VANCOUVER — Marcus Hogberg didn’t get the win.
But, he did take another step in the right direction with 24 stops in the club’s 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames Saturday night at the Saddledome.
Called up from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville because Craig Anderson is sidelined with a lower body injury, the 25-year-old Hogberg, who has a 6-6-0 record with an .892 save-percentage in the minors, looked pretty poised for a guy making only his fifth NHL start but saw his record fall to 0-3-1 at this level.
The Senators wanted to get a look at him in the second half of a back-to-back situation because he’s signed to a one-way contract next year and there’s a pretty good chance if Anderson isn’t brought back then Hogberg has the inside track to be the backup to Anders Nilsson.
“He was great (Saturday),” coach D.J. Smith told reporters following the loss. “He gave us every opportunity to win. He made some really big saves when it was 2-1 (for Calgary) and that was nice to see. That’s part of this process is getting these kids up here and seeing what they have.
“He had a really good year last year in the American Hockey League and he’s really starting to go now and from what I saw (in Calgary) it looks like he’s right on the cusp.”
Hogberg is confident he can play at this level and was buoyed by his effort.
“I had good practises before we went on the road and I was really excited for this opportunity,” Hogberg said. “I saw the puck pretty good and I liked the way our defence played and we played really hard.
“I felt pretty good except for the second goal but I’m just going to try to work hard and we’ll see. I was happy to get this opportunity and I was just really excited.”
The Senators were pleased with what they witnessed.
CLOSING IN ON A RETURN
It’s not clear when Anderson will return from the lower body injury he suffered in a 1-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets last Monday at Nationwide Arena, but it may not be much longer and there’s a good chance he plays before the end of this trip.
Anderson was placed on injured-reserve retroactive to last Tuesday and under league rules he has to stay there for at least seven days. That means he’s eligible to come off IR before the Senators face the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night at Rogers Arena, but it certainly sounds like the club isn’t going to rush to make a decision.
Yes, Anderson, who accompanied the team on this trip, skated Saturday morning in Calgary, but Smith noted he needs to have a couple of practises with the team and take some shots before a decision can be made on what’s next. The Senators play Wednesday night in Edmonton and then face the Philadelphia Flyers next Saturday to close out this lengthy tour.
“We thought right up to leaving (Thursday) he might be able to go but with these two back-to-backs we needed (Hogberg),” Smith said before facing the Flames. “He skated (Saturday). It’s not long-term but it’s something where he couldn’t go.”
The Senators skate at Rogers Arena Monday afternoon so the Senators will have a better idea on Anderson’s timetable then.
BROTHERLY LOVE
Brady and Matthew Tkachuk faced each other for the third time in their careers Saturday.
Brady played 17:10 for the Senators on 25 shifts while Matthew saw 18:08 of ice time and had an assist in Calgary’s win. Smith made a note of the duo at his morning meeting with the players at the club’s downtown hotel.
“I was calling it the ‘Chucky Bowl’ this morning,” Smith said with a laugh before the puck was dropped Saturday. “I know their mom probably doesn’t want them banging into each other and I know I wouldn’t want my two kids out there. Both those kids are passionate, they’re both energy guys that play hard every day.
“They love to score, they love to fall on the goalie, they love to be in the action but both teams loving having our respective players. They drag people into the battle and they come to play every night.”
In the case of Brady and Matthew, they both play a similar style to their father Keith Tkachuk, who competed every time he put on the jersey.
“Probably the best thing I can say about (Keith) and when I talk to Brady is that when he talks (to his dad) his message is always, ‘Just play better’,” said Smith. “That’s a valuable message to so many parents coming up that you always want to help your kid along and sometimes you just have to push your kid to be better.
“(Keith) doesn’t let (Brady) off the hook, he makes sure both of his kids work hard and both of his kids are successfully known as guys that are workers in this league.”
THE LAST WORDS
For those keeping an eye on the standings, the Senators woke up ranked No. 29 in the league Sunday with 23 points through 27 games, one ahead of the New Jersey Devils (22) and well up on the Detroit Red Wings who have 17. People are already keeping an eye on the draft lottery in April but there’s still a lot of racetrack left before that issue is decided.
Twitter: @sungarrioch
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