2005 Ottawa Senators Preview
Welcome to the 2005 Ottawa Senators Preview page. The NHL Hockey Season is around the corner and what better way to remind the public how exciting the NHL can be with a 2005 season preview from Maddux Sports. Remember if you are betting on NHL hockey look no further, as we are one of the few sports handicapping services that offers NHL picks against the hockey betting line and can help you be a winner this NHL betting season.
2005 Ottawa Senators Hockey Season Preview
After 11 years in the NHL, with most of his games played for the Buffalo Sabres, Dominik Hasek retired in 2002. A season off the ice was all the Czech born goaltender could stand and in 2003 he made a 14-game, short-lived comeback in a Red Wings uniform. An ongoing groin injury cut short the six-time Vezina Trophy winner’s season. During the first eleven years of his career, Hasek was a prime net-man posting 298 wins, 192 loses, 82 ties, and 63 shutouts. He’s currently ranked first in active and all-time NHL goaltenders with a .924 save percentage. Ottawa, who exercised their one-year option on the goalie, is counting on him to be in game winning form when he settles into their crease this season.
If Hasek can keep the pucks out of Ottawa’s net, the Senators are hoping that former Atlanta Thrasher Dany Heatley can wrist them past opposing goalies. Heatley, who’s starting his fourth NHL season was the league’s rookie of the year in 2001-02 and in 2002-03 he scored an Atlanta best 41 goals and 89 points.
Although the Senators gave up star winger Marian Hossa for Heatley, they should still have no trouble scoring goals. Two other top wingman, Martin Havlat and Daniel Alfredsson, are returning. Havlat earned 55 points and Alfredsson created 80 in 2003-04. Add to that one of the finest, young centerman in the game-- Jason Spezza with 22 goals and 33 assists in his first full NHL season-- and the legislators of hockey should be scoring goals as easily as solons make laws.
Helping keep the puck out of Hasek’s zone will be returning defensemen Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara, who had 43 and 41 points respectively in 2003-04. If everyone on the Corel Centre’s ice can stay healthy, Ottawa, with perhaps the best all-around team in the league, will be the crew to beat.
