Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Craig Anderson gets the net on Thursday for the Buffalo Sabres in, what could be, his last NHL game.
In the 2002-03 season, Anderson started his NHL career, playing six games for the Chicago Blackhawks. I asked Anderson if Thursday would be it for him and, of course, he was coy.
"We’ll see how things go, but obviously age is creeping up," said Anderson following Thursday's morning skate. "I haven’t put too much thought into the future. I try to stay in the moment as best you can.
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"We were in a dogfight there for a few weeks, and I tried to enjoy the moment and be there with the guys, and support them in any way that I could. I’ve been very fortunate to play this game for a very long time, and I’m just going to enjoy every last bit of it. The last few years have been on borrowed life support, and I just will take the moment as it is and enjoy it, because when it’s over, it’s over."
Anderson, 41, was a member of the youngest team in the league this season, and it’s something he really enjoyed.
"There was some great growth, but we’re still young, we’re still learning," Anderson said. "We’re still trying to figure out who we are, and what I saw this year was expediential growth. But it’s about being around the guys, because everyone here is a close-knit group. That’s something special to be a part of, and that’s something I can be proud to have been a part of."
Anderson says the other three goalies at their age are quicker and faster than him, but there’s one thing he's got the other guys don’t: Experience.
The veteran goalie's eyes were wide-open when he signed to come back to play with the Sabres this year.
"It is a reality that you either have to adapt or you’re no longer useful. I recognized what my role was, which was when you’re called upon, make sure you’re ready to go and be the best version that you can possibly be," Anderson said. "At the end of the day, this is a great team to be a part of and to come to work every day. It’s not work. It's coming to hang with the boys, and you leave here smiling every day. That’s not something I can say about all my years in the league."
Anderson did say it’s special to get the start against the team (Ottawa Senators) where he played 435 of his 708 NHL games.
Anderson is 10-11-2 overall this season with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. He hasn’t played in 10 games, and in his last start was pulled after 35:52, giving up six goals to the Nashville Predators. He also had a big win in Toronto, and a huge performance in front of his family in Florida, where he stopped 49 of 50 shots faced.
Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson has been playing through injury, and head coach Don Granato said he and general manager Kevyn Adams aren’t comfortable putting him out there. He will not play against the Senators on Thursday, as well as Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Victor Olofsson returns to the lineup for Tyson Jost on Thursday. Olofsson has been a healthy scratch for five-straight games, and has only scored goals in two of his last 25 games.
Despite the loss Tuesday in New Jersey, which eliminated them from playoff contention, Buffalo is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.
Newly acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun has missed Ottawa’s last nine games due to injury.
Thursday is the Senators' final game of the 2022-23 season. Brady Tkachuk has led the way for Ottawa with 35 goals and 47 assists for 82 points in 81 games.
Join Mike Schopp and the Bulldog for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. ET when you’ll hear from Granato, Anderson and Casey Mittelstadt.
