garrioch snapshots | Ottawa Sun

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Back to Anton Forsberg.

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The game of musical goaltenders continued Thursday night as Forsberg made the start for the Ottawa Senators with the Dallas Stars in town.

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The Senators have plenty of issues, but one area where it’s paramount they find answers is in net. Through 54 games, neither Forsberg nor Joonas Korpisalo have been able to get the job done consistently, and that was an area that was supposed to be a strength coming into this season.

The Senators haven’t played nearly well enough defensively in front of their netminders, but they also need both goalies to make improvements.

Forsberg and Korpisalo went into the game against the Stars with the worst save percentage in the National Hockey League at .886. No, they don’t have to make every save, but it’s something where the answer will have to come from within because making a trade to try to fix this problem is a long shot at best.

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The Senators used a franchise-record seven goalies last season and still finished Ranked No. 18 in save percentage at .900.

Since being signed to a five-year, $20-million deal as a free agent on July 1, Korpsialo has posted a 13-18-3 record with a 3.40 goals-against average. Forsberg was out for 11 games with a right groin injury, but went into the game against Dallas with a 9-8-0 record with a 3.24 average and an .893 save percentage.

The decision to go back to Forsberg against the Stars was an easy one for interim head coach Jacques Martin. Still, Forsberg was looking for his first career win versus Dallas in what was his fifth appearance.

He had one of his best efforts of the season on Monday, making 23 stops in a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ottawa lost 3-2 in overtime to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday with Korpisalo in between the pipes.

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While Korpisalo recovered from giving up a deflected shot only 19 seconds into the first period, the winning goal by Florida’s Anton Lundell at 1:36 of the 3-on-3 overtime was a bad one. Lundell fired a shot from a bad angle and beat Korpisalo top shelf.

In many ways you could say the Senators goaltending has mirrored what’s happened with the rest of the club because nobody can say they’ve performed up to expectations this season.

But, if the Senators are to get back to the playoffs down the road, the goaltending is an issue that has to solved.

SHUFFLING THE DECK

Martin went different forward-line combinations for the third straight game and it was not hard to notice that Josh Norris was playing a third-line role.

The Senators centre started out skating with Ridly Greig and Drake Batherson versus the Stars. Norris went into the game with only one goal in his previous 20 games, just not good enough for a guy that gets as much ice time as he has had on a nightly basis.

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Norris opened the scoring against the Stars with his first in five games only 4:12 into the first period, though, and you could hear the sigh of relief across the rink. He tipped a shot by Jake Oettinger.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been a struggle, but it’s definitely been frustrating,” Norris said before facing the Stars. “I know I can play a lot better. It’s definitely something that I want to play better, provide more and produce more. I’ve just got to get back to my game.

“At the end of the day, I know I can play a lot better and I know I need to be a lot better.”

Even that changed this week as Norris was on the ice for a season low 13 minutes and change against the Panthers. He also saw only 13:19 the night before against the Lightning.

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The Senators aren’t paying Norris $7.95 million U.S. per season to be a checker; he needs to score goals. But his lack of production is a big reason why centre Shane Pinto has been promoted to play with Brady Tkachuk and Vladimir Tarasenko.

“We have a lot of really good players, so I don’t think it really matters who you play with,” Norris said. “I’m just trying to do my job. I love playing with (Greig) and Drake, so I’m happy I’m with them.”

Norris has good self-awareness and he knows he’s not getting the job done.

“It’s not anything I can control, I just go out and play,” he said. “A lot of guys are playing well and (Pinto) is back and he’s playing really well so he helps us out a lot. Whatever minutes I get I play, so it’s not my job to worry about that.”

THE FINAL BUZZER

Stutzle went into this game with three goals in three games. That was his longest streak of the season. He had yet to score in his career against the Stars … Alternate captain Claude Giroux was on a six-game point streak before facing Dallas … The Senators were 5-2-1 in their previous eight. The two regulation losses came to the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks … The Stars are looking a defenceman before the March 8 NHL trade deadline, but GM Jim Nill is seeking a pure rental. You have to think he’s kicked tires on the Calgary Flames’ Chris Tanev.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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