Before the season, I was all in on the idea the Hawks needing to add size….they have done well without a more physical presence but I think they may add that element to the mix yet.

Unless they go for a home run acquisition like Scott Niedermayer for the blueline….cap space may not allow it anyway…they could very will look to add a big crease clearer. I mentioned that again in this blog.

As far as Huet and Niemi…

Niemi will get enough starts to determine if he should be the #1 this season and maybe for next.

Quenneville is there to win…he isn’t told who to play and could care less about how much each player earns. Q. will choose who will give them the best chance of winning.

By the beginning of March I think we will know how the two rank.

They both have played well overall….if Niemi can keep his great performances up he will be given more and more playing time.

You know thw Sens well and the way to exploit them is on the blueline.

If they aren’t the slowest defensive unit in the NHL they are close to it.

It will be intesesting to see if Q. goes back to Huet….

Everyone…the league and officials are walking on egg shells because things are so inconsistent at every level.

You are right to remind fans that while they may want to see someone like Barker traded, there really is not an upgrade available at the present time.

The Senators game on Tuesday is indeed a ‘trap game’. 

Ottawa has their Captain Daniel Alfredsson–one of the better all-round forwards in the league, and an inspiration to his mates–back and they are playing with confidence winning three road games against New York, Montreal and as of this writing, Boston.  

The Sens are an unpredictable team,  difficult to scout because the performance of many of their players is erratic. The same players who might have a poor game deliver a surprising effort in the next. Kovalev is the best example; their goaltenders are another.

Cory Clouston is a very creative coach. He will improvise in mid-game, trying plays that seem oddball–like sending Chris Phillips rushing in from the point–but can often be effective.

He also uses an aggressive two-man forecheck and neutral zone trap against fast teams like the Hawks.

Unheralded players like Chris Kelly and Jarkko Ruutu, solid PK men, can be dangerous around the net. Mike Fisher is a skilled, tough forward who can suddenly find his touch on the scoresheet.

Ottawa is also very successful at home, and they feed off their partisans’ energy.

The Hawks will need to score first and play with discipline–taking a lead, and not allowing the Sens to get back into it. This is critical, because we have seen the Hawks be guilty of exactly that in recent contests.

Ranked 22nd overall, the Senators’ defense is not very physical and they do not defend well in their own zone under pressure. The Sens’ power play is 30th in the league.

But even with those weaknesses, the Hawks should not take them lightly.

Tenacity is a word one can use when describing the Senators. They know no one expects them to beat the best teams, so they are playing with little or nothing to lose. 

They will be pumped up to meet the Blackhawks, and I expect some rough stuff from Matt Carkner, Chris Neil and young Zach Smith.

I’ll be there at Scotiabank Place and watching this one with much interest.

These two points are achievable, and essential, as the Western portion of the trip threatens to be extremely tough.