Anderson says slow injury recovery ‘killing’ him inside
Goaltender happy with team success but frustrated by sitting on sidelines
As The Hamburglar’s stock continues to rise, Craig Anderson is growing increasingly frustrated as the Ottawa Senators backup goaltender.
Anderson is not upset at the success of Andrew Hammond — “Hammer’s playing great, the team is playing great,” he said Friday morning — but he appeared on the verge of breaking down as he discussed his inability to fully recover from the right hand injury that has kept him from playing since Jan. 21.
The Senators goaltending situation has had more twists and turns than a soap opera in recent weeks and Anderson is blaming himself for the odd twist on Wednesday. Senators coach Dave Cameron was forced to backtrack after originally announcing that Anderson would be starting that night against the Winnipeg Jets. Hammond drew the start and was outstanding in the 3-1 win over Winnipeg, improving his record as an NHL starting goaltender to 6-0-1, before facing the Buffalo Sabres Friday.
“It’s frustrating for me not to play,” said Anderson. “It hurts to not play and I’m doing everything I possibly can to get myself in that situation to play again. The best word is ‘frustrated’ that I’m not feeling as good as I hoped I would be feeling. It’s killing me inside to not play and to watch and to not be there for the guys. It hurts.”
The Senators are secure enough in having Anderson dress as a backup, even though he doesn’t yet feel comfortable enough to start.
“There might be some other solutions we can try, but we haven’t gone down that path yet,” he said.
While Anderson remains tied for third in the NHL in save percentage (.927) among goaltenders who with extensive game time, Hammond’s remarkable performance has allowed the Senators to buy time in his recovery. Fellow Senators goaltender Robin Lehner, who suffered a concussion on Feb. 16, isn’t anywhere close to returning.
The original plan called for Anderson to make his return Wednesday against Winnipeg, following Tuesday’s game in Minnesota, but somewhere along the way, there was a breakdown in communication. Anderson blames himself for putting Cameron in a tough spot and for the resulting confusion. Hammond first learned he was starting the game after reading reporters’ tweets.
“I like to be in there, I want to be in there,” Anderson said. “It was one of those things, where if we have a morning skate (in Winnipeg), I think maybe things get resolved a little quicker, a little sooner. I should have spoken up sooner and taken the onus upon myself to be a little more vocal.”
Ultimately, Anderson says, he’s going to have to find a way to play through some discomfort.
“I’m going to have to play through some pain if I’m going to play. At that point, when I’m ready to do that, I don’t know when that’s going to happen. At the end of the day, I’ve got to give the team positive feedback to let them know it’s 100 per cent that I go in if they play me.”