Thursday, January 04, 2007

The Heat Is On

There were so many different storylines going into last night's game between the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres that the scribes had to be licking their chops over this one.

There was the new face of Mike Comrie in the Sens' line-up, as he arrived in time from Washington to be pencilled in to the roster. There was Ray Emery, the recently-appointed #1 Star of the Week by the NHL, who has stood on his head to keep his team in games lately. There was the fact that the Sens have soldiered on quite admirably, going 4-0-1 in the absence of stars Jason Spezza, Mike Fisher, and Antoine Vermette. There were the Buffalo Sabres lining up as the opponent, arguably the hottest team in the league up to the half-way mark, but strangely a team the Sens have dominated in the previous meetings.

So much to talk about, so many headlines, so many sub-plots.

But by the end of the night, one man had grabbed the spotlight all for himself.

It was, indeed, The Dany Heatley Show at Scotiabank Place last night, folks.

After a dodgy first period which saw the Sabres outshoot Ottawa by a wide margin, the Sens, led by Heatley, exploded in the second for four goals, three of them coming off Heater's stick. It gave Heatley three hat tricks on the season, and silenced those who were murmuring that he couldn't score without Spezza dishing him the puck.

Tom Preissing with a blast on the powerplay, Peter Schaeffer on a nifty break-away, and Wade Redden, God love him in all his splendid glory, also capitalized for the Sens, with the final score being 6-3. The scoreboard would indicate a much closer game than it actually was, as the Sens seemed to lay back with their 5-goal cushion late in the third, allowing Buffalo to score twice in the dying minutes. It just goes to show how lethal these Sabres are, and how they can come back from a deficit, no matter how large.

However, on this night, it was truly all Ottawa. Mike Comrie fit in nicely, playing with an edge and collecting two assists. He was making things happen out there, and I look forward to seeing what he brings to this team in the future. Ray Emery was also in top form, shutting the Sabres out in the first period when they were on the attack and giving his team a chance to compete. Special teams were also a huge factor in the game, with the Sens going 3 for 4 on the powerplay, and Heatley also opened the scoring with a shorthanded marker to get things rolling.

I watched the game on TSN, and I would officially like to nominate Glen Healey for the Biggest Dick in the Broadcasters Booth Award. The guy is a real doorknob. I was so sick of listening to him by the end of the game that I wanted to bash my head into a wall. He's soooo cocky and arrogant and anti-Ottawa that it makes me want to puke. I don't know how many times he pointed out that the Sens have two forwards without a point, Hennesy and Payer. He said it like fifteen times. I just wanted to reach into my TV and grab him by the throat and scream: "DICK!! They have only played two games!!" I mean, does he not realize they have been called up to fill the void for the absent Spezza, Fisher & Vermette? For a guy who played in this league, he sure doesn't know much about hockey.

In any case, that was really the only thing I could find to complain about all night long. Otherwise, it was a delightful evening for Sens fans everywhere. My only true concern at this point is that the boys have been on a bit of a roll lately, and I've got tickets for Saturday's game vs. the New Jersey Devils. Good thing, right?? Wrong. Knowing my luck, they're probably due for an ass-kicking, and you can bet that I'll be in attendance to see it!

But I'll keep my fingers crossed for The Dany Heatley Show: Part II.

Have a good day, gang!!

11 comments:

Rachel said...

Nice re-cap Jill. As I don't have a dish I am only able to watch the sens if they play on Saturday night, so I look forward to your re-caps of the games. Sounds like it would have been a real good one to watch.

I know of you feel. Every time I am in attendance at the Sens game, they always lose. Just once, I would like to see them win.

Kenny said...

Loved the cap Jill. Don't worry about Saturday, They'll do fine.

I'll be over tonight to grab FNL

Jill said...

I hope you're right. I watched FNL after the game, it was AWESOME!!

Glad to hear you guys enjoy the hockey re-caps!

Anonymous said...

Once again Jill, hairs on the back of my neck. I watched the game in between the late showing of 2 episodes or Coronation Street. It's starting to get good again. And when I went to bed the SENS were up 4-0. It was quite nice to see.

I got my iPod figured out and my digital camera as well. Thank gawd, they were stressing me out. So I am currently working on filling my iPod with songs and my digital camera with fun cool pics!

Sarah said...

Great re-cap! Didnt get to watch the game last night had to do some packing for the big trip! Im extremly excited I just want to yell out YIPPPEEEEEE!! Wish you were coming!

Im dissapointed that i missed the game tho it sounds like it was a good one!

Anonymous said...

I went and posted some stuff on Kennys blog... not todays because I am not interested in football, but in the hockey one from yesterday. Hope he doesn't block me from posting! :)

Jill said...

Kenny may be trying hard to get us both blocked, Sharon, especially now that he has a "new poster" who actually enjoys reading his blah blah football Blogs! ;o)

Jill said...

Sharon - I've got bad news for you. I just found this newsflash on MSN's Entertainment page!!

Fox's Once-Hot 'The O.C.' Is Canceled
Jan 3, 9:15 PM EST


"The O.C.," the once-hot teenage soap opera that saw its ratings plummet like a delinquent student's grades, has been canceled. The final episode of the drama will air 9 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 22, Fox TV and Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. said Wednesday.

The finale "will deliver real closure to the series, to the story we began telling four years ago," series creator Josh Schwartz said in a statement. "It will be fun and emotional and I think really satisfying. It is the finale we always planned to do."

Based in the affluent Orange County, Calif., city of Newport Beach, "The O.C." caught fire in its first season, 2003-04, as the top-rated drama among advertiser-favored young adults and with a total audience of nearly 10 million.

The show's story lines revolved around Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie), an outsider thrust into a heady new world of money and sex, and rich high school kids including Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) and Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) and their families.

"The O.C." didn't sustain its momentum, dropping to about 7 million weekly viewers during 2004-05 and then to fewer than 6 million last season. This year, returning in November after Fox wrapped its postseason baseball coverage, "The O.C." has only drawn about 4 million viewers.

Observers have pointed to a variety of possible reasons for the slump, including inconsistent quality, the fickleness of younger viewers and a time-slot change.

The third-season finale's high drama, in which Marissa was killed in a car crash, didn't turn the series around. This year found Ryan confronting the death of his one-time girlfriend and the man who caused it.

Fox ordered 16 episodes for the 2006-07 season and all will have aired when the series concludes in February, a network spokesman said Wednesday.

Others in the show's cast include Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Melinda Clarke, Rachel Bilson and Autumn Reeser.

Despite its brief heyday, the show helped establish cast members including Brody, Bilson and Barton as fan and tabloid favorites.

A replacement for the series was not immediately announced by Fox.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I heard that on the radio this morning but have been so busy, have not been able to research it. I am quite sad about it. But as long as it provides the closure they say it will I will be happy and will definetly purchase the last season to complete my set. I figure this way I can focus my money on Gilmour Girls seasons that I so dearly want.

Sarah said...

Jill where are ya this mornin? I look forward to my midmorn read...

Stacy said...

Hello Everyone! I have been off all week with the cold so I guess I missed a lot - anyways, I guess you aren't posting when you're not at work - seeing how you have the welfare job now and have extra long weekends...haha i guess i shouldnt talk seeing how I am done work this week and off for a whole year with the baby!! LOL
Anyways just cleaning up at work - may be a boring week!
Talk to ya's later!