How will the Buffalo Sabres handle their goaltender situation?
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres have found themselves in quite the conundrum as they try to make a push for their first playoff berth in 12 seasons.
Going with the “hot hand” in this three-man goaltender rotation might look like a good idea on paper, but the “hot hand” at the moment is none other than 41-year-old Craig Anderson. In his 20 games this season, Anderson has been nothing short of lights out, notching a 0.920 save percentage and a 2.70 GAA.
To put things into perspective, Anderson is sixth in the league in save percentage, and 17th in GAA among goaltenders who have played in at least 20 contests. There have been times when Anderson still looks as though he’s in his prime, showing no signs of slowing down, even at age 41.
But thanks to Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen seeing ample ice time, Anderson can enjoy long breaks between contests, allowing him to continually play at peak performance. However, the Sabres are in the thick of the playoff race with 24 games to go.
Anderson has been their best goaltender, and it hasn’t even been close. So what does Buffalo do here?
The Buffalo Sabres must start Anderson every other game
At age 41, Anderson’s body won’t recover as quickly as Comrie’s or Luukkonen’s, both of whom are still entrenched in their 20s. Yet Anderson played 46 and a half minutes against the Toronto Maple Leafs, before he put up an unforgettable performance vs. the Florida Panthers.
Both of these instances occurred in a two-game stretch. This isn’t ideal for Anderson, but it showed he’s more than capable of playing and performing well multiple times per week.
The solution? Start the “hot hand” in Anderson every other game, while rotating in Comrie and Luukkonen every few games. This would still give Anderson an ample amount of rest time between contests, at least three days in many cases, which should let him continue to play at a high level.
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In games when either Luukkonen or Comrie start, scratch Anderson and give him the night off. Such a strategy should preserve the 41-year-old for the rest of the season, and prime him for the playoffs, if such a scenario were to occur.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
Source: Observations: Sabres flex their scoring depth with Dylan Cozens’ hat trick in win by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com
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