SENShobo
Next entry: Always A New Change As Sens Host Ducks
Previous entry: Another Loss And Sens Still Searching For Answers
A Subtle Potential Change Of Plans/Starting Goalie
by SENShobo on 10/23/08 at 02:02 PM ET
Comments (3)
From James Gordon’s Hockey Capital blog of the Ottawa Citizen,
It appears the door has opened for big backup Alex Auld, who starts Friday against the Anaheim Ducks, to step into a No. 1 role. Hartsburg said Thursday that Auld’s performance in the next game could earn him back-to-back starts.
“I said earlier in the week that we’d go back with Gerber because that’s what we had planned for the week,” he said. “I want to stay with that plan, but if Alex goes in there and is a stud and a star, that’s what we’re looking for.
“We’ve said from day one that Martin was our No. 1 goaltender, but I also said that he has to earn, he has to play like it,” he said. “I’m not standing here blaming losses just on our goaltender, but he’s part of our team and I think our whole team right now is in that mode – we play good for a while and all of a sudden, we don’t.”
Gerber appeared to be in the goaltending driver’s seat heading into a possible fork in the Sens’ goaltending road Saturday, but it looks like the fork will be reached sooner, with Auld set to choose the path with his play against the Ducks on Friday.
It was a can of worms Hartsburg likely did not plan on opening, but after being true to his word thus far — proven with the starts Gerber got despite clamoring from the fans — he seems ready for anything to help start the change the Sens need to get back on the winning track.
To be honest, it should be a good opportunity for Auld. While many in Ottawa still think of the team as a powerhouse, their rough 2-5-0 start might leave them ripe for the picking-off. That they are 28th in the League with 2.14 G/G, and shockingly 20th with 3.14 GA/G considering their solid defensive skill at all positions, it might not be the toughest challenge for Auld, though I’m sure the fans and media will make up the difference of any perceived lack of pressure.
Saturday, the Leafs, off to a 1-2-3 start that has them sitting 18th with 3.00 GA/G and 29th with 1.83 G/G, might not be much of a threat either. Unlike the Ducks whom Ottawa fans remember well, how many can spout off the Leafs’ top 6 forwards and top 4 defensemen without a long pause, a visit to NHL.com, and a careful debate about the merit of all the players’ stats? For all perceived power of the teams we’ve faced, I would rate the Wings, Penguins, and possibly Panthers as a tougher challenge than the Ducks at this point, and all of them along with the Coyotes and the Bruins rank higher on my threat list than the Leafs. My apologies to Leafs fans, but hadn’t you long since conceded that this season was about winning? The draft lottery, that is.
I’d hazard a guess that any goaltender not of the calibre of Brodeur, Luongo, or a few other notables has been the victim of his team’s poor play at one point (or several). You always want your goalie to be able to steal you a game, but there are few who can, let alone who can do so for a long streak. Auld might well be the benefactor of the Sens’ slide, and if the team picks up as the schedule now begins to, he might get his first real chance to legitimately contend for starter status since the Canucks let him have a serious go at it post-lockout.
As much as I’ve defended Gerber, and will continue to do so while finding ways to see the light gleaming off his dark sombre mask, if Auld can pull a stand on his head performance out of his equipment bag, or inspire the team to help him as they did in beating the Penguins, well it’s about time we started lessening the focus on individuals, and increasing the importance of the team’s work as a whole.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | SENShobo | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Auld, Martin+Gerber,
Comments
I’m not so sure it is a guarantee. Gerber was usurped by Emery his first season and finished the season with a long stretch of wins sprinkled with not a single regulation defeat. Last year, behind the crumbling Sens, he gave an incredible playoff performance.
Auld to has used his chances, looking very solid in Boston when injuries let him run with the ball for a bit.
While 8% of the population is a good and accurate sample size for election polling, it’s not something any wise hockey analyst will stake his reputation on.
Posted by SENShobo from Waterloo, ON on 10/23/08 at 03:51 PM ET
I think the thing that gets overlooked about Auld is that… he sort of stinks.
I suppose the larger problem is taht Gerber sort of stinks too, and it’s pretty obvious he’s hte Eastern Conferences version of Manny Legace in the postseason.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/23/08 at 06:54 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Can Ottawa Build Key Organization & Roster Element This Week?
As Fisher’s Character Departs, Ottawa’s is Revealed
Hockey Blogging Leading to Hockey Engineering
Heatley’s “Homecoming” Must Be About The Message As Much As The Man
In Case You Wondered About My Absence
Ottawa Strolls Into Contender’s Clutches
Senators Run Out Of Gas Against Canucks
Canucks Offer Ottawa’s First Stern Test
About Kukla’s Korner
Kukla’s Korner is updated around the clock with the work of our own talented bloggers, plus links to the best hockey writing around the internet. We strive to bring you all the breaking hockey news as it happens.
The home page allows you to see the latest postings from every blog on the site. Subscribe here. For general inquiries and more, please contact us anytime.
Get the top online sports betting bonuses available to sports betters!
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker.
As well as reading about hockey games, you can also find info about poker like which poker sites accept American Express or which are the best Canadian poker sites and also find the top rakeback sites at rakeback.net.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
Giving Alex Auld a tryout as a #1 pretty much starts the doomsday clock for the Sens 2009 season.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/23/08 at 02:34 PM ET