Why the Senators will soon sit atop the Atlantic
Look out, Montreal Canadiens.
The Ottawa Senators are about to make their mark in the Atlantic Division.
Sitting seven points back of the Canadiens, the Senators have a chance to reshape the division that Montreal has comfortably crowned all season, having three games in hand on the Habs and holding a prime opportunity to disrupt that position.
Carrying a 26-15-6 mark coming out of the All-Star break, the Senators have built on an impressive campaign, one that saw the team drop just one contest in its last nine outings, grabbing 14 of a possible 18 points.
The best part? The Senators will soon have their starting goaltender back in the fold.
In the absence of starter Craig Anderson, who left the team to be with his ill wife, Ottawa has called on backup Mike Condon to carry the load, who has been nothing short of impressive. With the No. 1 away, Condon has started all 15 of the Senators' games dating back to Dec. 20, posting an 8-4-3 mark.
Only two other goaltenders saw more starts than Condon over that stretch: Carolina's Cam Ward and Boston's Tuukka Rask.
"Anderson is our No. 1 since day one and Condon has done a terrific job for us," said Boucher. #Sens
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) January 26, 2017
Still, Anderson remains Ottawa's No. 1 netminder, and with one-year remaining on his contract, the future of the team, with Condon a pending unrestricted free agent.
Through 19 appearances this season, Anderson owns a 12-6-1 record and a .924 save percentage. Among goaltenders with as much ice time, Anderson's save rate ranks sixth league-wide and the best in the Atlantic.
In what has no doubt been an emotional campaign for Anderson, he and the Senators will soon have a chance to build on their success this season. Thanks to some impressive play, grabbing the Atlantic's top spot is now a realistic possibility on Ottawa's radar.