GARRIOCH: Expect Anton Forsberg to return to the net when the Senators host the Tampa Bay Lightning

Article content

DJ Smith opted to wait until Saturday to name his starting goalkeeper for the visit of two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon.

Article content

You can be sure it will be Anton Forsberg.

The Ottawa Senators have been searching the net for a hero and with Matt Murray trying to get his game back with the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville, this is Forsberg’s job to lose.

As the Senators prepare to face the Bolts in a morning session at the Canadian Tire Center, the 29-year-old Forsberg won three straight games and stopped 104 shots in that stretch. He has a .913 save percentage in those appearances and has made the saves necessary to allow the club to claim the victories.

While Filip Gustavsson was the toast of the city last season when he entered the net and finished with a 7-5-1 record in nine appearances with a .933 save percentage and 2.16 goals against average, he did not he has been able to find that magic this season and has fought big.

Article content

He gave up five goals on 27 shots in the club’s 5-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday and there are at least three of those he should have had. Gustavsson is 3-7-1 with a .893 saving percentage this season and there is no reason to believe he will play anytime soon if Forsberg can move on.

Smith said Friday that Forsberg’s best attribute is his work ethic and that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Some of the goalies that I played with in the American Hockey League over the years, and I can recall some, they just worked really hard,” Smith said. “He is one of the hardest working players on our team. And boys play for boys that really work. Especially when he’s your own substitute goalkeeper.

“Guys get up when a guy like that plays because he works so hard and you see how much he puts into it and you want to give him an effort. Your work ethic has prepared you for this opportunity. But I also think guys play, I don’t want to say more, but they know when he’s there.

Article content

“They know how much work he puts into this, how he has had to push himself throughout his career, change teams, resign and keep pushing. There is something to be said about it. “

Hockey has been a journey for Forsberg, who was picked No. 188 in the seventh round by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2011. He was playing for Modo in the Swedish youth league at the time and got someone’s attention. Since then, he has been with five different organizations in his career.

He began his professional career in North America at AHL’s Springfield Columbus affiliate at the time. Since then, he has made stops with the Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets. He signed with Edmonton before last season, Carolina picked him up on waivers, they quit, and he went to Winnipeg.

Article content

Resigned by the Jets, he was picked up by the Senators just before the club lost Murray to injury and was given a chance because backup Marcos Hogberg was injured as well. Since arriving in Ottawa, for the most part, he has given the club stability, but he struggled for a long period earlier this season.

Lately, the senators have been able to feed off their good goalkeeping assist and will need Forsberg to step up Saturday with players like Tampa’s Steven Stamkos in town.

“If you look at some of the league scores, just in the last week, and you see some of the teams whose starting goalkeepers have gone down and all of a sudden it’s not a 2-1 game anymore,” Smith. saying. Instead, they are giving up five and six (goals).

“You absolutely have to watch the goalkeepers in the NHL, especially early in the game if you’re not ready. Then when you get to the goal, I think the guys play a little looser, they make more plays and you score more goals. You can aim to use late last year when our goal attention was great, the guys started making plays, they’re loose, and the puck starts to come in.

Article content

“When you’re right and you do your best to keep the record out, you just don’t play the same. He’s given us every chance to win, he’s won three in a row and he’s still working hard in training. “

Forsberg is not the type of person who lights up a room when he walks in. He doesn’t have a strong personality and speaks softly, but there’s nothing wrong with an entrepreneurial attitude and he’s been getting the job done lately, so he has to do whatever works.

“All three are easy going guys and (Forsberg) is probably the most outgoing of the three,” Smith said. “You just see the excitement and energy from him in practice and in the gym. He’s in phenomenal shape, when he came in he was essentially the third goalkeeper for a while.

“His demeanor never changed and the guys in the room have a lot of respect for him. There were a lot of games where he didn’t get dressed and kept working. He never complained, he didn’t come to see me and he just worked so hard that when he got the chance he was ready. “

[email protected]

Twitter: @sungarrioch