Smith: Senators need a goalie to take the net and start winning
Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith lamented his club's lack of reliable goaltending following Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
The bench boss viewed the game as a winnable contest and said the team needs one of their goalies to step up and take the starting job.
"We deserved better, a point or two," Smith said, according to Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan. "The difference tonight was probably their goaltending."
He added: "I didn't mind our details. I just think we've got to send someone to take the net and start to win us some games when we give that effort. We need someone to get in there and hold us right now.
"We're a young team that needs someone to steal one for us, probably."
Matt Murray started in Wednesday's defeat. Shots were an even 29-29, but San Jose erased a 3-2 deficit with four consecutive goals, though two were empty-netters.
Murray hasn't won any of his six starts this season, but he's not the only Sens netminder struggling.
| Player | Record | SV% | GSAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filip Gustavsson | 3-4-1 | .905 | -2.0 |
| Anton Forsberg | 1-3-0 | .884 | -3.7 |
| Matt Murray | 0-5-0 | .890 | -3.9 |
Ottawa ranks last in the NHL in goals against per game (3.82) and 30th in all-situations save percentage (.888). The team currently owns a 4-12-1 record.