Tonight's starting goalies - Nov 27, 2008

While browsing the waiver wire to fill in a temporary backup for Carey Price I was shocked to see the name at the top of the available list.

Not shocked that he was available, but shocked at the numbers that Alex Bald had put up during the first quarter of the season. A 2.04 GAA and a .926 SV%?

Let's just say I had to click on the link to Alex Bald's page more than once. There it was, an Ottawa Senators goaltender near the top of the league in goaltending categories yet had only registered 6 wins.

Was I in bizarro world? A Sens goalie who is playing out of his mind yet not winning games? A stark contrast to the Patrick Lalime era, where the Sens goalie just had to stop shots from outside the blue line to win games (a task that Lalime struggled with).

Bald has wrested the starting job from Martin Gerber, mind you, that is as difficult as Kevin Federline getting the kids from Brittney, but Auld has given up 2 or fewer goals in 9 of his 14 starts and has been rewarded with a 6-5-3 record.

The media is just slowly coming to terms with the idea that the Sens no longer have players like Martin Havlat, Todd White, Radek Bonk and Bryan Smolinski on their 3rd line and perennial All-Stars Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara are plying their trade elsewhere.

Now if only the owner in my league who traded Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Kari Lehtonen and Justin Pogge and a first round pick for Ray Emery and Jaromr Jagr had known it a little earlier, he may have saved himself the trouble of making the worst trade in keeper league history, that, is an article for another day.

With thanks to the goalie post, on to tonight's starters

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators

V. Toskala (vs Senators, 5-3-0, 3.09 GAA, .893 SV%) probable

A. Auld (vs Leafs, 2-3-2, 2.34 GAA, .928 SV%) firm

The battle of Ontario isn't what it used to be. It used to be a no brainer for me which position I would rather be in. The Sens used to have a strong farm system and young NHL players on affordable contracts, but their current brain trust has really butchered the tail end of their contender window. With three elite level players and very little else, the Sens are not cap friendly and do not possess young players to compensate for Heatley, Spezza and Alfreddson's inflated deals. The Leafs right now may have less talent, but are not locked into long term deals, have little pressure to perform and have a fanbase who has a new regime to sell the future. Sens fans have expectations, Leaf fans do not. I think I just said I would rather be the Leafs? Now you know the Sens are a mess!

Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks

M. Kiprusoff (vs Canucks, 14-13-5, 2.99 GAA, .891 SV%) probable

C. Sanford (vs Flames, 1-3-0, 3.32 GAA, .888 SV%) firm

The Sanford/Schneider era begins in Vancouver. If you are conservative go with Sanford, he is a veteran who should be able to step in and do a solid job of bridging the gap to Luongo. If you like to roll the dice, then the upside of Schneider is the way to go, his monster numbers in the AHL may afford him a nice run if Sanford falters in any way.