IT’S ALL UP TO ANDERSON
Senators goalie will start today if he feels ready
The Ottawa Senators goaltending decision Saturday afternoon against the New York Islanders is really quite simple.
If Craig Anderson wants to play, he will be in the net, seeing his first action since Dec. 5.
Anderson was not talking publicly Friday afternoon, but he did receive the bulk of the work at one end of the ice during the club’s Friday noon practice. Mike Condon and Andrew Hammond split time at the other end.
Working closely with goaltending coach Pierre Groulx ever since the all-star break, Anderson has done all the necessary practice drills to prepare.
The only hurdle left, according to coach Guy Boucher, is Anderson’s state of mind.
“Is he able to be in the net physically?” Boucher said. “One hundred per cent. But right now, it’s for him to tell us mentally if he’s ready to go.”
If he’s not ready to go, Condon will get the start. Condon delivered a solid effort in Thursday’s 3-2 win over Dallas, stopping 31 of 33 shots, to end the Senators’ two game losing streak.
Anderson has had several leaves of absence to be with his wife, Nicholle, as she continues treatment for a rare throat cancer. After leaving the team following an 8-5 loss to Pittsburgh on Dec. 5, he hadn’t practised with the team until he returned to practice on Jan. 30.
“He’s looking good at practice, but we’ve got to go back now and really figure out where he is, his mind, his body,” Boucher said. “Every practice he has got better, but where is it at? Are we getting closer? Oh, yeah. Tomorrow? Maybe he’s backing up, maybe it’s the next day, we’ll see.”
Boucher will also huddle with Groulx to make sure there are no outstanding issues to resolve.
“We did power play (practice), with a lot of cross passes,” he said.
“He has done all the technical stuff, all the basics in the past two weeks. With all the games, we have not had a lot of practices. Has he had enough?”
The answer is yes, at least according to his teammates, who have been peppering him with pucks.
“He’s the most frustrating guy I’ve ever shot at, because you come in and take a hummer and you think you did everything right and he sticks one pad out and barely moves his foot, he Billy Ranford’s you,” said Bobby Ryan, referring to the former Edmonton Oilers netminder, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1990 as playoff MVP.
“(Anderson) is doing more and more of the acrobatic stuff in practice to really piss guys off. He looks good. He looks like he’s pretty relaxed.”
Beyond the numbers (Anderson has a 12-6-1 record, 2.46 goals against average and a .924 save percentage that ranks sixth in the NHL), he also brings a presence to the dressing room.
“It’s great just to have him back and when he’s not here, we think about (Anderson and his wife) and wish them all the best,” said Zack Smith.
“He has played some unreal hockey for us. He exudes confidence and calmness when he is in the net. He never gets too emotional, he’s a pretty level headed guy to have around the room. When you need leadership, that’s the quality you look for.”
Boucher was non-committal on the potential for other changes to the lineup.
He dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen against Dallas, with few set lines throughout the game.
For the first time this season, both Curtis Lazar and Chris Neil sat out as healthy scratches.
The Senators coach says his decision could be based on the health of one defenceman, who is playing through a minor injury.
Captain Erik Karlsson was the lone player who skipped Friday’s workout, but that’s not unusual given the ice time he regular receives. He played 24:22 in the victory over Dallas.