Ottawa is the Bermuda Triangle for NHL Goaltenders

George Valenzuela — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:22:20 -0500

I'd like to examine the history of NHL goalies in Ottawa. For the purposes of clarity, we'll stick to the modern day incarnation of the team (1992 to the present). In those 15 seasons they have had 21 goalies play at least one game in a Sens jersey. Only nine have a winning record in the regular season. The Sens have made the playoffs for 11 straight seasons, but of the seven goalies that have managed to play in a playoff game, only two have winning records.

The early years of the franchise, sometimes referred to as The Dark Ages, were not kind to goalies. They routinely faced 40 or more shots per game and over the four seasons, spanning 298 games, the team only amassed 51 wins, hardly an ideal situation for any goaltender to find himself in.

During this time, the team had goalies like Don Beaupre (14-48-3), Daniel Berthiaume (2-17-1), Craig Billington (11-47-6) and Peter Sidorkiewicz (8-46-3). The team was a laughingstock, and despite some really bad records, some goalies were not as bad as their stats would indicate, especially Sidorkiewicz. I remember some nights watching him make save after save, some of them quite spectacular, yet still coming away with a loss.

Then along came Jacques Martin, who instituted a defence-first style of play and turned the team into a perennial playoff contender, garnering a great regular season record, yet still coming up quite short in the playoffs. During Martin's tenure as coach, the Sens always played well during the run up to the playoffs, but then never made more than a little splash in the playoffs, inevitably losing to the Maple Leafs in either the first or second round.

The goalies during this era fared much better in the regular season; Damian "Red Light" Rhodes (65-74-30), Jani Hurme (25-14-5) and Patrick Lalime (146-100-30), but bombed miserably when the games counted in the postseason. None of these have a legacy in Ottawa, due mainly to their failure in the playoffs.

In all fairness, I think Lalime is a very good technical goalie, and his stats prove it, but what he is remembered for most of all in the city was his colossal flop in game seven of the 2004 first round against the Leafs, when he let in two very soft goals in the first period that put the team in a hole they were incapable of getting out of.

It's not fair to blame this team's woes only on the goalies, but they have proven that even with a well-organized team defence system, they were unable to give that little extra to make the key saves, or even the easy ones, to ensure that the rest of the team isn't always looking over their shoulders wondering when they will find themselves trailing on the scoreboard.

In recent years, the Sens have made it to round three (2003), round two (2006), and the finals (2007) but still failed to bring home the elusive prize. Most recently, Martin Gerber and Ray Emery, both in their own way good goalies, have played in front of the home crowd and failed to instill any confidence that they could solve this team's problems.

There has never been a Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Nikolai Khabibulin, or Cam Ward to step up and carry the bulk of the work to get that cup. I doubt there ever will be in Ottawa, or maybe at least not in my lifetime. Maybe I'm just being a fatalist, too caught up in the "controversy" to see it without bias, but it sure seems like this season will be no different than any of the others, with the very real possibility that the Sens may not even make a postseason appearance.

Come to think of it, maybe that's what this team needs.

Ottawa Senators: Early Season Report Card

George Valenzuela — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:55:06 -0400

The 2008-09 Ottawa Senators are a much changed group from last season, having added grit and character in the offseason. How has this new team fared so far?

Forwards (B-)

No surprise here. Just like last year, the question of secondary scoring has reared its ugly head. The Big Three (Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson) are scoring and contributing, but there is a big drop off between them and the next group.

Surprisingly, it's Shean Donovan who leads the second pack, with five points in nine starts. Notably absent are Chris Kelly (three points in 10 games), Antoine Vermette (two points in 10 games), and Mike Fisher (no points in eight games). These three will have to start contributing on the scoreboard if this team will have any realistic chance of making it deep into the playoffs.

Defence (C)

On the back line, the Sens have had to cope with the loss of some pretty good puck movers (yes, I'm talking about Wade Redden), and one thing that has been noticeable so far this year is the lack of a suitable replacement.

Although Filip Kuba has been a surprise, breaking the record for most assists from a defenceman to start the season, the rest of the crew have been unspectacular. In fact, at times, they seem lost as to how to clear their zone. With no disrespect intended, both Phillips and Volchenkov are solid, but not great puck movers. The Ottawa defence is likely in a transition to a new system, and has a lot of room for improvement.

Goaltending (D)

One of the most tired conversations in Ottawa, besides the weather, is about the Senators' goaltending controversy. Now in his third year, Martin Gerber still has not managed to capture the hearts and minds of Sens fans and help propel the team to the promised land.

In fact, he has probably garnered more criticism and angst than love and respect. If he wants to change that, he will have to win some games single-handedly and put to rest the doubts that everyone has.

The good news is that Alex Auld has proven to be a more-than-capable backup, providing some very solid games and showing that the team is not doomed to let the first two shots against them always snap the twine. Unfortunately, without a really outstanding No. 1 goaltender, the chances of this team making it to the finals again are very, very slim.

Bright Spots

Dany Heatley - The man is a scoring machine, pure and simple.

Jason Spezza - Despite his reputation as a giveaway machine, he is a creative genius.

Daniel Alfredsson - The heart and soul of this team, leads by example and always factors into every game. Oh, and he's now a Senator for life.

Shean Donovan - Surprising contribution from a fourth-liner, he is making the most of his limited ice time.

Jarkko Ruutu - Has proven to be the super pest we knew he would be, makes it difficult for opposing teams to play against them.

Filip Kuba - Broke a record and currently sits third in team scoring.

Alex Auld - He is carrying this team at the moment, giving them a chance to win every game he is in the nets.

Not Living Up to Potential

Mike Fisher - Big paycheck this year has yet to show up on the box score, he needs to start producing...now.

Antoine Vermette - Needs to use his speed and creativity to get some points on the board.

Chris Kelly - Plays a solid style, but has dropped off considerably in production.

Martin Gerber - Needs to instill confidence in his teammates and the fans by actually stealing a game or two on his own.

Bleacher Report - Articles by George Valenzuela

Ottawa is the Bermuda Triangle for NHL Goaltenders

Ottawa Senators: Early Season Report Card