|
 Rookie goalie Andrew Hammond led the Senators to a 3-0 win over
the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Wednesday, marking the first
time Ottawa won three consecutive games since October.
Hammond (3-0-0) earned his first career shutout, making 25 saves.
Anaheim goalie John Gibson stopped 31 of 33 shots.
"My parents were here tonight, they came in today," said Hammond, a
native of Surrey, British Columbia, just outside Vancouver.
"Obviously, to have that happen tonight with them here makes it that
much more special."
Hammond was recalled from the AHL on an emergency basis at the end
of January.
"It's obviously just really special. It's something I didn't see
coming a month ago," he said.
Left winger Erik Condra scored for Ottawa, as did centers Mika
Zibanejad and Kyle Turris, with Turris scoring into an empty net
with seven seconds to play.
Ottawa is seven points behind eighth-place Boston in the Eastern
Conference standings but has two games in hand on the struggling
Bruins, who have won just two of their past 10 games.
"Hammond's played great, it's kind of all started from him. He's
played unreal," Turris said. "Every game we're trying to build
momentum and confidence to keep moving in the right direction."
Early on, Hammond stole the show. He made three saves in a 23-second
span against an early Anaheim power play. Soon after, he robbed
center Ryan Kesler by laying out and covering the entire bottom
portion of the net.
"We kind of weathered the first 10 minutes, they were all over us,
but (Hammond) played real well, and then we started to play our
game," Turris said.
The Senators supported their goaltender by scoring 10:57 into the
game. Defenseman Eric Gryba's seeing-eye slap shot from the point
went through traffic and into the net off Condra, who was credited
with his seventh goal of the season.
Ottawa struck again 3:23 into the second period when center Mike
Hoffman lobbed a shot off Gibson's pads and onto the waiting stick
of Zibenejad, who tipped in the rebound for goal No. 15 of the
season.
"Those are plays that we do all the time: winning faceoffs, getting
to spots and getting guys to the net," Senators right winger Mark
Stone said.
Gibson and Hammond traded stellar saves early in the third period
with Gibson fighting off defenseman Erik Karlsson's rising slap shot
at one end and Hammond waiting out left winger Pat Maroon to nullify
his wrist shot from close range at the other.
[to top of second column] |
Just over seven minutes into the final period, Hammond's kick save
on right winger Corey Perry kept the Ducks off the scoreboard
despite a bit of sustained pressure from Anaheim.
With eight minutes remaining, Hammond denied defenseman Hampus
Lindholm and left winger Andrew Cogliano in quick succession as the
Ducks began to pinch aggressively in search of a goal.
With 2:35 left, Hammond made another outstanding save, this time
reacting quickly to turn aside a deflection by winger Kyle Palmieri
that was redirected sharply mere inches from the goal.
"We're capable of doing so much more offensively, and we're not.
It's maddening," said Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau, who also
emphasized the challenges his team faces against the Los Angeles
Kings on Friday and a slew of tough opponents in March.
NOTES: G Andrew Hammond was backstopping the Senators' AHL affiliate
in Binghamton, N.Y., before injuries to Robin Lehner and Craig
Anderson forced him into action. ... The Ducks dealt LW Devante
Smith-Pelly to Montreal in exchange for LW Jiri Sekac on Tuesday.
Sekac dressed in place of RW Tim Jackman on Wednesday night. ...
Anaheim C Nate Thompson (lower body) missed Wednesday's game and was
replaced by C William Karlsson. ... The Ducks were also without G
Frederik Andersen (neck), D Sami Vatanen (lower body) and LW Matt
Beleskey (upper body). ... The Senators were missing Lehner
(concussion), Anderson (hand), RW Chris Neil (thumb), LW Clarke
MacArthur (concussion), C Zack Smith (wrist) and D Chris Phillips
(body soreness). ... Ottawa also competed without D Jared Cowen, who
served the first of his three-game suspension for a hit to the head
of Panthers LW Jussi Jokinen. D Eric Gryba was inserted into the
lineup.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
