They shouldn't fire Clouston, that's ridiculous. I'm as down on the sens as anyone, but people were talking about him winning the Jack Adams as of 2 weeks ago. 2 weeks does not invalidate an entire year of success.
The defensive breakdowns are very disturbing though. The offense was always streaky, but the one thing the senators did well consistently this year was play tight checking one or two goal games. I thought that was their identity. Ever since the trades... and no I am not hanging it on Cullen or Sutton, but ever since then I don't recognize the system those guys are playing anymore.
And why is Elliot untouchable? How come Leclaire gets pulled 5 minutes in, after 2 goals, but Elliot is left out there for 6? What does Clouston have against him?
Firing Clouston should definitely NOT be on the radar of management. I agree that is ridiculous.
As far as the Elliott/Leclaire question.....I think Clouston has decided that Elliott, overall, has "earned" the right to be left in, win or lose, to prepare for the playoffs. Not saying that I necessarily agree, but it would appear that is the way he is thinking.
However, one thing I am convinced of, in terms of Clouston and his coaching decisions....the Heatley effect and the reality that, overall, the only smidgen of reasoning that we ever got of why Heatley wanted to be moved out of Ottawa was due to Clouston's decisions to put him on the 2nd PP unit, the so-called reduced ice time, etc. which seems to have left Clouston a bit shy of benching so-called "stars" (aka as overpaid, under-performing primo dons) for fear of being blamed if anyone complains or, god forbid, asks for a trade out of here due to DES (Damaged Ego Syndrome). My case in point - or at least the most glaring one for me - is how, although the rest of the team is not exactly 'on fire' (bring back the Dads, please!), Kovalev has gone back into hibernation which took him months to get out of at the beginning of the season!! His listless, disinterested, careless, lazy play was on full display once again last night. It's like he just can't be bothered. For me, Kovalev is currently the main problem on the anaemic, frustrating PP unit. While it is not working effectively by any stretch of the imagination, it seems to me that it often looks like a 4-on-4 since Kovalev seems incapable of even attempting to try to get open, go to the net, pass the puck once it accidentally lands on his stick or try to keep it in the opponents zone. When Heatley was 'demoted' to the second PP unit, at least he was still trying to positionally be in place for a one-timer. I often have to take a good, long, hard look to see if Kovalev is on the ice and, if he is, whether or not he has drifted off into a coma! While several players could do with a butt-stapling to the bench, Kovalev would be the first candidate for me and if that didn't rev him up in the least, he would likely prefer to be up in the press box where he could fantasize about flying his plane, his next trip to Montreal or whatever the hell else he would prefer to concentrate on because it sure looks like he has not given the actual playing of the game a thought since the Olympic break!
