Scotiabank Place, home of the Ottawa Senators (Image: Andrew3000/Flickr)

The Ottawa Senators weren’t projected to go this far in the playoffs, let alone make the playoffs after they learned they would be without Jason Spezza for the regular season. Daniel Alfredsson is getting older, what about Anderson in net, look at their blueline with only Chris Philips and Erik Karlsson leading the charge, yadda, yadda, yadda. None of that mattered to the Pesky Sens.

Injuries started to mount and as the team looked like their overachieving ways would be put to a halt and reality would set in- they surged ahead.

Injuries to key pieces of the Senators roster may have been the best thing for this organization moving forward. Not only were the Sens stared in the face by adversity, but they overcame it. The Senators really only had two options, play to the best of their ability with players from their AHL affiliate (The Binghamton Senators), or just scrap what was looking to be a promising season to get a nice draft pick. Neither option was satisfactory to this Sens team, thus Pesky Sens came into rotation among the fans and media outlets across the NHL.

Looking at their current roster, there are many names that stand out as new. This wouldn’t be the case to management and scouts who have spent, by now, thousands of hours scouting and developing these players into professionals. It may be time to throw Bryan Murray a bone as well as management who have helped him draft extremely well, and make trades for the better of the organization.

Craig Anderson (Chris Williams/Icon SMI)

Craig Anderson is the guy for the Senators. He played outstanding hockey all season and has continued this through the playoffs stealing games for the Sens. Robin Lehner is not exactly ready to be a starter, and he could learn a lot from watching Anderson play. After all, he is only 21 years old. Lehner was drafted 46th overall in the second round of the 2009 NHL entry draft by the Ottawa Senators. He stood on his head at the World Junior Tournament in 2011 for Team Sweden. This was a well drafted goalie, and having Ben Bishop waiting in the wings as an NHL ready goaltender wasn’t fair. Bryan Murray recognized who his two guys were and made a trade that benefitted Ben Bishop by sending him to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline for Cory Conacher.

Cory Conacher went undrafted out of college, and managed 24 points in 35 games for the Lightning. One thing the Lightning needed was goaltending, one thing the Sens needed was added offense, and young offense. Both the Sens and Lightning swapped productive players to address their needs.

Instead of sitting on the issue of which goalies to keep, Murray acted professionally and made a decision without looking back to keep who he and his team thought would be the best choice moving forward. Asset for asset, the trade has been a success so far.

Going all the way back to the 1997 entry draft, these are the notable names who have been drafted by the Ottawa Senators:

1997- Round 1, 12 overall Marian Hossa
1998- Round 2, 44 overall Mike Fisher
1998- Round 6, 161 overall Chris Neil
1999- Round 1, 26 overall Martin Havlat
1999- Round 3, 94 overall Chris Kelly
2000- Round 1, 21 overall Anton Volchenkov
2000- Round 2, 45 overall Antoine Vermette
2000- Round 5, 156 overall Greg Zanon
2001- Round 1, 2 overall Jason Spezza
2001- Round 1, 23 overall Tim Gleason
2001- Round 4, 99 overall Ray Emery
2001- Round 6, 193 overal Brooks Laich
2003- Round 1, 29 overall Patrick Eaves
2004- Round 1, 23 overall Andrej Meszaros
2004- Round 3, 87 overall Peter Regin
2005- Round 1, 9 overall Brian Lee
2005- Round 7, 204 overall Colin Greening
2006- Round 1, 28 overall Nick Foligno
2006- Round 3, 68 overall Eric Gryba
2006- Round 3, 91 overall Kaspars Daugavins
2006- Round 7, 211 overall Erik Condra
2008- Round 1, 15 overall Erik Karlsson
2008- Round 3, 79 overall Zack Smith
2009- Round 1, 9 overall Jared Cowen
2009- Round 2, 39 overall Jakob Silfverberg
2009- Round 2, 46 overall Robin Lehner
2010- Round 6, 178 overall Mark Stone
2011- Round 1, 6 overall Mika Zibanejad
2011- Round 1, 21 overall Stefan Noesen
2011- Round 4, 96 overall Jean-Gabriel Pageau

(Current roster players for the Senators in bold.)

Out of all the draftees listed above by the Senators, every single one has played NHL games, or has gone on to have successful careers. Of course, the later draft picks are only starting theirs, but they do look promising. A huge amount of credit should go to the Ottawa Senators scouting department and head office for making all of these draft selections.

Senators GM Bryan Murray

So this brings us back to the original question; are the Ottawa Senators actually overachieving? The answer, simply, is no. They have faced adversity and answered it with the pieces they drafted. Bryan Murray and his staff have worked hard to make sure if something like this were to happen, they would have something up their sleeve to make sure they weren’t doomed.

If your season falls apart because your star players are injured, it’s a common pass. We see it all the time. For Bryan Murray to be able to take his draft picks and turn them into capable replacements is quite honestly the greatest achievement a GM can strive toward. The pieces you draft are meant to be there for development and for instances exactly like the one the Senators faced this season.

Overachievement is the opposite of what is happening. The Senators have managed to develop and mold their draft picks into capable NHL starters which is what the draft is all about, isn’t it? Bryan Murray has effectively completed his job as GM. He has drafted, traded, and developed his team into an organization that won’t faulter when faced with a hole in the lineup.

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Katie Flynn

Katie Flynn is in her final year at U of T, pursuing a career in sports journalism while completing a Bachelor of Arts, English Specialist. Although the NHL is the apple of her eye, she enjoys MLB, NFL, and NBA, in that order.

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Zdeno Chara has a few young Bruins defencemen to take under his big wings during the 2013 playoffs. (Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE)

Earlier this year, the Ottawa Senators found themselves in a bit of a spot when they learned that Jared Cowen would miss a significant part of the season due to a hip injury. On top of that, Erik Karlsson’s season appeared to be over after the devastating injury to his Achilles back in February. As a result, the Senators had to rely heavily on a trio of defencemen from Binghamton – Patrick Wiercioch, Andre Benoit and Erik Gryba.

Of course, as the story goes, the Senators were not only able to keep the ship afloat despite injuries to key players, they defied all logical expectations by qualifying for the playoffs. While these three d-men have assumed lesser roles as guys have moved back into the lineup, their regular season contributions should not be overlooked.

Over the course of the regular season, Gryba, Wiercioch and Beniot ranked 4-6 in 5 on 5 TOI among Senators defencemen, and Wiercioch also logged the 2nd most minutes on the power play in Karlsson’s absence. In fact, Wiercioch appeared in 42 games, scored 5 goals and added 14 assists, essentially led the Sens D with a 19.15 On-Ice Corsi rating, was a +9 and chipped in with 3 PPP. Benoit scored 10 points in 33 games, including 2 game winning goals, and also boasted a 14.30 On-Ice Corsi, while Gryba’s learning curve was a bit steeper as he actually had a -3.69 On-Ice Corsi while logging some heavy shut down minutes. (numbers courtesy of Behind The Net)

What helped in this situation was a concerted effort by the Senators not only to draft well and build organizational depth, but to create an environment and a system wherein a player could and should transition seamlessly from one level to the next. As such, a defenceman playing in Binghamton under Luke Richardson would have similar demands and expectations placed on him upon arrival in Ottawa, while playing in a system under Paul MacLean that already had an air of familiarity to it.

As to how that worked out for them, well the proof is in the pudding; Bryan Murray’s work in creating this kind of system has paid off with an appearance in the conference semi-finals and a Jack Adams nomination for MacLean.

So what does this have to do with the Bruins defencemen?

Torey Krug (Meowwcat/ Wikipedia)

With Seidenberg, Ference and Redden out of the lineup, 3 young Bruins defencemen have been called to step in and step up, and that they have done.

Dougie Hamilton, of course, has been playing at the NHL level all season, but was relegated to the sidelines as the playoffs began, as Claude Julien is wont to do with rookies in the playoffs (see Seguin, Tyler: 2011). In the 5 games that he has played, however, Dougie has put together an impressive 40.31 On-Ice Corsi rating, has chipped in 2 assists, and has helped give the power play a nice look when partnered with one of his young AHL counterparts.

That man would be Torey Krug, the undrafted defenceman out of Michigan State who has made an immediate impact for the Bruins after being called up from Providence. Krug played in 63 games for the P-Bruins this season  – his first as a pro – scoring 45 points (13 G, 32 A), breaking the record for points scored by a Providence rookie defenseman in a season, and becoming a fan favorite in the process.

And in 2 games vs the Rangers, Krug as scored 2 goals (1 PPG) and added an assist, with an On-Ice Corsi of 18.95.

He has also become somewhat of a cult hero in Boston, the long-awaited for “puck handling defenceman” that can and has energized a dormant power play and boosted a struggling offense. His now famous puck kick led to the Bruins second goal in Game 2, and he is causing Bruins fans to utter something to this effect:

kruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

— Sarah Connors (@sarah_connors) May 20, 2013

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuug

— Sarah Connors (@sarah_connors) May 20, 2013

Matt Bartkowski has also made in impact for the Bruins in these playoffs, notching his first career NHL goal in Game 7 vs the Leafs, and thwarting a Derrick Brassard attempt in Game 2 vs the Rangers that led to a Bruins goal at the other end to make it 4-2. Bartkowski was drafted in the 7th round of the 2008 Draft by the Florida Panthers, and was acquired alongside Seidenberg in March of 2001. He has been quietly developing his game in Providence over the last few years, and was thought to be a piece going to the Calgary Flames in a potential deal for Jarome Iginla. Based on his play to date, the Bruins must be feeling good about retaining his rights, and he is fitting in nicely among the ranks of Bruins defencemen.

(Bruins D numbers courtesy of Behind The Net)

Really, this all shouldn’t come as much of a shock. As anyone who saw what happened in Ottawa this year can attest to, the model of developing players in the AHL and creating systemic continuity between the two pro levels can and has bred an environment where players are set up to succeed after making that jump. The Bruins are also proving that to be true with the way that Krug and Bartkowski have stepped in after logging heavy and significant minutes in the AHL this season (like Johnny Boychuk and Adam MacQuaid did before them), and one can’t help but wonder if young Dougie may have been well served with some time in Providence as well.

If anything, it all reinforces the notion that teams should be populating their AHL squads with good, young talent rather than blowing their stacks on players already at the NHL level (something that contributed to Redden becoming a Bruin in the first place), or pushing players to succeed at the NHL level too early in their careers.

As the Senators and Bruins have shown, the creation of an environment and a system where a player can transition seamlessly from one level to the next can serve the organization well when the need is greatest, and both clubs are reaping those rewards to the tune of an appearance in the second round of the NHL Playoffs.

While any one of Hamitlon, Krug and Bartkowski will be forced to sit once Seidenberg, Ference and Redden are ready to return, these young Bruins defencemen have helped the team amass a 2-0 lead over the Rangers, and that’s all that can be asked of them for now.

(For more on this AHL link, please read this great post on Stanley Cup of Chowder – Dear NBC: Time To Acknowledge The AHL)

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Ian C McLaren

Lead Boston Bruins writer for The Hockey Writers. Also contributing to the THW Next Ones NHL Draft prospect profile series. Previously created & edited a sports-based website called Score Nation, and has also written for THW Combine.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

A bone-headed play, a mental lapse, a brain cramp, or pure laziness leading to arguably the most talented team in these playoffs losing a game that they should win.

And last night at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa was no exception.

In what can only be described as the Pens playing “rope-a-dope” with the Senators during a last-two-minutes-of regulation-power-play, Sens’ captain Daniel Alfredsson scored short-handed to tie Game Three of this best of seven series and send the contest to overtime. Colin Greening continued his success in the series by scoring the OT winner at 7:39 of the second overtime frame to get Ottawa within a win of tying things up.

Rope-a-Dope

Daniel Alfredsson (Icon SMI)

Allow me to explain the “rope-a-dope” strategy here. Defending Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson took a slashing penalty with just under a minute and a half left to play in regulation, and the Penguins up 1-0. Now at this point, the Pens’ power play had all but abandoned them in this game. They were 0-4 to this point, including a :59 two-man advantage early in the second period.

So with a minute and a half remaining, and the Penguins up a man, you would think that puck possession in the Ottawa end would be key. Keep two defensemen at the points, control the puck, no silly passes or shots and Pittsburgh should have the next two days to ponder how best to finish off the Senators in four games. But, as has been the case with this Penguins team, “not so fast my friend.”

Instead of getting the puck deep and controlling it in the Ottawa zone for the remainder of the game, the Penguins inexplicably dumped the puck in, then sat back and allowed the Sens to gain possession. Then were content to allow Ottawa to carry the biscuit into the Pens’ end. It becomes obvious at this point that the Penguins want to score an empty-net goal. Allow Ottawa to enter the zone, and get Craig Anderson (who was nothing short of spectacular in this game) to the bench for the extra skater. Then gain possession in the defensive zone, responsibly carry the puck out and hit the empty-netter for a 3-0 series lead. But the Penguins never gained possession in their own end.

Instead, Alfredsson was allowed to skate down the right wing boards, unscathed, and was able to deflect a Milan Michalek pass over an unsuspecting Tomas Vokoun’s right shoulder to knot things at one with 29 seconds left to play. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang each looked lost once the Senators’ Sergei Gonchar got the puck to Michalek, and he entered the zone. Add Paul Martin to the mix and you have three guys chasing the puck, and no one picking up a streaking (if you can call a 40 year-old that) Daniel Alfredsson. Needless to say, the rope-a-dope strategy failed miserably.

Who to Blame?

(Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

It’s easy to blame Malkin here. From a pure defensive system standpoint, Alfredsson was Gino’s guy. Or you could blame Kris Letang, who for whatever reason followed Paul Martin to Michalek, leaving the center of the ice wide open.

I prefer to blame Dan Bylsma.

Now if you have read my work during this postseason, you know that I have not been the biggest “Disco Dan” supporter. In fact, I’m one of his biggest critics. The fact is, he’s the coach. When you have a situation such as the one that arose last night at 18:33 of the third period, I have to imagine, that as the head coach, you are in charge of what your team is doing on the ice. You are the one sending a particular group of players out on the ice, and you call the strategy with which you’re sending them. In this case, he sent his top power play unit out, and in my opinion, with the strategy of allowing Ottawa to get Anderson to the bench in order to score an empty-net goal.

Why was the top PP unit out there to begin with? The Penguins didn’t need another goal. They had played masterful defensive hockey for the entire third period. Send out any combination of Matt Cooke, Brandon Sutter, Tanner Glass, Pascal Dupuis, Craig Adams, Brooks Orpik, Mark Eaton, Douglas Murray and kill off the last 1:27 of this game. But not only did Bylsma, in my opinion, send out the wrong guys, he sent them out with the wrong frame of mind.

Inexcusable

What has become all too redundant this postseason, is Bylsma’s lack of adjustments and poor judgement. It took him three games to realize that his team was getting scalded by the Islanders’ speed. Then he finally made a lineup adjustment. It’s fairly obvious that Jarome Iginla, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal are not comfortable with one another, yet he keeps going back to this line combo. And his system, for all it’s regular season successes, has failed miserably not just this postseason, but last postseason, the postseason before, and the postseason before that.

(The Penguins’ offensive game is predicated on puck possession in the offensive zone. Ask yourself this: how much time have the Penguins spent in the Senators’ zone so far during this series? Have they really gotten their forecheck going?)

Optimism

I was ready jump off a bridge last night after Greening’s goal in the second overtime. But today is a new day, and it’s not all doom and gloom. I’ve slept it off, and awaken with a new sense of hope.

Consider this: Ottawa has thrown their very best at this Penguins’ team, and it took a last-second desperation goal, 27:39 of overtime hockey, and a Herculean effort from their goalie to finally beat them. All of that, coupled with returning home to play their first game at Scotiabank Place in 12 days, and welcoming back the second-leading scorer in Senators’ playoff history in Jason Spezza. At no point in this series has Ottawa even resembled being on the same planet as the Penguins. So I will simply say that it will be a shock if the Penguins do not return home on Friday night with a chance to wrap up this series in a fifth game on home ice (which, coincidentally, would be the Pens’ first series win on home ice since the 2008 Eastern Conference Final against Philly).

Shameless Self-Promotion

As always, thanks for reading! You can keep up with me and the entire Pittsburgh Penguins writing team here at The Hockey Writers on Twitter. Shame on you for six weeks if you’re not already following me. Please do so here:Follow @TDT_Pens4Life

Remember it’s not all doom and gloom, and…

“It’s a great day for hockey!!”

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Tannor Torrao

Pittsburgh, Pa. Hockey junkie. Fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Red Sox. Never short on opinions when it comes to either.

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Erik Karlsson was benched for long stretches in Game 2 against the Penguins (Photo by Andy Martin Jr)

“On our team, the best players play.

Erik [Karlsson] wasn’t one of the best players today, so he didn’t play.”

-Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean after Game 2

Watching Erik Karlsson in these playoffs is painful.

Not painful like a lacerated Achilles tendon.  More cringe-worthy, with a little hint of embarrassment.

It’s like watching Michael Jordan on the Washington Wizards.  Or Jaromir Jagr trudging up the ice as his Bruins teammates wait for him at the far blueline.  They never demand the puck, but simply pay homage to a legend who once flew through the neutral zone.

You know the player is — was — capable of more.  You’ve seen it with your own eyes.  Now it’s simply a memory.

That’s how it feels watching Erik Karlsson in these playoffs.  It’s probably unfair to say that about a 22-year-old who returned to the ice just ten weeks after a devastating injury.  Karlsson should be able to recover physically after a full summer of rest and proper rehab.

But where will he be mentally?

Karlsson has been a total disaster in the second round series against Pittsburgh.  He wasn’t much better in the prior round against Montreal.  You can sense that he knows he’s capable of more, but his body just won’t let him.

Sidney Crosby only got 2:30 of ice time against Karlsson in Game 2, but he torched the Norris Trophy winner for a pair of goals in the first period:

“I think he might’ve been getting ready to pinch or close his gap a little bit,” Crosby said of his first deke on Karlsson.  “He’s a pretty good skater.  I think I got lucky I was able to catch a stride there.”

Crosby scored on the powerplay early in the second to complete his hat trick as a result of Karlsson’s hooking penalty.  Ottawa coach Paul MacLean had seen enough and Karlsson played only sparingly the rest of the game.

“He played 15:37 [tonight], which isn’t normal for him so obviously he wasn’t one of the best players,” MacLean said after the game.  “On our team, the best players play.  Erik wasn’t one of our best players today so he didn’t play.”

Karlsson’s ice time in Game 3 was well below his season average this year.  Even after the injury (gap in the graph above), he’s been routinely in the 27-29 minute range, with the exception of Game 5 against Montreal, which was a 6-1 blowout.

The most noticeable issue in the playoffs has been Karlsson’s shift length (noted underneath each bar in the graph).  Prior to Game 2, Karlsson led all players in average shift length during the playoffs.  While some of these extended shifts are on the powerplay, the Penguins have been making sure that he has to play ‘tough minutes’.

“It’s a team commitment thing,” said Pittsburgh’s Matt Niskanen, who has seen first-hand how opponents try to wear down his defensive partner Kris Letang.  “Every time you get a chance, if you make him go back for pucks, those are tough minutes.  If they have to do it over and over again, guys are bumping into you, you get stuck in your zone for 20 seconds every time.  That’s not the kind of game he wants to play.  He wants to free-wheel and make things happen.”

In addition to being physical with Karlsson, Niskanen says the Penguins are focused on being in the right position when he’s on the ice.

“The key is having guys in the right position.  Be above him all the time.  Make him go through four or five guys all night and he’s not going to have open ice to use his best asset, which is his skating.”

Karlsson’s frustration has led to indecision and he’s gone from all-important asset to outright liability.

Karlsson hasn’t been the same player since his Achilles tendon injury (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

MacLean’s biggest challenge is finding a matchup that Karlsson can handle.  Evgeni Malkin is too physically strong and Crosby is too fast.  With Pittsburgh on home ice and able to make the last line change, Karlsson couldn’t hide.

The Penguins attacked Karlsson with Crosby’s line whenever possible in the first two games.  They tried to force Karlsson to play defense and wear himself out working to get the puck back.  MacLean hopes that will change when the series shifts to Ottawa for Game 3 on Sunday night.

“We get the chance to decide who we want to play against [Crosby] at home and maybe be more diligent about it.  They can obviously make another change after the puck drops, but we’re going to feel like we have the right people on the ice against their people.  If there is an advantage [to playing at home], that’s what it is.”

MacLean has said he’s more concerned about having the right defensive pairs on the ice against certain matchups, but he’ll still be handcuffed with limited options if Karlsson can’t regain his confidence.

______________________________________

How can MacLean tell which defensive pair to deploy when he doesn’t have the benefit of a stoppage in play?

Pittsburgh always sends their center onto the ice first during a change on the fly.  It doesn’t matter which player came off the ice.

This is unusual for most hockey fans who grew up being told by their coaches to change for certain players.  Centers change for centers.  Right wingers change for right wingers.

There’s a few reasons the Penguins do this.

First, they’d obviously rather give extra ice time to Malkin and Crosby.  They also want the center on the ice first because he’s usually responsible for playing low in the defensive zone and will need the extra few seconds to get back into position. [Click here to read more on the Penguins' defensive system in this breakdown from last year]

It also makes it easier to avoid too-many-men on the ice penalties.  Bylsma switches his lines constantly.  Pascal Dupuis goes from right wing on Crosby’s line, to left wing on Malkin’s line, to center on the fourth line.  It’s easier for Crosby just to jump onto the ice first instead of trying to remember who is playing what position.

______________________________________

The Penguins have their own matchup concern on defense.

Deryk Engelland and Douglas Murray have been matched up solely against Ottawa’s slower fourth line which includes Chris Neil and Zack Smith.  Engelland struggled quite a bit in Game 2 and Penguins coach Dan Bylsma might be forced to make a change.

Engelland says he was put in the lineup to serve the role of enforcer, but Ottawa’s ability to make the last change at home is a concern.  MacLean can attack the Engelland-Murray pair with the speedy Jean-Gabriel Pageau or Jason Spezza and take advantage of the mismatch.

The Penguins strategy against Ottawa has been very defensive-minded and Bylsma will need a strong sixth defenseman on the road.  Expect Mark Eaton over Simon Despres in Game 3 if they do make the change.

[THW's Justin Glock examines the sixth defenseman issue in depth here]

______________________________________

Despite the 4-1 final score, Ottawa carried the play in the second period of Game 1.  The key was their ability to breakout the puck quickly.  Pittsburgh was dumping the puck softly and allowing goaltender Craig Anderson to kickstart the breakout.  Ottawa spent very little time in their own end of the ice.

They also stepped up aggressively at their own blueline and didn’t allow the Penguins to set up in the offensive zone.  This didn’t happen nearly enough in Game 2 and Malkin was given space to create opportunities in the offensive zone.

Both of these elements will be critical in determining who wins Game 3.

______________________________________

Sidney Crosby switched to a smaller face shield this series.  After conversations with his doctor, he decided that he didn’t need all of the bars on his prior shield.

One area Crosby has been struggling with in the playoffs is faceoffs, perhaps because of the face shield obstructing his vision.  He’s won only 46.4 percent in the playoffs, down from 54.3 percent in the regular season.

Bylsma announced on Sunday afternoon that Joe Vitale (56.1 percent) will not be in the lineup for Game 3 but did not announce a replacement.  If Jussi Jokinen (64.9 percent) remains a healthy scratch, the Penguins could be at a disadvantage in the faceoff circle.

______________________________________

Email: MJColligan@TheHockeyWriters.com

Twitter: Follow @MikeColligan

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Mike Colligan

Managing Editor

Mike Colligan is an NHL analyst at Forbes SportsMoney and the Pittsburgh Penguins correspondent at The Hockey Writers. Email: MJColligan@TheHockeyWriters.com

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Does Marc Methot have a chance to play for the Canadian Olympic Team?

Marc Methot has come a long way since his Junior A days playing for the Kanata Valley Lasers. A steady stay-at-home defenseman for the Lasers, he transitioned perfectly to major junior and continued to play his hardnosed style. After getting drafted in the sixth round in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, a possible career in the NHL seemed unlikely. It wasn’t until the following few seasons with the London Knights that he emerged as a legit NHL prospect. Following his Memorial Cup victory in 2004-2005, he spent three seasons with the Syracuse Crunch while also playing 29 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 2008-09 he finally made the fulltime jump to the NHL and quickly became one of the most underrated defenseman in the league.

On July 1,2012, he was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to his hometown Ottawa Senators in exchange for Nick Foligno in a move that was questioned by Senators fans immediately. He was brought in to be a complimentary player on the top defensive pairing for Erik Karlsson by providing his steady defense. When the season finally began this year, Karlsson and Methot showed instant chemistry quickly becoming one of the best duos in the league. It wasn’t until Karlsson’s injury that Methot really flourished and became Ottawa’s best and most consistent defenseman. He is a terrific skater, throws huge hip checks, and does an excellent job shutting down opposing teams top lines.

A chance to make the Olympic Team?

Methot benefits from being left-handed and that right there is already a huge plus. When you consider that Kris Letang, Drew Doughty, Shea Weber, PK Subban, Brent Seabrook, and Alex Pietrangelo are all right-handed; there appears to be a few spots on the left side open. Duncan Keith is likely a lock as a left-defenseman on Team Canada and Marc Methot will be against stiff competition in Dan Hamhuis, Dion Phaneuf, Brian Campbell, Francois Beauchemin, and Marc Staal. It’s almost a guarantee that some of the right-handed defenseman will transition to the other side making only one or two spots open.

The upcoming Olympics will be held on international ice and it would appear to be a concern for a player of Marc Methot’s style.  Methot however is an excellent skater and has played on international ice before as he has represented Team Canada in the IIHF World Championships the previous two seasons. As a defensive defenseman, it will questioned if he is better defensively then someone like Shea Weber who is also able to put up points consistently. Playing with a healthy Erik Karlsson next season should certainly improve his offensive totals which will help his cause. His willingness to win, great leadership, and past history with Team Canada will give him an extra edge come selection time.

Methot has benefited from playing in a stronger hockey market and has really turned some heads this season as one of the best shutdown defenseman in the league. He has been one of the major reasons the Senators have been successful at all and has been great so far in the playoffs even scoring the game winning goal against the Canadiens in Game 1. So does a Marc Methot stand a chance? While the chances are slim, he will continue to improve his game leading up until the Olympics and his name will be tossed around often. The only way I can see Methot making the team is through injuries or some of the likely candidates really struggle next season leading up to Sochi. Marc Methot just to needs to consistently play his game effectively and if he can increase his offensive totals he should get a long look. It seems as though it would take a miracle for him to make Team Canada, but he would play a great shutdown/penalty killing role on the team.

The chances are slim, but then again, there’s a chance.

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Conor Mulligan

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He has played for four different NHL teams.

And now, Pascal “The Rascal” Dupuis leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs in goals.

Pascal Dupuis (Dan4th/wikimedia)

Considered by many in 2008 as a “throw-in” player in the deal that sent Marian Hossa to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Colby Armstrong and then-prospect Angelo Esposito, “Super Duper” (yes he has quite a few nicknames) has certainly found a home here in the Steel City.

Add to that the fact that the Penguins continue to search for Duper’s replacement, and I’d say that it’s been a pretty pleasant experience for him in terms of proving people wrong about his skill.

When asked about his short-handed goal, his sixth goal (first short-handed) of these playoffs, in the third period of the Pens 4-1 Game One victory last night, Dupuis replied “Yeah it’s nice to surprise people.” And he’s been doing it since arriving on the scene here in 2008.

Dupuis has gone from being a 4th line winger, to Sidney Crosby’s most trusted confidant on the ice. Before Crosby missed nearly two seasons with concussion symptoms, Dupuis played next to the captain during his 27-game point streak in the fall of 2010.

The Proof is in the Pudding, err… Stats

In his career with the Penguins, Dupuis has 94 goals and 212 points. His most productive season, ironically enough, came without Crosby in the lineup, in 2011-12, where he posted career highs in goals (25) and assists (34, and obviously total points as well 59). What is amazing about his goal total from that season is that not one came on the power play. Coincidentally, he led the entire NHL in even strength goals.

However, take his points per game average from this past, lockout-shortened season (.79. 38 points in 48 games played), and this year would have been a career year for him with 64 points. He also had 20 goals in 48 games. Stretch that out over a full 82 games, and Dupuis would have lit the lamp a career high 34 times.

To further cater to Dupuis’ ego, he also led the NHL in plus/minus this season.

(Thanks to TSN.com for the numbers)

Kill it Off

Pascal Dupuis tallies his first career shorthanded goal last night against the Ottawa Senators (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Duper is also one of the Penguins primary penalty killers. Last night alone, he was on the ice for 4:17 of a possible ten minutes total that the Senators spent on the power play.

And he not only kills penalties, but he has added 8 short-handed goals over the six seasons he has spent here in Pittsburgh. And last night, he tallied one, his first “shorty” in the his playoff career.

Life in Pittsburgh

Dupuis is a big fan of the City of Bridges. He and his wife Carole-Lyne are raising their four children here. After the 2011 season, Dupuis re-signed with the Penguins for two years and $1.5 million per season. It’s worth mentioning that Dupuis took the deal before July 1, the opening of the NHL’s free agency period. In other words, he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh.

He’s due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. And my gut tells me that he’ll be sticking around a bit longer.

He’s one of the straws that stirs the Pittsburgh Penguins’ drink. He never takes a shift off, does all the dirty work, and is now contributing on the score sheet as well. He’s a family man, gracious in the locker room with the media, and even likes to mix it up with ROOT Sports Penguins’ beat reporter Dan Potash:

This article was a lot of fun for me, as Duper is one of my favorite players on this team. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Thanks as always!!

Shameless Self-Promotion

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I enjoy quoting it, so here ya go:

“Its a great day for hockey!!”

Author information

Tannor Torrao

Pittsburgh, Pa. Hockey junkie. Fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Red Sox. Never short on opinions when it comes to either.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.