Ottawa Senators Goalies Dilemma
The Ottawa Senators woes over goalies have been nothing new. This has been a problem going back a number of years, as the entire franchise has only had a couple of long-term goalies. Names like Patrick Lalime and Craig Anderson come to mind. However, recently it has been a revolving door. Furthermore, are the various goaltenders’ struggles a result of a lack of ability, perhaps given too much responsibility? Or is it more of a lack of the team’s defensive systems in front of them with costly turnovers and a general lack of defensive responsibility?
Reviewing Former Recent Ottawa Senators Goalies to Find Any Trends
If we study a couple of the Ottawa Senators recent goalies, who have since moved on, it paints a similar picture. The picture seems to be that the Ottawa Senators, as a team, let their goaltenders down. First of all, look at their once highly-touted goaltender prospect, Filip Gustavsson. Gustavsson was trying to find his footing and was given some opportunity with Ottawa in 2021-22. However, with a disappointing 5-12-1 record, he didn’t do enough to
encourage the Pierre Dorion management staff at the time. Moreover, he most likely fell victim to two opposing forces. This poor performance coincided with Anton Forsberg‘s emergence onto the Ottawa goaltender map. Secondly, the Sens goaltender prospect stream seemed (and still does seem) strong, so it was okay to trade him. Unfortunately, for the Senators mostly, who he was traded for, Cam Talbot, was not a hit.
At the time, bringing in Cam Talbot to be the starter amongst Ottawa Senators goalies seemed smart. With the Minnesota Wild in 2021-22, Talbot recorded the second most wins (32) of his career. However, between injuries and inconsistent play, for example, a .898 SV%, Talbot didn’t pan out. Now what makes the situation complicated, is the fact he’s had a bounce-back year in LA. He has a solid .916 SV% and even a 2024 NHL All-Star nod to boot. So, we are beginning to see a trend, that Ottawa is tough on its goalies.
The Ottawa Senators Current Goalies: Anton Forsberg
If we analyze their current goalies, the cause for their struggles in net grows in complexity. Anton Forsberg had a great 2021-22. This got him a nice little contract and thought gave time for the organization to develop its prospects. In contrast, as we see from the stats, since that season, he hasn’t performed to expectations. In the time since he’s barely been able to achieve the totals of
just that season. He’s only played four more games and has the same number of wins. Unfortunately, all his other statistics are worse. More losses, lower SV%, and a 3.27 GAA just aren’t good enough. Of course, he’s had injury problems too, so you feel for him. But, that doesn’t help the team win or ultimately get over the hump into the post-season.
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