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

Defense

Wade Redden: Injuries early in the season prevented him from getting into a groove, and he bounced in and out of the lineup before finally taking a hiatus from playing so he could get healthy. He's back at 100% and he was missed, for it was no coincidence the Senators turned it around once he was back playing full time. Doesn't have much of a physical side, but he excels everywhere else. Grade: B+

Chris Phillips: Bryan Murray called out Chris Phillips to step up his play in the absence of Chara and, along with Anton Volchenkov, is the go to guy when the opposition's top players are on the ice. He doesn't get too many points, but that's not his role. Phillips quietly improves season to season and this year is no different. Muckler is hopefully working on resigning him now as he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and a hot commodity to boot. Grade: B+

Anton Volchenkov: My last impression of Anton was his overtime cough-up in the first 15 seconds that directly resulted in Buffalo winning game 1 of Round 2 and the Senators never recovering from that loss. All is now forgiven as I feel he has emerged as the most improved and perhaps the best defensive defenceman the Senators have. This guy is a joy to watch blocking shots night in and night out and leads the NHL in that category. Still dishes out big hits, too. He can't score, but so what? If he can keep up this play, he'll have an Adam Foote-type reputation in the league (before he got old). Grade: A-

Andrej Meszaros: The sophomore slump has hit Andrej. He has been rusty in many games and causes many a turnover that gives me nightmares. He very rarely is on the ice to penalty kill, but having said all that, he still has good offensive upside and is a good powerplay guy. Isn't afraid to join the rush, either. I'm sure he'll get better defensively as his career progresses. Grade: B-

Joe Corvo: He's been named "Uh-oh" Corvo by some of the press because of his weak defensive play. He gets points and has a nice point shot, but much like Andrej, is nowhere to be found when it comes time to shut down the opponent's offense. Is it confidence? Who knows, but the fact that he has no playoff experience makes me nervous about how well he'll perform in the Spring. Grade: C+

Tom Preissing: Solid, if unspectacular, defenseman who somehow manages to flirt with the league's top plus/minus players. Is a good point man for the powerplay, but plays a bit soft and I've yet to seem him dive to block a shot or play with any sort of passion. Seems to be competent enough playing against the other team's 2nd or 3rd line players. Had a strong playoff with San Jose last season so obviously I'm hoping he'll repeat this year. Grade: B

Goalies

Ray Emery: Emery relied mostly on his athleticism to stop pucks the first time around, but this past summer he also worked on his positioning and the result is a pleasant surprise for Sens fans and management. He plays with confidence and that also rubs off on his teammates, and has strong stats to show he's a legitimate #1. If he can continue to play this strongly in the playoffs, the Senators have a shot. Grade: A-

Martin Gerber: He's been relegated to backup duties with the emergence of Emery and his sub-par play. He wouldn't be under so much fire if he wasn't paid $3.7M a year, but he is, and he'll likely be unloaded in the off-season to someone who's willing to gamble he can play like he did with the Hurricanes. He's won his last three starts, two against the Flyers and just recently over Washington, so maybe he's turning things around. I really don't like the way he plays from his knees and just bounces back and forth between the posts. Hopefully, Emery will stay healthy. Grade: C-

Other Thoughts: Nice job by Dany Heatley being named 1st star for the month of January after tallying 22 points in 13 games. Bring that Rocket Richard trophy home, Heater!