Hockey experts had mixed opinions about the trade that saw Martin Gerber shipped from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Ottawa Senators. Some thought the Sens had finally went out and found the goaltender they needed to boost their Stanley Cup hopes for years to come. Others thought it was a huge irrational mistake. With a quarter of the season behind us, it's very hard to disagree with the latter.
Martin Gerber has played in 12 of his team's 20 games so far and he's only managed three wins. The disaster on ice has given up 40 goals and has a GAA of 3.46.
It's a give in. The Senators lost big pieces of the puzzle in the offseason. Martin Havlat and Brian Smolinski left for Chicago. Big Zdeno Chara now wears the "C" in Boston. Not to mention last year's risk between the pipes that didn't pay off, Dominic Hasek, finds himself back in Detroit.
Looks like John Muckler, the Sens GM, forgot that even though Gerber brought a fresh Stanley Cup ring from Carolina with him, it was his young backup that stepped up in the playoffs and won the Conn Smythe trophy. Sure, Gerber had a good season, but did he show consistency when needed? Absolutely not.
It doesn't help that Ottawa has had a lot of difficulty putting the puck in the net at the other end of the ice. The big guns have been quiet. Coach Brian Murray has been constantly tinkering with his lines to try and find a winning combination.
The Sens' roster does have a good mix of youth and experience. They have a bunch of talent and some muscle and grit to back it up. They have been putting the puck on the net. It just doesn't seem to be going in for them. At this point, it's nearly impossible not to start asking questions about their leadership on and off the ice.
Daniel Alfredsson is on the hot seat. Trade rumors are running wild in Canada's capital. Understandably, nobody wants to pull the trigger too soon. However, one thing is true. If Ottawa doesn't start winning some games, heads are going to roll.
Like he did last season when Hasek got hurt, backup Ray Emery has been keeping the team afloat. On Saturday night, the Sens beat divisional rivals Buffalo Sabres for the second time in three nights. Emery had 23 stops in a 4-1 win.
It's all about giving the team some confidence. Gerber's shaky performances did anything but keep guys like Spezza and Heatly on their heels afraid to make mistakes. These guys need to stay loose and feel free to attack. Weak goals kill that spirit.
We know, Muckler ... we know! "The NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint." Gerber does have plenty of time to get out of the doghouse. If Emery falls to injury or has a slump of his own, Sens fans will be crossing their fingers hoping the first stretch of the season was only a nightmare. However, for the time being, the popular opinion suggests that the doghouse should be boarded up, quarantined, so as to protect the rest of the team from catching that loser bug, yet again.
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