Senators Fire Craig Hartsburg |
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| Written by Kevin Johns |
| Monday, 02 February 2009 19:00 |
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Just over halfway through one of their most dismal seasons since the mid-90's, the Ottawa Senators have fired head coach Craig Hartsburg and replaced him with Cory Clouston. Who in Cory Clouston? Who cares! Clouston is the forth coach the helm the Sens within the last year, and by this point it's clear that coaching is not the team's problem. A lack of talent isn't the problem either; it never has been. There was a three year period, a while back, where the Toronto Maple Leafs knocked the Senators out of the playoffs every single year. The Leafs were able to do so not because they were a more skilled or talented team, but because they had players like Darcy Tucker and Tie Domi, i.e. players with HEART. You don't win the Stanley Cup with artists like Heatley and Spezza. You win it with warriors, players like Scott Stevenson and Chris Pronger. When the Senators made it to the '07 Stanley Cup Finals, they did so on the back of goaltender Ray Emery. Last year, Emery was accused of being a 'cancer in the dressing room', blamed for the team's quick decline, and let go at the end of the season. Yet with Emery gone this season, things have only gotten worse. Despite all of his faults, Emery had heart. He had character. Finally, there was an Ottawa Senator who was willing to show a little personality, on and off the ice. Emery brought a spark to a personality-less team, and that spark took them all the way to the cup finals. With Emery gone, the Sens have gone back to what they have always been: a group of talented men who aren't willing to get their hands dirty, aren't willing to give 100% every game, and who just can't seem to understand that - perhaps more so than any other sport - hockey is a spiritual game. It's not just about what you do with your hands and your feet; it is about what you have burning in your heart when you step out onto the ice. They can cycle through all the coaches they want, until the players themselves grow a pair and start playing the game the way it is meant to be played, nothing is going to change in this city.
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 February 2009 03:03 |
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