Hammond back and ‘in the mix’

As coach controversies go, it was not in the same league as Blue Jays manager John Gibbons using David Price for three innings of Game 4 relief.

But, it was very much a coach’s decision to sit a healthy and ready Craig Anderson for Sunday’s home opener, to give goalie prospect Matt O’Connor his first start in the 3-1 loss to Montreal. O’Connor played well, but the question was asked of Anderson if he was put out at not being able to be part of the home opener occasion.

“I was still part of it,” Anderson says, smiling. “I had the double wave going.”

All that Anderson was told, between Saturday’s shootout win in Toronto, and prior to Sunday, was to be ready. He was, but arrived at the rink to find out O’Connor was starting.

“I had no part in the decision,” says the 34-year-old Anderson. “I’m the player and my job is to be ready to play. As a player you don’t dictate when you play. It’s a coach’s decision.”

High road. Veteran move. Still, it was pretty clear Anderson would have liked to have started his third straight game, with a couple of days to recover afterward.

With Andrew Hammond available for his first regular season duty, head coach Dave Cameron will have more goalie decisions in the near future. Cameron said Hammond would “certainly be in the mix” considering Ottawa has another back-to-back situation looming, Wednesday in Columbus against the Blue Jackets and Thursday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

After making his NHL debut, O’Connor will have a story to tell when he returns to AHL Binghamton this week. O’Connor skated with the NHL club Tuesday but was sent down afterward.

He left with a compliment from his coach, who felt O’Connor settled in nicely after giving up a tough goal to Tomas Plekanec.

“In this game, stuff happens, it’s what you do after,” Cameron said. “He was real good after.”

HAMBURGLAR HEALTHY

Goalie Andrew Hammond saw a lot of pucks Tuesday, his first practice since Oct. 4.

Afterward, Hammond declared himself fit and able to travel on this trip.

“I had a full practice, I was skating without restraints by myself the last few days when the team was away, and everything seems to be going in the right direction,” Hammond said.

Hammond said he is free of pain from the groin injury he suffered in the morning skate of Ottawa’s penultimate pre-season game, against the Canadiens.

The initial prescribed recovery time was two weeks.

Declaring himself a quick healer, Hammond said he was surprised he wasn’t ready to go by the time of the home opener.

“But now I’m ready ahead of the timeline and to get the work in I did helps a lot,” Hammond says.

Groins are always a difficult injury for goalies, but all the more so for Hammond because he’s never had one before and didn’t know what to expect.

In the long run, this minor setback might be a blessing, as Hammond now knows about prevention and treatment of the injury. Prevention includes a new and improved stretching regimen.

“To be honest, I feel better now then I did before, just putting the emphasis on those muscles,” Hammond says. “I see the benefits of that now.” If there was any consideration of sending Hammond down to the AHL to get some playing time, he hadn’t heard of it. Hammond’s last start came in St. John’s, Newfoundland on Sept. 27 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The timing of the injury had to be frustrating for the 27-yearold Hamburglar, whose story inspired goaltenders throughout hockey last season as he emerged from the minors to carry the Senators to a playoff record.

Hammond’s 20-1-2 record earned him his first one-way NHL contract.

With Robin Lehner traded away, Hammond came to Ottawa’s camp in September knowing for the first time he was a legitimate NHLer. And he promptly got hurt.

It’s always frustrating, it’s not fun being injured,” Hammond said.

“But it’s one of those things everyone has to deal with.”