Photo by Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
The Ottawa Senators just barely survived Game 6 and extended their miraculous season because of three reasons: Craig Anderson, Craig Anderson, and Craig Anderson.Their goaltender was completely out of his mind on Tuesday night, leading the Senators to a 2-1 victory with a 45-save performance against the Penguins. Anderson's resilience may be the most impressive part of his game, as the win comes just two days after a rough Game 5 in which the Senators' netminder allowed four goals on 14 shots before getting pulled in what was an eventual 7-0 blowout loss.He responded with a bounce-back game that saved Ottawa's season—there's no other way to put it. The Sens had no business whatsoever winning Game 6, as Pittsburgh outshot the them 46-30, and led 75-46 on shot attempts. This team should finally be dead, but its 36-year-old netminder made sure the Sens would live at least another day—as he often does.In his last four games when the Senators are facing elimination since 2015, Anderson has posted a 3-1 record with a microscopic 0.76 GAA and a .978 save percentage. He became the first goalie to make 45-plus saves in regulation when facing elimination since, well, himself, when he made 45 stops in Game 5 against the Canadiens in April 2015.Anderson, perhaps more than any goaltender in the NHL, absolutely thrives when he sees a shit ton of rubber. It was the seventh time in his playoff career that he's faced more than 45 shots, the most by any goalie since the start of the 2010 postseason. He's gone 5-2 in those games, including three wins where he faced over 50 shots. Anderson's stellar performance on Tuesday also put the netminder in some very elite company, tying him with Dominik Hasek for the most 40-plus save playoff wins since the 1995 lockout with seven.
He's never been an All-Star or the recipient of any major awards, but more often than not, Anderson plays like one of the best in the game. Everyone in the Senators organization knows it, especially head coach Guy Boucher, who realizes how crucial a stud goaltender is to having success, particularly in the postseason. Boucher praised his netminder after the game, making it clear Anderson's ability was a big reason he took the coaching gig with the Sens in the first place."I wouldn't have taken the job without a No. 1 goaltender. It's hell without it. It's darkness. That's what I found [in Anderson]," said Boucher, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.Though the surprising Senators have been outplayed and described in many circles as a boring team, they have managed to scrape their way to a Game 7 on the road against the defending champs, with the pressure squarely on the Penguins. For what it's worth, Pittsburgh has never won a seventh game at home (0-7) after losing Game 6 on the road, according to Sportsnet.Anderson, who has posted an 11-7 record and a .922/2.36 in 18 games this postseason, can pass Patrick Lalime for most playoff wins in franchise history with a Game 7 victory. If the Sens do the unthinkable and oust the Penguins to reach their second Cup Final since 2007, they'll have these big-time performances from their resilient, 36-year-old goalie to thank.
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He's never been an All-Star or the recipient of any major awards, but more often than not, Anderson plays like one of the best in the game. Everyone in the Senators organization knows it, especially head coach Guy Boucher, who realizes how crucial a stud goaltender is to having success, particularly in the postseason. Boucher praised his netminder after the game, making it clear Anderson's ability was a big reason he took the coaching gig with the Sens in the first place."I wouldn't have taken the job without a No. 1 goaltender. It's hell without it. It's darkness. That's what I found [in Anderson]," said Boucher, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.Though the surprising Senators have been outplayed and described in many circles as a boring team, they have managed to scrape their way to a Game 7 on the road against the defending champs, with the pressure squarely on the Penguins. For what it's worth, Pittsburgh has never won a seventh game at home (0-7) after losing Game 6 on the road, according to Sportsnet.Anderson, who has posted an 11-7 record and a .922/2.36 in 18 games this postseason, can pass Patrick Lalime for most playoff wins in franchise history with a Game 7 victory. If the Sens do the unthinkable and oust the Penguins to reach their second Cup Final since 2007, they'll have these big-time performances from their resilient, 36-year-old goalie to thank.