Of all the random occurrances during this crazy NHL season, the emergence of the Hamburglar on the Ottawa Senators has to be one of the most unexpected.
NHL scores 2015: Hammond steals another as Senators, Stars continue climb
The Hamburglar can’t be stopped.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Nobody unfamiliar with the Senators franchise knew Andrew Hammond's name a month ago. And yet, the rookie netminder is in the middle of dragging his team feet-first into the playoffs. He's almost done it single-handedly.
After another impressive 34-save effort against the New York Islanders on Friday, the Senators are just five points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot. Their remarkable ascension from lottery team to playoff race contender begins and ends with Hammond's arrival on the scene.
The Hamburglar, as he’s been called since college, is now 9-0-1 with a .954 save percentage in his first ten starts in the NHL. That’s an incredible feat for a guy who began his college career with a 0-12-2 record and a 4.30 goals-against average.
The big question, of course, is whether he can keep it up. The incredible pressure facing the Sens right now will only ramp up as the season winds down. They can’t afford mistakes, and they certainly can’t afford Hammond crashing back to earth any time soon. But even if this run is just a fluke, it sure has made an exhilarating playoff race that much more intriguing.
Scores
Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Edmonton Oilers 4 (SO)
Ottawa Senators 2, New York Islanders 1
3 things we learned
1. Gibson outdueled Dubnyk.
Finally, an opposing netminder went toe-to-toe with Devan Dubnyk and won. Dubnyk has been lights-out in the 28 straight games he's started for the Wild, but he met his match against the Ducks' youngster on Friday. Gibson was phenomenal all game, but the real highlight was the final frantic few minutes of the third period. His heroics let the Ducks slip out of St. Paul with two points.
2. The Stars might not be totally out of the race yet.
I can’t even believe I’m saying that. Most left the Stars for dead a week ago after losing eight of eleven games to fall out of the running for a Western Conference playoff spot. Now they’ve rattled off five wins in six games and sit just five points back of Los Angeles for eighth place. Making the playoffs still isn’t likely for Dallas, but it’s suddenly not out of the question.
3. Edmonton has some fight left.
Just two days ago, the Oilers somehow erased a 4-0 deficit in Pittsburgh and made the home crowd sweat it out for awhile. On Friday, they did it again by pushing the Blue Jackets into a 4-4 tie before finally giving way in the shootout. Signs of life this late have to be encouraging for fans in Edmonton.
Impact Moment
San Jose found a way to steal headlines on Friday without even playing. After general manager Doug Wilson told fans that he stripped the captaincy from Joe Thornton because he didn't think he could handle it, Thornton responded on Friday by telling his boss to "shut his mouth." San Jose might be in the middle of a playoff race, but is this a sign they're still unraveling?
Stat of the Night
#Senators Andrew Hammond is the 3rd goalie in NHL history to allow 2 or fewer goals in each of his first 10 career starts
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 14, 2015 Post to Post
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