Ottawa Senators fans can be forgiven a thought of "oh no, not again," watching a starting goaltender get hurt on Saturday night.
It's a movie they've seen too many times, and it's particularly scary when a spot in the NHL playoffs is far from secured.
The Stanley Cup playoffs begin April 11.
All things considered, it could have been worse. Ben Bishop's "lower body" injury (groin suspected), suffered during the second period of Ottawa's 8-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, is expected to keep him out of action for a couple of weeks, according to Senators head coach Paul MacLean.
But at least this time the top goalie on the depth chart has recovered from his own injury.
Craig Anderson, who missed a month of games with a severed tendon in his small finger, was able to come on in relief of Bishop to record Saturday's victory and was the starter in Winnipeg Monday night.
Alex Auld backed up Anderson and prospect Robin Lehner is standing by in Binghamton, New York, if needed by the weekend.
So, the fire is out, for now.
Still, something about this position and this team causes the community to expect the worst when a goaltender hits the proverbial canvas, especially at this time of year.
While people wear out the expression 'Goalie Graveyard' in reference to the Senators, history would suggest more of a goaltender curse, or goalie infirmary.
Watching Bishop go down and then hobble off the ice in obvious distress, set me thinking about the huge impact goaltender injuries have had on this franchise.
It isn't a stretch to suggest that, in recent seasons, goalie injuries have: robbed the Senators of their best chance at a Stanley Cup; cost the club millions of dollars; got one general manager fired; threatened another; and caused goalies to get bought out and/or cast off.
If it weren't for goalie "booboos" to use a Paul MacLean term, the Senators almost certainly would have won a Cup in either 2006 or 2007. Because of a debilitating adductor injury to Dominik Hasek, who was at the peak of his powers until he got hurt at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, the Senators had to rely on an inexperienced Ray Emery for both those playoff seasons.
Though Emery played admirably, he was no Hasek, and the impact reverberated for years.
The club was so ticked at Hasek's demise (he practised at a very high level during the first round loss to Buffalo, but refused to test himself in a game), they cut him loose and so he went to Detroit and helped the Red Wings win the 2008 Stanley Cup (Chris Osgood was the main starter in the playoffs).
Would the Senators have kept Zdeno Chara if weren't for Hasek's injury?
In the endless debate about why Ottawa lost Zee to the Boston Bruins as a free agent,canada goose parka are available from selective retailers all across the world. we forget about Hasek's injury as a factor. It was. If Hasek starts in that series, Ottawa probably wins, and big Chara doesn't get criticized for his play against the pesky little Sabres. As it was, the Senators made Wade Redden the contract priority, and Chara walked.
John Muckler was fired as general manager in the summer of 2007 due to a combination of things - but largely because the Hasek move backfired, and his trade deadline additions were weak. Muckler had Hasek in Buffalo, brought him to Ottawa and was looking like a genius until Hasek got hurt. Had the Dominator stayed healthy and led the Senators to a Cup, Muckler would have stayed on the job.
His successor, Bryan Murray, has also known his share of goaltender health issues. On the advice of his old pal Doug MacLean, the former Columbus Blue Jackets GM, Murray traded Antoine Vermette to Columbus for Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick in March, 2009. Wisely, Murray used that pick to buy himself some goaltender insurance, selecting Lehner in the 2009 entry draft.
Murray needed that Lehner pick more than he realized, because Leclaire would be wracked with injuries over the next two seasons, the notion of him being a No. 1 in Ottawa a complete disaster. In 2010-11, while earning $4.8 million, Leclaire started 14 games for the Senators and won four of them.
By late winter of 2011, his team reeling, and fans calling for him to be fired, Murray pulled off yet another goalie trade, swapping Brian Elliott for Anderson. This one paid off, as Anderson played brilliantly down the stretch, was re-signed to a four year deal (let's see how that story angle plays out), and has been healthy, until the kitchen knife incident of Feb. 22.
Most of Emery's health issues were not on Ottawa's watch, the Senators bought out his contract due to office, character issues. Curiously, they were still paying Emery the day he walked in here earlier this month and beat the Senators 2-1.
It's a movie they've seen too many times, and it's particularly scary when a spot in the NHL playoffs is far from secured.
The Stanley Cup playoffs begin April 11.
All things considered, it could have been worse. Ben Bishop's "lower body" injury (groin suspected), suffered during the second period of Ottawa's 8-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, is expected to keep him out of action for a couple of weeks, according to Senators head coach Paul MacLean.
But at least this time the top goalie on the depth chart has recovered from his own injury.
Craig Anderson, who missed a month of games with a severed tendon in his small finger, was able to come on in relief of Bishop to record Saturday's victory and was the starter in Winnipeg Monday night.
Alex Auld backed up Anderson and prospect Robin Lehner is standing by in Binghamton, New York, if needed by the weekend.
So, the fire is out, for now.
Still, something about this position and this team causes the community to expect the worst when a goaltender hits the proverbial canvas, especially at this time of year.
While people wear out the expression 'Goalie Graveyard' in reference to the Senators, history would suggest more of a goaltender curse, or goalie infirmary.
Watching Bishop go down and then hobble off the ice in obvious distress, set me thinking about the huge impact goaltender injuries have had on this franchise.
It isn't a stretch to suggest that, in recent seasons, goalie injuries have: robbed the Senators of their best chance at a Stanley Cup; cost the club millions of dollars; got one general manager fired; threatened another; and caused goalies to get bought out and/or cast off.
If it weren't for goalie "booboos" to use a Paul MacLean term, the Senators almost certainly would have won a Cup in either 2006 or 2007. Because of a debilitating adductor injury to Dominik Hasek, who was at the peak of his powers until he got hurt at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, the Senators had to rely on an inexperienced Ray Emery for both those playoff seasons.
Though Emery played admirably, he was no Hasek, and the impact reverberated for years.
The club was so ticked at Hasek's demise (he practised at a very high level during the first round loss to Buffalo, but refused to test himself in a game), they cut him loose and so he went to Detroit and helped the Red Wings win the 2008 Stanley Cup (Chris Osgood was the main starter in the playoffs).
Would the Senators have kept Zdeno Chara if weren't for Hasek's injury?
In the endless debate about why Ottawa lost Zee to the Boston Bruins as a free agent,canada goose parka are available from selective retailers all across the world. we forget about Hasek's injury as a factor. It was. If Hasek starts in that series, Ottawa probably wins, and big Chara doesn't get criticized for his play against the pesky little Sabres. As it was, the Senators made Wade Redden the contract priority, and Chara walked.
John Muckler was fired as general manager in the summer of 2007 due to a combination of things - but largely because the Hasek move backfired, and his trade deadline additions were weak. Muckler had Hasek in Buffalo, brought him to Ottawa and was looking like a genius until Hasek got hurt. Had the Dominator stayed healthy and led the Senators to a Cup, Muckler would have stayed on the job.
His successor, Bryan Murray, has also known his share of goaltender health issues. On the advice of his old pal Doug MacLean, the former Columbus Blue Jackets GM, Murray traded Antoine Vermette to Columbus for Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick in March, 2009. Wisely, Murray used that pick to buy himself some goaltender insurance, selecting Lehner in the 2009 entry draft.
Murray needed that Lehner pick more than he realized, because Leclaire would be wracked with injuries over the next two seasons, the notion of him being a No. 1 in Ottawa a complete disaster. In 2010-11, while earning $4.8 million, Leclaire started 14 games for the Senators and won four of them.
By late winter of 2011, his team reeling, and fans calling for him to be fired, Murray pulled off yet another goalie trade, swapping Brian Elliott for Anderson. This one paid off, as Anderson played brilliantly down the stretch, was re-signed to a four year deal (let's see how that story angle plays out), and has been healthy, until the kitchen knife incident of Feb. 22.
Most of Emery's health issues were not on Ottawa's watch, the Senators bought out his contract due to office, character issues. Curiously, they were still paying Emery the day he walked in here earlier this month and beat the Senators 2-1.
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