Senators lose 6-2 to Canadiens after Anderson's brutal game
by Adnan on Dec 27, 2011 10:48 PM EST
in Ottawa Senators game recaps
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The Ottawa Senators were cruising early in the game. They had scored soon after the start by dominating possession in the Montreal zone. Given a power play to extend their 1-0 lead, and with the shots 11-2 in Ottawa's favour, Erik Karlsson bobbled the puck at the blue line. Karlsson, however, chased back well and kept Lars Eller to the outside on the left wing. Eller managed to score anyway on a goal that Craig Anderson really should have stopped. Tomas Plekanec made it 2-1 on a deflection and Mike Cammalleri sent the Habs into the intermission up 3-1. The shots were 13-5 for Ottawa.
Anderson returned for the start of the second period, but he didn't last long. Jared Cowen broke his stick and was caught but it was another shot that Anderson should have stopped. That was the nail in the coffin and Anderson was pulled at this point, allowing 4 goals on 7 shots. P.K. Subban scored shortly after Alex Auld's entrance but Jason Spezza scored to give the Senators some hope.
Ottawa really did not play too well after Anderson gave up that 1-1 goal and while they had their chances, the game was long over. Erik Cole scored on a 5-on-3 late in the game to finish the scoring in a 6-2 Montreal win.
Sens zero: Craig Anderson
When you give up 4 goals on 7 shots, it is a terrible performance by any measure. When two of the four goals are very stoppable, it makes it even worse. Every time the puck was in the Ottawa zone, it would be a cringe worthy moment circa Brian Elliott 2010-2011. Anderson now has a 3.36 GAA and .896 save percentage. Elliott's numbers in Ottawa last season were a 3.19 GAA and an .894 save percentage. Was the defence really that much better for Elliott last year? It is a good thing Ottawa is scoring a lot this season, because Anderson has not been noticeably better than Elliott was last season. Maybe it is just that when Anderson is bad, he is really, really, bad. Whatever the case, Ottawa needs much better play from him.
Senators hero: None
Ottawa started pretty well but seemed deflated after the 1-1 goal. Kyle Turris and Bobby Butler were looking dangerous early on, but no one had a truly hero worthy game.
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Terrible game.
Was at this one. So embarrassing with all the Habs fans.
Agree no heroes, but I like Turris. The big line had some chances. Michalek missed a tip in close on a nice Spezza saucer pass that could have kept them in the game. Alfie missed a few too. Seemed like every time the Sens missed a close one or something in the Montreal zone the puck would end up in their net on the next rush the other way.
The reffing was kind of erratic also. I loved MacLean’s reference to “Gill’s great defensive play” (read: brutal hooking penalty non-call) as the turning point in the game, since Montreal went up 3-1 on the counter-rush.
Nice new scoreboard though. Except how it died with a minute left. Hard to blame the poor thing, with all the crap it had to display all game. The graphics really need updating now, though.
by sensory_experience on Dec 27, 2011 11:49 PM EST reply actions
Some of the graphics were new, like the Power Play logos and the new opening.
But yeah, a lot of the equipment is still to arrive and be installed.
As for the last minute, with all the temporary setup, it was just a stepped-on power bar in a crowded area and a switch got flicked, which caused a piece of equipment to start cycling, which disrupted the scoreboard. It has been dealt with.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
cool update on that!
Not too often ya get an back stage insider.
by AAZZ on Dec 28, 2011 12:37 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Ah, "user error"
Apparently the equipment to actually feed HD isn’t installed yet?
Sucks that it (and the LED rings) won’t be in until after the game I’ll actually be at, but it’ll give me something to look forward to I guess!
Yeah. The HD stuff will take some time.
This was a bit of a rush install, as you might have read in the papers.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
i'm going to start calling craig anderson "britney"...
because he’s totally bi-polar in his form and i’m waiting for him to go skitz with an umbrella attack on the team bus… after he shaves his own head
Then come back with a monster album
That chicks love and totally get in shape…..
Guynance - Goin straight nuts on your mind's lady parts
by Sharkridingbear on Dec 28, 2011 2:53 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
On to the next one
Anderson has had a weird year. He has played great in a few games and stolen a couple of wins (or kept the game closer than it should have been). He has also fallen on his face a few times. It goes without saying that the Sens are going to need more consistency out of him to stay competitive in the second half of the season. With Lehner having an up and down year and Auld not shining either, Anderson is still the guy for this team. Let´s hope he can have more good nights than bad in 2012.
No goalie plays terrible every night
Otherwise he wouldn’t be in the league.
But Anderson has been brutal this year. No excusing his play.
by TheGuineaPig on Dec 28, 2011 7:43 AM EST up reply actions
I think you are being either harsh or unrealistic. As wandrr points out below he has been a “hero” twice as often as he has been a “zero”.
It's not harsh, or unrealistic
As I’ve mentioned many times before, it’s very hard to accurately gauge goaltender performance in small sample sizes. A goaltender letting in three or four goals a game is typically playing below the rate of replacement, but even then it may be as much a result of bad luck as it is poor play.
People, especially fans of a team, tend to prefer to give praise than to be critical. I don’t think it’s surprising that a goaltender performing above average in a given game – letting in 0 or 1 goals, or if facing a lot of shots, even 2 or 3 – will not garner the same amount of criticism if he performs an equal amount below average in a given game.
So far this year, goaltenders in the NHL have combined for a 0.911 save percentage (starting goalies probably combine for 0.915-17). Given Anderson’s 0.895 save percentage, as well as the 934 shots he’s faced, he’s allowed 15 more goals than average. That’s a pretty big negative influence he’s brought to the team. Even worse, he’s not even playing to the level of what an AHL call-up might expect. The way he’s played, there’s no argument for continuing to give him the majority of starts over Auld or even Lehner.
by TheGuineaPig on Dec 28, 2011 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
I find this blog to be a rare example of praising more than criticizing.
I find most fans generally expect perfection and dump on anything less.
We also can’t assume everything falls on Anderson. Sure he’s the last line of defence, but our D was hanging him out to dry far too often during the beginning of the season. As I recall, Andy had an 864 (or something like) save percentage during that stretch.
The Citizen also pointed out that after games he’s been pulled, Andy is 3-0, with a .917.
Maybe it’s my expectation for the season, but I’m not wasting any energy stressing. We all expected them to be a fun team to watch, but that’s about it. Worse case scenario is that Andy sucks and we get that top ten pick!
by Pmoron on Dec 28, 2011 1:22 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Keep numbers in context
To post a league average save percentage, it helps to play behind a league average defence. Ottawa’s defence has lots of potential and is better than last year, but it certainly has been below league average in terms of goal prevention (or let’s say “prevention of high quality scoring chances”).
The only fair comparables are Auld and Lehner, who have played behind the same defence. Lehner’s sample size is too small to analyze(1 game) and Auld’s save percentage is 15 points worse than Anderson’s.
Ottawa needs Anderson to be good more consistenty, no doubt about it. His .867 save percentage in losses is no good (even if some of those goals were from ridiculous give-aways and the like) and is clearly a factor in those games. However, his .923 save percentage in wins is perfectly fine and when he is on his game he is giving the team the kind of goaltending it needs. He just has to do that more often.
Auld on the other hand is pretty much equal in wins and losses (.889 vs .879) and clearly it is the performance of the rest of the team that makes the difference in his starts.
Ottawa’s defence has lots of potential and is better than last year
If the defence is better than last year and his numbers are similar to Elliott’s, and Elliott was god awful last year then…doesn’t that make Anderson pretty damn awful?
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
Last year, Elliott’s numbers were similar to Anderson’s this year in the sense that he played way better in wins(.941) than he did in losses(.873). The problem was that Elliott started in 14 wins and 37 losses. Anderson this year has started in 15 wins and 16 losses. Wins and losses are obviously the bottom line in sports and Anderson has a roughly .500 record this year while Elliott’s winning percentage was roughly .275.
Elliott’s great play on some occasions “inflates” his average numbers over the course of the year and makes them look similar to Anderson’s. However, if you look at their won-loss records it is clear that Elliott had far more awful games last year than Anderson has had this year.
Bottom line, Anderson needs to play well more often, but despite the need for improvement he is winning games at nearly twice the rate that Elliott did last year.
I believe las year was a perfect storm and when comparing
that to a rebuild year….I mean the bulk of the players are different, the psychology of the team, the coaches, the team’s and fans’ expectations, they are all different.
“Anderson needs to play well more often” I find myself murmuring that too. But how, really. I am sure he didn’t let those “bad” goals in on purpose or that he was thinking about Konopka’s funny jokes when that happened. Sometimes, shit happens. Other times, very good things happen. Just ask Elliott.
So what am I saying? I have no idea.
by whatsinaname on Dec 30, 2011 11:45 AM EST up reply actions
The win/loss record is because the Senators scored far more this season than last season.
That doesn’t make Anderson better.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
Anderson Inconsistency
As yet another indication of Anderson’s hit or miss play, the Hero-Zero count is interesting. He has been named a hero ten times and zero five times. His aggregate score is plus 5, which is in the middle part of the team. However, he has been named either a total of 15 times, which is the most of any player. With 15 nominations, he should rank a lot higher than middle.
Maybe Auld deserves more time in net, but with the weird motivators that goalies have, that might be disastrous.
Oh well, you can be sure the coaches are on it!
If every blog in the league had a Heroes and Zeros rating system, you would probably find almost all starting goalies with a dispropotionate number of nominations. It is the nature of the position.
by DW19 on Dec 28, 2011 10:35 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree, but...
if he were consistently good (or bad), he would have more heroes (or zeroes) than many other players. With lots of nominations, he has the opportunity to shine, but he doesn’t. At least so far. Hopefully he will get back to the late season form from last year. Maybe I should do a retrospective hero – zero count from back then.
Awful game from Anderson
He really didn’t look focused. And Auld didn’t do the team any favors, either.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
Even worse is being there....
Surrounded by legions of Boo-Blank-Rooge fans (Was next to a lovely couple, the guy in a 23 Gainey jersey and her in a 20 Tretiak jersey…yes that’s a jersey foul but she was adamant Tretiak wanted to sign with the Habs!) even though most were FAIRLY quiet.
Left with about 8 minutes left (yeah, yeah, Cardiac kids) and didn’t look back.
Anderson has GOT to get whatever issues he has behind him if he’s going to tend goal here for the next three years. WE need him with a .917-.925 sp and 3 or less goals against per night in order to have ANY chance at all of making the playoffs, let alone advancing in them.
by Quizzical Quorum on Dec 28, 2011 4:20 PM EST up reply actions
I'd say the current standings disagree with your last statement
Or at least the “ANY chance at all of making the playoffs” part of it
Congrats to former Ottawa captain Randy Cunneyworth on his first win as interim head coach of the Habs
I guess. Too bad it had to be the team he was once the captain of.
When Anderson plays well, he plays REALLY well
But when he plays badly, he plays REALLY badly.
If we make the playoffs, we just need him to go on a patented Brian Elliot Hot Streak™ and WE CAN WIN THE CUP!
Not really
In wins, he only has a save percentage of 0.923 (not high; typically, even for average goalies it’s 0.930+). That indicates it’s his team that’s winning him games, rather than his teammates.
by TheGuineaPig on Dec 28, 2011 12:02 PM EST up reply actions
Based purely on what I’ve seen (no facts to back this up), it seems like Anderson either makes 40+ saves, or gives up 3 goals on 7 shots. He might keep his team in the game for longer, and so they can squeeze out a win, but still. He’s got a little Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde thing going on.
If you look at the games he’s pulled from or they lose, I imagine there’s a huge discrepancy between the 0.923 you gave above, and what he has in those games.
Yes, there's a discrepancy
He’s at 0.867 in games he’s lost. But that split exists for all goalies. Thomas is 0.947/0.895. Luongo is 0.947/0.888. Vokoun is 0.944/0.891. This is because goalies have a greater influence than any other player, so when the team loses, they typically have a low save percentage (and vice versa).
The thing is, Anderson’s play has just been bad all-around. One game is nothing in the scheme of things. This season, he’s performed well-below that of an “average” goaltender, and perhaps even lower than how an AHL replacement might be expected to perform. That’s a problem, and is entirely on him.
by TheGuineaPig on Dec 28, 2011 6:04 PM EST up reply actions
Fair point.
Aside: where did you pull those numbers from?
by The Tif on Dec 28, 2011 6:15 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Yahoo! has some extensive split stats
They provide career totals for them (NHL.com doesn’t), so I pulled the numbers from each player’s Yahoo! profile.
by TheGuineaPig on Dec 28, 2011 8:48 PM EST up reply actions
It's not a hot streak anymore.
Elliott worked with someone over the summer and with Hitchcock’s system he’s looking like a new man. Wish him well, he certainly didn’t help his cause here but the treatment he got from the Sun idiots was disgraceful.
by Quizzical Quorum on Dec 28, 2011 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
I would even say it was a cold streak before
Elliott generally played quite well for the Sens and while he did go on a long period of looking completely out of sorts the D was brutal last season too.
I was not a fan of giving up on Elliott although I was a fan of getting Anderson…
So far this year though, Anderson hasn’t been the type of goaltender a contending team can lean on and since the Sens are contending for the play-offs he needs to step it up or the Sens need to give Auld a few games in a row…or let someone go hunting…too close and too much hard work by the boys to be so deflated.
I am also a big believer in the timing of goals allowed is more crucial than the amount most times…if he makes that save short-handed perhaps the Sens turn up ice and score…2-0 instead of even. Same with the softie to start the 2nd period…down by 3 rather than 2 so quick is deflating.
Anyway – love seeing Stone and Zibby look so good!
Sens rebuild seems to be going quite well and the future looks pretty darn good.
Pretty awful game
Still, I thought there were some honourable mentions: Alfredsson, Spezza, and Neil.
Also, Adnan, I think you were being a little generous to Karlsson in that first paragraph… he got totally outworked and outmuscled by Eller on Montreal’s first goal.
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by Peter Raaymakers on Dec 28, 2011 12:43 PM EST reply actions
the saddest part of the night?
the removal of Alfie’s incomprehensible moustache.
"I couldn't score in a brothel...couldn't finish a sandwich"
- Joe Corvo
And there is the reason why the Sens got stomped. Doesn’t he know the rules?
by modsuperstar on Dec 28, 2011 3:10 PM EST up reply actions
7 of a possible 8 points in the games when he had a 'stache
And we get thumped when he gets rid of it.
BRING BACK THE STACHE!
It's frightening that I'm sitting up here watching the Sens Skills competition.
We’ve probably got a good 10,000 people here, if not more. Which is more than you can find at some actual NHL games.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
How is Anderson looking?
I’m feeling so snarky…
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
The amount of people here is crazy!
To Mark’s comment below, Anderson hasn’t been on the ice yet. The relay race/speed competition just finished!
by Bridges16 on Dec 28, 2011 1:55 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Soylent
With a new Sens Skills Competition record of 13.434 seconds.
He's made of people.
Really, really fast people.
by The Tif on Dec 28, 2011 3:39 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Spezza's giggling up a storm after 103.8 in the hardest shot.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
Attendance at this event: 13,481
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
And Auld just robbed Team Red from that point in the Skills relay
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
Elimination Shootout time.
Anderson – Red
Auld – Black.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
DAUGAVINS WITH A STICK-TIP SPINARAMA
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
After round one,
Anderson let 4 in, Auld let in 2
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
After Round 2, Anderson let in 2, Auld let in 1
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
And Auld wins it for Black by eliminating Kuba
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
Karlsson and Condra left to decide who the individual winner is for black.
ANDERSON WITH A HEEL KICK SAVE ON THE LINE.
And CONDRA wins the Elimnation shootout.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
And Team Black celebrates with a front crawl along the ice.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
Loved how Team Red took a team photo with their pylon trophy
You could tell the players were loving the atmosphere; a lot of young’uns there loving seeing the team in a more informal setting!
by Bridges16 on Dec 28, 2011 6:14 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
And Konopka got shaving-creamed in the face.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
Stinker for Christmas
You’d think that after Reimer letting in 3 goals on 8 shots, I can have a laugh at waffles team, but no… Anderson comes in and spoils everything!
At least there are no waffles on our team, but still annoying…..
I know that, that doesn't matter, I know you Mr. Rainey, that's what matters. You stole my story.
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