Martin Gerber will make his first start since October 22 when the Ottawa Senators visit the Carolina Hurricanes tonight.
Craig Hartsburg told the media on Friday morning that the timing was right to give Gerber this opportunity, after Alex Auld had made seven consecutive starts.
“It’s his turn and with three games in four nights, it’s good to get a fresh goalie in there,” said Hartsburg. “This is a situation where we think it’s the time to get him in.”
Gerber has struggled to start this season, posting a 1-3-1 record with a 3.39 GAA. Auld, meanwhile has posted a 5-2-1 record and ranks in the top five in the NHL in both goals against average (1.84) and save percentage (.936). The Senators have improved their defensive play in the past week with Auld in the nets. When Gerber started the season, the Senators were struggling defensively – making costly turnovers and yielding too many scoring chances for Hartsburg’s liking.
But with the club only allowing eight goals in their past five games, the head coach believes Gerber will benefit from a more sound defensive group in front of him tonight.
“He’ll notice the difference for sure. When he was in the lineup before, we weren’t so solid in front of him.”
