Be sure to 'like' Hockeybuzz on Facebook!
Sorry about the lack of a post yesterday as technological difficulties didn't allow me to get to this one. Today's report card looks at one of the best stories of the entire NHL season, Andrew Hammond.
PRE-SEASON EXPECTATION
There was absolutely no expectation that Andrew Hammond would even see the NHL, as he entered the season at the third or maybe even the fourth goalie on the Senators' depth chart. It would take a series of unfortunate events for Hammond to see significant NHL playing time....
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
Cue the annual and inevitable Craig Anderson injury and then the Feb 16th collision between Clarke MacArthur and Robin Lehner that forced the Senators to turn to Hammond. There wasn't much confidence in the goalie whose claim to fame earlier in the season was being pulled less than a minute in to an AHL game after allowing 3 goals in a matter of 21 seconds.
Then something rather amazing and totally unpredictable happened.
With the team having nothing to lose and the team sitting 9 points out of a playoff spot, Hammond was playing with house money and the team started to win. First it was 5 games, on a tough Western Conference road trip before his first slip-up, a shootout loss in Minnesota. Then he reeled off 9 straight wins, drawing Ottawa back into a playoff position before he suffered his first regular season loss at the hands of the Rangers. Hammond had been run into in the previous game by Logan Couture of the Sharks and was certainly uncomfortable against the Rangers and probably wouldn't have been in the game if there were another viable option.
After returning from that leg injury all he did was reel off another 7 games without losing in regulation, and only one loss in extra time as the Senators sealed the first wild card spot and a date with the Habs in the first round.
Hammond started the first two games of the opening round loss, and although he gave his team a chance to win in both games, there were a couple of questionable goals against that forced Dave Cameron to turn to Craig Anderson for game 3.
Hammond was named the Senators nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy and was eventually named a league-wide finalist for the honor (but if Kris Letang doesn't win I will be absolutely shocked).
THE HARD STATS
THE FANCY STATS
Hammond compares to some of the top end backups, and even when you account for other unpredictable performances that came relatively out of nowhere this season.
THE "KEY" STATS
A 20-1-2 record in 23 starts, with a save percentage of .941, which led all goalies who faced over 100 shots.
FUTURE OUTLOOK
I am not sure anyone really knows what Hammond's future looks like. All I know for sure is that he will be making an NHL salary for the next 3 seasons, something that he certainly wouldn't have counted on heading into the season.
Hammond signed a 3 year, $4.05M extension last month creating a log-jam in the Senators crease that will likely result in a trade of one of the goalies at or prior to the draft later this month.
The Senators are taking a gamble on Hammond, believing that he is not a one-hit wonder and will at least be able to be a solid backup in the coming years. Best case scenario is that he comes in and assumes the starting role and athough not likely to put up the stellar numbers that he did over the course of a full season, is a legitimate starting goalie. Worst case is that the Senators do trade one of Anderson or Lehner and he reverts back to mediocre AHL level goalie and the Senators are back in a netminding hole.
GRADE: Putting aside the fact that it came out of nowhere and the fact that his play is most likely not sustainable, there is no hiding the fact that for whatever reason Hammond excelled when given the opportunity. Hammond is not the only reason the Senators overcame a huge deficit to make the playoffs, and the team played better down the stretch than it had earlier in the season. But there is no denying the fact that there were almost no negatives to the way he played and he seized an opportunity and made the absolute most with it. You really can't give him anything but an A+ .
Up for tomorrow (barring more technical difficulties) is the catalyst of the Senators...
If you missed them, check out prior Report Cards: