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Goalie nods: Back-to-backs for Lehner, Ward

Robin Lehner

Ottawa Senators goalie Robin Lehner (40) of Sweden makes a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Boston Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. Ottawa won 1-0.(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

AP

News and notes from the crease on a light Sunday of action ...

Lehner inches in on Anderson?

Craig Anderson may still be considered the No. 1 guy big picture-wise for the Ottawa Senators, yet the team is going with Robin Lehner in back-to-back games after he defeated (and noted the swimming abilities of) the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Lehner has only played in 10 games versus Anderson’s 15, yet he’s just one win behind (4 vs. 5) with a vastly superior .940 to .900 save percentage. Those numbers make it painfully obvious who head coach Paul MacLean should start, but how much leash will Lehner receive?

Speaking of back-to-backs, the Carolina Hurricanes opted to start Cam Ward after he suffered a loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. That’s not really an earth-shaker, though.

The Monster remerges

The Detroit Red Wings haven’t won with Jimmy Howard in net since Nov. 1. It’s not fair to stack all the blame on him, yet it’s surprising how infrequently they’ve turned to Jonas Gustavsson. “The Monster” will face the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday after Howard lost again on Saturday (while Gustavsson ended their seven-game streak on Thursday).

Could the big Swede start to get a better look if he tops the Sabres?

Speaking of which, all signs point to Ryan Miller in net. We’ll keep an eye out for last-minute changes, however.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins