At 41 years old, Craig Anderson cannot play as often as he used to. But he his wisdom proves he is still a valuable asset to the Buffalo Sabres.
Craig Anderson showed up big last night, saving 41 of 44 shots on goal, good for a 0.932 save percentage. He was a big reason the Buffalo Sabres stayed within two goals against the New Jersey Devils, and the performance improved his numbers to a 0.917 save percentage with a GAA of just 2.76.
Not too bad for a 41-year-old who can only play in a limited capacity. But Anderson has also shown that he can, and I said this when he re-signed over the summer, be a player/coach to some degree. That was something we saw firsthand last night, when he urged the forwards to help more on when the Sabres were on defense.
Overall, it was great to see Anderson’s leadership on display last night, and it is something you can expect to see often if the Sabres appear to be lagging in any facet of the game moving forward. With a healthier roster, they will be able to compete more and even upset a superior opponent, but someone needs to bring out the best in them.
Anderson has a leadership role with the Buffalo Sabres
Though he isn’t wearing a C or an A, don’t discount Craig Anderson’s leadership with the Sabres. And last night, he showed that role wasn’t just limited to the goaltenders in the system, but to the entire lineup. However, facing a winning team like the Devils also gives Anderson a sound role: He can fill in and take the damage against the league’s best teams in favor of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
This will work wonders for Luukkonen’s confidence, as the still-inexperienced goaltender can be rest assured that he won’t be facing a constant influx of top-level competition. While this definitely won’t always be the case – I’m expecting him to start against Tampa – it will at least limit the onslaught, slowly introducing him to stronger teams.
Article Source: Observations: Sabres unable to mount comeback, fall to Lindy Ruff’s Devils by Lance Lyswoski
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