SaltWire E-Edition

Struggle to get saves has been massive issue for Senators

BRUCE GARRIOCH

The Ottawa Senators made one change Sunday by sending goaltender Kevin Mandolese back to their AHL affiliate in Belleville and bringing up Dylan Ferguson to join the club in Pittsburgh.

Something had to change.

Coming off a 5-4 shootout loss to the arch-rival Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario on Saturday, the Senators packed their bags Sunday and jetted off to Steeltown to open a two-game road trip with a pivotal game against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Monday.

Trying to halt a five-game winless skid and crawl back into the race for the final wildcard spot in the East, this trip down the stretch has taken a turn for the worse, but this isn’t the group the Senators expected to be battling with down the stretch when camp opened in September. And it starts in the net. The biggest issue the Senators

have right now is goaltending.

Injuries to top goalies Anton Forsberg, who tore both MCLS on Feb. 11, and Cam Talbot who has been sidelined since March 4 with an oblique injury, have sent this group into tailspin. Strong goaltending is paramount and hasn’t been steady since Talbot went down for the third time this season.

You can’t pin all the blame on 22-year-old Mads Sogaard and Mandolese because neither were supposed to be put in this position. But this is the cards they’ve been dealt and unless they can find a way to get consistency, this situation won’t improve.

SPORTS

en-ca

2023-03-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281784223334355

SaltWire Network