minus with +19, and not to mention he'll be representing Canada at the 2006 Olympics...That Carolina game was an ugly win, but the sort they need to pull off consistently as it won't be 5-0 blowout games each night like they're used to. Considering the team was really down after hearing Chris Neil's mom passed away that day, I'm suprised they manged to get the victory...Christoph Schubert was perhaps the best Senator in the first half of that Carolina game, playing wing instead of D and picking up his first NHL goal in the process...Did the bench explode or what when Brian McGrattan picked up his first NHL marker on Saturday? And against a future NHL hall-of-famer no less. Nice job, Brian...Mike Fisher has been the most consistent Senator in the last three games and is playing great hockey...D Brian Pothier drives me nuts. I find he's sloppy defensively and not skilled enough to be an offensive threat. Once in a while though, he'll surprise you with a big hit...Chris Phillips is in the SBP doghouse for taking too many needless penalties and getting outworked for puck possession. Eric Staal made him look particularly stupid when he got the 'Canes first goal Tuesday...Vaclav Varada's ice time has increased for no other reason than because of injuries. Here's his chance to prove he's more than an overpaid fourth liner...Andrej Mezaros is quietly becoming one of the top rookies in the league. The spotlight for rookies is fairly exclusive to Sydney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, but Mezaros has an unbelivable +/- rating of +19, which ties him for 2nd in the entire NHL. It's a stat every D in the league can be proud of, but unfortunately not something you can show on the highlight reels...It's a great idea to have a couple of minor league kids get to stand beside the Sens players during the national anthems before the game. It's a memory that they'll keep for a lifetime, and it doesn't cost the team one cent towards their salary cap.