OTTAWA — Fortune is said to favour the bold. We’ll see how it works out for Dave Cameron.
The Ottawa Senators coach is rolling the dice before the biggest game of the season, choosing to start veteran goalie Craig Anderson in place of Andrew Hammond on Sunday night.
The move comes as a surprise given how well Hammond played down the stretch and after he stopped 74 shots during the first two games of this series against Montreal. Both were losses and both included a questionable goal against, but Hammond is certainly not the sole reason Ottawa is facing a 2-0 deficit.
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Further complicating the move is the fact Anderson has made just four appearances since injuring his right hand on Jan. 21 — allowing 14 goals in those starts and losing three of them.
“Coach’s decision,” Cameron said before Game 3. “No more than that. (Anderson is) a pretty good goaltender.”
The 33-year-old certainly has the edge in experience, having played 23 prior playoff games and beaten the Canadiens in a first-round series in 2013. Asked if his lack of game action in recent months might lead to rust, Anderson quipped: “I don’t think I’ve got any metal on me so I hope not.”
He also paid tribute to Hammond, an unknown 27-year-old who led the Senators on a miracle charge into the playoffs. They were 14 points out in February before Hammond was given the net and he went on to compile a 20-1-2 record with a .941 save percentage.
“Hammond came in here and did a wonderful job,” said Anderson. “He got us to where we are right now. … Because of what he did, I’m in the situation now talking to you guys.
“I actually owe him a thank you and a pat on the back.”
Cameron said the decision was reached in consultation with goalie coach Rick Wamsley. The players were informed of it after arriving at Canadian Tire Centre for Sunday’s morning skate.
While Hammond admitted to being disappointed, he handled the news like a first-class professional.
“I fully support the team’s decision,” he said. “It’s too crucial of a juncture in the season to not have everyone pulling on the same rope. I support everything that’s being done right now.”
The only other anticipated lineup change for Ottawa was winger Chris Neil replacing Alex Chiasson. It will be Neil’s first game since Feb. 14, when he broke his left thumb in a fight.
Mark Stone will again play with a microfracture and ligament damage in his right wrist — the result of a P.K. Subban slash in Game 1. He had two assists in Game 2 after having his wrist frozen and protected with a brace, but said it was a painful train ride home from Montreal afterwards.
“It’s just movements you normally don’t do if it wasn’t frozen,” Stone explained.
The Senators have been viewed as a bit of a Cinderella story this season and Hammond was a major part of that identity. The team recently unveiled a playoff marketing campaign dubbed “Young & Hungry” and Hammond’s picture is among those plastered under that slogan around the arena.
Over the last month or two, some in Ottawa began claiming the team played better in front of Hammond than Anderson, but the Sens players plan to challenge that notion in Game 3.
“You’re going to say that just because the record was so good with Hammond,” said forward Clarke MacArthur. “I heard the comment as we were playing. We’re kind of gaining momentum and maybe it looked like we were playing a little more desperate, but whoever’s in there we’re playing for the whole group in here.
“Tonight’s another one of those biggest game of the years, and I like our odds in those kind of games.”
Switching goalies in this situation is definitely a gamble. The result will dictate if it was worth it for the Sens.
