Will Cameron Stick With Anderson Over Hamburglar? (sabres)

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Will Cameron Stick With Anderson Over Hamburglar?

By GARTH'S CORNER

Mar 8, 2015 • 10:26 pm

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Updated:

The Ottawa Senators tried to throw away their 4 goal lead against the Calgary Flames on Sunday night. In the end, Craig Anderson saved face, earned two points, and kept the Sens in playoff contention.

Erik Karlsson scored the game winning goal in the sixth round of the shoot out.

The Sens have won 8 of their last 9 games.

Will Cameron stick with Anderson or will be go back to the red hot Hamburglar?

**

Senators head coach Dave Cameron made a controversial decision hours before the Flames game when he decided to sit down red hot goalie Andrew Hammond in favor of Anderson.

Cameron should consider himself lucky that Anderson was able to win the game that he tried to give away.

****

Andrew Hammond has been all that and a side of fries in his time tending the bars in Ottawa this season.

The Ottawa Senators were down and out of the playoff discussion, careening into the frozen guardrail of the NHL when Hammond was inserted into the goal crease.

Craign Anderson has been two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

Recently, Andrew Hammond has been hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us.

Were it not for Hammond’s sizzling saves, the Sens would be dead, buried and talking about tanking right now. The kid has breathed new playoff life into the Senators who face a must-win scenario when they host the Calgary Flames on Sunday night.

Ottawa bench boss Dave Cameron has not made an official proclamation as to whether he will start Hammond or Craig Anderson vs. Johnny Hockey and the sizzling Flames.

Cameron has to know that Flame broiled beats frying right?

Ottawa fans are going to be up in arms and demanding that Cameron submit to a urine analysis is he gives the net to Anderson against the Flames. After his victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night, Hammond is now 7-0-1 this season. The Hamburglar is only the second player in 76 years to give up two or few goals in his first eight NHL starts. Hammond has a 1.43 GAA, .954 save %, and two shutouts to his name.

Hammond has burgled the Ottawa net away from Anderson.

How can Cameron be thinking about a change that can.will upset the flow, continuity and success of his Senators by sitting now?

On Saturday, Cameron said “sooner or later… Anderson, the #1 goalie on Ottawa’s roster, has to return to his rightful place in his crease. Media reports out of Ottawa on Friday said that after the Sens’ morning skate that a teary eyed Anderson told media and Cameron that his injured hand wasn’t going to allow him to take the crease for the Buffalo game that night. Anderson took the elevator to the press box while Hammond dug himself out of an early 2-0 hole to defeat Buffalo 3-2.

Cameron wanted to speak with Anderson to make sure he was physically ready before even making his decision.

Anderson has been on the shelf and hasn’t played in a game since he suffered a bruise to his blocker hand on January 21 when the Sens played the Maple Leafs.

Anderson was scheduled to get his crease back on Wednesday when Ottawa visited Winnipeg, however, his injured paw would not allow him to play.

Cameron is faced with a monumental decision, one that could make or break playoff chances for his team. A brutal 9 games in 16 days stretch begins tonight against the Flames..

Cameron said Saturday that Anderson has to play because of the gnarly schedule of games that lies ahead.

“At some point, Andy has to play here for sure. Our schedule is crazy and it’s too much for one goalie. I’ve got to get him in but I’ve got to talk to him. I’ll talk to him and then I’ll sit down and make up my mind based on schedule and games.…

My opinion:

Cameron is crazy if he sits Hammond right now. Anderson has to wait his turn to get his net back. Hammond hasn’t been the second coming of Patrick Roy, however, he gives his team a chance to win every time he takes the crease. What’s more, his team believes in his. They know that he has their back and he can erase a lot of the mistakes that the D and forwards make. Anderson has been solid all season long. He has to realize that it’s best for the team for Hammond to continue to start games. Look at how the Sens rallied around the kid on Friday night. Granted, Buffalo iced a largely AHL roster, however, Hammond grinded and battled for his boys and they responded by scoring three unanswered goals to defeat the Sabres. The Sens continue to rally around Hammond. I feel that playing Anderson now who only disrupt the flow and continuity.

The Sens are 8-1-1 in their past ten games. They trail the Boston Bruins by 5 points for the second Eastern Conference wild card berth. On Friday night, the Bruins lead over the Sens was only 3 points, then, the B’s defeated the Flyers Saturday afternoon. Today, the Bruins host the Red Wings in another matinee. The Sens need the Red Wings to win in regulation in Beantown. They also must win their game with Flames tonight to reduce Boston’s wild card berth lead to 3 points. Cameron admitted that his decision is not going to be an easy one for him to make.

“It’s tough but that’s why you have to look at the big picture. With our schedule, I need two goalies. It’s a tough decision but a good decision because I’ve got two good goalies,… said Cameron.

“It’s not like the start of the road trip when you’re putting in a goalie that you’re not quite sure about.

“Andy’s got to play here. Hammy’s been exceptional and the results have been really good. We need another goalie here at some point based on our schedule….

The success and failure of this season rests squarely on Cameron’s shoulders.

Don’t blow it, Coach.

**

Lost in all of the Hamburglar/Anderson drama is the future of goalie Robin Lehner in Ottawa. Lehner has one year remaining on his current contract at a $1.5 million cap hit. It was his injury on February 18 vs. Montreal that forced the big, tough Swede from his crease after he had made 24 saves before leaving the game with an injury. On that fateful night Lehner was replaced by Andrew Hammond.

The rest is Ottawa Senators folk lore.

The unknown, unproven career AHLer Hammond has put a death grip on the starting job in Ottawa.

One wonders what will become of Lehner after this season. The Sens selected Lehner in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft with the idea of him becoming the eventual #1 goalie in Ottawa. That hasn’t happened yet. Since Lehner backstopped his Bingo Senators to the Calder Cup Championship in the AHL in 2010-11 he has been ear marked for future success with the Ottawa Senators.

Will Lehner’s dreams of being the #1 goalie for a decade in Ottawa ever manifest themselves? Or, will he have to pursue an opportunity in another NHL city, like say, Buffalo?

His former Bingo GM is Tim Murray. GMTM loves big, aggressive, ornery goalies. Lehner meets that description to a tee. He’s 6’5 225 lbs. and is a battler in very sense of the word. His angles are strong and his edge work and post to post shuttle is even stronger. What’s more, Lehner loves to fight. Seriously. This dude is a badass and he tends to lose his (bleep) when he’s interfered with or when opponents take advantage of him. Lehner is an intimidating man and he’s not above busting his stick on the ankles of enemy forwards. Murray, Luke Richardson and Lehner enjoyed tremendous success together in Bingo and all three may well be reunited in Buffalo in the very near future. Murray traded away both of his starting goalies this season in Jhonas Enroth (Dallas Stars) and Michal Neuvirth (NY Islanders). Right now, Matt Hackett and Anders Lindback are the goalies for the tanking Sabres. Chad Johnson, acquired from NYI for Neuvirth last Monday, suffered a long term injury in Ottawa on Friday morning and is likely done for the rest of the season. At his post-trade deadline day presser, Murray mentioned that he is seeking starting goaltending right now. He said that he has had several trade discussions with NHL GMs about young goalies who can be acquired this summer. I believed that Murray and Uncle Bryan have spoken about Lehner for obvious reasons. Also, Murray has spoken with Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli about the availability of Malcolm Subban. Murray said that he would consider signing a free agent like Boston University’s ginormous free agent tender Matt O’Connor, as well as trading for a young G with term left on his deal. The idea is to play his goalie tandem as co-starters until one of them distinguishes himself and wins the starting job from the other.

The Sens have Anderson signed through the 2017-18 season and is a $3.5 million cap hit.

Hammond’s entry level contract expires in July and he will become an RFA. The Sens no doubt will be qualifying Hammond to a new contract this summer.

There are two nets and three goalies in Ottawa right now.

Is Lehner shuffling off to Buffalo?

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