This has been a surprising season for the Ottawa Senators, not only because they are in a position to make the playoffs after missing them in two of the past three seasons, but because they are doing it with Mike Condon getting the bulk of the playing time in goal.
The combination of Craig Anderson being away from the team to be with his wife as she battles cancer, along with Andrew Hammond being injured, has forced the Senators to turn to Condon after picking him up in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He has pretty much been their starting goaltender ever since.
Literally almost every night.
When he gets the start on Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres, it will be his 27th consecutive appearance in the Senators’ net and his 18th consecutive start (the one game during that stretch he did not start he had to replace an injured Hammond early in the game).
With a .913 save percentage with Senators he hasn’t always been great, but he has at the very least given them capable NHL goaltending that has allowed them to remain competitive. They are 15-8-5 with him in the lineup.
He will go against Robin Lehner for the Sabres on Saturday night.
Elsewhere...
-- In the afternoon games it was Braden Holtby vs. Carey Price for the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens, Peter Budaj and Michal Neuvirth for the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers, and Ondrej Pavelec and Calvin Pickard for the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche.
-- Sergei Bobrovsky, coming off of an overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night, goes again for the Columbus Blue Jackets when they take on the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. No official word yet from the Devils but look for Cory Schneider to go for them.
-- After Thomas Greiss took over the overtime loss in Detroit on Friday night Jean-Francois Berube gets the start for the New York Islanders on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Look for Eddie Lack to go for Carolina in place of Cam Ward as part of the back-to-back.
-- Ben Bishop gets another shot for the Tampa Bay Lightning after giving up four goals on Tuesday against Boston. The 2015-16 Vezina Trophy runner up has dropped three starts in a row while surrendering 11 goals. The Ducks are likely to go with Jonathan Bernier.
-- After missing practice on Friday with a groin injury Tuukka Rask was on the ice for Boston’s morning skate on Saturday and is expected to start when the Bruins take on Frederik Andersen and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
-- Jake Allen is back in the net for the St. Louis Blues against the Pittsburgh Penguins after getting a win on Thursday night. Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to get the start for the Penguins, who are playing the second part of a back-to-back, after Matt Murray started each of the past eight games.
-- The Dallas Stars are sticking with Kari Lehtonen for the third straight game (it will also be Lehtonen’s 10th consecutive appearance) when he goes against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks will counter with Corey Crawford as he still tries to regain his early season form.
-- Ryan Miller looks to snap a personal three-game losing streak for the Vancouver Canucks when he goes against the Minnesota Wild. No word yet from the Wild on who their starter will be but look for Devan Dubnyk to get the call.
-- With wins in six of his past seven starts Martin Jones is back in net for the San Jose Sharks when they host the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night. The Coyotes are going with Mike Smith.