Buffalo Sabres: Craig Anderson’s big night proved he could still play
By Sion Fawkes
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson showed in Tuesday night’s 6-0 shutout against Los Angeles that he can still play at a high level.
This season, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson boasts a 6-4-1 record, a 2.71 GAA, and a 0.921 save percentage. The stats aren’t bad for a 41-year-old, and the way he looked on Tuesday night showed that he can still hang with even the youngest and fastest in the NHL – given that he is provided with a few breaks.
He also proved that he can still save the Sabres when they need it. In the first period, the Sabres had three shots on goal compared to the Kings 16. The Blue and Gold were uncharacteristically slow, and the Kings seemed to be beating them in every facet of the game.
Anderson not only saved all 16 shots on goal, but he was constantly letting his players know where the Kings forwards were coming from. This helped save a potential power play goal from Los Angeles when the longtime goaltender pointed out an unaccounted for forward racing down the slot.
Buffalo Sabres still have a great goaltender in Anderson
There was a time this season where Craig Anderson lamented that he wished he were ten years younger. In Tuesday night’s shutout, the 41-year-old looked ten years younger, saving 40 shots on goal and posting his first shutout since 2018-19.
While Anderson unfortunately cannot start every game (just 12 appearances in 29 contests) Sabres fans have hope that their team can beat anyone when they see #41 between the pipes.
This is a stark contrast from what was going around social media and fan forums earlier in the year, where, at best, reviews were mixed regarding the Sabres decision to re-sign Anderson. But as I’ve always said, general manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Don Granato are around these guys all the time. We aren’t.
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And therefore, they know more than we ever will. That was the case with Craig Anderson, and it is turning into a remarkable decision to bring him back for another year.
Article Source: Observations: Sabres ace latest test, score six goals in the third period in 6-0 win by Lance Lysowski
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