On a night when Craig Anderson was perfect for the Ottawa Senators, his teammates—and the entire hockey community—were perfect for him.
Anderson left the team Thursday, but returned just before game time on Sunday following the revelation of his wife Nicholle’s cancer diagnoses. The 35-year-old goaltender was incredible, posting an emotional 37-save shutout in a 2-0 Senators win over Edmonton, just a day after it was announced his wife has cancer.
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It was the 35th shutout of his career, but it surely has to be the most special. After goaltender Andrew Hammond went down with an injury in practice on Friday, Nicholle selflessly encouraged Craig to join his short-manned team on the road. Anderson did all that and more, arriving a couple of hours before game time on Sunday to the love and support of his hockey family.
His teammates needed him for just a few hours on this night, and with a heavy heart and the encouragement of his courageous wife, he was there for them—which went anything but unnoticed by good friend and captain Erik Karlsson,
“We couldn’t really feel the gravity until the final whistle,” said Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson. “We accomplished a great game, led by Andy. He held a strong face, but you could still see the pain in his eyes. And he came in here and led by example. He didn’t say much, had the same routine, and showed what a true leader he is.
“We play a great game, we get paid a lot of money, but at the end of the day it’s just a sport. Life is a lot bigger than this.”
His teammates are certainly standing behind their netminder, who has been the backbone in the Ottawa crease since taking over after being acquired from Colorado during the 2010-2011 season. Showing just how tight knit the entire hockey world (especially the goaltending community) is, Oilers goalie Cam Talbot hung around postgame after making 20 saves in a loss, and applauded Anderson as he was awarded the game’s first star.
“Him being able to play the way he did under those circumstances, you have to give him so much credit. It’s an unthinkable situation,” Talbot said in the postgame scrum.
“I can’t even imagine what was going through his mind. I don’t know if I would be able to do what he just did right now. We send our thoughts and prayers to him and his family.”
The Senators organization has been hit particularly hard by health scares in recent times, as former general manager Bryan Murray—who stepped down in April—has been battling stage 4 colon cancer since 2014.
Perspective is important in times like these, when hockey and life clash so intimately, as Senators head coach Guy Boucher discussed with reporters after the emotional win.
“As the game went on, you were watching Craig and you couldn’t help but be inspired by him,” Boucher told reporters.
“We love hockey—it’s a great game. But there’s things that are bigger. I think there was a lot of people that showed that tonight.”
